#11
|
||||
|
||||
Eric, you'll find yourself tripping over cords, bumping into stage hands, taking drink orders, neighbors complaining of all the trucks and vans out front, etc.
You get my drift. Congrats sir on the Vivaldi DAC!! Merry Christmas Folks, Bob
__________________
Amps:VAC 450iQ Monos in Silver Flake on HRS M3X2-1921's, HRS G7 Footers/G-Links & Sound Anchor Conecoasters. Preamp:VAC Statement (on order) (Silver Flake) Digital Source: dCS Rossini CD/SACD Transport, Vivaldi APEX DAC, Upsampler Plus & matching Clock (Silver) Analogue Preamp:VAC Renaissance SE Phono stage in Silver Flake with XLR Output Option & with Nordost Valhalla XLR's. Analogue Sources:SME 20/2 w/SME V arm & Nordost Odin 2 Tone Arm Cable, Palo Santos Presentation Cartridge & Akai GX-400D Reel-to-Reel w/relapped heads by JRF Magnetic Sciences. Akai RC-17 cabled remote (original owner since 1974). Vibration Control:TT on HRS M3X2-1921 shelf. Speakers:Wilson Audio Alexia V (on order in Ferrari Argento Silver/Parchment grills sitting on Acoustic Diode Kit). Power Cables:4 Nordost Odin Supreme Reference on amps, preamp & DAC. Ansuz Acoustics C2 on Transport & Clock. Power Distribution:Ansuz Mainz D3 Distributor & Ansuz Mainz C2 1M Power Cable Power Outlets:Furutech GTX-D NCF (R) duplex outlet, GTX Wall Plate & Duplex Cover (x2) on dedicated, same panel phase, 20A breakers. Speaker Cables:2M Nordost Odin 2 Supreme Reference on Nordost Sort Lifts. (on Order) Signal Cables:Nordost Odin XLR's on dCS DAC & Amps. Digital Cables: Nordost Odin 2's, 110-ohm AES/EBU on dCS Transport to DAC. Clock Cables:5 each 75 ohm 1.25M Nordost Valhalla BNC/BNC Digital Ethernet Cable: WireWorld Platinum 1M Starlight® 8 Twinax Headphones:Vintage Koss Pro IV AA. RCM: Audio Desk PRO Tube Test Gear:Mint late '60's/calibrated Heathkit TT-1A, MaxiMatcher Power Amp & Preamp & Space Tech Labs ATT-3.02 tube test sets. |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Congrats on your Vivaldi and thank you for the nice write-up. Did you find problems with the width or the height (or lenth)? The published specs of the Vivaldi say it's 444mm/17.5" x 435mm/17.2" x 151mm/6.0" high. I assume these mean it's 17.5" Wide, 17.2" deep, and 6" tall (or height between shelves on your rack). I heard the Vivaldi DAC directly driven from a Mac book pro with Audirvana at a Wilson event. Peter McGrath sure liked the Vivaldi and the playback app a lot - and from what I heard he has every reason to. Beautiful sounding. FWIW, he was running it straight via USB 2.0 without an up-sampler. Not sure that's what he does at home, perhaps it's a bit complicated to take more gear like an up-sampler, etc. "on the road". Looking forward to reading your thoughts as it breaks in further. |
#13
|
||||
|
||||
I'm really temped to get a Vivaldi dac. Already requested an audition at home.
Biggest issue is the price vs alternatives... The dCS Vivaldi costs (in Portugal) 60% more than the Audio Research Reference DAC that integrates a full analog preamp. Not clear why is the dCS so expensive...
