Topic: Your Monitor Converter? (Read 9597 times)

Bob Boyd · « **on:** January 19, 2006, 03:58:42 PM »

I am in the process of listening to converters right now and it got me thinking...

What are you using as the DAC to your monitors? And why?

I'm not using this poll for any purchasing decisions. I'm just curious and I didn't know if we'd looked at this as a single item. I imagine our opinions could almost be as varied as they are with any other studio equipment.

(I may have missed some brands - especially any hardware that's PC specific. If so, forgive me - I just listed what came to mind.)

bblackwood · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2006, 04:27:12 PM »

Safe to assume you wish to include the db Tech stuff under the Lavry name?

Bob Boyd · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2006, 04:40:49 PM »

Yes but thanks for bringing that to my attention. I adjusted the listing.

carlsaff · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2006, 05:10:28 PM »

Benchmark DAC-1.

Why?

The sound, the price-point, the feature set (in/out options), and (my favorite) the passive volume knob for direct amp driving.

jdg · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2006, 05:49:11 PM »

mytek, but i have a lavry black on order. .. it should arrive soon.

Bill B · « **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2006, 06:09:53 PM »

Benchmark DAC-1.
Same reasons as above. Great quality for the money.

Roland Storch · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2006, 06:26:45 PM »

I miss the listing of the the Grace Design m906 or m904 which have great converters in their monitor controller.
http://www.gracedesign.com/products/906_904/m906_m904.htm

Another unit often not mentioned is the MI-DAC from Lake People with 4 switchable digital inputs an a probably better volume control for low levels than the Benchmark.
http://www.lake-people.de/Home_English/home_english.html

I use the Benchmark in one studio and will take a Grace, Lake People or Meitner for the other one. I heard them all but not in a direct comparison. The Grace has definitely the best features and I guess the converter is in the same league as the Meitner.

Bob Boyd · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2006, 07:26:56 PM »

ahh, I meant to have Grace Design on the list. I'll add the others too. Thanks.

lagerfeldt · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2006, 08:42:51 PM »

You have lousy stuff like M-Audio, but not the nice RME stuff on the list..

I'm checking out the Benchmark DAC and soon the ADC too. Looking forward to hearing the,

Bodyslam · « **Reply #9 on:** January 19, 2006, 10:15:52 PM »

Pacific Microsonics Model 2 in both rooms.

Bob Boyd · « **Reply #10 on:** January 19, 2006, 11:17:54 PM »

Bodyslam wrote on Thu, 19 January 2006 21:15

Pacific Microsonics Model 2 in both rooms.

I started wondering if that one was going to show up.

indraq · « **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2006, 01:48:07 AM »

Lynx Aurora8.
192KHz, flexible i/o routing (I can parallel sum my Vari-mu), 4 stereo adda

Best regards,

mastermind · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2006, 02:33:08 AM »

Lavry Blue.

Lavry... rock, rock, rock !!!! Whoooo !!!!!!

best,
t

sui-city · « **Reply #13 on:** January 20, 2006, 05:55:52 AM »

mastermind wrote on Fri, 20 January 2006 09:33

Lavry Blue.

Lavry... rock, rock, rock !!!! Whoooo !!!!!!

best,
t

what he said.

Viitalahde · « **Reply #14 on:** January 20, 2006, 06:11:04 AM »

Lynx two-A here.

ammitsboel · « **Reply #15 on:** January 20, 2006, 08:39:04 AM »

Right now I'm using nothing and it's quite relieving Smile

jazzius · « **Reply #16 on:** January 20, 2006, 09:45:40 AM »

Not that I'm using one but you forgot to mention Crookwood......DAC1 here.......Darius

zetterstroem · « **Reply #17 on:** January 20, 2006, 10:47:20 AM »

audio note dac kit 1.2 .... heavily modified....

it's the holy grail !!! Very Happy

zetterstroem · « **Reply #18 on:** January 20, 2006, 10:50:04 AM »

ammitsboel wrote on Fri, 20 January 2006 14:39

Right now I'm using nothing and it's quite relieving Smile

David Glasser · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2006, 11:03:44 AM »

Bob Boyd wrote on Thu, 19 January 2006 21:17

Bodyslam wrote on Thu, 19 January 2006 21:15

Pacific Microsonics Model 2 in both rooms.

I started wondering if that one was going to show up.

Pacific Microsonics here also - Model 2 in my room, Model 1s in two rooms. Prism in the other. Also in use - Prism ADA8, Lavry Blue, Meitner DSD DA & some Apogee stuff.

TotalSonic · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2006, 05:42:28 PM »

I am using 4 channels of Lavry Blue so that I can send the same signal to both my analog process chain and as direct source monitoring for 1 button push a/b comparisons between processed and source paths (and back in my record cutting days this also facilitated having the same signal sent to both the preview and program paths). This actually worked out to less per channel than getting 2 Benchmark or Mytek DAC's - although with the Blue you don't get metering, spdif, headphone amp, or on board attenuation - and given the choice I'd probably go for 2 Lavry Black DAC's at this point.

