Please Help me Upgrade my CDP/Source

Manek schrieb:

we heard the cyrus combo(8vs2+cdp), nad 542 and arcam combo heard the nad with arcam as well. Arcam+arcam combo was far ahead of both....what more can I say abhi...it just blew us away. As I said we just forgot about the electronics and were immersed into music. What a lovely experience. Manek.

Hmmm..I always knew Arcam had that extra thing called "Soul". , glad that you re-confirmed it.

BTW, how did Nad C542 compete against the Arcam CD-73 ?
An objective comparison would be really helpful.

abhi.pani schrieb:

BTW, how did Nad C542 compete against the Arcam CD-73 ? An objective comparison would be really helpful.

What do you expect

If I remember right this was their redesigned Arcam and they did away with their ring DAC and moved to Wolfsen..was the rage then and was highly recommended in 2003-2004.

Arj,
I know who will win but I really want to know where and by how much each of them win/lose against each other. As an audiophile I believe we can express somethings in words which can give a perspective of how each of them would be sounding. Since I have some experience with Nad players now (and I believe many others would also have it), a relative comparison is easier to guage than a absolute comparison, hence the request

abhi

we played the nad 542 with the arcam A80 and the cd73 and the arcam A80. Arcam combo, the winner on all counts.

Manek.

Thanks for the feedback Manek...it was really helpful

anytime

abhi.pani schrieb:

Arj, I know who will win but I really want to know where and by how much each of them win/lose against each other. As an audiophile I believe we can express somethings in words which can give a perspective of how each of them would be sounding. Since I have some experience with Nad players now (and I believe many others would also have it), a relative comparison is easier to guage than a absolute comparison, hence the request :)

Umm... let's just put it this way, the NAD suddenly had a lot of info missing after listening to the CD73. I'd say the Arcam had a lot more body. ... Or is it soul??:L

Shahrukh schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: Arj, I know who will win but I really want to know where and by how much each of them win/lose against each other. As an audiophile I believe we can express somethings in words which can give a perspective of how each of them would be sounding. Since I have some experience with Nad players now (and I believe many others would also have it), a relative comparison is easier to guage than a absolute comparison, hence the request :) Umm... let's just put it this way, the NAD suddenly had a lot of info missing after listening to the CD73. I'd say the Arcam had a lot more body. ... Or is it soul??:L

Ufff..thats a statement buddy.

Arj schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: BTW, how did Nad C542 compete against the Arcam CD-73 ? An objective comparison would be really helpful. What do you expect If I remember right this was their redesigned Arcam and they did away with their ring DAC and moved to Wolfsen..was the rage then and was highly recommended in 2003-2004.

Strange that you mention this,

I remember distinctly that when we bangalore chaps met up at my place we unanimously agreed that my Harman Kardon DVD 30 was more livelier than the NAD521BEE but the NAd was definitely better on tonality and accuracy.

Incidentally Harman Kardon uses the Wolfson DACs that were being employed in the old Cambridge audio Azur 540C.
Of course implementation of the DAC is a huge thing in itself and the chips are only as good as the rest of the circuit.
I wonder if Manek and Shahrukh found the NAD to be more analytical than involving as we did?

-saachi

p.s Abhi don't start doubting your decision to buy the Bel CAnto DAC2...it is equally good if not better than the Arcam you have mentioned in the poll.

p.s Abhi don't start doubting your decision to buy the Bel CAnto DAC2...it is equally good if not better than the Arcam you have mentioned in the poll.

Hmmm...ok

abhi.pani schrieb:

Savyasaachi schrieb: Hmmm....lets see... I am almost 100% sure it is the Bel Canto DAC2.. :D Hmmmm.... :D

Now thats the statement equivalent of the Mona Lisa smile !

So abhi have you decided or is it still in the works
I do not think you will make a mistake with any choice and will like the sound of any of them...if only the luxury of listening and then deciding existed here, you could have been more specific on your choice !.

so do we get a hint if you are thinking going the DAC way or the integrated ?

I promise not to try and influence my thinking !!!!

