Guide to Disc Players, DACs, and Music Servers.pdf

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S T E R E O • M U LT I C H A N N E L A U D I O • M U S I C
Disc Players, Dacs, &
Music servers
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Contents
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From the Editor
|
on the Horizon
|
Feature Articles
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CD Players
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Multi-Format Disc Players
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DACs
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Integrated Amps/DACs
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Music Servers
Contents
Features
• From the Editor
• On The Horizon
• A Music Lovers
Guide to Music
Servers
• Why Everything
matters in
computer audio
• State-of-the-Art
High-Resolution:
The HRx Format
• How to Convert
Your LPs to Digital
CD Players
Multi-
Format
Disc Players DACs
Integrated Music
Amplifiers/
Servers and
DACs
Accessories
• NAD C515
• Arcam FMJ CD17
• Simaudio Moon i-1
• Cambridge Azur 840C
• Bryston BCD-1
• Meridian 808.2
(with 808.3 update)
• Oppo BDP-83
• Cambridge Audio DVD99
• Esoteric X-05
• Wadia 781i
• Esoteric SA-50
• dCS Puccini/U-Clock
• High-Resolution
Technologies Music
Streamers
• Cambridge Audio
DAC Magic
• Bryston BDA-1/Audio
Research DAC7
• Berkeley Alpha DAC
• NuForce Icon Desktop
amp/DAC
• Peachtree Audio Nova
integrated amp/DAC
• Peachtree iDecco
• Bel Canto integrated amp
with USB DAC
• Simaudio i3.3 integrated
amp with USB DAC
• NAD M2 Direct Digital
Amplifier
• Wadia i170 iTransport
• Bel Canto/Focusrite
USB-to-S/PDIF converters
• Sound Science Music
Vault MicroMega WM-10
AirStream
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contents
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cD Players
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Multi-format Disc Players
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Dacs
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Music servers
FROM THE
Editor
elcome to this special Buyers’ Guide to Disc Players, DACs, and Music Servers presented by
The Absolute Sound,
Hi-Fi Plus,
and
Playback.
Inside you’ll find everything you need to know about choosing, setting up, and enjoying
the latest digital-audio technologies. We’ve packed this special guide with select equipment reviews of the best
disc players, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), integrated amplifiers with DACs, and music servers. These reviews run the
gamut from the amazing $99 NuForce Icon USB DAC to the $22,000 dCS Puccini/U-Clock—with lots of stops in between.
Whatever your budget, this special Buyers’ Guide will hook you up with the very best sounding gear.
Today, options for acquiring, storing, and accessing music have never
been greater. Many disc players include a host of features unimaginable
just a few years ago. The traditional system architecture of a CD player,
amplifier, and speakers has been overthrown by new technologies that
blur the lines between product categories, such as music servers—a
term that describes everything from an iPod, to a turnkey system
such as Sooloos, to a PC that’s been converted into a digital jukebox.
To help you sort out all these new options, we’ve included several
comprehensive, in-depth feature articles that cover everything from
servers to how to transfer your LPs to digital.
This revolution in digital audio technology not only expands our ability
to easily access our music, it also offers an unprecedented opportunity
for greatly improved sound quality. I’m talking about high-resolution
digital audio, which is a significant step up from what you’ll hear from
CD. The combination of music servers (actually, file-based audio as
opposed to physical-format-based audio) and the Internet allows us to
leapfrog the technical and economic hurdles of introducing a new high-
res disc format. We can simply log onto our favorite high-res music site
and download our music with far greater fidelity than that of even the
best-quality CD. When done right, high-resolution digital audio (defined
as 88.2kHz/20-bit or higher) is spectacularly good—something every
music lover should hear for himself or herself. We’ll show you how to go
about experiencing high-res audio in our feature articles, and guide you
toward the best-sounding gear in the equipment reviews.
There’s never been a more exciting time for music lovers and
audiophiles, and this special Buyers’ Guide to Disc Players, DACs, and
Music Servers will point you in the right direction to put together your
own high-performance digital music system.
W
Robert Harley
re
C li ck hep agto
tu rn th e e.
3
Guide to Disc Players, DACs, and Music Servers
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Dacs
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Music servers
Vincent’s CD-S8 CD player features a tubed-based
analog section, dedicated headphone jack with its
own volume control, an upsampling digital filter,
and fully balanced circuit topology. The company’s
flagship C-60 CD player sports gorgeous cosmetics
and design, Vincent’s best circuitry, and a front-
panel switch that lets you choose between tube and
solid-state output stage.
prices:
$2995 and $4995.
A Sneak peak at New Digital
gear Coming Your Way
Steven Stone
The McIntosh MVP881 BR universal disc player supports virtually
every disc format, including Blu-ray, CD, DVD-A, DVD-V, and
SACD. With an SD-card reader and Ethernet and RS-232 ports,
the MVP881 BR can receive firmware upgrades and BD-Live
content automatically. With four 32-bit 192kHz internally balanced
DACs, the MVP881 BR has enough horsepower to handle all the
current multichannel formats with ease.
price:
$8000.
oN the horizoN
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Guide to Disc Players, DACs, and Music Servers
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contents
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from the editor
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on the horizon
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feature articles
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cD Players
|
Multi-format Disc Players
|
Dacs
|
integrated amps/Dacs
|
Music servers
oN the horizoN
- a sneak Peak at New Digital Gear coming your Way
More than just a disc player, the super stealthy Esoteric RZ-1 hides its complexity
beneath a vault-like silver exterior. Part slot-load SACD/CD transport, part integrated
amplifier with 100Wpc Class D amplification into 6 ohms, it also boasts a USB/32-
bit DAC and 24-bit/192kHz conversion via coax and optical inputs. There are two
analog inputs, as well—one of which is switchable to a moving-magnet phonostage.
price:
$6000.
Krell’s Evolution 555 Blu-ray
Disc player features the 32-bit
Sabre Reference DACs connected
to Krell’s own differential Evolution
CAST analog circuitry. The Evolution
555 comes standard with Ethernet
capabilities; a 02.11b/g/n wireless
card can be added for wireless
transmission. Dual HDMI outputs
and a front-panel SD-card slot
allow for added flexibility, as does
the card-based interior topology.
Currently configured for HDMI 1.3,
the Evolution 555 will be easily
upgradable to HDMI 1.4 with a
simple card swap.
price:
$15,000.
NAD’s upscale Masters Series now
includes the M56 Blu-ray Disc player.
The machine sports a rear-panel
USB input for attaching USB memory
devices and players to the M56’s
digital-to-analog converters.
price:
$1999.
5
Guide to Disc Players, DACs, and Music Servers
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