this is it. i'm done.

Wow, nice looking DAC. How is it connected to the Mac Mini? Via an optical cable?

thanks, yes just using a cheap optical cable.  the ram buffer deals with any incoming jitter.

Very nice system Craig.

Just a note on cable's. If your looking, Russ Andrews have a sale on. If you spend over £250 you get a Signature PowerKord half price.

A quick note to say i'm not a rep just a customer & the PowerKord even out of the box sounds excellent much more clarity the the Merlin i was using!!

Shooter69.

Craig M.:

      

 

 

well, this is it, the final system.  there is no way i can afford to improve on what i have now, but i've enjoyed getting here.

my first system was a cambridge audio 640 cdp and amp with wharfedale 9.1 speakers, it was ok, and much better then the denon mini system it replaced, but didn't really give what i wanted - i was expecting too much from budget kit.

next up was a roksan kandy cdp and amp with dynaudio audience 42 speakers, about twice what the c.a. kit cost and a useful upgrade, but still didn't really fulfill me.

next, i changed the speakers for dynaudio focus 110, this was much more like it and i really enjoyed this system.  unfortunately i took a primare i30 home on demo, and this showed what my 110s could really do.  i was pretty set on getting one, and pairing with a roksan caspian cdp, but decided to take a home dem of a moon i3rs and for me, this painted the i30 in a bad light.  the moon was so much more natural sounding, that i decided to go with it.

then i took a step backwards.  i sold my kandy cdp and amp, and bought a mac mini and a c.a. dacmagic, it really didn't go well with the moon amp and dyn's.  the brightness of the kandy cdp was just what the amp and speakers needed, and the dm just made everything far too warm.  so i swapped it for a beresford dac, and while it wasn't as good as the kandy cdp, it was a better fit then the dacmagic.

next up was the change to atc speakers.  after the difficult to control bass of the 110s, the scm19s were a revelation.  totally neutral, very low distortion, revealing and dynamic.  i also went back to a dacmagic, as i had no need of a leaner source.

i changed the moon for a atc sia2-150 because while the moon sounds very natural and has a lovely organic sort of sound, i did sometimes want more punch and power.  the atc amp provides this in spades, as well as everything else that i liked about the moon.  it matches the atc speakers superbly.

the final piece in the jigsaw is the chord qbd76 dac.  this doesn't sound like any other source i've heard.  play some processed pop through it, and it sounds good, it sounds right.  it won't hide a poor recording, but it doesn't make a song and dance about it.  but, play something well recorded and wow!  piano in particular is amazing, there is a warmth and body to piano notes that i've never heard before.  anything that is well recorded, the dac seems to open up a whole new bag of tricks, and it's here that it doesn't just leave the dacmagic for dust, it sounds totally different, rich in the bass and yet vibrant and full of life.

i may try some interconnects, just out of interest, and my local shop will let me try mains products so i might give some of them a go, again though, just out of interest - i have no desire to change anything.

Hi Craig M.

The system is looking good.

You should have come to uncle Rick sooner!  

Btw, you are quite there yet as there is the matching and truly outstanding Chord Electronics Blu transport. You've not quite heard what the QBD76 is truly capable of. The Blu unleashes the performance potential of the QBD76 in an instant and magnificent manner helping it close the gap to the Red Reference MK2 cdp. Imo the Blu (in conjunction with the QBD76) is worth every penny of the £5k asking price.

Only listen to the Blu if you are feeling brave.

Thanks for your support.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

This is a really nice set Graig, especially that chord DAC looks nice and i bet it sounds very good also.

From what i'm reading i have to put the ATC amp on my list for auditioning.

Was it just the bass you loved more about the ATC's? I have heard the Dynaudio Excite and i also had Wharfedale and found the Dyn's better sounding on my amp in comparison to the Wharf's. But after a lot of auditioning i went for Hyperion speakers. They sound very beutiful to me. Myself didn't audition any ATC speakers till now but i read a few quotes from former ATC owners that replaced them for Hyperions. Especially the standmount 586, and floorstanding 938 and 968 sound great, the other models are a bit lesser. Maybe a tip if you feel like comparing your ATC speakers??

