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Post by miller65 on Feb 4, 2016 18:57:32 GMT
Thanks once again for all the feedback and to you Jerry for the kind invitation to visit with your dacs , unfortunately although i live in the UK I am a good distance from you in the north , South Yorkshire to be specific ! Having now read the sizeable thread on the Caiman II your comment Martin T regarding running your Ayre cd player close I feel I really need to take the plunge , I would be surprised given all the positive reviews /comments etc if it did not improve my Marantz and yes Stan detail is probably no 1 on my priority list. It may be a few weeks before I order but when I do I will post my thoughts .
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Post by MartinT on Feb 4, 2016 20:15:23 GMT
Good luck with it, Miller, and don't forget what many of us have said about running it on battery. For £25-30 it's a must-do and really kicks the Caiman-II into the high end. Keep us apprised!
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Post by miller65 on Feb 21, 2016 11:39:23 GMT
I have now installed the Caiman -11 in my system after super service and a very quick delivery , thanks Stan . From the first few moments of playing a cd I could tell straightaway the DAC improved the sound quality in terms of a better flow to the music and a more analogue type sound , initially I listened using the mains lead supplied , the difference and improvement was not subtle and it was easier to follow specific instruments . I continued to listen for a few hours listening to cds I knew very well , all cd s without exception allowed me to hear further into the mix with oodles of extra detail. In view of Martins and other peoples comments I had also decided to buy a battery and switched my listening through the Anker Astro Pro2 ( 2nd gen ) rechargeable battery , all I can say is WOW the sound is without doubt the best by a long way I have ever heard from my system , initial improvements seem even more focused the dynamics are improved along with clarity and micro detail , vocals are incredible . I doubted I could achieve the sound quality I strived for without spending a considerable sum and must admit I was sceptical but thought with the relatively modest cost of the Caiman it was worth the risk . The results have far surpased my expectations , dont know how you do it for the money Stan but thanks again a brilliant Dac in my mind and a real Hi fi bargain . I am currently doing my listening through mode 3 , although I will trial the other modes over the next few weeks , this mode appears to be a touch more dynamic than mode 4 with cd but it is very early days. Just one question regarding the battery I initially fully charged it connected to the Caiman and was surprised it ran down to 40% power after only 48 hours , are other users finding this normal ? I thought it better to leave the Caiman powered up with the battery connected 24/7 and will now just charge when not listening to music although it does allow me to use the DAC when plugged into the mains is that a better option leave it on charge all the time . Just wondered what other users found the best option ? Thanks again to everyone who contributed not enough hours in the day to listen to music !!
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Post by John on Feb 21, 2016 11:56:13 GMT
Great result Will benefit a bit more from good isolation feet The black Ravioli are very good but expensive Next up try the Electricbeach RocknRollers a lot cheaper and should improve the SQ
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 21, 2016 12:01:06 GMT
Martin's solution to the charging (and one I use now with the Raspberry Pi) is to plug the charger in via a timer and have it top up the charge in the dead of night when you're not using it.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 21, 2016 12:01:14 GMT
That little old Caiman does very well doesn't it Took me by surprise.
One to add to John's supports, perhaps 3rd down after RockNRollers - RDC cones
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Post by MartinT on Feb 21, 2016 14:35:16 GMT
Yep, plug in to a timer and charge only overnight. The result is maintenance-free auto charging while listening to battery only.
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Post by miller65 on Feb 21, 2016 17:19:27 GMT
Done a few searches for Electricbeach Rocknrollers found an old ebay sale but no longer appear to be available does anyone have contact details or know where they can be purchased
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Post by John on Feb 21, 2016 17:26:10 GMT
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Post by miller65 on Feb 21, 2016 17:42:40 GMT
The electric beach Rocknrollers look very similar in concept to the Something solid dissipating feet which utilises end grain balsa with carbon feet , anyone tried these ?
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Post by miller65 on Feb 21, 2016 17:48:45 GMT
Thanks for the link to Electric beach website John I will drop him an email look good value if still around £18 I will also consider the RDC cones as a possible alternative
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Post by stanleyb on Feb 21, 2016 22:26:16 GMT
Glad to see that you got the Caiman up and running. And as you have also found out, all those expensive mods done on the CD player were matched and surpassed by the firmware in the Caiman. It's amazing what can be achieved these days with fast microcontrollers and well written hardware emulation codes. As for damping etc: I myself use a foam mat. It is a thicker version of the foam that you can find in the box that the Caiman arrived in. It creates a sort of almost free floating surface for the Caiman, with minimal connection to the table or cabinet under it. Based on the size of the holes in the foam I would say that the active surface area is less than 50% of a traditional surface. The foam also absorbs air borne vibrations. But it does give me an idea. I might try to see if I can get that foam cut to the size of the Caiman, and the thickness that I use. It won't cost me any extra to include it in the box for customers to try.
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 21, 2016 22:33:10 GMT
That would be what they call thinking outside the box then.
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Post by MartinT on Feb 21, 2016 22:38:07 GMT
<clap>
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 22, 2016 8:09:14 GMT
I've been meaning to try some stiff foam stuff as a support. May be the same sort of material
Must try it !
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Post by tony on Feb 23, 2016 18:02:18 GMT
The rockinroller carbon feet work well with the caiman on battery....less so the brass ones,they seem to work better under heavier equipment. Steve like Stan is a gent to deal with and genuinely provide customer service that is from a bygone era.
Well worth giving it a try imho.
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Post by nightwatchman on Mar 4, 2016 21:38:00 GMT
I bought the Caiman mk 2 on Monday, it shipped Tuesday and arrived here in France on Thursday ....that's fast! I'm in the process of attempting to build an enjoyable quality streaming audio without breaking my bank account or my marriage. I read a review where someone "downgraded" their DAC in a financial sense,as the Caiman just out performed their much more expensive DAC. That was good enough for me as I haven't the resources to spend a fortune on my quest for a superior listening environment. It may not be the bees knees of DACS but it sounds beautiful and I don't regret buying it. So now onto Speakers to finish my audio chain and the Electric Beach Frugel 3's are going to be auditioned tomorrow! When that's complete I'll trial Tidal...Phew!!!!
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Post by John on Mar 5, 2016 6:44:04 GMT
The EB Fugel 3 are lovely speakers and a total bargain at the price Let us know your thoughts
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Post by MartinT on Mar 5, 2016 7:25:41 GMT
For the cheapest upgrade for the biggest improvement, run your Caiman-II from a battery. Lots of us do for a great boost in sound quality.
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Post by tony on Mar 5, 2016 17:10:59 GMT
Im a frugel owner. They are fine speakers....again working with a person that cares is a privilege. My son currently has mine in his system with a Bushmaster 2 and valve mono blocks-sounds marvellous...I may struggle to get them back!!!!
If I can help regards the Frugels PM me, Steve is a gent and will work with you from start to finish and then some.
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