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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 31, 2009 21:22:32 GMT
Just prized my wallet out of my pocket for one of these puppies www.behringer.com/EN/Products/SRC2496.aspx I have been told NUMEROUS times by people "in the trade" that this is a seriously good bit of gear for the money..... thought it about time I listened to them and gave it a go.... certainly "seems" VERY good VFM on paper and not your usual no name, no pedigree Chinese gamble..... I will report back when she arrives  |
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leo
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Post by leo on Mar 31, 2009 22:06:08 GMT
Sweet! looks to have shitloads of features too
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insomniac
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Post by insomniac on Mar 31, 2009 23:52:34 GMT
Looks the part Mike.... the re-clocking ability is a nice feature and loads of in/outputs makes it very versatile. Looking forward to the forthcoming Pink Test |
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robertkd
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Post by robertkd on Apr 1, 2009 1:03:27 GMT
Mike the SRC2496 is quite good you might also want to have a look at this also www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspxthen with both of these, there isn't much you can't check out  Robert PS Mike It also doubles as an ok headphone and DAC   Robert |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 1, 2009 11:49:49 GMT
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 1, 2009 21:25:08 GMT
Mike the SRC2496 is quite good you might also want to have a look at this also www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspxthen with both of these, there isn't much you can't check out Robert PS Mike It also doubles as an ok headphone and DAC Robert I take it, from the picture, that you actually own one of these Robert? What do you think of it compared with other DACS you have listened to? I believe the analog outs are "balanced" so have made up a couple of female XLR to phono leads so I can run the out into the amp.... What do you use yours for man? |
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robertkd
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Post by robertkd on Apr 2, 2009 8:59:39 GMT
 and the DEQ2406 and mic well the SRC to convert to and from digital from my mixer I have a couple of AKG perception 220 mic's and sort of dabble on sound scape's (more correctly would like to  ) the DEQ i use to confirm room acoustics and speaker set up, well more now to confirm as my AV receiver does the speaker EQ but for what they are and what they cost there pretty good value for money. I really need to look at a multi channel recorder interface so I can play with surround Robert
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 2, 2009 20:53:02 GMT
Mike It also doubles as an ok headphone and DAC Robert She arrived today Robert.... not quite sure what goes where yet so am using it as a DAC for the time being listening through it's phones output.... Certainly sounds ok through the head out and, man, that head out has some grunt doesn't it? It'll drive Senn HD-600 to teeth rattling levels if you want it to. Now to decide what to do with it.... it was a bit of an impulse buy I must admit I'll primarily use it as an offboard DAC for one of my old Marantz CD52MKllSE's..... any other suggestions what I can use it for are most welcome!  |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 2, 2009 23:10:30 GMT
Have you read this Robert? |
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robertkd
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Post by robertkd on Apr 3, 2009 8:55:32 GMT
Have you read this Robert? no, interesting mmm although it's very good out of the box. As for headphone amp IMHO nice, even good, but my SC HA leaves it for dead  Robert |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2009 20:16:44 GMT
I can't wait to hear this thing via the analogue outputs (ie: plugged into a headphone amp) just waiting for some bloody female XLR sockets.... I'd made up a pair of XLR plug to phono leads and it turns out I need females How do you rate this thing as a DAC Robert? If the headout is an indicator of what's in store then it should be pretty decent sounding out of the analogue outputs.... the bass maybe a touch dry but, as I say, that's listening through the integral head out. |
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Post by ticktockman on Apr 4, 2009 22:40:28 GMT
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 6, 2009 19:49:59 GMT
Finally got this guy hooked up and must confess I am pretty underwhelmed using it as a DAC... it's not bad but certainly not anything to rave about, the onboard DAC's in both my Marantz CD17 and CD52MKllSE pretty much beat in hands down when it comes to musical presentation.
A very purposeful looking machine and, apparantly, a lot of "features" for your money but, to my ears, I fear have just wasted 150 notes on a box full of tricks I don't need ;D
It may come in handy elsewhere but for headphone listening I'll give it a miss.
