Digital Processor Reviews

Antelope Audio Zodiac Platinum D/A processor–headphone amplifier & Voltikus power supply Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive) running OS 10.6.7, Audirvana Plus, iTunes 11.1.5, Sonic Studio Amarra Computer Music Player 2.5, Songbird 1.9.3, XLD; Western Digital 2TB NAS device; Oppo BDP-103 universal BD player; Meridian Digital Media System (Control 15, QNAP TS-669 Pro NAS); Apple iPad Air, Mini Apple iPod Touch (1G), Apple iPhone 4S.
Digital Processors: AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC, Benchmark DAC1 USB & DAC2 HGC, MSB Analog DAC.
Preamplifier: Marantz AV7005 in Pure Direct mode.
Power Amplifier: Classé CAM 350 (monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: MartinLogan Prodigy & Descent subwoofers (2).
Headphones: Grado HP1.
Cables: USB: AudioQuest Victoria (for DragonFly) & Diamond, Cardas Clear. Interconnect: Cardas Neutral Reference (S/PDIF), various Kimber Kable (line level), XLO HT Pro (line level & S/PDIF). Speaker: Kimber Kable BiFocal XL. AC: manufacturers' own.
Power: Dedicated 40A line (amplifiers), dedicated 15A lines (digital & analog components).—Jon Iverson

COMMENTS
tonykaz's picture
Submitted by tonykaz on September 5, 2014 - 6:27am

Hello Sir ,

Our Tyll is revealing the newish strategy at your offices , I'm happy to learn of your position as the "Man" covering DACs .

I've had a look-see at your MSB writings as well as a few other offerings , certainly I'll continue to follow along .

I'm an old time Audio person , going way back to the early Tube days . I've imported some of the British products ( back in the 1980s ) , I've retailed and manufactured .

Now-a-days I'm a Schiit/Sennheiser music lover , I have no business connection to Home or Professional music reproduction .

I've come to discover DACs to be a sort of Phono Cartridge type of transducer , the MSB stuff seems the best of the bunch .
Not being in the business , I don't have any consideration other than the performance of the device in question ( a happy place ) .

I think that I've discovered the Dopamine connection to music and it's reproduction , this phenonomen occurs when any music played ( poorly or well ) excites the brain into a state of pleasantness , I suppose it's why we all love music .

I think you lads have a million things to consider when reviewing products , I don't expect reviewers to get down to the tiny details of how a femto clock can keep music in focus or things of that nature but I will expect honesty and integrity , which I suspect your JA will insist upon ,

Anyway , thank you for pitching in and trying to be helpful in describing the advancements in this area .

Tony Kaz in Michigan

ps . your local Dr.Mike Moffet might be helpful in digital education , of course the MSB lads are close by in Watsonville so you do have potential access to the pointy headed intellectuals .

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