Trinity DAC

Elberoth · May 23, 2015

Murat,

If you power your entire system from the Pure Power, I would try powering the Trinity DAC directly from the wall, leaving the rest of the system powered from the Pure Power. The Trinity PSU is so well filtered/regulated, that AC quality makes very little difference. The only problem is some noise that is generated in the PSU that gets injected back to the AC line.

This is the same problem you have with the Aurender W-20 for example, or any other component that uses a SMPS for that matter (Meitner, Playback Design, Linn etc).

Luckily, it can be easily solved. Just plug the Trinity into a separate filter, or power all other components from a filter.

As for the MSB DAC Select - I didn't have a chance to listen to neither Select mk I nor Select mk II.

I seriously doubt the Select mk I DAC can challenge the Trinity, as it is almost identical to DAC IV Diamond Plus with Galaxy Clock I had, and the performance gap between the two was really BIG.

The Select II is a completely new design, and that one, potentially, could be a challenger. But at $89.900 (or $99.990 with the upgraded clock), I do not feel the urge to try it. IMO the Trinity DAC at $56k is crazy expensive, but close to $100k for a DAC is just obscene.

bmoura · May 24, 2015

Elberoth said:
The Select II is a completely new design, and that one, potentially, could be a challenger. But at $89.900 (or $99.990 with the upgraded clock), I do not feel the urge to try it. IMO the Trinity DAC at $56k is crazy expensive, but close to $100k for a DAC is just obscene.

Prices like $56k and $89k are pretty amazing for a DAC. Or obscene as you say. On the other hand, they give the rest of the DAC makers a lot of room to enhance their current designs and still be much more affordable than the ones in the $30k and above zone.

Murat · May 27, 2015

Thank you, Adam, for recomendation. I'll try different ideas to isolate Trinity from amps.
Strange that PurePower isolates the PSU noise only when it is disconnected from the wall. This noise is quite loud in my 107db system.
Regarding MSB Select, someone from SoundEx (russian audiophile forum) listened last week in his home (event which I missed unfortunately) and says that MSB sounds better through SPDIF in compare with USB. That means for me that there is no chance for MSB against Trinity.
I read your explanation in this thread (and reposted to SoundEx btw

) regarding difference in clocking between USB and SPDIF and it is quite obvious that USB is much better if desinged well.

Murat · May 27, 2015

I can see that Hydra DPC-6 is specially designed to isolate SMPS from other component.
Someone has any expirience with this device ?

Elberoth · May 27, 2015

Do they even already make one with Schuko AC outlets ?

bmichels · Aug 4, 2015

Re PC&Drive.
*************

I do not know when I will be able to afford the TrinityDAC, but I am interested to purchase a PC&Drive to start with.

Indeed I have a specific need for a super high quality HiFi system that can be used away from Wifi (and even some time away from the DC main) and for reason I like the PC&Drive possibility to be used with it's own wired TouchScreen or to create it's own wifi network to connect with an iPAD.

I have several questions :

- When the PC&DRIVE will be available ? What price with 4To, touchscreen and CD Drive.

- What is the size on the wired optional wired touchscreen, and What player app is used to playback and manage the Music library ?

- Is it possible to Stream TIDAL (or QOBUZ) with PC&DRIVE ? With the appropriate account is is also possible to download directly HighRas files to the PC&Drive's internal HD without the help of a PC/MAC ?

- Is there any "secret sauce" in the PC&Drive that will elevate it's performance beyond what is achievable with other well executed designs Music servers with USB output like for example Aurender or others.....

- Is it correct that the PC&Drive can play real time CD and also be used to RIP CDs to the HD? Normally CD drives can EITHER play CD or to RIP CD. They can never do booth corectly.

- Since I have a very specific need to be able to play music away from DC Main, is there a possibility to have a 12v input (or any other voltage) so that I can power the PC&DRIVE from an external battery instead of DC when DC is not available?

Many thanks for your replies

Bertrand MICHELS

TRINITY · Aug 5, 2015

bmichels said:
Re PC&Drive.
*************

I do not know when I will be able to afford the TrinityDAC, but I am interested to purchase a PC&Drive to start with.

Indeed I have a specific need for a super high quality HiFi system that can be used away from Wifi (and even some time away from the DC main) and for reason I like the PC&Drive possibility to be used with it's own wired TouchScreen or to create it's own wifi network to connect with an iPAD.

I have several questions :

- When the PC&DRIVE will be available ? What price with 4To, touchscreen and CD Drive.

