Wyred 4 Sound Dac1 vs. Dac2

Roscoeiii- your comment about the DAC1 not having Async USB seems really important. This is what Gordon Rankin and Ayre having been touting as the major source of improvement. So unless the DAC chip itself is impervious to jitter, it seems as though the async USB interface is a must and therefore rules out the DAC1 as a competitive option.

I am curious if anyone has really compared this particular piece. Since I am considering this as a cost effective alternative to the Ayre QB-, I would love to hear some comments. (I run J-River on Windows 7)

I went right to the source and asked w4s about the diffence in sonic quality with async USB. They acknowledge that the DAC-1 will not sound as good as the DAC-2 without the upgrading the CAPS ($50) and upgrading to async USB ($250). Since that is only $200 less than buying the DAC-2, not sure it is worth it. Guess they prefer to sell DAC-2.

I am back to thinking about the Ayre QB-9. For my uses, they did the right thing keeping the interfaces simple and putting the design into the quality.

The Ayre is now about $1400 more and used are getting near new price.

Check out Computeraudiophile.com for some comparisons and lot's of reviews of the w4s. There are some comments indicating the bass definition of the QB-9 leaves some wanting more, while the W4s seems to have exemplary bass definition and presence. I have a high regard for Ayre but am leaning now towards the W4s. I will likely listen to the Ayre again now that I have my new GM EOS speakers.

I recommend you check out the forums here and on the computer audiophile site and start reading the many threads on DAC's and transports. The answers to your questions are already covered.

hey thanks for the follow up. Just so I can calibrate this to my experience, do you mind describing the rest of your system? I am also interested in what other DACs you have heard for comparison. With 30 years, you probably have a lot of listening experience!