DACs all over

The irony of it - 5-10 years ago, you couldn't sell a DAC. Now every company is in a hurry to get one out, equipped with USB.

Here is the latest one to get on the bandwagon:
http://www.exposurehifi.com/2010s2-dac.html

I don't think will be more than 3k ... let's see ...

my feeling is this will be the year of the media server.

Given the terrific synergy between all the current Exposure line up of this could be the answer to my slight yearning to augment my CD/digital set up, or lack thereof.

Big fan here of Exposure products!!

I am exploring DACs too but definitely not dCS (boh lui). One step at a time. For now, affordable DAC below ten grand. Up next, probably CAS or music streamer.

dear brader max....go get the aurrender s10 lah....so we can cuba cuba in KL lah....please.....

why not just get it yourself instead of being such a cheapskate?

cheap is a relative word, the aurrender s10 at usd 6990 is no chump change for me. maybe the aurrender s10 is easily affordable by some people, but that "some people" unfortunately does not include poor old me...

i will be dropping by raindrop audio in singapore next week for a audition and will see what a korean music streamer that cost usd 6990 can do - at usd 6990, it does not have the pedigree like bryston, linn, audio research or naim to command that price range (imho).

Do i wanna drop usd6990 for a music streamer now? I seriously do not know - since this market segment is fairly new and still developing. As with all things related to IT, products move very fast and they are EOLed (end of life) very early. As the manufacturer of aurrender has no history of supporting their EOL products, i would be very skeptical of plunking down usd 6990 unless the aurrender s10 is really really something special. Something special imho would be like Linn's Klimax and that is beyond my hifi spending realm!!!

Now if audio research or mcintosh has one of this product at usd 6990, the decision tree would be severely different

each to its own.

cheers!!!

Imo, the music streamer or cas is more of a convenient sake evolution. Yes to certain extreme degree it hold the key of the last ounce of absolute music fidelity. But we always forgotten the other weaker link in our stereo only hifi chain, the analogue part of the speaker, down to the dac.

Dont worry so much of the high resolution format those download music can offer, if u dont have the money, the current very mature cd and lp will be sufficient. U should know that normal speaker alone taken away quite a lot of the resolution. Due to the fact our ears arent lab research mic, we wont much hear the minute different.

My dac recommendation will always be audio gd, for the cheapness of it
For maybe 2 to 3 k usd, u r buying into dcs spec...or am i hallucinating?

So, critter... you're off to Singapore to audition the item yet you still implored a retailer to get it so it could be auditioned in KL. You truly are a Good Samaritan, albeit by proxy.

Thanks for the price comparison. Even better reason for Malaysians to cross the border to audition the item, given that it's so readily available for trial across the Causeway. Let us know if it meets your approval, and then perhaps retailers here could benefit from your selfless sacrifice in the name of market research.

My search continues for a DAC solution vs CD player only and I think I'm leaning towards the Exposure route, or just stick with my Holfi.

Off course I am a good Samaritan. If max audio brings her in and "she" is nice, I will be contributing to Max's bank account...which I would LOVE to do ...seriously this is not a sarcastic comment, if max has the toys that I would like, my $$$ would be in max's pocket in no time.

max's pricing is reasonable and his services are top notch.

someone has to do the dirty job right?

When are you going down south?

You have your point on the Aurender S10. Did you mod your XLR cables to suit your Naim? Michael Ong will be more than happy to help you.

Btw, nyi kit sze jon Mii Kek? In 2 weeks time?

max, me going down south on the tues. mar 2 heading back to UK...then I can go explore more on the CAS things there. I think, I will format my mac mini 2011 to boot win7, install jriver and stick in some USB, Firewall connectors and see where that gets me...