A couple areas I would steer you to are the Audio Note and Sakura System (47 Labs) web sites. There is some good information here on the non-os philosophy and why these designers consider it superior to upsampling. In the case of my DAC search (which ultimately led me to the Audio Mirror), it was important for me to understand these concepts and detrmine which I favored. My reasons for going the non-os route were simple, to me the music sounded more natural and was very close to analog. Now not all non-os DACs reproduce music equally, just as upsamplers don't, but if you want that analog sound from your digital playback you can't go wrong with brands like Audio Mirror, Audio Note, Audio Sector, and 47 Labs. If possible listen to one versus an upsampler. Then you will hear what I am saying.
DAC choice advice - hard-drive based system
Putting together a system using network-attached USB hard drive (LaCie 500GB through a Linksys NSLU2), all music ripped lossless (FLAC), delivered over my 802.11g wireless net using a Squeezebox3.
In the general price range I'm considering, the Audiomirror, Perpetual Tech, Stello, and (it seems you can't *not* consider this) the Benchmark, all look interesting. I realize the Audiomirror takes a different approach as it's n/os.
I listen to a very wide variety of music.
Can you guys help me out with the pro's and con's of these options? I'm new to the DAC concept - am I missing anything I should be considering?
Also, what is the concept behind something like the Perpetual Tech P-1A? I don't really understand what it does (but have a general sense of the concept of oversampling). Is it just oversampling, similar to what's already built into the Benchmark for instance? How about the Audio Alchemy stuff, what's that do?
Thanks! Great forum, it's nice to have access to experts that don't mind speaking in language plain enough for us neophytes...
In the general price range I'm considering, the Audiomirror, Perpetual Tech, Stello, and (it seems you can't *not* consider this) the Benchmark, all look interesting. I realize the Audiomirror takes a different approach as it's n/os.
I listen to a very wide variety of music.
Can you guys help me out with the pro's and con's of these options? I'm new to the DAC concept - am I missing anything I should be considering?
Also, what is the concept behind something like the Perpetual Tech P-1A? I don't really understand what it does (but have a general sense of the concept of oversampling). Is it just oversampling, similar to what's already built into the Benchmark for instance? How about the Audio Alchemy stuff, what's that do?
Thanks! Great forum, it's nice to have access to experts that don't mind speaking in language plain enough for us neophytes...