Aura

That is an excellent point. Lord knows I've had enough trouble with the E-MU already and soundcards are a pain as well.

A standalone makes a lot of sense considering my dorm room back at school. Instead of cramming the DAC and amp on my desk I can buy a small shelf and setup my headphone rig in a more accessible area. It's not like burning cd's takes a while either.

So yeah, I'm leaning heavily towards a CDP. Any recommendations Sean?

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s1rrah

The Paradisea (and I'm sure, the non tube version, The Constantine) is a gazillion times better than the Musiland MD10. No competition in so far as musicality and image). I now know why folks were suggesting I get a non oversampling DAC as opposed to something like the MD10.

Live and learn.

Anyway, regarding the torn between two lovers problem:

My computer is my main transport. It's just too convenient as a library mechanism so all my CD's are turned into .FLACS.

That said.

I thought it wisest to get a decent external DAC (500-600 dollar range) and also have on hand a decent CD player (mine's a Sony DVP-C650D which I got for free from a family member). Since the CD player has optical/SPDIF output, even if my computer goes belly up, I can still use my external DAC which sounds slightly better to my ear than does the built in DAC of the Sony.

I have to say, though ... that Sony players built in DAC sounds pretty amazing. The headphone out on that player sounds nearly as good as my Paradisea ... just as detailed but not as round/full/warm and fun to listen too. Only drawback is the CDP doesn't do CD-R recorded discs.

But again ... back to the computer.

I just cannot get over how awesome it is to have everything at a mouse click away ... full lossless quality ... and everything arranged via an interface in a such a stellar library format.

That's why I went with the external DAC format.

Either way ...

You'll serve the Slam right.

BTW: The EMU is going to sound amazing with your SLAM. Maybe wait until your first listen with the 0404 before deciding?

Have fun.

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Namrac

Backed out of the Stello deal... and of course had to commit to the headfive deal, so now I get to go out of the 0404 for a while...


Oh well, these things happen, I suppose.

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Audio Setup: (Soon to be in Transition)
PC: JRiver Jukebox ASIO > MHDT Constantine+ > Singlepower MPX3 SLAM > Sennheiser HD580
OCN Headphone Club. Because computers don't suck up enough of my money.
Namrac's Favorite Games: HL2, GTA IV, Halo, Mass Effect, Splinter Cell: CT, Bioshock, Insurgency

Aura

Couldn't agree more Joel. If I have my way I'd like to keep the E-MU and have a solid CDP as well.

That tube section makes all the difference, doesn't it? Advantage Paradisea .

Yeah, I'm gonna hold off until the amp arrives. At this point though I'm really quite sure that I'll be buying a CDP - I'm imagining the rig setup on a nice wooden shelf and it's making me drool. I'd love to be able to go to the corner of the room, sit on my sofa, and relax to the rig worry-free.

Thanks for the notes, much appreciated bro.

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chailvr

I have a pair of ATH-A900's that need a new amp. I know not much can be had for under 120 but any suggestions?

Aura

Mini3 portable. It's DIY, so you'll need a builder (soloz for example).

I'm not sure how inexpensive a PIMETA can get, but if it's possible to have one dip to $120 I would consider that to be your best option. It's a DIY desktop amp with a ton of value from what I've heard.

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chailvr

I've built a few CMOY's, how much skill is required for a MINI3?

s1rrah

Walker Audio Super Silver Treatment (SST)
This stuff is absolutely legit:


...





...

Test Platform:
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: lossless .flac via Auzentech Prelude via digital coax
Digital IC: CryoTweaks 75 ohm Pure Silver Coaxial
DAC: MHDT Paradisea (tube DAC)
Stereo/Analogue IC: Audio Arts IC-3 Silver/Copper
AMP: Stello HP100
Cans: Grado RS1

...

About three hours ago I applied this 100 dollar per bottle goop to every one of my interconnects.

I also applied it to the pins on my Pardisea's tube.

The sonic differences are just insane.

In fact, I've since removed it from the pins of my tube but I'll get to the hows and whys of that in a minute.

...

My roommate ordered this stuff a while back. I laughed at him. He went on and on about it but I still laughed.

I admit to being intrigued/bothered, though ... so I started reading every review I could find.

Funny thing ... I could find nothing online to indicate that this was snake oil or even a negative comment at all.

Every reviewer, from 6 moons to the casual consumer, all did nothing but laud praises on this unassuming (but rather expensive) bit of silver based goop.

So today, having read my fill of positive comments ... I took the plunge and lightly applied it to all of my interconnects, and ... the Pardisea's tube.



First Listen...
---------------------------------------------------------------------

What I heard upon first listen equaled nothing short of a total transformation of the sound coming out of my headphone/amp/DAC.

The first thing that hit me was just how THICK and WARM sounding everything was. The overall sound image had become what I've heard described as 'syrupy' ... in a tubish sort of way ... and to my own ear, anyway ... to the extent of being not exactly to my liking.

I continued to listen ...

And then the positive changes began to become apparent ...

Much greater stereo imaging ... again ... quite startling, but this time in a very positive way.

Soundstage was improved.

And the bass .... ahhhh, so round and full and tight.

I really couldn't believe it.

The most dramatic positive impact is definitely in the soundstage/3D imaging area. Just uncanny how much better seperation there is.

Second in line would have to be the serious bass impact that the application of SST provided. Really huge bass, nice and tight but also really really big and powerful.


Overtubed! ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway ... regarding the negative, 'syrupy' softness of everything ... I immediately suspected the tube.

I popped the tube out of my DAC and thoroughly cleaned the SST compound off of it's pins.

I popped the tube back in ...

And WHAM ... right back to my well rounded and smooth but very detailed DAC.

Best I can figure it, the silver compound drastically enhanced the signal through the tube, thereby drastically enhancing the tubes influence over the sonic mix.

For fun, I reapplied the SST compound to the tube and listened; I found the same too thick and too warm/fuzzy image.

I then cleaned the tube pins again and reinserted ... and back to a well rounded, smooth but detailed mix.

Absolutely astonishing.

...

Anyway ... skeptics be damned, this stuff works like a magic trick.


Share the love...
---------------------------------------------------------------------

As I might have mentioned ... I borrowed from my roommates supply to test this stuff.

But when I get a spare 100 bucks, I'm going to order my own bottle and once I get it we gotta set up some sort of mail-around agreement so you guys with rigs that could benefit from it can check it out.

It takes such a miniscule film/layer of the stuff to be effective that we could pass it around no problem without really making a dent in it.

Just a heads up yo!

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Chipp

Alrighty Joel... Let's just say I'm more skeptical than usual about this one. Granted, you're the one hearing it and not me, but I'm having a hard time seeing how in the world a silver cream applied to contacts is going to make enough of an electrical difference to cause the sound change you're describing.

But hey - if it works for you, why not?

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s1rrah

Dude. Me too.

That was a whole lot of typing BTW and no way would I do it because I'm bored.



Serious mojo mang.

PM me if you want to be first in the mail-around once I buy my own stash.



EDIT: oh yeah ... search around and read all the reviews online. Overwhelming ...

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