Sabre EE Minimax Plus - Calyx - Audiolab 8200DQ

11-26-11: Douglas_schroeder
... It reminds me of the rule I instituted in regards to system building. When I get very tired I will not conduct work on setting up a system. One time when I was very tired I got a brain wave to reconfigure; I should have gone to bed instead!

Reminds me of the time many years ago when someone I was working with, who was a PhD in electrical engineering and who also probably had the highest IQ of anyone I have ever met in my life, was working in the lab late one night, in a tired and impatient state. He decided that an expedient method of determining whether or not a high speed cooling fan in an advanced avionics component was rotating or not would be to stick his finger into it. Sure enough, he promptly determined that it was!

It happens to the best of us :-)

Best regards,
-- Al

Thanks Doug, funny read, Ive done worst when tired....

So no comments on the Audiolab? British sites don't have enough info.

Audiolab just started shipping their Sabre 9018 based M-DAC (< $1000), which looks quite compelling based on discussions over at Pink Fish Media forums (where M-DAC designer John Westlake has been active). Initial reviews are quite positive, but I don't think anybody has done side by side comparisons with $2000+ DAC's. John says they will be offering a separate upgraded power supply for the M-DAC next year (? when). Based on what I've read, I went out on a limb and placed a pre-order for the M-DAC, sight unseen (or heard).

Sleepysurf, have you read if John Westlake regard this dac to be better than the 8200? what are the main differences?

He says it's better, and cites a number of reasons too lengthy to post here. Check out the Pink Fish Media forums for details.