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Post by ticktockman on Apr 7, 2009 23:26:13 GMT
I can't comment on the dac itself but I thought it had a reputation for quite an effective reclocking facility through its digital ouputs and the possibility of upsampling as well.... I did wonder about is possibilities as a digital preamp/upsampler/reclocker for perhaps a lower quality digital source SB3, skybox or computer. There may be more to this box than its plain old dac function. I seem to recall the output stage is not well though of by the modders who have played with it. Why use lots of cheap opamps when a good one properly juiced up will do so much better. Perhaps even transformer coupled if you feel brave. Dont give up too quickly it may have hidden depths |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2009 23:53:01 GMT
I can't comment on the dac itself but I thought it had a reputation for quite an effective reclocking facility through its digital ouputs and the possibility of upsampling as well.... I did wonder about is possibilities as a digital preamp/upsampler/reclocker for perhaps a lower quality digital source SB3, skybox or computer. There may be more to this box than its plain old dac function. I seem to recall the output stage is not well though of by the modders who have played with it. Why use lots of cheap opamps when a good one properly juiced up will do so much better. Perhaps even transformer coupled if you feel brave. Dont give up too quickly it may have hidden depths ticktockman The Behringer SRC2496 is not designed for high end use. I think it is more designed for the professional area of sound reinforcement. It't quite amazing that the price has been kept so low with all those ADCs and DACs inside. This of course means the use of much lower grade DACs. I seriously doubt that any amount of fiddling with power supplies etc. will ever lift this unit into high end territory. Yes, I have heard one in a friend's system! I deliberately refrained from posting comments earlier, as I expected that Mike would come to this conclusion without me posting negative comments. SandyK |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 8, 2009 20:22:13 GMT
I can't comment on the dac itself but I thought it had a reputation for quite an effective reclocking facility through its digital ouputs and the possibility of upsampling as well.... I did wonder about is possibilities as a digital preamp/upsampler/reclocker for perhaps a lower quality digital source SB3, skybox or computer. There may be more to this box than its plain old dac function. I seem to recall the output stage is not well though of by the modders who have played with it. Why use lots of cheap opamps when a good one properly juiced up will do so much better. Perhaps even transformer coupled if you feel brave. Dont give up too quickly it may have hidden depths ticktockman The Behringer SRC2496 is not designed for high end use. I think it is more designed for the professional area of sound reinforcement. It't quite amazing that the price has been kept so low with all those ADCs and DACs inside. This of course means the use of much lower grade DACs. I seriously doubt that any amount of fiddling with power supplies etc. will ever lift this unit into high end territory. Yes, I have heard one in a friend's system! I deliberately refrained from posting comments earlier, as I expected that Mike would come to this conclusion without me posting negative comments. SandyK Let's not be mistaken Alex..... it's not "bad" and very good value for money for what it does but it's not an improvement over my CD players own DACs so, as I say, pretty much a waste of 150 squids as far as my own requirements are concerned. To be honest, I've heard a few DAC's in the past few years and they all sound the bloody same to my ears!! Sure, you can home in on "marginal" differences if you concentrate hard enough but none of the ones I have tried have made me actually want to "buy" one..... if the differences / improvements were instantly audible then it may be a different story.... I am still of the opinion that your general DAC sounds much like any other DAC.... the same! Headphone amps, on the other hand, "do" differ in what they let through to your ears and the way they present it..... I think you can get a lot more out of your headphones by amping them properly than you can by throwing your money into digital to analogue conversion / interconnects and other such audibly unrewarding devices. I know, I know...... "Source" is the most important part of the chain and the old addage "garbage in / garbage out" still rings true but is a £20,000 CD player REALLY better sounding than a £150 one? I don't think so.... it's all just number crunching at the end of the day and a DAC is a DAC.... there is VERY little you can do "outside the box" to improve and what you can do will bring about small improvements only / if any. I'd love to hear a DAC that TOTALLY transforms my listening experience.... until such time I do I will stick to my opinion that they all, more or less, sound the same. Mike. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2009 21:04:11 GMT
Mike
It's a shame that you didn't get to hear the X-DAC V3 with my posted mods, as well as an outboard dual regulated supply with a JLH built in. If you believe that the JLH in the SC HA, makes an improvement with even the LM4562 and the Audio-gd modules, then you shouldn't be surprised that it can also improve a DAC because of a much cleaner supply of DC, instead of AC.
