[Edwood]

Hey, bangraman.

Are you interested in building a transportable computer source, or you ae OK if it's a hulking home system?

-Ed

 

[triodesteve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hungrych How much is it? I can't find a price anywhere, or it's actual site.

Go here:
http://www.bd-design.nl/

and look under Finished Products
Bert is the international distributor. It is designed and built in Japan (I think Bert actually does final assembly in the Netherlands)

Steve

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood Hey, bangraman. Are you interested in building a transportable computer source, or you ae OK if it's a hulking home system? -Ed

Transportable doesn't really enter into the equation I think. I don't have any need for a movable system (but not hulking). I'm getting some slanted racks for use under the desks so rackmount would actually be ideal, but I can move shelves around, etc.


I might actually make use of more than one of the suggestions here, as if I replace the dCS stack with a P8i for example, I'm not entirely sure at this point if that machine will eventually be able to act as a DAC (for the Mac Mini) too, as claimed. I'm thinking about sticking a DAC on the Denon 3910 instead, which will definitely give me audio out of the Mac or the Universal spinner. But I don't want the urge to upgrade just a short time later although as I said, the living room system will end up being my 'not as good' set-up.


I am encouraged though that I might just come out of this exercise spending a lot less than I'd thought (that'd be a first...

)!

 

[Garbz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad However, when I was saying "Perhaps the signaling is the same but the jack different" I was talking only about the I2S interface on the Zanden compared with a normal I2S one.

AFAIK there is no set standard for I2S. It's different and often proprietry on every piece of equipment. The last DAC I saw used a 8 pin DIN connector. What for I don't know since I2S doesn't have nearly that many signals.

 

[Nomad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbz AFAIK there is no set standard for I2S. It's different and often proprietry on every piece of equipment. The last DAC I saw used a 8 pin DIN connector. What for I don't know since I2S doesn't have nearly that many signals.

Yes, I've seen different connector types. As long as the signaling is the same and we can get a pinout diagram I'm not that concerned as you can always make an adaptor. What really concerns me is if they change the signaling a bit making it not 100% Standard. If that's the case it shouldn't be called I2S but this wouldn't be the first time something similar happens.

 

[bangraman]

Just giving this thread a little slap. It's actually becoming quite likely that my home work environment will be Windows-free with the exception of a gaming platform (and even then, the XBox 360 will get a look in shortly), so I'm leaning towards the solution being hosted on a Mac.


I am interested in I2S, but I'm not absolutely convinced by the USB-I2S solutions available at the moment.

 

[Akathriel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbz AFAIK there is no set standard for I2S. It's different and often proprietry on every piece of equipment. The last DAC I saw used a 8 pin DIN connector. What for I don't know since I2S doesn't have nearly that many signals.

Although there is a lot of variety, I thought most I2S interfaces used RJ45?

 

[EdipisReks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 SACD has 192 kHz sample rate. That doesn't mean you need to be a porpoise to hear the music...

you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. here, let me try: humans can hear up to 35 purple elves!!

 

[BennyBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oliver Do I understand correctly that you do not want be to tell you to get yourself a new intel Mac mini (1GB RAM), at least two MacMini M9 - DX enclosures with HDDs sized to your needs, +a 20" cinema display. In Germany this runs you about €2,25K with 500GB drives but things tend to be cheaper in the US, so you'll end up around $2,3K. Still $5,7K left for the DAC of your choice to be hooked up via optical or USB.

I like that idea, with the Mini's optical out it could sound very good with low jitter. You can also get a 2 TB firewire external drive in the same shape/footprint as the Mini and use it for HD movies as well as a audio server.

 

[00940]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman I am interested in I2S, but I'm not absolutely convinced by the USB-I2S solutions available at the moment.

I2S is rather meaningless in this context since you need to output it directly from the computer to get any advantages.

Simply get a RME or Lynx soundcard with worldclock in and a pro DAC with worldclock out, in order to slave the drive to the the DAC. If you like the DCS sound, you could get a DCS954 for example.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00940 I2S is rather meaningless in this context since you need to output it directly from the computer to get any advantages. Simply get a RME or Lynx soundcard with worldclock in and a pro DAC with worldclock out, in order to slave the drive to the the DAC. If you like the DCS sound, you could get a DCS954 for example.

That is sort of what I figured. Lots of technical talk concerning the USB interface however confused me a bit.


I already have the Fireface so this bit is easy. As I may mentioned before, the 954 is an option. I just haven't been able to hear one yet.

 

[shplorgh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BennyBoy I like that idea, with the Mini's optical out it could sound very good with low jitter. You can also get a 2 TB firewire external drive in the same shape/footprint as the Mini and use it for HD movies as well as a audio server.

Doesn't getting a million external drives completely defeat the point of having a mac mini?

And just using the optical out from the onboard sound isn't anywhere near the best digital output you could get from a computer, especially at 8k.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hungrych Doesn't getting a million external drives completely defeat the point of having a mac mini? And just using the optical out from the onboard sound isn't anywhere near the best digital output you could get from a computer, especially at 8k.

I think that was just for the other poster's benefit. And considering the noise some of those 'Mac Mini-Style' enclosures make, it's a definite no-no. You're much better sticking a NAS out of the way somewhere.


Besides... in relation to Bennyboy you're dealing with a guy who probably in all seriousness says what he says on his sig. It's highly unlikely any particularly sage advice is issuing forth

 

[GoRedwings19]

bangraman>Seeming as you like the idea of bolting a dac onto the denon. Would a surround sound processor/dac be out of the question?

Something like a Tag mclaren, meridian, lexicon etc?

Or would a surround sound integrated suffice? Something like a denon 3805 or a different manufacturer at the same level?

 

[bangraman]

No need for surround when you only have two speakers