I need to get this new Smile Smartwatch. Apparently, it has an audiophile DAC ;-)

pwfletcher July 02, 2013 02:51

Still waiting on the Woo Audio WA7 ... I am beginning to wonder if that thing is EVER going to ship ;-(

pwfletcher February 24, 2013 05:50

OK ... finally got the entire system to be controlled from my Pebble Smartwatch using applescripts. Now I don't have to lug that bulky old iPad around the house ... I just click a button on my watch ;-)

pwfletcher February 24, 2013 05:49

Mbenher ... I have been using Indigo for this for a LONG time. I used to use Crestron, but the programming is a complete headache compared to the ease of Indigo ... if you are on a mac of course. Plus, they finally just added Z-Wave support to Indigo ... It's about time ;-)

pwfletcher February 11, 2013 21:14

Mbehner:

Just an FYI ... although the AppleTV has a USB out, that USB port cannot be used to output a digital audio stream like a MacMini's USB port can. You will have to connect the AppleTV to the Bel Canto via a toslink cable.

pwfletcher March 15, 2008 04:36

Ljr33 ... your post is a bit confusing. However, if I understand you correctly, you want to use your AppleTV as the source, connect to a DAC via toslink, then into a SimAudio i5.3: ATV --> DAC --> Sim.

Your system will sound great. However, by using the ATV as a source, you are forced to go toslink into a DAC instead of USB. Accordingly, you will lose some jitter reduction that is provided by most USB DACs. However, it can still sound very, very good. Therefore, given the setup you are proposing, my recommendation would be to by a used Benchmark Media DAC 1 which should cost you between $800 and $900 and can be readily found on AudioGon. There are two models, one USB and one non-USB ... get the non-USB. You do not need the USB model that costs $300 more. You will be more than pleased with this setup ...

pwfletcher March 09, 2008 01:54

System edited: Just updated the home automation system ...

pwfletcher March 09, 2008 01:42

Mbehner ... my suggestions for you are as follows:

1. Rip everything via Apple Lossless and make sure it is backed up ... I am now using a NewerTech Guardian with dual 750GB drives in Raid-0;

2. Buy a used Benchmark Media USB DAC and use the USB input ... that will be the best price/value choice for your present system and you absolutely WILL hear the difference. Plus, you will be able to sell it instantly when you decide to upgrade. The next step up, either a Bel Canto DAC3 or Wavelength Cosecant, are both better than you need with your NAD.

3. After you complete the two suggestions above, get yourself two new speakers for the front end two channel.

pwfletcher February 25, 2008 05:17

I also just ordered Shunyata Taipan PCs ... we'll see if a PC can really make a difference!

pwfletcher January 22, 2008 03:57

System edited: Upgraded the XLR interconnects to Nordost Tyr from the Quattro Fils :-)

pwfletcher January 22, 2008 03:55

My comparison of the Bel Canto DAC3 vs. the Benchmark Media DAC1 ...

For those of you who want to skip to the end, the Bel Canto DAC3 wins by a long shot ... at least in my subjective opinion. Not because it does any one thing significantly better than the Benchmark Media DAC1. But rather because, when taken as a whole, each aspect of the performance is just a little bit better thus taking the entire musical experience to the next level.

*****

To begin with, I have great components set up in the worst possible space that forces me in to a near-field listening situation ... obviously not ideal. Nonetheless, it provides for a fairly amazing audio experience and actually allows me to hear certain nuances that I would not otherwise hear in a regular listening set-up.

As for my subjective observations comparing the Bel Canto and Benchmark DACs, they are as follows. Also, note that I ran two USB cables simultaneously from my computer, one in to each DAC, so that I could perform a true A/B comparison ...

Highs - I found the Benchmark (BM) highs to be a bit rolled off in the higher frequencies. This was not the case for the Bel Canto (BC) where the highs extended fully throughout the frequency range. For example, on the Martin Taylor and Tuck Andress guitar solos that I listened to, the sound that their fingers made when sliding across the strings sounded much more open and realistic on the BC.