- What is the size on the wired optional wired touchscreen, and What player app is used to playback and manage the Music library ?

- Is it possible to Stream TIDAL (or QOBUZ) with PC&DRIVE ? With the appropriate account is is also possible to download directly HighRas files to the PC&Drive's internal HD without the help of a PC/MAC ?

- Is there any "secret sauce" in the PC&Drive that will elevate it's performance beyond what is achievable with other well executed designs Music servers with USB output like for example Aurender or others.....

- Is it correct that the PC&Drive can play real time CD and also be used to RIP CDs to the HD? Normally CD drives can EITHER play CD or to RIP CD. They can never do booth corectly.

- Since I have a very specific need to be able to play music away from DC Main, is there a possibility to have a 12v input (or any other voltage) so that I can power the PC&DRIVE from an external battery instead of DC when DC is not available?

Many thanks for your replies

Bertrand MICHELS

Dear Michels,

the PC is in production since January last year. My System is now based on a 8TB HDD and an additional optical USB 2.0 Interface between PC and DAC.
The enclosed Picture Shows my set-up with a big touch Screen and the iPad as remote control for the free foobar mediaplayer.
The PC itselfs generates a own hotpsot is therefore direct connected to the iPad, which controls the Foobar app.
You can rip and Play CDs with the installed Freeware.
One good way is you rip the CD and listen to the ripped tracks from the HDD, but you have to wait at least for one complete ripped track before you can listen from the HDD.

I have also an Lenovo tablet, which I use as a second Touchscreen, means with this solution I can control the complte Windows PC and not only foobar.
If you want to run the PC only with this tablet you Need a so-called Monitor Emulator, otherwise the Windows PC selects the lowest possible Screen Resolution.
My Touchscreen and if needed my Emulator have a resultion of 1920-1080, so that matches pretty well with the resoltion of my Lenovo tablet.
The enclosed Picture Show the Lenovo in my Office, which works independend from the iPad control for Foobar.

The complete electronic runs on 12.5V power supply, which is then regulated to 12V and 5V, before it goes to the Motherboard, USB 2.0 Interface, HDD and so on.

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact me direct db@trinity-ed.de, since I am not a real good Blogger and unfortunately I donot have the time to follow this nice blog.

Dietmar alias Mr. TRINITY

wisnon · Aug 5, 2015

I heard the 6tb version Dietmar and it does sound excellent in the NLs setup

Audiocrack · Sep 2, 2015

For those who are interested: Mile Lavigne posted on the avshowroomsforum his first comments on the Trinity dac. He apparently added the Trinity dac to his system recently. Although I am not surpised at all because so far I have not heard a better PCM dac, it is nice to read that he is very impressed indeed with the performance of the Trinity dac.

spiritofmusic · Sep 2, 2015

He's fairly gaga over it, returning to one rbcd after another.
So, is this becoming the system of choice for those w/the funds , space, and fortitude, Trinity DAC for rbcd/pcm, GG for DSD?

Audiocrack · Sep 2, 2015

spiritofmusic said:
He's fairly gaga over it, returning to one rbcd after another.
So, is this becoming the system of choice for those w/the funds , space, and fortitude, Trinity DAC for rbcd/pcm, GG for DSD?

Might be but there are of course other contenders. For example, I have never heard the top of the line Total dac. But what I can say: you cannot go wrong with the Trinity pcm dac and Lampi GG dsd dac provided you connect them both to a (very) good source.

spiritofmusic · Sep 2, 2015

Sure. You guys probably despair of me, but I still swear by my Eera Tentation one box cdp. The only thing I would swap it for is a B7/GG w/streamer, but that's not the universe I live in (I'm still thinking it's 1985-2005, and cdp's are all the rage!).
One by one, the Eera slayed the Emm Labs CDSA, Playback Designs, Linn CD12, Reimyo, AMR - you get my drift.
Maybe I'm seriously missing out not going to this next step, but handling of physical media still remains an active ocd w/me

Audiocrack · Sep 2, 2015

spiritofmusic said:
Sure. You guys probably despair of me, but I still swear by my Eera Tentation one box cdp. The only thing I would swap it for is a B7/GG w/streamer, but that's not the universe I live in (I'm still thinking it's 1985-2005, and cdp's are all the rage!).
One by one, the Eera slayed the Emm Labs CDSA, Playback Designs, Linn CD12, Reimyo, AMR - you get my drift.
Maybe I'm seriously missing out not going to this next step, but handling of physical media still remains an active ocd w/me

Yes, you are seriously missing out not making the next digital step but ... as long as you are enjoying yourself it does not matter, does it?

