Budget cd players

[dillihifi]

Hi,

I think I will go with the emotiva. If I can get from the US at this price there will charges of shipping approx USD120 and add to that taxes at a rate of around 30% and a fedex service charge for customs clearance which will take up its price to around 28k considering the usd = 47 rs. Emotiva estimates a shipping time of around 5 days

Problem 1 : How to wire money to US or to pay via Paypal

Problem 2 : One of my friends is proceeding to USA in Feb so it may be possible for him to buy the same in US and get it back with him so i save on shipping but may have to pay customs and the price will be 399 as holiday sale will be over by then. Total damages will be around 24k if customs is imposed otherwise around 19k

Further, I have purchased the Music streamer from the US which is a USB DAC (first pointed out by Venkat) at a value of 99USD am yet to try it out as am currently out of station. will post my findings next week.


Thanks

 

[reignofchaos]

A friend I sold a Parasound DAC-1100 to sold his Audiozone DAC-1. He found the Parasound to be clearly better. Of course he also bought my Assemblage DAC 2.6 which was heavily modded and he likes even better than the Parasound. Take what you want from this.

The Parasound deserves looking into. The Assemblages are just amazing for the money but good luck finding one, they are as rare as they come.

There are atleast half a dozen variants of the Audiozone DAC floating around. There's a version with panasonic FCs, there's another with black gates, there's another with all black gate NX. There are also variants based upon whats used in the resistive network and the final output. There is one with normal carbon film, there's a variant with Rikens and there's a variant with caddocks.

The kit sold by audio sector and the one that is built by Peter Daniel himself and sold by Audiozone are not the same and all so called audiosector dacs are not the same

As far as comparison between the Essence and Audiozone is concerned, its a no contest. The latter is better in everything!

 

[sachi]

There are atleast half a dozen variants of the Audiozone DAC floating around. There's a version with panasonic FCs, there's another with black gates, there's another with all black gate NX. There are also variants based upon whats used in the resistive network and the final output. There is one with normal carbon film, there's a variant with Rikens and there's a variant with caddocks.

The kit sold by audio sector and the one that is built by Peter Daniel himself and sold by Audiozone are not the same and all so called audiosector dacs are not the same

As far as comparison between the Essence and Audiozone is concerned, its a no contest. The latter is better in everything!

That's interesting that he's got so many variants.
I forget which variant this one was, but i believe it cost the chap 1000$.

SO Audiozone DACs are built by PD while the audiosector ones aren't?

Also there areopinions floating around that having to many Rikens in the signal chain mucks up the sound, i wonder if it is just the recommended 1 or 2 rikens in the signal chain on the audiozone DAC. CUrrently, am suing a pair of rikesn for shunting the pot on my headphone amp.

Caddocks are great for low level signals and are perfect for this application. My Assemblage uses them as well. Quite expensive resistors them.

 

[venkatcr]

As far as comparison between the Essence and Audiozone is concerned, its a no contest. The latter is better in everything!

It may not be fair to do this comparison. Essentially, the Essence will help you store and play music from you PC with the least amount of noise. You cannot expect a industry killing DAC at 200US !!

Cheers

 

[reignofchaos]

It may not be fair to do this comparison. Essentially, the Essence will help you store and play music from you PC with the least amount of noise. You cannot expect a industry killing DAC at 200US !!

Cheers

I'm just replying to someone who asked me for a comparison between the two. I use the DAC exclusively with a PC as well so its not much different in application .

@sachi: What you say might be true. Having heard the versions with Caddocks and Rikens, the one with Caddocks was way more transparent, smoother and had better high frequency extension.

 

[venkatcr]

I'm just replying to someone who asked me for a comparison between the two. I use the DAC exclusively with a PC as well so its not much different in application .

ROC, I am extracting some minimal information and creating a thread on John Atkinson's view of the Xonar STX. Believe me, you will surprised at his findings.

Cheers

 

[dillihifi]

Hi all,

This is my experience with the USB Music Streamer. Well it worked for around an 1 hour give or take. Initially I was pleased with the sound which was quite great connected to a laptop and playing flac it is a pity that now there is no audio o/p on the analog o/ps maybe I will switch i/p to the preamp and try it out. I was switching sound cards when this happened maybe overvoltage from the USB port killed the DAC

It was automatically configured and set as the default device. I do not understand why the same stopped working it looked and sounded nice esp with no power supply

I have mailed their support but am not hopeful of any resolution lets see how this fares. There goes $99

 

[captrajesh]

I shall certainly audition the Marantz and the CA before I buy one.

Venkat,

I have CD 6003 which I can loan it for you for a day or two.

 

[captrajesh]

the emotiva looks too Cool for a $330 player... any idea what transport it is using ?

Even their Amps are inexpensive.
USD 699 for a beast called XPA 2 to USD 299 for UPA 2.

Don't know how they sound but? Hence am wary. I got a quote from them.