Gorgeous looking system, Craig. The only problem I can see is you will probably have to wear white gloves? I can almost see the finger marks. Nevertherless, well worth it.....

RCduck7:

This is a really nice set Craig, especially that chord DAC looks nice and i bet it sounds very good also.

From what i'm reading i have to put the ATC amp on my list for auditioning.

Was it just the bass you loved more about the ATC's? I have heard the Dynaudio Excite and i also had Wharfedale and found the Dyn's better sounding on my amp in comparison to the Wharf's. But after a lot of auditioning i went for Hyperion speakers. They sound very beutiful to me. Myself didn't audition any ATC speakers till now but i read a few quotes from former ATC owners that replaced them for Hyperions. Especially the standmount 586, and floorstanding 938 and 968 sound great, the other models are a bit lesser. Maybe a tip if you feel like comparing your ATC speakers??

thanks RC!  the dac is amazing.

i love everything about the amp and speakers, i really appreciate the atc sound.   to be honest, i'm really not interested in comparing stuff anymore, i'm 100% happy.  the atc sound is powerful, dynamic, revealing and natural sounding.

plastic penguin:

Gorgeous looking system, Craig. The only problem I can see is you will probably have to wear white gloves? I can almost see the finger marks. Nevertherless, well worth it.....

haha, chord even supply some white gloves with it!

thanks for the comments

plastic penguin:

Gorgeous looking system, Craig. The only problem I can see is you will probably have to wear white gloves? I can almost see the finger marks. Nevertherless, well worth it.....

Hi plastic penguin

Funnily enough Chord Electronics supply white gloves for the premium Jet black and Brilliant silver finishes. When Craig M. picked up his QBD76 from my shop he said that he might do some Michael Jackson impressions. I hope he'll put up a picture or two with the gloves on.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Craig M.:

plastic penguin:

Gorgeous looking system, Craig. The only problem I can see is you will probably have to wear white gloves? I can almost see the finger marks. Nevertherless, well worth it.....

haha, chord even supply some white gloves with it!

thanks for the comments

Hi Craig M.

You beat me to it!

Thanks for your support.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

MUSICRAFT:

Hi Craig M.

The system is looking good.

You should have come to uncle Rick sooner!  

Btw, you are quite there yet as there is the matching and truly outstanding Chord Electronics Blu transport. You've not quite heard what the QBD76 is truly capable of. The Blu unleashes the performance potential of the QBD76 in an instant and magnificent manner helping it close the gap to the Red Reference MK2 cdp. Imo the Blu (in conjunction with the QBD76) is worth every penny of the £5k asking price.

Only listen to the Blu if you are feeling brave.

Thanks for your support.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

ha, you might be right Uncle Rick!  would have saved some money!

i think it might be best if i never hear the blu transport then....

MUSICRAFT:

plastic penguin:

Gorgeous looking system, Craig. The only problem I can see is you will probably have to wear white gloves? I can almost see the finger marks. Nevertherless, well worth it.....

Hi plastic penguin

Funnily enough Chord Electronics supply white gloves for the premium Jet black and Brilliant silver finishes. When Craig M. picked up his QBD76 from my shop he said that he might do some Michael Jackson impressions. I hope he'll put up a picture or two with the gloves on.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

i can't believe you put that on here!

MUSICRAFT:

Craig M.:

plastic penguin:

Gorgeous looking system, Craig. The only problem I can see is you will probably have to wear white gloves? I can almost see the finger marks. Nevertherless, well worth it.....

haha, chord even supply some white gloves with it!

thanks for the comments

Hi Craig M.

You beat me to it!

Thanks for your support.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

And don't forget this

The most important thing is to ENJOY your great looking system. I know Rick doesn't want to hear it, but try not to analyse the music too much, just let it flow over you.....

Craig M.:

....haha, chord even supply some white gloves with it!

 

I hope they are monogrammed! Looks fabulous.

idc:

Craig M.:

....haha, chord even supply some white gloves with it!

 

I hope they are monogrammed! Looks fabulous.