Mike Lavigne · Sep 2, 2015

spiritofmusic said:
Sure. You guys probably despair of me, but I still swear by my Eera Tentation one box cdp. The only thing I would swap it for is a B7/GG w/streamer, but that's not the universe I live in (I'm still thinking it's 1985-2005, and cdp's are all the rage!).
One by one, the Eera slayed the Emm Labs CDSA, Playback Designs, Linn CD12, Reimyo, AMR - you get my drift.
Maybe I'm seriously missing out not going to this next step, but handling of physical media still remains an active ocd w/me

yes; I am smitten by what the Trinity dac is doing with PCM. my over decade long negative perspective toward redbook relative to dsd and then 2xdsd has been wiped away completely. I've now been listening to the Trinity for 10 days and for the first week I basically surfed my hard drive hour after hour in wonderment of how these familiar faces could be so much more than I recalled.

I had been eyeing all my 3000 old CD friends sitting on my shelf unloved for so long. in the last 5 years I don't think I've played more than 1 or 2 CD discs a month on average......other than when I'm testing gear. so over the last few days I've burned 40+ CD's to disc and I've been loving how new, fresh and alive sounding they are. my music server is now 5 years old, and I know there are much better now. so with Elberoth's guidance, I'm building a CAPS v4 hot-rodded with a LPS to feed the Trinity with a worthy source. it will also up the performance of the Playback Designs for dsd. I've got all the parts for that except the LPS. when that is done I'm going to move my old server out of the room and set up a ripping station with a 50 disc Kodak loader that can rip all my 2500 remaining CD's so I can access them on the Trinity.

i have not shopped for CD's in forever; but this weekend that is just what i did.

spiritofmusic · Sep 2, 2015

Audiocrack, the Eera remains a totally unappreciated giant killer. It had the grand total of 2 reviews in 2010/2011.
Had it been released in the heyday of cdp's, the 90s and early 00's, it would have reached a lot more homes. But it was released in the shadow of streaming/hi rez, and never had a chance.
Europe remains the last bastion of cd purchasing and cdp's. France and esp Germany have not fallen under the inevitable sway of moving away from physical media, and the Eera does pretty well there.
Just zero awareness in the UK, the US and Asia.

wisnon · Sep 2, 2015

But Audiocrack IS in Europe...

Al M. · Sep 2, 2015

Audiocrack said:
For those who are interested: Mile Lavigne posted on the avshowroomsforum his first comments on the Trinity dac. He apparently added the Trinity dac to his system recently. Although I am not surpised at all because so far I have not heard a better PCM dac, it is nice to read that he is very impressed indeed with the performance of the Trinity dac.

Thanks for the alert. It would have been nice if you would have posted a link, took me a few minutes to find his comments, starting with the first one.

In general, for everybody:
Can't you guys not just post links? This is not the first time, I have had that issue from other posters as well. Don't be so lazy, please. Thank you.

spiritofmusic · Sep 2, 2015

Wisnon, all I'm saying is that the Eera was so below the radar, it was still on the ground. As a commercial proposition, releasing a Euros 10k cdp (and it's pricier sibling Autographe at Euros 15k) was never going to fly in the UK, and deffo not US or Asia.
However it has a band of ultra loyalists ironically incl Albert Von Schweikert in the US and JackD201 in The Phillipines.
Audioocrack was never going to buy such a unit since it doesn't even have a digital out.
But for those who want near-analog flow from shiny 5" discs, it's unprecedented in the cdp world, coming out well on top in my trial of 12 units. Only the long-discontinued and much-adored Marantz CD12 SE 2 box cdp from the late 80s is up there w/it imho (just ask Ken Kessler, he still feels it beats all-comers).
I believe Lampi is the direct equivalent of Eera in the DAC world, bleeding edge performance at a fraction of the price of SOTA contenders. It's just that this is the era of DACs and buying via the Web and not dealers, and Lampi has tapped into a rich vein, while Eera is just a footnote in the mktplace in comparison.

spiritofmusic · Sep 2, 2015

How do you post a link? I struggle to just post comments

Al M. · Sep 2, 2015

spiritofmusic said:
How do you post a link? I struggle to just post comments

While there are more fancy ways to do this, simply copy and paste the URL (web address) from you browser window. For example, when you open the main forum page:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/forum.php

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