RMAF 2011 Report - Digital Audio
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This year’s Rocky Mountain Audiofest featured more new digital products than ever before. I counted over forty introductions including DACs, CD players, network players, and other digital devices. For many manufacturers RMAF has supplanted CEDIA as the place to debut new products that will be shipping by CES. So, without further ado, here’s what I saw that’s worthy of your attention.
CD Lives!
Audio Limits from Colorado Springs got the best sound I’ve heard from the Primrose room. Using the $5990 BMC BDCD1 belt-drive CD player/transport tethered to the $6200 BMC DAC1 PRE, the $90,000 Venture Grand Ultimate speakers produced superb dynamics and image focus.
Parasound showed a prototype of its $5000 Halo CD 1 player at the 2011 CES. Now in production, this dedicated CD-only player was designed to be a state-of-the-art legacy device that will remain in service for many years. With a proprietary read/compare circuit, the CD 1 achieves virtually zero CD read errors.
In the Devore Fidelity’s room Tone Imports LLC showed its $4995 AcousticPlan DriveMaster CD Transport and $4995 DigiMaster vacuum-tube USB DAC. Capable of 192/24 via asynchronous USB using its own internal clock generator they sounded wonderful through Devore’s new $5000 Gibbon 88 speakers.
Dynaudio now distributes T+A products in the United States. In Dynaudio’s rooms I saw the $4200 E-series CD player, network player, 1260 R1 CD player, MP 1260 R1 DAC, and network client player.
MBL’s $9200 Corona CD Player is part of MBL’s new more affordable Corona product line, which includes its $11,800 Radialstrahler 126 speakers. The Player also has an SD card reader along with S/PDIF, TosLink, and USB inputs.
Denmark’s Vitus demonstrated its new $13,000 RCD-100 CD Player. Besides playing Red Book CDs, the RCD-100 supports USB and S/PDIF inputs. With a 192/32-bit architecture it can play 192/24 music files via all inputs, and looks beautiful while doing it.
DAC and USB Convertors
Empirical Audio made quite a statement with its new Overdrive Ultra DAC ($10,000 to $15,000). Coupled to a pair of Empirical Audio-modified Parasound JC-1 amplifiers driving YG Acoustics Kipod II Signature speakers ($49,000) the overall sonic presentation was even better than last year when Empirical placed among the best sounds at RMAF.
Shipping in January, the $12,000 Sonus Veritas Modena DAC has no coupling capacitors in its signal chain. Instead the Modena uses Lundahl transformers for coupling between stages. With a built-in tube-life monitor, this DAC was designed to be an heirloom component.
Avatar Acoustics from Fayetteville, Georgia, unveiled its new $4995 AMR DP-777 DAC. It features AMR’s Gemini digital engine, which uses two distinct chip sets – one for Red Book and the other 32-bit chip for high-res files. Its USB input is fully USB 2.0 compatible for up to 192/24 files.
The $3995 Resonessence Invicta DAC not only has provisions for USB 2.0, but also TosLink, AES/EBU, and BNC inputs. The Invicta boasts a greater than 125dB dynamic range and includes RCA and balanced XLR outputs as well as a remote.
Hegel presented its new $349 HD2 and $2000 H20 DACs. The two units can be combined in series so the clocks in both units work together to minimize time-domain errors. The advantages of this dual-clock system were amply evident in the demo.
On the 11th floor tower the new $6495 EAR DACute sounded impressive. Combined with the $4499 Music Vault Diamond music server, $7995 EAR 834 integrated amplifier, and $6500 Marten FormFloor speakers the system imaged superbly in the less than acoustically benign hotel room.
Oracle premiered its latest DAC, the $9500 1000 Mk II. It employs an AKM 192/24 capable DAC with fully discrete balanced analog outputs and two USB 2.0 inputs along with S/PDIF. It sounded suave playing the Blue Mind CD from Oracle’s featured performer, Montreal-based singer/songwriter Anne Bisson.
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Comments
Hello Steven,
To bad we missed eachother, we had the world premier of our new Multi Format Player at RMAF
Cheers
-Peder Beckman-
Electrocompaniet Inc.
I was in your room. And I'm sure I asked about new digital products...
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Also, this report, like any show report, written within 24 hours of the close of the show, is not going to include everything I saw and heard. The space requirement of the print version precludes this.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Hmmmm, perhaps I should have s/w you about writing that player up Peder!!!!
Michael Mercer
The Daily Swarm
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GREAT report as always Steven! You really have to hear and see (if you didn't catch it) Josh Heinser's Sonicweld Diverter (USB to SPDIF) as it's NO ordinary USB-SPDIF - it's a true work of art, both physically and sonically - I believe Josh is on the bleeding egde, and his craftmanship is second to none!! Was great seeing you too, even though it was brief!! My wife says you were very nice - thanX buddy...
Michael Mercer
The Daily Swarm
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Steven Stone:
When you, Robert Harley and others from other publications began writing about "the coming age of computer audio," it struck me as being the ideal evolution in audio for me. Having been involved in the audio hobby since 1950 (I'm 75 now), and having continually upgraded to maintain a top rank system, I am at that point in my life where I especially enjoy private headphone listening.
