Transitioning Into the World of Local Streaming With one SACD Component
Airport Extreme~Router with three switches
A. Mac Mini ~ MM
B. Family-room~ FR
C. Rec-room ~ RR
All I need is an inexpensive (CD/SACD/DAC/ Up-scaler). Thinking:
Loose the Airport Express and Emotiva Dac 1
Hardwire RR and FR with Cat 6!
Inquire about ~ Arcam CDS50 for the FR.
FR system: CDS50???
MM>Airport Extreme>CDS50>Audioquest XLR>Primare Pre 30>Audioquest XLR> Arcam P1 Mono Blocks> Vienna Acoustic Baby Grands.
Then I can utilize both formats (SACD/CD) in the FR.
Only one problem, is the Arcam CDS50 up to the task?
Is anyone familiar with Cambridge and Arcam? British products not that common across the pond!
The following information was obtained off the internet:
{"Put simply, the music was more visceral when listening to the irDAC. Is it worth $700? If you consider the sonic performance of your DAC to be its most important feature, and you probably should, then the answer is a resounding yes.
Arcam-irDAC-rear.jpg
High Points
• The irDAC offers exceptional sound quality at its price point and arguably above.
• This $700 DAC uses trickle-down design elements from Arcam’s reference line.
• The irDAC is not overly picky in terms of the resolution of the source material. It sounded great with a wide variety of sources.
• The DAC has six digital inputs, including asynchronous USB.
Low Points
• The irDAC lacks networking and streaming capability like some other DACs out there today.
• The DAC lacks balanced XLR outputs for those running such systems.
• While not a deal-breaker, it’s nice to have a display showing the resolution of the track you’re playing.
Comparison and Competition
While I would give the edge in sound quality to the irDAC, the aforementioned Cambridge DacMagic is a solid performer in its own right and can now be had, in its more updated DacMagic Plus configuration, for an affordable $500. Move up a bit in terms of price point, and you’ll find another of my favorite names in audio: the NAD D 7050 features network capability and streaming (AirPlay/Bluetooth) for $1,000. If you have a bit more discretionary income and are looking for added flexibility in terms of having a DAC and Blu-ray in one unit, the Oppo BDP-105, with its SABRE32 Reference Audio DAC and $1,200 price tag, is worth your time.
Conclusion
In terms of performance, this unit is likely everything you’d want in a DAC under $1,000. It will breathe life into your music collection. While network streaming isn’t possible, it’s not exactly a reach to have a friend connect their phone to the dedicated input, thereby gaining the technical and sonic prowess of the irDAC without the loss of precious resolution that is the byproduct of streaming. My point is, a DAC is meant to convert your music to analog and make it sound great; it’s not supposed to make you an omelet. On that front, Arcam’s irDAC is a raging success.
It’s also worth noting that the irDAC will reward you if you take care in system matching–in other words, pairing it with the highest quality gear you can afford, while also paying attention to the sonic signature of each component. While my reference system is comprised of an amp/processor combo that retails for $7,000, the $700 irDAC was not in over its head, so to speak. The irDAC proved to be a worthy companion in my high-end setup and should be a welcome addition to just about any real-world home audio system".}
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