VFRBOB wrote: > **I woke up early this morning, couldn't get back to sleep so I decided > to listen to a few tunes on the headphones (Grado 325s) before work. > Downstairs I have Simaudio Mind 180 streamer connected to a Benchmark > HDR DAC as part of my main setup. Also connected is a second hand Duet > that I recently purchased. For fun I decided to compare the two > streamers back to back. Switching between the two I'm darned if these 53 > year old ears can tell any difference, I was surprised, especially since > the Simaudio cost $1000 and my second hand Duet cost me $90.
. . Nice Headphones plus great Streamer and DAC in your main system. "Surprised", I would be Upset not surprised if a $90 Duet sounded as good as $2000 worth of Simaudio Streamer/Benchmark DAC! But you most likely didn't buy the Simaudio/Benchmark combo just to listen via headphones. The great thing is that Sean Adams and Company didn't go cheap in the DAC depart. The Duet Receiver uses the Wolfson® 24-bit WM8501 chip set and by using all DC except at the wall wart, tons of money didn't need to be spent on the power supply like the Benchmark unit had to. Don't get me wrong, Benchmark didn't go cheap anywhere which is why they are $1895 today! But really in the big picture of things, the Wolfson® 24-bit WM8501 chip set and a decent low noise Op Amp to drive the headphones is going to sound about the same as any other DAC well into the $10K range. Most of the time, nobody is going to hear any real difference unless they are using a $10K DAC driving a high end dedicated tube headphone amp. The way you were basically listening, the only thing different was the DAC and their output stage where again Slim Devices didn't go cheap because why spend money on a great DAC Chip if the analog out circuit is cheap or sucks audio wise? The only thing I have listened to that really blows away a 10K DAC with Tube Headphone Amp is the Ayre Codex! The Codex is amazing with a set of true balanced headphones! . . *iPhone* Media Room: ModWright Platinum Signature Transporter, VTL TL-6.5 Signature Pre-Amp, Ayre MX-R Mono's, VeraStarr 6.4SE 6-channel Amp, Vandersteen Speakers: Quatro Wood Mains, VCC-5 Reference Center, four VSM-1 Signatures, Video: Runco RS 900 CineWide AutoScope 2.35:1, Vandersteen V2W Subwoofer Living Room: Transporter, ADCOM GTP-870HD, Cinepro 3K6SE III Gold, Vandersteen Model 3A Signature, Two 2Wq subs, VCC-2, Two VSM-1 Office: Touch with Vandersteen VSM-1s Kitchen: Touch in-wall mount w/ Thiel Powerpoint 1.2s Bedroom: Squeezebox BOOM Bathroom: Squeezebox Radio Around the House: SliMP3, SB1, SB2, SB3 Ford Thunderbird: SB Touch, USB drive Ford Expedition: SB Touch, USB drive ------------------------------------------------------------------------ iPhone's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13622 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=108011
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