audio-talk

How does a Beresford Bushmaster 2 (with battery power) compare to other DACs, including the Caiman ?

I got off the Beresford DAC merry go round.
Been using an M2Tech Evo DAC for a good while now, and it just does what it says on the tin, faultlessly.

Somebody is selling an Evo on AoS at a very, very good price http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthre ... ch-Evo-DAC

The BM II is far better IMHO than the Caiman, but there's a Caiman MK II now which is reportedly better still...I've not heard it so don't know if the reports are true. The BM MKII is a v good DAC though IMHO. Oh, these's no USB input if that's of interest to you...

Thanks guys.

I've read glowing reports on another forum, and was impressed by Stans approach.

Hopefully, I've done a deal on a pre owned Bushmaster Mk2.

Considering all your eBay purchases for Dacs, I'll much appreciate an update from you on this once you have the Bushmaster Mk II set up.

I will keep you posted.

Firstly with the initial impressions, and later as it gets used to me.

I'm looking forward to getting this, and it certainly will be telling if I can hear improvements on my DIY efforts.

The facility to have optical and coaxial inputs will be helpful, having a CD player and Squeezebox (coaxial) and the TV / Sky box / DVD player which can share an optical lead.

It's a great DAC for the price IMHO Phil. I think you'll like it...

I've got an upgraded chip for my Bushmaster II from Stan, hope to have it fitted tonight, or tomorrow morning.

I was going to get a Caiman mk2 but the RPi / TDA1542 DAC combo got in the way and stopped me short of buying another Beresford DAC. Also, given there have been 3 f/w updates (I think but may be wrong) for the Caiman / BM over the last few months...all chargeable...I can't help thinking Beresford uses its customer base as a development and testing platform. OK I know he's found something new with the clock recovery in the new Caiman which appears to offer a good improvement I just think if you wait around a bit longer something better is going to come along sharpish...

I understand what you say Neal, but the upgrade cost was "minimal", and the result worth while. In this fast changing world a chip upgrade that works is far better than having to spend hundreds on a new unit.

Fair enough, they are good VFM DACs after all...

Yep, I also sign into Philips approach although I accept your observation Neal, that Stanley uses his customers to establish upgrade viability. Nothing new there. Vauxhall and many other companies have been doing it for years. I bought the very reasonably priced Caimen II, fitted a Nick Gorham PSU (battery supplies don't work for me sound wise) and have upgraded twice with newly released firmware as and when it became available. Every upgrade was relatively cheap and did bring a positive influence to the sound which I appreciate. Furthermore, on the latest SFW3 upgrade chip, I was clumsy when fitting and broke a couple of pins on the chip. Stanley supplied me a replacement free of charge including postage. That is impressive customer service as he has paid out for my mistakes which was completely unexpected. Others have suggested that the most recent upgrade puts the Caimen in the same league as the very best commercially available DAC products out there. I don't know about that but certainly what I have has been a genuine upgrade at every step and is very listenable especially with streamed (so called high resolution) music..........hmmmmm, when did I last slide an LP onto the Garrard.......can't remember!

I must get back into DAC's. My head got into a very bad place over them when non of the DAC's I owned produced music suddenly. IT was at first intermittent, but became permanent. This occured with Windows and with Linux. I was so embarrassed about it, that I just stuck to vinyl.

anyway was reading a TNT review and he put in an addendum about how in a vesion of Ubuntu he was using, the DAC's reviewed stopped creating music. He talks you through the fix.

What this informs me is that other people too experience this problem, and unlike me they found a solution.

MAybe if I join my Dac's to the IMAC suddenly they will come to life again, and maybe then I will take some interest in this world of streaming.

I strikes me that as it happened with Windows and with Linux that perhaps the problem in my case was a noise issue with the actual computer I was using then.

What I can tell anyone with this issue, is that just buying another DAC does not solve the problem.

I've got a Caiman 2 - its quite good really. I must go over to see Phil and we can compare and contrast. Its just finding the time; since I retired I have never been busier...