Decided over the last few night i wont be making any changes to my system, i like the fact that i can enjoy two very good sources when i want, plus i just dont have enough vinyl to keep me interested right now, that may change as the years roll on, but even so i will stay with a decent digital front end.
The thing that really changed my mind, was the bank holiday Monday, i was sitting very comfortable on the sofa, in the dark, with a nice beer and was just enjoying the moment as the rossini did its thing, going through my favourite play list, i just drifted off in a world of bliss as the different tracks played, one after another. It then crossed my mind that i just couldnât do this with my vinyl, as A, i dont have all the tracks, plus even if i did, i would be up and down like a yoyo and certainly wouldnât have been in the same frame of mind.
I bought a T+A PDP3000HV, which is an all-in-one CD/SACD transport and DAC. I never thought SACD could sound so good. It also appealed to me because it doesnât require extra investment in cables. It does require two AC power cords, as its digital and analog paths are kept strictly separate, but I already had two Shunyata Sigma Digital cords that were used on the Puccini and the U-clock.
Erno,
Good research! Yes, that was me in the Central Coast Audio club comparison between the Border Patrol and Benchmark DACs. But no, I did not buy either one. As I replied to Andy, I bought a used T+A PDP3000HV and itâs far superior to either. I am so astonished at what it can do with DSD (and to a lesser extent, with PCM) that I am now tempted to hear the best that T+A can offer. They unfortunately have few dealers in the US, so arranging an in-home audition is difficult. But itâs essential to evaluate a high-end product in onesâ own listening room with all the other gear that one is used to hearing.
Thanks George. Coincidentally, yesterday I was all over the T+A website, investigating their offer, which looks very tempting. Arranging an in-home audition is difficult also in Europe, outside of Germany.
Congrats on the PDP3000HV. I would love to hear it myself, or its replacement PDT 3100 HV.
I use the dynavector xv1t too - it is the best I have heard so far. I have had the Melco N10 and couldnât sell it quick enough! Pretty poor stuff. I now have a DCS Upsampler Vivaldi, but I would suggest you push the boat out and get network bridge from DCS. I found the network bridge very satisfactory before I upgraded
Uh? How were you using it? More than a few users find that using a Melco in a role of NAS is superior compared to use of a general purpose IT type of NAS. For a start there is no noise from the drives.
You would think so - as did I once !
I still use my IT type Symantec nas with my Vivaldi as the extra quality of the network bridge (as was) over the melco far exceeded the theoretical extra noise from the nas. I do have an AQ vodka ethernet cable and entreq on the nas AND ROUTER which helps yet more.
Is this for me?
If it is why would I want a network bridge?
Very happy with my rossini and clock.
Not at all interested in the vivaldi.
Find the N10 fantastic, use it to store all my ripped CDâS on and downloads.
The T+A HV line looks exquisite, but as you note, their slow approach to the US market makes it difficult to arrange a listening session. I have an inquiry in.
I have gotten to a place with my system where it will take something very special to move me off the Vivaldi stack + Kronos1 Clock, maybe and hopefully something special from dCS. I recently sold a lot of gear that had been in boxes long enough for me to realize I was never going to open those boxes again. [My wife helped me realize that. ] In doing so, I enjoyed interacting with a number of different audiophiles at different budget levels. All were, mostly happily by all appearances, engaged in a restless pursuit for their ânext great component.â I chatted with one fellow yesterday who had bought and sold the same model monoblocks three times in the last 18 months! (He probably singlehandedly diminished the market value of those amps.) I couldnât help but wonder when those folks ever just enjoyed music (note, I did not write âlisten toâ).
Anyway, T+A, though definitely not a newcomer to the high end, is enjoying a little bit of the flavor-of-the-month fawning attention of the audiophile press. It seems to me their line is priced in between the Rossini and a Vivaldi linesâwhich might contribute to some competitive pressure on our favorite audio companyâand while their use of BB chips surprised me a bit, I learned long ago not to dismiss the potential of a piece of equipment because of its designerâs tech choice. Itâs all in the execution. I hope I can hear it this year.
In the meantime, I am loving what I am enjoying, and vice versa.
Maybe one day a great contemporary songwriter will also be rewarded by dCS?
dCS Lennon
dCS Dylan
dCS Nash
dCS Simon
dCS Wonder
dCS Wilson
dCS Taupin
dCS Bowie
dCS Cohen
] In doing so, I enjoyed interacting with a number of different audiophiles at different budget levels. All were, mostly happily by all appearances, engaged in a restless pursuit for their ânext great component.â I chatted with one fellow yesterday who had bought and sold the same model monoblocks three times in the last 18 months! (He probably singlehandedly diminished the market value of those amps.) I couldnât help but wonder when those folks ever just enjoyed music (note, I did not write âlisten toâ).