Savyasaachi schrieb:

Hi Bombaywalla, Am a bit curios now. I am looking for a USB source and after re reading your posts explored the Scott Nixon Chibi DAC. Even went through your review on audiogon.

Hmmmm..... I didn't know that I had reviewed on Audiogon?? I just have comments on my Scott Nixon DAC pertaining to the thread/discussion that was at hand.

Savyasaachi schrieb:

Can you please tell me where i can find the Scott Nixon Chibi Saru+.

I really do not know if such a DAC existed in the Scott Nixon portfolio. I really never knew all the model names of the DACs that he offered. The one that I have came up for sale locally & that;s how I got a chance to be a Scott Nixon owner. Scott Nixon lives in the same township that I do.

Savyasaachi schrieb:

I am planning to buy this. SO if you are not using your DAC would you be interested in parting with it?

Oh no!!
Mine is definitely NFS!!

Savyasaachi schrieb:

I would be very interested if you could give a detailed impression on the Chibi DAC and also what configuration to go for, additional Mods and the sort. Thanks. Cheers, Saachi

I do not have a Chibi DAC so I cannot give any impressions of it!
You have already read my comments on the Saru DAC+. The Saru DAC+ was long-time discontinued. I knew this when I purchased the DAC.
I think that Scott Nixon's DAC website is undergoing a change. He was telling me that this was due. He informed me that his DACs have been accepted far & wide now & that demand has picked up & that he is going to take the whole thing far more seriously & increase production & prices!
He told me that w/ the present packaging (plastic) & their very unassuming looks, people were not taking him seriously. Many did bought his products thru word-of-mouth & they liked it so much that looks no longer mattered. This was OK for a while but he felt that he needed to improve things (cosmetics) so that he could reach farther into the customer base. So, now his products are going to have metal casings & with that a steep price increase. If you can find an older version of any Scott Nixon DAC, grab it! It will not last long in the used market & their performance is really to-die-for (from my personal experience. And, people inform me that the Saru DAC+ isn't even his best DAC! The fellow who sold me the Saru DAC+ also had a Tube DAC+, which he was not selling under any circumstance!). These are non-oversampling DACs that use the marvelous Philips TDA1541 type Nyquist DAC (& not the rotten TI oversampling DACs! ) & once you have heard a well-implemented non-oversampling DAC, you will totally be turned against up/oversampling DACs! Again, from personal experience.
Non-oversampling DACs do get congested with symphonic works but if you do not listen to much of that sort of music, maybe you do not have anything to worry about.

Saachi,
sorry for the late reply - just saw your post.

Arj schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: Savyasaachi schrieb: Hmmm....lets see... I am almost 100% sure it is the Bel Canto DAC2.. :D Hmmmm.... :D Now thats the statement equivalent of the Mona Lisa smile ! So abhi have you decided or is it still in the works I do not think you will make a mistake with any choice and will like the sound of any of them...if only the luxury of listening and then deciding existed here, you could have been more specific on your choice !. so do we get a hint if you are thinking going the DAC way or the integrated ? I promise not to try and influence my thinking !!!!

Hmmm..yes, I have gone ahead and purchased a Bel Canto DAC2. It will arrive here by the end of this month and then I could give a feedback about its sonic qualities..till then fingers crossed

Awesome……….
Way to go dude…

square_wave schrieb:

Awesome………. Way to go dude…

he he he..way to come buddy..please make yourself free to come over and listen to it

abhi.pani schrieb:

square_wave schrieb: Awesome………. Way to go dude…images/smilies/insane.gif he he he..way to come buddy..please make yourself free to come over and listen to it :D

I could get over my Wadia 12 as well and we could try to make out the differences objectively. i think the presentation should be different for each.

I am a bit confused about the different kind inputs that a DAC accepts...the only one I know is Coaxial through Digital-Coaxial cable. But it looks like there are other inputs as well like, Toslink, AES-BU etc...I have no idea about these and I dont even know if the DAC supports all of these. I however know that DAC2 supports Coaxial and Toslink ...please advise which way to select the cable.

