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HRT Music Streamer Pro USB D/A converter Page 2

. . . then finding balance
Next I had to contend with setting up the hardware. The Pro has balanced outputs that can also run unbalanced, so I had plenty of options. My plan was to compare the Pro to my reference Benchmark DAC1 USB, which can also run balanced or unbalanced, and send them both through an Integra DTC-9.8 preamplifier-processor (which also sports both balanced and unbalanced inputs/outputs), and via the direct balanced inputs of a Mackie mixing board in my recording studio.

I first noticed that there are no left or right markings on the Pro's outputs. So, facing the…

HRT Music Streamer Pro USB D/A converter Ripped

Sidebar 1: Ripped

Here is an example of the error data for a single track, included as a separate log file with an XLD FLAC rip of "Mort d'Eurydice" from Pierre Favre's Fleuve (ECM 1977):

Track 01
Filename: /Users/jiverson/Desktop/01 Pierre Favre Ensemble—Mort d'Eurydice.flac
Pre-gap length: 00:02:00
CRC32 hash: F1FAB02B
CRC32 hash (skip zero): 2B53BAA0
AccurateRip signature: 101378F8
–>Accurately ripped! (confidence 9)
Statistics:
Read error 0
Skipped (treated as error) 0
Edge jitter error (maybe fixed) 0
Atom jitter error…

HRT Music Streamer Pro USB D/A converter Specifications

Sidebar 2: Specifications

Description: Single-box, bus-powered digital-to-analog converter. Formats supported: all PCM-output audio codecs (AIFF, WAV, FLAC, MP3, etc.). Digital input jack: USB 1.1 (type B plug). Analog output jacks: left and right TiniQ, balanced. Output impedance: 200+200 ohms (balanced). Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0/–0.6dB. Maximum output voltage: 4.5V RMS. Signal/noise ratio: 115dB, A-weighted (no reference level specified). Power requirement (via USB bus): 350mA.
Dimensions: 5.6" (144mm) L by 2.1" (54mm) W by 1.2" (31mm) H. Weight: 2 chocolate bars of…

HRT Music Streamer Pro USB D/A converter Associated Equipment

Sidebar 3: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD) running OS 10.6.4, iTunes 10.0.1, Sonic Studio Amarra Computer Music Player 2.0, Songbird 1.8.0, or XLD; Oppo BDP-83 universal player; Sooloos Music Server (Control Ten, TwinStore x3); Benchmark DAC1 USB D/A converter.
Preamplification: Integra DTC-9.8, Lexicon MC-12 preamplifier-processors.
Power Amplifiers: Classé CAM 350 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: MartinLogan Prodigy & Descent subwoofers (2).
Cables: USB: Cardas Clear. Digital: Cardas Neutral…

HRT Music Streamer Pro USB D/A converter Measurements

Sidebar 4: Measurements

I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system to perform the measurements on the HRT Music Streamer Pro (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It,"); for some tests, I also used my Audio Precision System One Dual Domain and the Miller Audio Research Jitter Analyzer. As source, I used my Apple MacBook computer running OS10.6 and Bias Peak Pro 6 to play WAV files of the various test signals I use.

The Music Streamer Pro uses the Texas Instruments TAS1020B USB receiver chip, 390which is hi-rez capable, mounted…

The Entry Level #2

It's an early Sunday morning in Jersey City, and I'm sitting on the old orange couch, keeping myself warm with a cup of coffee, wondering which record to play next. The mellow fall sun is peeking through my white cotton curtains, casting happy shadows throughout my listening room.

It's been a couple of hours since I dismantled my hi-fi. The Rega P3-24 turntable now rests quietly on my bedroom dresser. Beside it are the DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3 loudspeakers. The Exposure 2010S integrated amplifier is vacationing in my Uncle Omar's system. The Furutech Evolution cables and interconnects…

The Entry Level #2 Page 2

Like other lower-priced models in Rega's line, the RP-1 is basically a plug-and-play design: Setup couldn't be simpler. I placed it atop my Polycrystal equipment rack, making sure the turntable was level. The RP-1's bias slider is preset to accommodate the 1.5–2gm tracking weight of the factory-fitted Ortofon OM5e cartridge. The turntable is designed so that all the user need do is install the included balance weight at the end of the RB101 tonearm, then rotate the weight until it's as close as possible to the stop point. This is extremely simple to achieve—there's no guessing or measuring…

Phono Stage Follow-Up

Stephen Mejias reviewed Moon i3.3's phono stage in February 2011 (Vol.34 No.2):

In our November 2010 issue, Erick Lichte did an outstanding job of evaluating the sound of Simaudio's Moon i3.3 integrated amplifier (base price, $3300; fully loaded, $4000), listening to CDs through both single-ended and balanced inputs as well as testing the Sim's coaxial inputs and USB input. However, because young Erick has yet to discover the life-changing joys and pure ecstasy of vinyl, he was unable to evaluate the i3.3's optional phono stage (add $300 to base price). Vinyl lover that I am, I jumped at…

Follow-Up System

Stephen Mejias' Associated Equipment

Analog: Rega P3-24 turntable with RB 301 tonearm, Rega Elys 2 phono cartridge, and Rega drive-belt upgrade. Boston Audio Design Mat 1 platter mat.
Phono Preamplifier: NAD PP 3.
Integrated Amplifier: Exposure 2010S.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3.
Cables: Furutech Evolution.
Accessories: Furutech e-TP60 power distributor, Polycrystal equipment rack.—Stephen Mejias

Measurements: Sample 2

John Atkinson remeasured the NuForce CDP-8 in February 2011 (Vol.34 No.2):

"The NuForce CDP-8 is a remarkably good CD player, one of the best I've heard in years," summed up Wes Phillips in his November 2010 review of this slim, attractive-looking CD player from California company NuForce. However, when I got the $1500 CDP-8 on my test bench, I found some serious shortcomings in its measured performance. The player's level of background noise and the spectrum of that noise were related to the signal—this is called "noise modulation," and human hearing is sensitive to it. In addition, the…