avta;208370 Wrote: > Thanks Corbey. Very interesting review. What do you like about its > effects in your system?
First of all, I should probably say that, before I got the VDA-2, I very much enjoyed listening to the SB3 through its analog outputs. It has a somewhat warm and engaging sound that I think equals some much more expensive CD players from just a few years ago. However, I listen to a lot of classical and acoustic music, and, after awhile, I found the SB3 by itself to be a little lacking in detail and a bit congested. In looking around for a standalone DAC to add to my system, I decided to try the VDA-2 for a number of reasons: 1) Size - My rack is already crowded and even with its companion power supply, the VDA-2 is small enough to fit almost anyplace. 2) Price and features - The VDA-2 costs a few hundred dollars less than the DAC-1, and I didnt really need or want a headphone amp or a separate volume control. 3) Reputation - CIAudio products have been consistently well reviewed in the audiophile press. Since adding the VDA-2 to my system, I now listen to music through it almost exclusively. It recovers the details I felt I were missing with the SB3 alone and handles the complexities of orchestral music very well. Its soundstage may not be quite as wide and deep as my SCD-1, but its much better than the SB3 by itself. Is it the ultimate DAC? Probably not, but its very good. Before I got the VDA-2, I still wasnt completely sold of the concept of streaming music, but now I realize that streaming my CDs can sound every bit as good as playing them on a standalone CD player. -- corbey My two-channel system: - SB-3 through a CIAudio VDA-2 DAC (and using Nokia N800 as a remote) - Sony SCD-1 CD/SACD player - WyeTech Labs Jade tubed preamp - Chord SPM 1200C power amp - Basis 2001 turntable w/ Graham Arm & Lyra Helikon cartridge - Klyne phono stage - Proac 2.5 speakers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ corbey's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=11286 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36036
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