Arj schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: square_wave schrieb: Awesome………. Way to go dude…images/smilies/insane.gif he he he..way to come buddy..please make yourself free to come over and listen to it :D I could get over my Wadia 12 as well and we could try to make out the differences objectively. i think the presentation should be different for each. :prost

Oh sure sir...I will let you know when the DAC arrives.

abhi.pani schrieb:

I am a bit confused about the different kind inputs that a DAC accepts...the only one I know is Coaxial through Digital-Coaxial cable. But it looks like there are other inputs as well like, Toslink, AES-BU etc...I have no idea about these and I dont even know if the DAC supports all of these. I however know that DAC2 supports Coaxial and Toslink ...please advise which way to select the cable.

the bel canto accepts only coaxial and toslink.
would suggest you go with the coaxial as the toslink usually has a higher jitter (cheaper dvdps very often do better with the toslink)

bombaywalla might be able to suggest a good digi cable..have heard a lot about DH labs digital cables..maybe you can get a good deal at A'gon

Arj, correct me if I am wrong, when we say Digital-Coaxial cable, both ends should be RCA connectors right ? I took a close look at the DAC2 connectors (on the net) and though it specifies that it has Coaxial connectors, the input doesnt look like a regular RCA....wheres the catch buddy ?

abhi.pani schrieb:

Arj, correct me if I am wrong, when we say Digital-Coaxial cable, both ends should be RCA connectors right ? I took a close look at the DAC2 connectors (on the net) and though it specifies that it has Coaxial connectors, the input doesnt look like a regular RCA....

eh??
As Arjun pointed out, the Bel Canto DAC2 has only 2 types of inputs-Toslink & RCA.
The RCA connector looks like a bonfide RCA connector. no doubt!!
The outputs also look like bonafide RCA connectors.
I remember using RCA digital cables when I was auditioning this DAC. No problems whatsoever making any connections to or from the DAC.

abhi.pani schrieb:

wheres the catch buddy ?

there ain't no catch!!
look @ the connectors again. Jaara ghoor, ghoor ke dekhna!

Arj schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: I am a bit confused about the different kind inputs that a DAC accepts...the only one I know is Coaxial through Digital-Coaxial cable. But it looks like there are other inputs as well like, Toslink, AES-BU etc...I have no idea about these and I dont even know if the DAC supports all of these. I however know that DAC2 supports Coaxial and Toslink ...please advise which way to select the cable. the bel canto accepts only coaxial and toslink. would suggest you go with the coaxial as the toslink usually has a higher jitter (cheaper dvdps very often do better with the toslink) bombaywalla might be able to suggest a good digi cable..have heard a lot about DH labs digital cables..maybe you can get a good deal at A'gon

I do know some good digital cables that are $100 or less -
* XLO ER-6 (they might or not be still available as XLO just re-vamped their line & bet that they increased prices! :cut. The ER-6 came from their VDO line - lowest/bottom-most line. DOn't let that fool you, it's a superb cable. I use this one myself to connect my DVD player to the Monarchy DIP)
* Stereovox HDXV - another superb cable. I personally use this to connec the DIP to the Scott Nixon DAC. New price is $100 but used price is less. Also, this cable comes standard with a BNC to RCA adapter. Should you need a BNC connection to any digital unit, just unscrew the adapter & voila! the cable becomes BNC-BNC! BTW, BNC is the way to go for digital connections as the RCA termination is nowhere near 75 ohms making the RCA connector very lossy for digital signals.
* As Arj wrote, the DH Labs digital cable is also ver good & well-priced.
* Apogee Wyde-eye. No experience w/ this & it might have gotten over $100 by now.

FWIW.

abhi.pani schrieb:

Hmmm..yes, I have gone ahead and purchased a Bel Canto DAC2. It will arrive here by the end of this month and then I could give a feedback about its sonic qualities..till then fingers crossed :.

excellent! you will not regret this decision (given my personal experience w/ this DAC).


You can start saving up money right away & make the Arcam CDP your next purchase!!
USe the Arcam as a stand-alone input into your integrated & use also use it w/ the Bel Canto DAC2 as another input into your integrated. Then, depending on your mood, you can switch between the 2.