I sold some of my Burmester equipment and purchased the Weiss DAC 202 and WOO Audio WES Head Phones amplifier and appropriate cables. My Stax phones are the SR 009 and 007.
At the recent RMAF I joined a few sophisticated hobbysts with two engineers/designers of DAC and the like, over a snack and soda discussing the Aurender S-10. An exhibitor was touting that this device would remove the computer (MAC) from the audio chain because the computer contributes audible levels of RTF, interference and noise to the signal.
If I understood the experts correctly, it was their view that in a system where the downloaded FLAC files are stored on an external HDD, then fed to the MAC Book Pro having an SSD (as in the demo/exhibit), then fed into the DAC 202, and then to the WES: the MAC is not processing the audio stream acting merely as a pass-thru, actually operating iTunes as the directory. If that understanding is correct, the negative contribution of the MAC would be inaudible at best. I should add that I assume that all power lines carrying noise was addressed and likewise the best cables were in use.
If you have not had any experience with the Aurender S-10, I would like you to keep this question in mind when you do get to that audition.
ADR
With files on a NAS any rendering device that is network aware has access to the files. Personally I see no more use for FLAC than ALS - why use ANY form of compression? I just keep files in native uncompressed - WAV or AIFF.
As for "bypassing the computer" - Most systems use the computer as a server which passes or streams along files to the renderer, such as the Weiss DAC or a Logitech Squeezebox.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Steve,
If the computer is used "as a server which passes or streams along files to the renderer," would I be correct to assume that, except in the worst case situation, the computer (MacBook Pro) contributes little if any audible noise or distortion?
Art
ADR
Perhaps, Art...
Jitter is the issue. Anything that effects timing is jitter and there are many points in the digital audio chain where timing errors can occur. The source is one, the renderer is another.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Steve,
In running the Weiss DAC 202 "Transparency Test," if my system "passed" the test, would that be a confirmation of low jitter?
I am anxious to read your review of the Aurender S-10 which has been represented to me as the "wonderkind" which will make my simple headphones only system even better. Franly, I am very skeptical. My limited headphones system: Burmester 948 Power conditioner, Weiss DAC 202, Stax SR 009 and 007 MK2, WOO Audio WES with upgraded internals and tubes, and MAC Book Pro with SSD, 8mb memory plus two external 2TB HDD for storage and backup.... and, rarely used, Burmester 001 CD player and preamp.
Frankly, my system as it presently stands is unbelievably "live" and convincing. I "feel the presence" of the performers. Can it be audibly better?
ADR
Hello across,
The transparency test makes sure that the files are "bit-perfect,"but does nothing to insure or guarantee low jitter.
I haven't reviewed the Aurrender S-10, or even heard of it.
Your system sounds as if it would be hard to better, but we audiophiles HAVE to try....
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Steve, Yes we audiophiles DO have to try. But I have gone that route so many times with "top-of-the-line stuff" that a few years ago I sold much of my "treasure" to some Japanese friends to focus only on headphone listening. I think that at this moment in time I am at "Mt. Olympus!" At least I think so! If you are ever near Westport, CT, call and stop by. I'll even offer dinner when we are through!
ADR
Steven Stone -- Wed, 10/26/2011 - 07:39
With files on a NAS any rendering device that is network aware has access to the files. Personally I see no more use for FLAC than ALS - why use ANY form of compression? I just keep files in native uncompressed - WAV or AIFF.
==
Sound quality apart the WHOLE THING about computer audio is the improved access to one's library -- via meta data, which for most of us means FLAC and a superior GUI to iTunes such as Songbird.
I also don't bother with any compression. Aiff and Wav files are all I use.
As for superior GUIs, I'm still waiting...for open and more complete meta-data...
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
Waiting for something else as good as Sooloos -- aren't we all.
I'm ecumenical or is that eclectic and run both religions -- PC for enhanced library browsing, MAC for ultimate fidelity.
'iTunes (and Pure Music) don't play FLAC files.' Steven in TAS while recommending PM. A stop-me-dead killer in the tail -- if it were true. Literally true, as PM converts FLAC files first. But THEN it plays them beautifully and without further hindrance.
I often get sound that has been (or currently is as good as the Sooloos in my home, at a fraction of the cost (though my system changes often). As an example, I found this computer audio rig more musical overall in its presentation than the Sooloos):
Macbook/iTunes + Amarra 2.3.2 into the Locus Design Nucleus USB cable (or Nordost Blue Heaven USB) into the Sonicweld USB-S/PDIF Diverter into the Weiss DAC, or, the new E.A.R DAC!! Now - this rig isn't cheap - but its not as pricey at Sooloos! NOT knockin it, its a killer system,
but the rig I described above played back recordings I produced (which is my ultimate acid test, as I was there and wrote the tracks and mixed them as well) in a far more enjoyable way, and sounded closer to the master to my ears - just IMO
Michael Mercer
The Daily Swarm
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