__________________
ACDC - Back in Black. Adele - 19. Bryan Adams - Bare Bones. Diana Krall - Live in Paris; When I Look in Your Eyes. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. Don Williams - Borrowed Tales. FleetwoodMac - Tango in the Night. Frank Sinatra - At the Sands. Genesis - A Trick of the Tail. Gipsy Kings - Love Songs. Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert. Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear. Marta Gómez - Entre Cada Palabra. Metallica - Metallica. Michael Jackson - Thriller. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue. The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed. Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder; Wish You Were Here. Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Live in Japan. U2 - Rattle and Hum. |
#14
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
|
#15
|
|||
|
|||
dCS's dithered digital attenuation is one of the best. I actually sold my ARC Ref-3 preamp after comparing it to the variable out in my old dCS Puccini CDP. Direct to power amp connection sounded noticably better.
If you can stay within 0dB to -18dB range of digital attenuation, my sugestion is to try it direct first. |
#16
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Have a few more hours on the DAC. The bottom has fallen out of the noise floor! The voices and instruments are so clean (on a good CD) that it defies description. Low level detail is abundant. Things I couldn't hear on the Pag are obvious now with Vivaldi. Human voices pop out of the background in three dimensions with the timbre and weight of real life. I'm more and more impressed with this unit each day. Cincy
__________________
MSB Select II DAC MSB M500 Monoblocks Magico M3 Speakers Magico Q-Sub 15 Subwoofers (2) Transparent Opus Gen5 speaker cables and Interconnects PS Audio P20 regenerator Roon file management |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Dear Cincy,
Congratulations for your Vivaldi DAC! I have a Playback Designs MPS-5 (music from MacMini with Pure Music through USB) and I am itching to try the Vivaldi DAC in my system. Could you please try your Vivaldi DAC using the USB input and no external clock, and then compare the sound of Vivaldi DAC with the clock? That would be very useful. Thank you, VPN |
#19
|
||||
|
||||
After reading postings on the dCS Vivaldi components, all I can say is
Help Happy Holidays Folks, Bob
__________________
Amps:VAC 450iQ Monos in Silver Flake on HRS M3X2-1921's, HRS G7 Footers/G-Links & Sound Anchor Conecoasters. Preamp:VAC Statement (on order) (Silver Flake) Digital Source: dCS Rossini CD/SACD Transport, Vivaldi APEX DAC, Upsampler Plus & matching Clock (Silver) Analogue Preamp:VAC Renaissance SE Phono stage in Silver Flake with XLR Output Option & with Nordost Valhalla XLR's. Analogue Sources:SME 20/2 w/SME V arm & Nordost Odin 2 Tone Arm Cable, Palo Santos Presentation Cartridge & Akai GX-400D Reel-to-Reel w/relapped heads by JRF Magnetic Sciences. Akai RC-17 cabled remote (original owner since 1974). Vibration Control:TT on HRS M3X2-1921 shelf. Speakers:Wilson Audio Alexia V (on order in Ferrari Argento Silver/Parchment grills sitting on Acoustic Diode Kit). Power Cables:4 Nordost Odin Supreme Reference on amps, preamp & DAC. Ansuz Acoustics C2 on Transport & Clock. Power Distribution:Ansuz Mainz D3 Distributor & Ansuz Mainz C2 1M Power Cable Power Outlets:Furutech GTX-D NCF (R) duplex outlet, GTX Wall Plate & Duplex Cover (x2) on dedicated, same panel phase, 20A breakers. Speaker Cables:2M Nordost Odin 2 Supreme Reference on Nordost Sort Lifts. (on Order) Signal Cables:Nordost Odin XLR's on dCS DAC & Amps. Digital Cables: Nordost Odin 2's, 110-ohm AES/EBU on dCS Transport to DAC. Clock Cables:5 each 75 ohm 1.25M Nordost Valhalla BNC/BNC Digital Ethernet Cable: WireWorld Platinum 1M Starlight® 8 Twinax Headphones:Vintage Koss Pro IV AA. RCM: Audio Desk PRO Tube Test Gear:Mint late '60's/calibrated Heathkit TT-1A, MaxiMatcher Power Amp & Preamp & Space Tech Labs ATT-3.02 tube test sets. |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Bob,
You know you want it. We know you want it. Just swap the DAC and clock. There, easy. |
|
|
Audio Aficionado Sponsors | |