CD Transport vs Music Server

[matthias]

Bricasti M1 Series 2 DAC

Nice DAC, how does it compare to other DACs you tried?
Thx

Matt

 

[Gjo]

Nice DAC, how does it compare to your former DACs?
Thx

Matt

I've owned or auditioned a lot of DACs in the past three years, and I'm going to deflect comparing them all, simply because I'm too lazy.

However, the DACs I've owned more than any others, and have returned to several times, are all from Bricasti Design: M3 and M1 SE. I have been a big fan of the M3, having once sold an M1 SE to repurchase an M3. I enjoyed the slightly warmer characteristic of the M3.

In general, I'm not one who seeks hyper detail. I am one who seeks resolution, but resolution that contributes to naturalness.

I find the M1 Series 2 to convey naturalness and ease (recording dependent, of course) in a manner that reminds me of the Bricasti M3, while also possessing the transparency (by transparency I mean neutrality) of the M1 SE. I imagine this results primarily from the redesigned and more robust power supply of the Series 2. The M1 Series 2 has not caused me to consider a return to an M3 DAC, which for me indicates success by Bricasti to improve upon the already excellent M1 SE.

Naturalness is the take-away here. Both with the Bricasti M1 Series 2, and with the Aurender N30SA.

 

[gadawg58]

I was looking at the Taiko Extreme and Aurender N30SA. I had previously owned or extensively auditioned Antipodes K50, Rockna WaveDreamNet, Innuos Pulse, Auralic Aries G2.1, and a few others from Sonore and Lumin.

After some careful (and agonizing) consideration, I chose to purchase an Aurender N30SA with 60 day return, because the Taiko Extreme is simply too large for my installation requirements, ( i.e., I have nowhere to put it). The N30SA, on the other hand, has two traditionally size chassis that also serve to split the weight one must handle (the Taiko weighing 99lbs).

I would say within three weeks I was convinced the N30SA was in my system to stay. I'm quite pleased with it. It's certainly the best streamer/server I have heard in my system.

I use it with a Bricasti M1 Series 2 DAC, which is connected directly to Audio Note P4 Balanced mono blocks. It sounds so good, I sold my preamplifier. The system chain is fully balanced from source to amplifiers.

Just curious if you compared the N30SA against the Taiko Extreme or ruled out the Taiko because of size? These would be the two options I'm most likely considered and interested in what you heard if you did the compare.

Thanks!

George

 

[Gjo]

Just curious if you compared the N30SA against the Taiko Extreme or ruled out the Taiko because of size? These would be the two options I'm most likely considered and interested in what you heard if you did the compare.

Thanks!

George

I did not compare them. I did seriously consider a Taiko Extreme, but once I got realistic about where it would be installed, it became a non-starter due to its footprint size, and to a lesser extent its weight.

 

[matthias]

The M1 Series 2 has not caused me to consider a return to an M3 DAC, which for me indicates success by Bricasti to improve upon the already excellent M1 SE.

Also a very nice Bricasti DAC is the MC1 from the professional line. It has the same PS as the M1S2 but no volume control.

Matt

 

[hongkongfoufou]

I was looking at the Taiko Extreme and Aurender N30SA. I had previously owned or extensively auditioned Antipodes K50, Rockna WaveDreamNet, Innuos Pulse, Auralic Aries G2.1, and a few others from Sonore and Lumin.

After some careful (and agonizing) consideration, I chose to purchase an Aurender N30SA with 60 day return, because the Taiko Extreme is simply too large for my installation requirements, ( i.e., I have nowhere to put it). The N30SA, on the other hand, has two traditionally size chassis that also serve to split the weight one must handle (the Taiko weighing 99lbs).

I would say within three weeks I was convinced the N30SA was in my system to stay. I'm quite pleased with it. It's certainly the best streamer/server I have heard in my system.

I use it with a Bricasti M1 Series 2 DAC, which is connected directly to Audio Note P4 Balanced mono blocks. It sounds so good, I sold my preamplifier. The system chain is fully balanced from source to amplifiers.

Hello,

I don't like music with server, but I must admit I was very surprised to like it at the high end of Zurich (2019).
System is :
Preamplifier Emmlabs DV2
Amplifier Jeff Rowland Model 625
Loudspeakers Trenner&Friedl ISIS
Cables : CARDAS Beyond XL powercord / CARDAS Beyond XLR / CARDAS Beyond loudspeaker's cable
Aurender A30

Great choice for your N30SA.

Regards

 

[hongkongfoufou]

Hello,

I don't like music with server, but I must admit I was very surprised to like it at the high end of Zurich (2019).
System is :
Preamplifier Emmlabs DV2
Amplifier Jeff Rowland Model 625
Loudspeakers Trenner&Friedl ISIS
Cables : CARDAS Beyond XL powercord / CARDAS Beyond XLR / CARDAS Beyond loudspeaker's cable
Aurender A30

Great choice for your N30SA.

