Digital Processor Reviews

Bricasti Design M1 D/A converter Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP & DX-5 universal players; Apple G4 Mac mini running OS10.5.8, iTunes 10, Pure Music 1.84; Shuttle PC with Lynx AES16 soundcard & dual-core AMD Athlon processor running Windows 7, Foobar 2000, Adobe Audition 3.0; dCS Debussy, Weiss DAC202, Logitech Transporter D/A converters; Halide S/PDIF Bridge, Empirical Audio Off-Ramp4 USB-S/PDIF converters.
Preamplifier: Ayre Acoustics K-5xeMP.
Power Amplifiers: Classé CT-M600, MBL Reference 9007 (both monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: BBC LS3/5a, Sonus Faber Amati Futura, TAD Compact Reference CR1.
Cables: Digital: DH Labs Silver Sonic, AES/EBU; AudioQuest Coffee, Belkin Gold, USB; AudioQuest Diamond, FireWire. Interconnect (balanced): AudioQuest Wild. Speaker: AudioQuest Wild. AC: PS Audio Lab, manufacturers' own.
Accessories: Target TT-5 equipment racks; Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Blocks; ASC Tube Traps, RPG Abffusor panels; Shunyata Research Dark Field cable elevators; Audio Power Industries 116 Mk.II & PE-1, APC S-15 AC line conditioners (computers, hard drive). AC power comes from two dedicated 20A circuits, each just 6' from breaker box.—John Atkinson

COMMENTS
Erranti's picture
Submitted by Erranti on May 14, 2012 - 1:16pm

Hi there John,

Thanks for another informative and thorough review. I've turned to computer audio, or as it is also called, desktop audio. This is mainly to economize space and of course money. I have recently acquired a pair of Beyerdynamic T1s to upgrade from my AKG K702s, and I would also like to find a good headphone amplifier that can deliver what it takes to make these 600Ohm babies sound their best. 

I have been doing some online window shopping and research, and I have come across at least 4 very intersting Amps that according to their specs could do a very good job with the T1s, and which have still to be featured at Stereophile. Two of them feature DA converters that also have impressive specs.

The first candidates are German made Violectric V100 and V200, which can be obtained with built-in 16/48 or 24/96 DA converters via USB. Violectric also features a standalone DAC, the V800, which is a very versatile unit with some really serious specs. They are all very fairly priced and fabulously well built, and only with German components and labor.
http://www.violectric.de/Pages/en/products/index.php

The second candidate is both a headphone Amp and pre-amplifier. It's Headamp's GS-1, which is also a very well built Amp with great specs and fully manufactured in the US. 
http://www.headamp.com/home_amps/gs1/index.htm

The third candidate is the D2 DAC -and also headphone amplifier- by Anedio, which features some really fantastically good and detailed specs. 
http://www.anedio.com/index.php/audio/gandalf

I have read your reviews of Benchmark Media's USB DAC1 Pre, Grace Design's m903 and CEntrance's Dacmini CX, which are all great products, but I would still love to see any of these other components, which also feature great specs and appear to equal or challenge the DAC 1, m903 and Dacmini CX's performance.

In the case that these components are not within near future review plans, I would still appreciate any impressions you could have on them. Thanks in advance for your help,

Greetings, 

Erranti

Dan Moroboshi's picture
Submitted by Dan Moroboshi on August 1, 2012 - 5:26am

Dear JA,

since you reviewed this wonderful product of audio engineering, Bricasti releases an update extensive to the existing products which includes USB asynchronous interface and digital level control.

I would like to suggest a follow up using this USB interface and maybe measurements on this one.

X