<<BTW, once you get the DAC2, you can do the same w/ your NAD CDP, which will allow you to compare the NAD on-board DAC to the DAC2>>

abhi.pani schrieb:

Arj, correct me if I am wrong, when we say Digital-Coaxial cable, both ends should be RCA connectors right ? I took a close look at the DAC2 connectors (on the net) and though it specifies that it has Coaxial connectors, the input doesnt look like a regular RCA....wheres the catch buddy ?

Hi Abhi, dont read too much you will get confused

As mentioned by Bombaywalla, the connections are RCA connectors. (But there are cases like Wadia which recommend a BNC instead of Phoneo (RCA)..)

You definitely need to use a digital cable here as the characteristics required by a Digital cable are different. any amount of capacitance/inductance in the cable can interfere with the square wave pattern of the diital signals and cause timing errors.

the SPDIF frmat i think also specifies 75 Ohms, which may not be a rule with ICs

bombaywalla schrieb:

I use this one myself to connect my DVD player to the Monarchy DIP)

Bombaywalla, did you get a chance to compare the AES vs Coax outputs in the DIP ? I do use the DIP (The original 24 bit one! ) as well but have not found a suitable cable to do the comparison..although with a .5M AES IC it was not all that different from Wadias own Coax.

Arj schrieb:

abhi.pani schrieb: square_wave schrieb: Awesome………. Way to go dude…images/smilies/insane.gif he he he..way to come buddy..please make yourself free to come over and listen to it :D I could get over my Wadia 12 as well and we could try to make out the differences objectively. i think the presentation should be different for each. :prost

I am game.......Let me know when you guys are getting together.........

Thanks for the confirmation friends. Now I am sure I need to buy RCA-RCA Digital cables. Since I would be buying it without auditioning so I have another obvious query. Going around Audiogon and ebay, I have found most/many Digital cables are Silver Clad copper and some are pure silver (I have found very few pure copper digital cables till now), the problem is my system hates SILVER, especially silver clad copper. I mean any silver element in the Interconnects/Spk Cables has always shown a detorioration in sonic qualities in my system than improvement. Basically it starts sounding bright and clinical. Where as with pure copper they sing really well. Now this is my experience with normal analog interconnects and spk cables, will the same analysis hold true with Digital cables ? Should I stay away from Silver, Silver clad copper digital cables going by the history of my system ?

stick with the copper if you have copper all through your system.

Manek.

Hi Manek & Shahrukh,
In another thread " Tube PreAmp and SS Power Amp", Herculepirate (alwyn) is looking around for a good amp for his Cadence speakers. Could you people tip him off regarding your experience with Arcam...we have already suggested him Arcam but a first hand experience should be more convincing to him. I suspect he may not visit this thread hence would miss our discussion on Arcam.

abhi.pani schrieb:

Should I stay away from Silver, Silver clad copper digital cables going by the history of my system ?

well i sicerely doubt if the output of a DAC will differ in anyway based on the digital cable unless the cable is not good.
the Bel Canto is regarded as a well designed DAC so its input would to a large extent be much more robust to ensure that it does not err in reading digital

in analogue you may have alterations to the signal..but if it is happening in digital then there is something wrong with the cable, whether it is silver or even gold


but again, i agree with maneks point above since if you do have a bias against any material, better to stay away as you will always have experience some subjective disappointment with it

Arj....its more like a Bee in the Bonnet.....will always haunt you when things dont sounfd right.

Abhi....what cables do you use ? why dont you consider one from the same stable ?

Manek.

abhi.pani schrieb:

Thanks for the confirmation friends. Now I am sure I need to buy RCA-RCA Digital cables. Since I would be buying it without auditioning so I have another obvious query. Going around Audiogon and ebay, I have found most/many Digital cables are Silver Clad copper and some are pure silver (I have found very few pure copper digital cables till now), the problem is my system hates SILVER, especially silver clad copper. I mean any silver element in the Interconnects/Spk Cables has always shown a detorioration in sonic qualities in my system than improvement. Basically it starts sounding bright and clinical. Where as with pure copper they sing really well. Now this is my experience with normal analog interconnects and spk cables, will the same analysis hold true with Digital cables ? Should I stay away from Silver, Silver clad copper digital cables going by the history of my system ?

