Hi-Rez Highway

John, we've all known for some time that you're stuck on that FiiO M15

77.111.247.174

Chris from Lafayette

In Reply to: RE: Getting the Upgrade Bug, (or, I sure hope streaming services like Qobuz will be around for awhile) posted by John Elison on January 06, 2020 at 13:11:42

And there's nothing wrong with that. But have you actually heard the Cary DMS-600 which jdaniel is interested in? I'd think that the chipset is only one factor (albeit probably a large one) in the overall design and sound of a particular component.

Follow Ups:

RE: John, we've all known for some time that you're stuck on that FiiO M15 - John Elison 15:22:46 01/06/20 (15)
No, I've not heard the DMS-600, but I've heard other equally high priced DACs. I own a $3000 Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and I also own a $650 FiiO M11 Pro , which has dual AK4497EQ DAC chips just like the DMS-600.

I haven't played my Brooklyn Bridge in over three months now because I think my FiiO M11 Pro sounds better. Hopefully, the new FiiO M15 will sound at least as good if not better than my M11 Pro . But, who knows?

I plan to find out how the FiiO M15 sounds pretty soon, though, because I plan to buy one. ;-)

Best regards,
John Elison
- I was going to mention the Brooklyn Bridge, but ... - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 18:58:31 01/14/20 (1)
  ... it is not top of your list. I have no experience of it but it has received a lot of good press.
  
  13DoW
  - RE: I was going to mention the Brooklyn Bridge, but ... - John Elison 22:01:52 01/14/20 (0)
    I think the Brooklyn Bridge is excellent. It sounds fantastic. However, when FiiO came out with their M11 Pro, I thought it sounded just as good if not slightly better. Moreover, it could play both PCM and DSD directly from a plug-in micro SD card.
    
    I was somewhat disappointed in the Brooklyn Bridge because although it can play digital files directly from a plug-in USB flash-drive, it plays only PMC. For some odd reason, the Brooklyn Bridge won't play DSD from its plug-in flash-drive. It requires a computer to stream digital through a USB cable using JRiver of equivalent software.
    
    The FiiO M11 Pro sounds just as good to me as the Brooklyn Bridge and it doesn't require a computer connection to play DSD files all the way up through DSD256. Moreover, FiiO just came out with a new model, the M15, which will play DSD512 from a plug-in micro SD card. As soon as it becomes available through Amazon or B&H Photo, I'm buying it.
    
    Best regards,
    John Elison
- Good luck with your investigation - Chris from Lafayette 00:54:50 01/07/20 (12)
  BTW, I wasn't trying to dampen your enthusiasm!
  
  jdaniel will attest to the fact that I try to dampen his enthusiasms all the time over on the Classical forum! ;-)
  
  But this time around, I'd definitely be interested in what he thinks if he ends up the with the Cary component. (My own choices are much more limited, since I insist on MCh.)
  - RE: Good luck with your investigation - jdaniel@jps.net 17:23:00 01/07/20 (11)
    Re: "hearing" the Cary, I haven't found a dealer in CA yet. Cambridge Audio offers a very decently-priced unit but not DSD!
    
    TBH, any mid-fi "all in one" DAC and network streamer would be fine by me.
    
    All I require , irrational or not, is that it has RCA jacks. It would be very odd, (for me, anyway) to use the headphone out of the unit John recommends to connect to my amp!)
    
    That said, seems like a very cool device.
    - RE: "TBH, any mid-fi "all in one" DAC and network streamer would be fine by me." - Ivan303 13:51:57 01/08/20 (3)
      NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
      
      You are many things, jdaniel, but a 'Mid Fi Guy'?
      
      No you are not!
      - Right, he has a Z1!! Which does have Spotify and Tune-in. - oldmkvi 07:47:33 01/16/20 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: "TBH, any mid-fi "all in one" DAC and network streamer would be fine by me." posted by Ivan303 on January 08, 2020 at 13:51:57
        
        I use Tune-in all the time, sounds quite good on Z1.
        Never used Spotify.
        Good cables and PC make Big difference.
        Clarus Crimson and Aqua.
        