Bass - The BM and BC were fairly similar as far as the bass is concerned. However, the BC was just a bit warmer and more natural sounding than the BM. For example, on Jeanie Bryson's "Why Don't You Do Right?" the stand up Bass strumming sounded a tad warmer and ... well, I can only describe it as more "acoustic". Also, the amazing kick drum on Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman" seemed to resonate just a bit lower and longer using the BC ... not a lot, but just enough to where you notice a subtle difference.

Soundstage - HUGE ... both of the DACs present a great large soundstage. However, on Ray Charles' "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning" on Ray Sings, Basie Swings the sax and trumpets projected just a bit farther outside the speakers on the BC. Conversely, the soundstage with the BM appears to be a bit deeper to me. Accordingly, no winner here ... simply do you like your soundstage wider or deeper?

Imaging - Now this is interesting ... both DACs provide great, nicely focused imaging. However, the BC's image tended to follow the side to side movement of my head significantly more than the BM. For example, on Nora Jones' "Turn Me On" her voice is perfectly centered when my head was centered. But if I moved it left or right, the image followed my head significantly more with the BC. The sonic qualities didn't change, the imaging simply followed the movement of my head more ... weird. Nonetheless, the size of the imaged voice or instrument was always just a bit larger with the BC making it the winner in this aspect as well.

Separation - The BC was the clear winner here and this was very important to me. Some producers like to stack voices and instruments in the dead center of a recording instead of moving them a tad left or right. This is a mistake IMHO and can cause voices and instruments to get lost in the jumble. For example, on the Beatles' "Revolution" from the Love CD, John's voice seems to get lost in Ringo's drums on most every system that I have heard, including mine at home using the BM. However, with the BC in place, there is much better separation between the two and John's singing is heard much more clearly. This makes a HUGE difference in complex songs that have too many items mixed to center.

So, in conclusion, the differences in each aspect of the music were generally small when reviewed individually. However, when you add them up and they are experienced as a whole, the Bel Canto DAC3 is much more musical and provides for a more enjoyable listening experience.

And that is all I have to say about that ...

:-)

PS - My entire system is comprised of components that I purchased used on Audiogon over the past few months for less than $10k.

pwfletcher January 09, 2008 19:26

"Let me ask this question- is your mac mini hooked up to a keyboard and mouse and if so does it need to be?"

Yes it is, but it does not have to be. I can control my system from my MacBook Pro and my iPhone as well ... so headless is definitely an option.

"It looks like you use Indigo to operate the entire system from your iPhone, song selection included?"

Absolutely! Indigo is by far the best home automation software ever created for any OS. It will do whatever you want it to and very intuitively.

"What are those 2 boxes sitting on a top of Mac Mini?"

A NewerTech miniStack v2 500GB HD and an Airport Extreme (802.11n).

"Do you realy need a monitor or ipod could do that?"

An iPod Touch or iPhone could control the system as well.

CHANGE MADE TO SYSTEM:

I just replaced the Benchmark DAC1 with a Bel Canto DAC 3.

pwfletcher December 25, 2007 22:21

Lilu .... mac to dac via USB. Movies, OTA HDTV with an El Gato Hybrid HDTV Tuner ($99), and system sounds are all output digitally to the dac. FLAC files are converted to Apple Lossless using a program called Max (quick and bit transparent). In fact, I have downloaded high res 24/96 studio master files from Linn's website and the play perfectly in iTunes.

Good luck :-)

pwfletcher December 16, 2007 21:30

System edited: JUST ADDED: My audio system, as well as my home automation system, can be accessed and controlled from my iPhone or from any computer connected to the internet from anywhere in the world. I have added a pic of the Indigo Control Page that allows me to do this ...

pwfletcher December 16, 2007 02:01

System edited: My creative problem-solving skills are truly beyond reroach :-)

pwfletcher December 15, 2007 03:43