Well, since you already have a negative bias towards silver & silver-clad copper from your experience in your system, better stay away from these 2 materials.
I.e. stay away from the DH Labs digital cable. All DH Labs stuff is silver-clad copper.
(( BTW I have their BL1 Series 2 for nearly 6 years & I find it to be a very good cable! But that's me & in my system. YMMV. ))

The other 2 I recommended are all-copper.
Another manuf that might suit you - TARA Labs. I used to own all TARA cables in my system & really liked them a heck of a lot.
The TARA digital cable might be out-of-budget, but it is very good. A step above the other 2 I recommended in terms of resolution & being more cohesive.
FWIW.

Arj schrieb:

bombaywalla schrieb: I use this one myself to connect my DVD player to the Monarchy DIP) Bombaywalla, did you get a chance to compare the AES vs Coax outputs in the DIP ? I do use the DIP (The original 24 bit one! ) as well but have not found a suitable cable to do the comparison..although with a .5M AES IC it was not all that different from Wadias own Coax.

No, Arjun! I have not compared AES vs. Coax. I had only RCA-RCA cables, which is what I used & am using. 2ndly, the rest of my system uses only RCA jacks thru-out.

bombaywalla

you forgot luminous audio....you like those dont you ?

manek.

Savyasaachi schrieb:

I wonder if Manek and Shahrukh found the NAD to be more analytical than involving as we did? -saachi

Nad CDPs are never analytical IMO. They are pretty warm (but less than marantz) instead. They have very good PRAT (pace, rhythm and timing) and that makes them one of the best all-rounders among the entry level CDPs IMO. However they are slightly grainy at the upper mids and highs which is a drawback that cant be lived with when your system gets very revealing. I am facing the same issue now. With the A52, I didnt know what could be a better option than the Nad but with the BM6 its weaknessess are highly audible. The other day we compared it to a Marantz CD-67SE (modded by TS Lim) and it showed up the areas where Nad needs help and thats the reason I am helping it up with a DAC2

abhi.pani schrieb:

Nad CDPs are never analytical IMO. They are pretty warm (but less than marantz) instead. They have very good PRAT (pace, rhythm and timing) and that makes them one of the best all-rounders among the entry level CDPs IMO. However they are slightly grainy at the upper mids and highs which is a drawback that cant be lived with when your system gets very revealing. I am facing the same issue now. With the A52, I didnt know what could be a better option than the Nad but with the BM6 its weaknessess are highly audible. The other day we compared it to a Marantz CD-67SE (modded by TS Lim) and it showed up the areas where Nad needs help and thats the reason I am helping it up with a DAC2 :D

very true..and the TSLIm cd67 is a very good comparison on what can be done at that pricepoint

the weakness in Bass (soft) as well as the graininess (it can get shrieky as well) in treble is due to the DAC section which can be modded to be overcome upto a point..but from what i have been told, some problems are core design based and thats why the midrange cannot be made more fluid than what it is.

But again these are problems which are apparent only on comparison with better products..as a standalone it is really good

Arj Wrote:

..as a standalone it is really good

Especially at its price point.
To a newbie, it immediately shows the importance of a dedicated CDP and how a CDP is so different from a DVDP.

hmmm...well i t was my pinion based on my experience with it.
I found it lacking in emotion or the involvment factor if you will.

I am looking at this transport to partner with my DIY DAC

http://www.sonicartaudio.com/electronics.htm
scroll down to the CEC TL51X

Also looking at some Pioneer elite DVD players...
Specifically this
http://www.pioneerel...43_278147278,00.html

Kindly do suggest any other transports in the same price range.

Abhi, how about comparing my DIY dac with the BEL CAnto.
Of course i myself haven't heard my DAC so i would be most anxious to know how it performs.
Btw, mine has an optical input, juct in case you are up for it.
You would have to pick it up from my place though.
PM me and i will let you know the details if you are interested.