Alex
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 8, 2009 21:23:56 GMT
Mike It's a shame that you didn't get to hear the X-DAC V3 with my posted mods, as well as an outboard dual regulated supply with a JLH built in. If you believe that the JLH in the SC HA, makes an improvement with even the LM4562 and the Audio-gd modules, then you shouldn't be surprised that it can also improve a DAC because of a much cleaner supply of DC, instead of AC. Alex Improved to what degree though? Let's be HONEST here Alex and not get carried away.......... "in yer face" MASSIVE improvement or "subtle, barely fckin' noticeable" improvement? I already know the answer so, as I say, be honest The great part about listening through headphones is you can really home in on things in a way loudspeaker listeners couldn't possibly do due to room colourations, standing waves, speaker enclosure aberrations etc. etc. etc..... I have yet to hear a "great" difference through my headphones from digital sources of a certain type / pedigree..... they all sound much the same..... be they 20 years old or current flavour of the month.... number crunching is number crunching....... I think loudspeaker listeners will hear more of a difference due to a number of factors such as cable impedence, inductance, capacitance, room interaction, placebo, weather conditions, state of mind etc. etc. etc. From a purely "headphone" monitor position I find it hard to to differentiate between most of the CD spinners I have heard.... I bet a lot of the members here would also be hard pushed if they were blindfolded and asked which was what ;D I have been actively listening for YEARS and honestly think they all sound the same. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2009 21:49:39 GMT
Mike Well I guess then that Leo has been wasting his time with the Buffalo DAC and shunt regulators, feeding the Class A preamp or the SC HA and listening on headphones too. Likewise Allan, and several other members with their own upgraded DACs. I have a hunch that Robert would also disagree with the proposition that most DACs sound the same into headphones,or more importantly into a decent stereo system with a comfortable listening chair. Alex |
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leo
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Post by leo on Apr 8, 2009 23:43:07 GMT
Stick with your CD52 cheaper and far easier |
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Spirit
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Post by Spirit on Apr 9, 2009 3:25:06 GMT
with a comfortable listening chair. Or even without a comfortable listening chair... Mine isn't ;D |
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Will
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Post by Will on Apr 9, 2009 6:30:13 GMT
My CD player is an Arcam Alpha One. A few months back I borrowed a Cambridge audio Dacmagic 1, as I needed a DAC to test out my shigaclone (which is currently being cased up). I decided to connect it up to my Arcam, and remember being surprised at the time, at the subtle improvement. I had expected more.
Last week, I have the DAC back to my mate, and had a very quick listen to the Arcam by itself. The difference was astonishing. The top end, which used to roam free, hair fluttering in the breeze, was now bound up in a white jacket and placed in a box. The bass, which which used to be taut as a taut thing had now given up the gym membership, and sat infront of Jeremy Kyle in jogging bottoms, becoming fat and bloated. Basically the difference to me, a relatively inexperienced listener, was big.
But the thing is, I did not notice these big, palpable changes when first swapped over. I think, for me at least, perhaps my ears get used to a sound signature over a period of time, and when months later it changes, the difference is far more apparent than in the first place.
I would also guess that there are some people who can hear this difference, in it's entirety, almost immediately, and also at the polar opposite, those who cannot hear the difference between a boombox cassette deck, and a top end analog/digital system (my wife for starters..)
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robertkd
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Post by robertkd on Apr 9, 2009 9:55:28 GMT
Well for me I don't have any CDP's with headphone out, but I can tell the difference between say the SRC2496 and both modified SC HA's it, the SRC2496 has a slight harshness about it, so to the standard SC HA and worse most headphone outputs form amplifiers ;D I don't have any really really upmarket DAC's but the 8 stacked TDA1543 has slightly less detail then the PCM1793 both have an excellent sonic quality and dymanics, depending on source material I can pick which is which material like wide dynamic jazz it's easier to pick it, stuff like rock all bets are usually off If it where between the SRC and "standard SC HA it would be a little harder to pick the difference, that's my take. Robert Will funny you should say that about your wife, however I 100% know what you mean ;D |
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leo
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Post by leo on Apr 9, 2009 11:33:28 GMT
I find the amount of difference can vary depending on the headphones used.
I've recently compared a few pairs of cans and came to the conclusion a few pairs of those cans do make sources even amps much harder to tell apart, those particular pairs of headphones add more of a particular signature than the electronics used with them
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2009 11:59:48 GMT
I find the amount of difference can vary depending on the headphones used. I've recently compared a few pairs of cans and came to the conclusion a few pairs of those cans do make sources even amps much harder to tell apart, those particular pairs of headphones add more of a particular signature than the electronics used with them Leo I hope you aren't referring to headphones with 70x numbering ? Alex Sorry folks, I will go wash my mouth out with soap ! |
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and the DEQ2406 and mic
)
