Thanks for all the posts. Interesting to see how the DACs compare.

I'm just wondering if anyone has used a computer/streaming device as a source instead of a CD transport?

I could be wrong here because I don't have such highend systems as you guys so have never heard top of the range transports, but it was my impression that the CD/transport combo can often degrade the audio signal more than the DAC due to the inherent difficulties in reading CDs (dirt, scratches, degrading with time, and errors due to having to read the thing in 'real time'), so playing an exact digital copy of the CD from a hardrive through a good quiet computer/streaming source can often provide the DAC with a better signal. This has been my experience - but only with more modest systems. If you could supply the DAC with a better signal then it would be easier to distinguish the differences/characteristics of the different DACs.

I'm also interested in how it sounds out of a computer, because I'm not going back to CDs now that I use my computer as source, so if I get a ZDAC that's what I would use it for.

BTW, I use XXHighEnd player, on Engine 3 setting (WASAPI bit perfect) in Windows 7 as this sounds much better than Foobar with WASAPI bit perfect signal. I would recommend trying that if you use a PC with Windows Vista or 7 (you can download a free trial). Not sure about MACs.

Cheers

Matt

12,000 CDs!!! You must be kidding. Lon you are definitely right....in this case ripping all those CDs would be work...no torture....no hell. I only had about 350 and it was pretty bad. Great now I've done it though. Very impressed with your dedication to music. I'm going to have to check to your recommendations on 'what's spinning?' again, because with so many disk to choose from anything you pick must be pretty damn good. Wow, still blown away by that.

Like I said I don't know how the best/better CD transports compare to computer playback so I can't really comment from experience (and I think we all know that in audio you are wise not to believe everything you read!). The different software players do have a different 'sound' though, so it would be nice if I knew if the ZDAC gells well with say XXHighEnd more than say the Havana. So here's hoping......

Cheers,

Matt

Hi Matt,

I have heard some very nice computer based digital front ends, but am quite happy with my "spinner" .....

The combination of the top loading, belt drive CEC transport, Genesis Digital Lens and DAC makes for some very fine sound.  To my ears, the "timing" and sense of the recorded space are something special via a good belt drive transport.  My buddy Dave has a Parasound (with a CEC mechanism) and I hear the same thing from his system.

In addition, I like the "ritual" of placing the shiny little disk in the top loading transport and placing the puck on top of it ..... it's reminds me of my "vinyl days" .....

Oh yeah ..... one more thing ..... I do information technologies work for a living ..... and the last thing I want to see during my time of relaxation is another computer .....



Best wishes,

Randy

All this talk must be driving the vinyl folks nuts.

The "hair shirted true believer vinyl devotees" would not be caught dead even reading this thread .....

Oh well ..... I honestly do appreciate good vinyl playback, but just picked up about 10 new "albums" on Redbook CD that will never be issued on vinyl.  As I'm sitting there with this gorgeous music washing over me, I'm not even thinking about vinyl ..... I know, I know ..... total sacrilege .....

Randy

Matt,

This was a while ago, so I hope I get it all right, but talking with Steve I recall him saying that he often uses a computer to audition gear, and that it is potentially the best source. A big theoretical advantage is that you can first run your CD, or other uncompressed data through error correction software, then once corrected, and played through a software player that does not add or subtract anything, the source does not have to correct errors so you get a more pure sound. Even new CD's can apparently have errors.

I am sorry that I did not set the playback software in my mind because Steve uses Windows and I use a Mac. I think foobar (sp?) was the error correction software. (correction...foobar is a player).

Another theoretical advantage beyond the convenience you have found of not having to worry about discs getting scratched or worse, is this: once properly corrected, you can get exactly what was intended from the data. There is no influence from the CD material, pressing issues, beam reflection or other error issues. There is also no other influence from a transport and its electronic signature.

Then there is the extremely low jitter from a hard drive. All theoretically very good stuff.

Alternately, like Randy brought up with his love of his source and from his quote from Steve.... Where Steve liked the latest Zen CD transport sound better than USB "if you find the right cable"... a good transport and cable may add sound we like!

When my ZDAC comes, I intend to experiment between using our laptop and my CD and DVD player transports. This should be fun.

I look forward to any information you come up with about software players and USB cables. You hear those who swear it is all 1's and 0's so the cable makes no difference, but then you hear those who swear they hear the difference in digital cables. Some of these are our trusted Forum buddies from this thread.

Since they make a difference from transports to DAC, it would appear they might make a difference from computers to DAC's too. May have to do with the perfection (or lack there of) of the transmission. Don't know, but I do know I can hear every minute change I make with my gear.

Let us know.

Also, I have run across several posts in this Forum about computer sources use. Can't tell you exactly where though.

Dan, thanks for weighing in with valuable information.

Based on the listening I've done over the last two weeks I'd be very surprised if someone wanting to use a PC or Mac (Macs rule! ) would be at all disappointed in the ZDAC-1.  The sound coming out of this unit is definitely top-notch.  No complaints on five cables I've tried so far of two types; I would be very surprised if the USB input yielded anything else.