Cheers,

Saachi

Savyasaachi schrieb:

scroll down to the CEC TL51X

If thats what you are looking at, if it were me, I would look no further !

at some point if i do decide to upgrade my transport, it would be the TL51 or one of its more recent avatars !

Arj schrieb:

Savyasaachi schrieb: scroll down to the CEC TL51X If thats what you are looking at, if it were me, I would look no further ! at some point if i do decide to upgrade my transport, it would be the TL51 or one of its more recent avatars !

Hi Arj,
Wasn't aware that there were avatars of the CEC.
Could you please provide links to the same.

I have been reading a few conflicting reviews(problems related to programmed playback and the sort and not about the SQ) about the CEC. And the fact that it comes with a factory recommended 450 hours of burn in time makes me roll my eyes(could be because it is belt driven).
But seems like the best transport out there for about 1000$
Which is pretty 'cheap' considering the alternatives and am siding towards it heavily..

Saachi

Manek schrieb:

bombaywalla you forgot luminous audio....you like those dont you ? manek.

Manek dikra,
many thanks for reminding me about Luminous Audio! yes, I like them very much as well.

Abhi,
this is a digital cable (& other interconnect & speaker cables) you should also consider. They sound very much like TARA Labs cables. In fact, the ownwer of Luminous Audio, in a phone conversation with him, told me that he has a deep respect for TARA Labs cables. Not surprisingly they sound much like TARA Labs!
Here is their website:
http://www.luminousaudio.com/digitalvideo.html

Click the link on the webpage for their pricing. These cables are inexpensive!!

So are you buying an optical or a coaxial cable Abhi?..
I would prefer an optical one if you are running short lenght. 0.5m Optical cables are the best choice IMHO, unless of course ur source has AES/EBU output.

Buddy, I am buying a Digital-Coax cable..both ends RCA.
Dont know whats best..just went ahead with the reccommendation of our forum members. I am getting a Stereovox HDXV Digital interconnect.

well..there are differences in this area too and people opine that one is better than the other..however after doing some reading i came to the conclusion that technically optical input gives you a bit perfect signal, better than coaxial(not that u can't achieve it in coaxial).
EDIT: Disregard the last staement
I think i too would pick coaxial as it is more robust.

I am looking to pick up a pair of Audoiquest Optilink Z for my DAC.

The Dac2 has only Coaxial and Toslink inputs out of which members told me that Coaxial is better.
The Audioquest you have selected, what connectors does it have ?

Savyasaachi schrieb:

well..there are differences in this area too and people opine that one is better than the other..however after doing some reading i came to the conclusion that technically optical input gives you a bit perfect signal, better than coaxial(not that u can't achieve it in coaxial). EDIT: Disregard the last staement I think i too would pick coaxial as it is more robust. I am looking to pick up a pair of Audoiquest Optilink Z for my DAC.

Not sure of that .. in optical there are 2 types of connectors ( I think)

1. AT&T type - not very used now..only know of Wadia in the past. this was technically very good but i believe had practical problems (Bending etc)
2. Toslink- usually prevalent in the low end segment these days (Not that it is technically bad). from the test results i read somewhere Jitter was higher here in high end players and lower in Low end players (relatively speaking with coax)

Might have to do with the fact that it was more consistant than RCA..(which degraded more hence relatively fell below)

hence if you have one of the entry level DVDps and it does have an option of Toslink and coax, you might just get a better quality from the toslink.

Arj, I fully concur with you. Coax is a better option sonically than TOSLINK

The CoAx Digital connection is generally considered better sounding than the optical ( Toslink ) connector.

Guys, look at it this way ...... Easier to take an electrical signal and pass it over 2 feet of copper wire ...

than to convert the electrical signal to an optical ( light ) signal.... shot this optical signal precisely into a PLASTIC strand ( fibre) and then, when it emerges from the plastic, to change it back to an electrical signal ! Whew !