As far as sound comparisons with other DAC's - for me the fast transients just speak a lot less smeared with the Blue as soon as you click it over to "Crystal Lock" mode. Sharp percussive elements just seem truer to life and a little more "3d" through the Lavry than other things I listened to.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

PookyNMR · « **Reply #21 on:** January 20, 2006, 06:26:12 PM »

Lavry blue & Meric Halo. Apogees went bye bye.

bobkatz · « **Reply #22 on:** January 20, 2006, 08:06:51 PM »

I rate the new Avocet converters as "excellent". I do not believe that it affects my mastering negatively in the least.

I'm not in a rush to "upgrade", but if I get the money I'll re-audition the Lavry Gold and the Weiss. I can't see any other candidates if trying to push the stratosphere.

BK (who just bought a Pro Tools LE system and is also planning on getting Samplitude and upgrading my SADiE CPU to higher speed and upgrading 3 other computers in the place BEFORE I go for a new DAC) Smile

BK

MT Groove · « **Reply #23 on:** January 20, 2006, 08:42:38 PM »

bobkatz wrote on Sat, 21 January 2006 01:06

BK (who just bought a Pro Tools LE system

Oh no! He gave in! Very Happy

mike chafee · « **Reply #24 on:** January 20, 2006, 11:59:53 PM »

dCs Elgar
Benchmark Dac-1

Mike Chafee

Homero · « **Reply #25 on:** January 22, 2006, 10:36:00 AM »

dCS 954 - Quality, DSD, PCM all rates, Route.

Catalin Truta · « **Reply #26 on:** January 22, 2006, 01:21:33 PM »

PookyNMR wrote on Sat, 21 January 2006 01:26

Lavry blue & Meric Halo. Apogees went bye bye.

What's wrong with Apogee? It seems that many people around here have a bad oppinion about their convertors.

zetterstroem · « **Reply #27 on:** January 22, 2006, 02:37:26 PM »

they're too colored imo.....

they boost lows and highs and seems a bit "distant" in the midrange etc.....

Thomas W. Bethel · « **Reply #28 on:** January 23, 2006, 08:44:37 AM »

Benchmark DAC-1 in both rooms.

Quality, Price and really good tech support.

PookyNMR · « **Reply #29 on:** January 23, 2006, 12:22:04 PM »

zetterstroem wrote on Sun, 22 January 2006 12:37

they're too colored imo.....

they boost lows and highs and seems a bit "distant" in the midrange etc.....

I'd agree. I didn't care for the sound. I did not find them transparent. I also had some functionality issues with my unit often losing digital sync. In all fairness though, Fletcher gave me his word that in his experience Apogee does have good quality control.

Bob Boyd · « **Reply #30 on:** January 23, 2006, 02:39:32 PM »

zetterstroem wrote on Sun, 22 January 2006 13:37

they boost lows and highs and seems a bit "distant" in the midrange etc.....

I would say as a general comment, that this is true.

I have been using a Rosetta 200 for a while with good results but after spending some time with a Lavry Blue system, I'm switching to that. I love how much much more responsive mids are.

To be fair, if I could keep both, I probably would. It wouldn't be a bad color to have around for some material. On the whole though, I decided the Lavry would be a better way to go.

Roland Storch · « **Reply #31 on:** January 25, 2006, 05:11:44 AM »

What I really liked to know if anybody here uses high end audiophil stuff like Burmester, Mark Levinson, Accuphase, Wadia and so on.

There are some with variable analogue output you could use for monitoring.

Bob Boyd · « **Reply #32 on:** January 25, 2006, 02:01:56 PM »

That's an interesting question. Now that you mention it, even though our monitoring is more in the Hi-Fi camp, the conversion still belongs to the pro market.

The "pro" market converters are definitely more studio-friendly from a connectivity standpoint - balanced analog and AES digital.

Roland Storch · « **Reply #33 on:** January 25, 2006, 03:27:51 PM »

The High End stuff like Burmester and others offer balances I/Os. For example Burmester HiFi-Preamp 808 can be ordered with balances input and output modules. Every modul can be calibrated easily ....
A lot of features which are also useful for studios.
http://burmester.de/english/components/pre-amp-808-mk5.html

Just an example. I used Wadia in the nineties. It was one of the best 20 bit DA converter - strange that I don?t remember the name.

masterlab · « **Reply #34 on:** January 25, 2006, 05:12:59 PM »

TC 6000 DACs/Myteks in both rooms
We're waiting for the new Mytek8x192 with DSD board to arrive.

Also just on demo, Dangerous Monitor with Troisi and I hope to demo a Crookwood Monitor (I'm not sure about a DAC being in there)next week

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Author Topic: Your Monitor Converter? (Read 9597 times)