Regards

 

[Birdwatcher]

I think, Jeff Rowland/Cardas/T&F ISIS is an excellent basis for good sound.

 

[gadawg58]

Hi George,

Definitely very interested in hearing more about your thoughts there with the Aurender. I have the 4-box Zanden, and the Transport is particularly good and particularly integrated in the overall design by Zanden.

The oother ones I am intrigued by are the Innuos Statement and the Taiko Extreme...while I have heard the Taiko is 'the one', given that the Zanden DAC takes its clock from the transport, the Innuos reclocks before sending which the Taiko I am told would still require an additional external reclock for the Zanden.

Also, being a redbook person, the Innuous Statement is set up for that with its tray, burning, etc.

I have heard good things about Aurender. Look forward to hearing more.

So ... before I even got around to auditioning the N30SA I found a really good deal on a near new W20SE that was too good of a deal to pass up. So ... no N30SA for me but the W20SE is inbound and has the advantage of being a single box solution. I get that its probably not quite as detailed as the N30SA but coming from an N100H I"m guessing I'll be thrilled!

George

 

[LL21]

So ... before I even got around to auditioning the N30SA I found a really good deal on a near new W20SE that was too good of a deal to pass up. So ... no N30SA for me but the W20SE is inbound and has the advantage of being a single box solution. I get that its probably not quite as detailed as the N30SA but coming from an N100H I"m guessing I'll be thrilled!

George

Congrats! Always great to get good deals! Nearly every piece we have bought over the last 30 years has a story -- secondhand/trade most typically, sometimes unique one-off trade in that just happened to come in the day I stopped in...or even traveling overseas and came across something unusual...bought the demo, carried it home...at cents on the dollar to what subsequently turned out to be our local price when there was an importer deal signed a year later. All fun.

 

[gadawg58]

So I got my Aurender W20SE in this week and let it play for a few days non stop before really listening to it too much. Its a lightly used unit one that is claimed to have only had 20 hours on it so probably not broken it yet. It is without a doubt much better than the N100H that it replaced and so far I like the AES connection better than USB. I have the Shunyata Alpha USB and Shunyata Anaconda AES that connect the W20SE to the Esoteric D-02X dac. That said .. it is still not as good as my Esoteric P-02X transport which is connected via ESLink which granted might be giving the transport an advantage with it being Esoteric‘s preferred connection. I’ll be interested to compare more as the unit gets more hours on it. I’ll also swap out the AES cables and see what that changes. Overall seems like a great unit .. one I’m sure I’ll enjoy for many years to come!

George

 

[Gjo]

That said .. it is still not as good as my Esoteric P-02X transport...

George

George, I own an Esoteric UX-3Pi. Admittedly not in the same league as your Esoteric P-02X transport, but a family resemblance, I'm sure.

For many years (five at least...probably more), whenever I got a new DAC in the system I would compare the DAC using the UX-3Pi as a transport, a streamer as a transport, and the UX-3Pi as a player to my preamp. In all cases, I generally thought the UX-3Pi was the better transport, and the UX-3Pi playing direct to the preamp was best. There appeared to be more resolution, more controlled and deeper bass.

After a while, as I put better DACs into my system (better streamers too), I began to realize the comparisons with the UX-3Pi were not really determining which was best, but rather demonstrating differences. In fact, higher end streamers playing redbook or SACD resolution files often sounded nearly identical to the UX-3Pi as a transport or dedicated player. Sometimes, I thought the streamer(s) sounded better.

I've discovered so much new music via streaming that I rarely put a disc into the UX-3Pi, and now use it primarily to play a few DVD-A discs I own.

The take-away...I've come to appreciate different, and no longer endeavor to determine best regarding the Esoteric and streamers/servers.

EDIT:
Also, some folks who have heard both the W20SE and N30SA observed the W20SE has a softer presentation than the N30SA. I don't use softer pejoratively, only comparatively. You might find an N30SA gets closer to (but not the same as) your Esoteric P-02X.

 

[charles1dad]

@Gjo
“The take-away...I've come to appreciate different, and no longer endeavor to determine best regarding the Esoteric and streamers/servers”

Well put.
Charles

 

[audio.bill]

I've discovered so much new music via streaming that I rarely put a disc into the UX-3Pi, and now use it primarily to play a few DVD-A discs I own.

Just an FYI, you can use PC software like DVD Audio Extractor to rip DVD-A discs to files, which could then be played back on your Aurender. The software offers a free 30 day trial.

 

[CKKeung]

dCS Puccini sacd transport and dac are old and discontinued for years, but :

dCS Puccini CD/DAC & Paganini Clock/USB Interface – Quick Impression

I only just recently heard the dCS Puccini CD/SACD Player and DAC and Paganini Master Clock/USB Interface in the context of my own system. Since many people are shopping in the second-hand market, I thought it would be worth sharing my Quick Impressions of these products.

www.hifi-advice.com