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Post by chopper72 on Apr 2, 2015 1:58:17 GMT
I bought a Caiman mk II a couple of months ago. I wasn't too happy with it but it sounds much better after a burn in period. I heretofore thought "burn in" was a myth. I am technically challenged so I really don't understand how to hook it up with optical cables. I also don't really understand what firmware is. Am I better going with optical cables? I run the music through foobar and a relatively new HP computer using Windows 8.1 Should I be procuring the new firmware? I live in Wisconsin USA and only listen to 2 channel music. How come so many great musicians come from Great Britain?
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 2, 2015 5:42:22 GMT
I bought a Caiman mk II a couple of months ago. I wasn't too happy with it but it sounds much better after a burn in period. I heretofore thought "burn in" was a myth. I am technically challenged so I really don't understand how to hook it up with optical cables. I also don't really understand what firmware is. Am I better going with optical cables? I run the music through foobar and a relatively new HP computer using Windows 8.1 Should I be procuring the new firmware? I live in Wisconsin USA and only listen to 2 channel music. How come so many great musicians come from Great Britain? Regarding optical or USB it depends on your setup - check both for your preference. If you have a PC/Mac with optical out you can buy a toslink cable with mini plug on one end and regular one on the other end in your audio shop or even from Stan - then you'll need to use small adapter on one end. For USB try whatever you have, if I can recommend something search for Supra USB Gold. Firmware is a piece of code put on the RISC chipset memory in this case. RISC is a kind of microcontroller/processor if you will which is responsible to control what the DAC (digital to analogue converter) is doing - the heart of your DAC. It was described several times on the forum, Stan is selling V6 version of that firmware and you can ask him about it for more details and how to swap the chip. Also read his disclaimer about V6, that it may not work (meaning hear the difference) each time, but most people on the forum claimed that is a kind of "nite and day". |
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Post by ChrisB on Apr 2, 2015 5:47:02 GMT
Hi, welcome to The Audio Standard. I don't own a Caiman but one or two other members do, so while you wait for them to turn up here with their thoughts, why not start a new thread in the Hello from new members section? |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 2, 2015 6:04:21 GMT
Hi Chopper, welcome to TAS!
The Caiman-II, as with all Beresford DACs in my experience, requires a reasonable amount of burn-in. They consume so little power that I always leave mine switched on. You can only use an optical cable if your HP computer has an optical S/PDIF output. Some computers have it, others don't. Look also for a co-ax (phono) S/PDIF output in which case you could use that instead with a suitable digital co-ax cable. Otherwise, you will need to leave it connected via USB as I guess you are doing currently.
Yes, the new V6-100 firmware (which is really a CPU on a chip with microcode and performs the digital signal processing) is superb and I would urge you to contact Stan for a quote.
As for great musicians, they seem to come from both sides of the pond!
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Post by MartinT on Apr 2, 2015 6:07:03 GMT
but most people on the forum claimed that is a kind of "nite and day". Noooooooo! There is rarely ever a "night and day" difference with these things. It's an improvement, which is a good thing, but let's not exaggerate! |
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 2, 2015 6:08:47 GMT
but most people on the forum claimed that is a kind of "nite and day". Noooooooo! There is rarely ever a "night and day" difference with these things. It's an improvement, which is a good thing, but let's not exaggerate! Sure! |
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 9, 2015 10:12:43 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Apr 9, 2015 10:23:16 GMT
That's great news, Krzysztof! I'm glad your noises are gone. The V6 firmware really opens up another level of performance, doesn't it? Yes, many recordings do sound off-centre, even with a main vocalist. I've become used to it and never correct with the balance control.
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 9, 2015 10:30:06 GMT
That's great news, Krzysztof! I'm glad your noises are gone. The V6 firmware really opens up another level of performance, doesn't it? Yes, many recordings do sound off-centre, even with a main vocalist. I've become used to it and never correct with the balance control. With V6 (I have only one evening so far to listen), CMII sounds like true high end source with smooth top end and really deep, controlled lower bass registers. Now, when I listen over my Grado's I can hear big level of details like chair crackling, breathing, changing the page with notes in the orchestra or small ensemble etc. I think V6 lower the noise floor level and increase the slew rate somehow. Powering by battery and separating the computer by optical connection helped with this as well. |
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 9, 2015 10:43:30 GMT
Yes, many recordings do sound off-centre, even with a main vocalist. I've become used to it and never correct with the balance control. Wondering why is like this…It is harder to pin point it when listening through speakers because the room acoustics change the stereo imaging, but when listening over cans, it's audible. Most of recordings nowadays are mastered using near field speakers monitoring, but I've heard that's not adequate for true headphone listening. |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 9, 2015 10:45:31 GMT
It could also be recording engineers with hearing defects!
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 9, 2015 10:47:16 GMT
It could also be recording engineers with hearing defects! Possibly, but taking into account that the hearing ability is one of the key skills for audio engineer, I am not so sure. |
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Post by MartinT on Apr 9, 2015 10:48:12 GMT
Do you think they would admit it?
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 9, 2015 10:50:42 GMT
Do you think they would admit it? They wouldn't of course and maybe rather blame your equipment or your hearing ability ;-) |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2015 19:34:58 GMT
It could also be recording engineers with hearing defects! Possibly, but taking into account that the hearing ability is one of the key skills for audio engineer, I am not so sure. Hmmm! many years ago I worked with someone who had been one of the engineers at Phillips in Holland. He told me that his hearing had been damaged by a flash-bang charge when he was conscripted in to the Dutch Army. In the 80s, following the death of Ozzy Byrnes the Bee Gees first producer, I was aske to look after and run his studio, Village Way Recorders for a while, till his estate could sell it. The local careers people asked if we would take on some work experience kids and these two nice young chaps arrived. One had poor hearing in one ear (hardly any top frequencies) and was profoundly deaf in the other ear. I mentioned this to the placement officer and explainrd that the poor chap could not hear in stereo. "Can't he work on mono recordings" came the answer...... I should add this was the late 80s |
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Post by ChrisB on Apr 9, 2015 19:42:07 GMT
Ha, what a fantastic story!
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Post by MikeMusic on Apr 9, 2015 20:09:27 GMT
Amazing but horribly believable
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Post by krzysztof on Apr 9, 2015 20:49:45 GMT
Well, keep in mind that in the recording session also musicians are in the listening room, so they should catch any irregularities in the stereo image as well.
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Post by Stratmangler on Apr 9, 2015 23:50:16 GMT
Well, keep in mind that in the recording session also musicians are in the listening room, so they should catch any irregularities in the stereo image as well. Eh? What was that? |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 0:28:39 GMT
Thought I'd add my two pennies worth and say I bought my Caiman II from Stan not too long after it first came out and I'm loving it. Seriously improves on the Bushmaster II which is an acomplished DAC in its own right...
P.
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