        I didn't know it had "Tune in." Investigating right now. : ) nt - jdaniel@jps.net 11:34:01 01/19/20 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Right, he has a Z1!! Which does have Spotify and Tune-in. posted by oldmkvi on January 16, 2020 at 07:47:33
        
        .
        
        I have a number of Favorites, I like Tunein a lot. - oldmkvi 08:15:16 01/20/20 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: I didn't know it had "Tune in." Investigating right now. : ) nt posted by jdaniel@jps.net on January 19, 2020 at 11:34:01
        
        I use all the Upsampling Options, and Normal Conversion.
    - RE: Good luck with your investigation - John Elison 23:05:42 01/07/20 (6)
      > It would be very odd, (for me, anyway) to use the headphone out of the unit John recommends to connect to my amp!)
      
      I guess I don't understand what difference it makes. Anyway, it doesn't make any difference to me. I bought interconnects with RCA plugs and with XLR connectors. I plug my FiiO directly into the balanced inputs of my power amp and it sounds fantastic.
      
      .
      .
      .
      - If headphone jack to stand-alone amp doesn't make a difference, I'm definitely intrigued. nt. - jdaniel@jps.net 06:38:47 01/08/20 (5)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Good luck with your investigation posted by John Elison on January 07, 2020 at 23:05:42
        
        ,
        
        RE: If headphone jack to stand-alone amp doesn't make a difference, I'm definitely intrigued. nt. - marc g. 20:14:16 01/12/20 (4)
        
        In Reply to: RE: If headphone jack to stand-alone amp doesn't make a difference, I'm definitely intrigued. nt. posted by jdaniel@jps.net on January 08, 2020 at 06:38:47
        
        A headphone out implies there would be an output stage and attenuator in the path before the preamp. It might sound just fine, but extra stuff in the path is not very audiophile-like!
        
        marc g. - audiophile by day, music lover by night
        
        RE: If headphone jack to stand-alone amp doesn't make a difference, I'm definitely intrigued. nt. - John Elison 15:17:10 01/16/20 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: If headphone jack to stand-alone amp doesn't make a difference, I'm definitely intrigued. nt. posted by marc g. on January 12, 2020 at 20:14:16
        
        > A headphone out implies there would be an output stage and attenuator in the path before the preamp.
        
        Yes, you're right! The balanced outputs go through the volume control. Of course, if you're plugging into the balanced inputs of a power amplifier, you need a volume control, don't you? I do!
        
        On the other hand, both the FiiO M11 and M11 Pro also have unbalanced line outputs. Consequently, when I plug into the Aux inputs of my preamp, I use the FiiO's unbalanced line outputs.
        
        Best regards,
        John Elison
        
        stand-alone amp, no Pre. Why doesn't Fifo have Fixed Output? - oldmkvi 07:49:20 01/16/20 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: If headphone jack to stand-alone amp doesn't make a difference, I'm definitely intrigued. nt. posted by marc g. on January 12, 2020 at 20:14:16
        
        My Sony D 100 DSD Recorder does.
        
        Edits: 01/16/20
        
        It does have unbalanced, fixed volume, line-outputs. /nt\ - John Elison 15:18:56 01/16/20 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: stand-alone amp, no Pre. Why doesn't Fifo have Fixed Output? posted by oldmkvi on January 16, 2020 at 07:49:20
        
        That's how i would use it, then. When - oldmkvi 06:57:35 01/17/20 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: It does have unbalanced, fixed volume, line-outputs. /nt\ posted by John Elison on January 16, 2020 at 15:18:56
        
        I've compared Dac (and CD player) Variable out into Amp vs Line Level into Pre, I've preferred fixed into Pre, by a lot.
        More robust sound, and not a Little...
        My Mac D 150 Dac has both, Mac MA 6900 Integrated has Direct to Amp options.
        I prefer using the Preamp.

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