Digital Processor Reviews

Halide Design S/PDIF Bridge USB-S/PDIF converter Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xeMP universal player; G4 Mac mini running OS10.5.8, iTunes 10, Pure Music 1.6; Shuttle PC with dual-core AMD Athlon processor running Windows 7, Foobar 2000, Adobe Audition 3.0; Esoteric D-07, Benchmark DAC1, Assemblage DAC-1, Logitech Transporter D/A converters; Stello U2 USB-S/PDIF converter.
Preamplifier: Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8.
Power Amplifiers: Classé CT-M600 monoblocks.
Integrated Amplifier: NAD M2 Direct Digital.
Loudspeakers: Harbeth P3ESR.
Cables: Digital: Stereovox XV2 electrical S/PDIF, DH Labs Silver Sonic AES/EBU, Belkin Gold USB. Interconnect (balanced): AudioQuest Wild. Speaker: AudioQuest Kilimanjaro & Wild. AC: PS Audio Lab, manufacturers' own.
Accessories: Celestion Si 24" speaker stands; Target TT-5 equipment racks; Ayre Myrtle Blocks; ASC Tube Traps, RPG Abffusor panels; Shunyata Research Dark Field cable elevators; PS Audio Power Plant 300 at 90Hz (preamp), Audio Power Industries 116 Mk.II & PE-1, APC S-15 AC line conditioners (not power amps). AC power comes from two dedicated 20A circuits, each just 6' from the breaker box.—John Atkinson

COMPANY INFO
Halide Design/Devilsound Labs
(858) 224-3551
www.halidedesign.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
rashumon's picture
Submitted by rashumon on December 29, 2010 - 4:30pm

Hi There,
You mentioned in your review that only a few DACs use USB asynchronous mode and mentioned those that you thought did. but you forgot to mention the HRT MS product which also works in asynch USB mode and at a price very similar to the Halide design reviewed here.

It was reviewed by Stereophile in Nov 2009 with positive results...

Would be good to see your opinion of how these compare to each other...

stereodudeiii's picture
Submitted by stereodudeiii on December 30, 2010 - 11:37pm

Suppose your USB port is 2.0 instead of the older 1.1 - makes any difference (I understand that from a purely computer perspective, USB 2.0 is [supposedly] backwards-compatible with 1.1 - the question is from an audiophile perspective)?

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on January 1, 2011 - 2:40pm
"the HRT MS product which also works in asynch USB mode and at a price very similar to the Halide design reviewed here. It was reviewed by Stereophile in Nov 2009 with positive results..."

The first-generation HRT Music Streamers did not operate in asynchronous mode. The Mk.II versions do, but were not available when I wrote this Halide review.

"Suppose your USB port is 2.0 instead of the older 1.1 - makes any difference?"

No. As you wrote, USB2.0 is indeed backward compatible with 1.1. But the common USB-serial audio chips available are based on USB1.1.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

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