freshseasons1
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titana said:
Thank you so much for the above post.You made my day.Any DIY's on wolfson and Nelson pass DAC.Do we get those in India ? Where ? How much...:clap:
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Thank you so much for the above post.You made my day.Any DIY's on wolfson and Nelson pass DAC.Do we get those in India ? Where ? How much...:clap:
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Pilgrim
6pack said:
Gannu said:No the other way around.
Thats the line that got my attention. If you've got $100 to blow a DAC would deliver better sound than the DX, at least for music & 2 channel movies anyway. But....
[STRIKE]So presumably a USB 2.0 DAC would be better to get than a 1.1 ?[/STRIKE]cranky said:
Come to think of it they all support 2.0 as well as 1.1
Ok, just wondered whether you had compared other products with it. Thing with $100 & $150 is whether the higher one is worth it as its unlikely to get a 50% improvement in SQ over the $100 one.6pack said:
The question we always end up with is which of these are available in India ?titana said:
I think not many at all, so this is prolly going to be via a dealer that can source products from abroad.
So far a DAC would be better to get than a soundcard, but am unsure which ones. I was looking for one that could output analog to an amp, no optical possible, so has to be either RF outs or a 3.5mm jack.
blr_p said:
Buygamingstuff has an IC for the NuForce uDAC going on now. At~Rs.4750 it is scintillatingly close to the $100 price people abroad are paying and has been widely accepted as amazing VFM.
No.
A USB 1.1 DAC will be automatically recognised and installed on a USB 2.0 or 3.0 connection. In tech talk, this is known as 'backward compatibility', and it is built into the USB spec so all 1.1 peripherals will work properly on later revisions of the spec.
A USB 2.0 DAC will need to be connected to a 2.0 capable port, and require proprietary drivers. The two are very different animals, cannot be directly compared.
blr_p said:
Looking at the link Titana gave and the price range, I can safely say the ones below $100 are low end, low quality? And like you said it would be impossible for us to listen to the DAC's first before making a purchase. Relying on reviews alone and then to be disappointed after spending $150 or so is not a safe way imo. Everyone's ears are different after all.
Another problem is pairing the right headphones or speakers with these.
Good DAC paired with bad earphones/ speakers will sound shit.
Bad DAC paired with good earphones/ speakers will sound shit.
So in the end if you don't own a good pair of earphones/speakers you end up paying for those as well.
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Pilgrim
Goes back to my first question, why you settled on the Nuforce. Maybe you heard it at a friend's and liked it ?6pack said:
What is a good DAC here and how cheap does it come for ?6pack said:
I can see the point about pairing with bad speakers but what about when they are mid-range, not exactly too pricey nor exactly cheap. I guess then it becomes a question of what the speaker personality & its characteristics are like and how well they mate with the DAC chosen.
If so how does one go about discovering what these characteristics are ?
I'm not looking to upgrade my hi-fi & speakers just yet.
cranky said:
Ahh, so its really the 1.1 which works everywhere and not the 2.0
Haven't gone through all the posts but seems like a really interesting discussion .(too tired to read now 
).
Just had an awesome mini audio meet at my place as BF1983 and Viralbug had come. So I got to try the Nuforce uDAC ,Ibasso P3 and the HD 650 . Eargams !!
All those reviews on uDAC seem to be perfect .It is indeed one of the most amazing DAC Ive ever heard.Everything that I've got right now(SHP 9000,RE-0,RE-252 etc.) paired with it sounds 2-3 levels better than the EF2A dac + tube amp , XONAR DX etc.
Ive loaned the uDAC for a brief period from Brendon , so will try and post my impressions(music based) comparing it to the Xonar DX soundcard (similar priced) and the EF2A.
Good night folks ! Here's a snap of the all the stuff
). Just had an awesome mini audio meet at my place as BF1983 and Viralbug had come. So I got to try the Nuforce uDAC ,Ibasso P3 and the HD 650 . Eargams !!