Yes, WADIA used Glass fibre and that was GREAT. It worked well,. They used High quality optical technology commercially available at that time, which was used by Telephone companies such as AT&T to transmit optical signals over thousands of miles. The Stuff was Expensive, but worked well.


The optical advantage is that the sending and receiving equipment are COMPLETELY isolated from each other electrically. They do not even share an electrical ground, thru the interconnect.

Incidentally, the AT&T connector I think used Single Mode GLASS fibre with a loss of 0.3 dB per KILOMETER.

The Toslink Plastic fibre has ( If I remember correctly ) a loss of about 20 dB per 100 METERS ! Further, the plastic fibre supports only Multi Mode optical transmission, where the light wave bounces repeatedly while traveling thru the fibre, as a result messing up the Square wave pulses, rounding them off badly … this is equivalent to a Very High Jitter… the Bane of Digital signal transmission.

At that time single mode Glass fibre was VERY expensive, probably closer to US $ 100 per meter, and plastic was ….. EL Cheapo.

Today, single mode glass fibre cable with 4 cores is available in retail at less than Rs 10 per meter. Unfortunately, the AT&T optical link is now, I think discontinued.

Going back in time..... in 1986 I sold similar PLASTIC Optical links made by Hewlett Packard. Their aim was to use them for Isolation, eg in patient monitoring, in a hospital ( don’t wanna Zap the patient if the ground line is faulty !

Another application was to use them to monitor High Voltage such as Hundreds of Volts feeding Large motors running on 415V AC, and monitor the motor parameter with sensitive electronics.

The sensitive electronics could be physically located a few meters away, COMPLETELY isolated electrically from the high Power Electrical gear.

For patient & Switch gear panels, the plastic stuff was ideal…. ( the patient’s heart beats at approx 1 Hz, the CD data at 44000 Hz ! Hence the Plastic optical link is Great for monitoring heartbeats, but NOT good for accurately communicating very fast digital signals, such as digital audio.

At the same time TOSHIBA began mass production of plastic optical links. The CD player was gaining popularity, and SONY was about to launch the Mini Disc recorder. For a hassle free ( no need to set the recording levels ) Digital recording, between the CD player and the Mini Disc recorder, the TOSHIBA-OPTICAL-LINK ( Toslink) were ordered by the Zillion, making it cheaply available…. And more unfortunately …. mass market standard.

Sony fitted the TOSLINK not only in all its Mini Disc recorders, but also in every SONY Combo system, so that it could be easily connected to a Mini disc recorder / player, if the consumer bought one, later.

And we are enduring that plastic even today …. Shrouded with a High tech optical aura !

amp_nut-Ji..thank you for this info. it has been a very informative read

bombaywalla schrieb:

Savyasaachi schrieb: I have been wondering about the Scott Nixon DACs..Can you give a detailed impression on the same? My Scott Nixon Saru DAC+ held up very well to the Bel Canto DAC2. BTW, it is has the "+" in the name because I have the upgrade 3X power supply for better dynamics rather than the wal-wart power supply that is default. I definitely recommend spending the extra money to get the upgraded power supply. The Bel Canto DAC2 beat the Saru DAC in bass - the DAC2 had deeper, more fortified bass. The Saru DAC, in comparison, was bass lighter. In & of itself the Saru DAC sounds superb. This short-coming is heard only in comparisons. In the high frequencies it was mostly a draw. There were CDs that I preferred the DAC2 & there were other CDs where I preferred the Saru DAC+. The Saru DAC= seemed to have a certain sparkle in the high freq that the DAC2 did not have & I enjoyed this feature very much. NOTE: the Saru DAC+ is a non-oversampled DAC while the DAC2 is a 24/192 oversampled DAC. In the midrange, too, it was mostly a draw. There might have been a slight edge in favour of the DAC2 because the midrange was silky smooth & grain-free. A delight to listen to!

Just pulled the trigger on a battery powered version of the Scott Nixon Chibi Saru DAC...

Will have a chance to compare the Chibi Saru versus the Bluenote Stibbert and maybe the Bel Canto DAC2.
Of course i will be using my Senn HD580s for comparison.