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  #41  
Old 08-06-2020, 08:22 PM
Mouse Mouse is offline
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Wilson Sasha ii in this system. The heat sinks work well, its never more than warm to the touch in a well ventilated purpose built console style cabinet, even after a spirited listening session.

Each day I am more impressed, especially with the dac section. I will soon be testing the dac via the digital outs from an Aqua Linq. I await the arrival of a new aes/ebu 110 ohm digital cable.
I'm glad to hear someone with one says it doesn't get hot. The model in store was very hot, like make the entire room warm and too hot to comfortably touch. I don't know if there was a bug they worked out, but it seems like it's isolated to one.
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  #42  
Old 08-07-2020, 02:07 AM
Sidekick Sidekick is offline
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I'm glad to hear someone with one says it doesn't get hot. The model in store was very hot, like make the entire room warm and too hot to comfortably touch. I don't know if there was a bug they worked out, but it seems like it's isolated to one.
I'm pretty sure something wasn't entirely right. The units that's been passing through here has rarely got more than lukewarm.
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  #43  
Old 08-14-2020, 11:06 AM
ghasley ghasley is offline
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Maybe it was driving a 1 ohm load to clipping LOL. Mine driving a 4 ohm load that dips into the mid twos gets warm but every good amp ive ever had will get warm. I dont know where the 866 crosses from class a to ab but sometimes if an amp plays at the top end of its class a capabilities it can get a little warmer. Just depends on the speaker, cable, amp, ac power relationshiip.
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  #44  
Old 08-14-2020, 12:54 PM
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I'm pretty sure something wasn't entirely right. The units that's been passing through here has rarely got more than lukewarm.
I talked to the store, he said Boulder repaired/re-biased it and no it runs as expected. To bad I don't live in Denver anymore to check it out.
Has anyone compared the sound against the MA8900 with DA2 module?
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  #45  
Old 08-15-2020, 04:03 PM
ghasley ghasley is offline
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Not side by side. No offense intended but the Mac has more features (phono stage, eq, headphone) and the Boulder has a very real and palpable slice of the very high end. Having heard both, not remotely at the same time, place or with the same ancillaries the Mac is not even in the same zip code. The 866 may be one of the best values I've ever experienced in audio gear and mark my words, if life ever settles down and more people get to experience the 866, I believe it is destined to be a modern day classic.
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  #46  
Old 08-16-2020, 12:06 AM
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Originally Posted by ghasley View Post
Not side by side. No offense intended but the Mac has more features (phono stage, eq, headphone) and the Boulder has a very real and palpable slice of the very high end. Having heard both, not remotely at the same time, place or with the same ancillaries the Mac is not even in the same zip code. The 866 may be one of the best values I've ever experienced in audio gear and mark my words, if life ever settles down and more people get to experience the 866, I believe it is destined to be a modern day classic.
I got the MA8900 for an entry into 2 channel hifi, and I care about headphone, integrated DAC, and phono stage. I'm not unhappy, but I am wanting more without a ton of wires in the home office.

I too head both, but not within the same month and not with similar equipment.
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  #47  
Old 08-16-2020, 10:30 AM
ghasley ghasley is offline
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The 866 won’t get you there if a lower box/wire count is the goal. Mac has done a fine job shoehorning everything you want into 1 box. An 812, a 508 plus an 8 series amp that will likely be introduced would get you there but that would be 3 boxes althought the form factor of the Boulder pieces would likely be very attractive. The 812 is 12 inches square, the 508 is also quite compact.
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  #48  
Old 08-20-2020, 12:22 AM
ghasley ghasley is offline
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A friend who also has a 866 emailed me a link to a new review.

https://positive-feedback.com/review...-dac-streamer/
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  #49  
Old 09-16-2020, 11:08 PM
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Ghasley, have you tried comparing the 866's internal DAC against any external DACs?
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  #50  
Old 09-17-2020, 02:29 PM
ghasley ghasley is offline
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Yes I have. It doesnt give up much, if anything. I have in another system an Aqua La Scala fed by i2s from an Aqua Linq as well as fed by USB via my Innuos Zenith and it is slightly different but not discernably so.

Every time I use my 866 fed music over ethernet using its internal dac I think of how much money I might have saved over the years on cables and attempts at system matching. The digital version of the 866 may be all any music lover would ever need provided they can be happy not tweaking cables, tubes, power cables, etc, (wondering what two different versions of the same tube might bring to the table).

I have purchased two identical 866's. The 866 is the real deal. Its not fussy, it just gets it right. Its the equivalent to finding out on your blind date with a supermodel that she is intelligent, is grounded, has great values and actually likes you for the same reasons. A silly analogy I know but its one of those audio purchases that seems like a no-brainer after you've lived with it for a while.
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