All those reviews on uDAC seem to be perfect .It is indeed one of the most amazing DAC Ive ever heard.Everything that I've got right now(SHP 9000,RE-0,RE-252 etc.) paired with it sounds 2-3 levels better than the EF2A dac + tube amp , XONAR DX etc.
Ive loaned the uDAC for a brief period from Brendon , so will try and post my impressions(music based) comparing it to the Xonar DX soundcard (similar priced) and the EF2A.
Good night folks ! Here's a snap of the all the stuff
FaH33m said:........
So I got to try the Nuforce uDAC ,Ibasso P3 and the HD 650 . Eargams !!
All those reviews on uDAC seem to be perfect .It is indeed one of the most amazing DAC Ive ever heard.Everything that I've got right now(SHP 9000,RE-0,RE-252 etc.) paired with it sounds 2-3 levels better than the EF2A dac + tube amp , XONAR DX etc.
The NuForce costs way less than the EF2A. :O
Now it seems the chinese stuff is overpriced a lot...
6pack said:
^Not really , actually the uDAC is way lower priced .It's actually a very good deal .I am planning to sell of my cans or one of the IEMs to get a uDAC.In love with it .:ashamed:
Also the EF2A has the advantage of tube rolling to get better sound.Right now I am using Mullard CV4010 tubes which have a slightly dark sound signature which I like.The stock tubes were too bright , so didn't like it
.Ive given the EF2A to Brendon to learn about his impressions of the sound with HD 650.archish said:
Yeah , call it a combined show off.:bleh:
sarang said:@Fah33m: One line. Waiting with bated breath. 'nuff said.
Hehehehe .I will be trying out my cans and IEMs one by one tonight and post the impressions by tomorrow
.Superfrag said:
I didn't try the 650s with the tube amp so can't say , but with the uDAC it did sound really good.The fact that amazed me is such a small DAC could easily drive the 650 without any extra amping .Hopefully BF1983 will post his impressions .
Overall I didn't find the 650 sound to suit my taste.Its slightly laidback/veiled.Actually proves that it's not necessary that a expensive & well recognized cans can guarantee personal satisfaction .It all comes down to personal choice and taste of the sound.
blr_p said:
I dunno what you are upto.No offense but half of the time I really can't make out what you are saying in your posts.:ashamed:Being sarcastic or a genuine query ? Anyways will try and answer it the way I perceived it.
The DAC was auditioned using headphones and IEMs and not speakers.If you want I will try them out with the MX-5021 as well and let you know how it sounds compared to the sound card.
Didn't get your second point/query.
There isn't any sort of benchmark or technical test to draw conclusions. My opinions are completely based on m listening experience and the way my ears perceive the sound. In short to some extent it's very subjective.While comparing ,I look for accuracy,detailing,soundstage and clarity of sound.If the sound is natural or coloured.For this the RE-0 is used as my reference as it's the most detailed and accurate(neutral) earphone I have.
Brendon
Galvanizer
@Blr_p - Dude we went to Faheems house to have fun, not to audition earphones and DACs !!!
That said we did try out my Govibe DAC and the Nuforce and the Nuforce was a clear winner in sound quality.
@6 pack - The EF2 can be used only as a tube amp or as a DAC + tube amp. The Nuforce has to compulsorily be used as a DAC. It cant be used as a standalone DAC. While we didn't test it, I am sure the EF2 (as an amp) paired with the Nuforce (as a DAC) would have made a better combo than just the uDAC alone.
That said we did try out my Govibe DAC and the Nuforce and the Nuforce was a clear winner in sound quality.
@6 pack - The EF2 can be used only as a tube amp or as a DAC + tube amp. The Nuforce has to compulsorily be used as a DAC. It cant be used as a standalone DAC. While we didn't test it, I am sure the EF2 (as an amp) paired with the Nuforce (as a DAC) would have made a better combo than just the uDAC alone.
Amien
Galvanizer
Sorry for going a bit off topic guys(?), but any impressions of the FiiO E7(amp+DAC+battery+sweet looks for ~$80) yet? I believe that and the Nuforce Icon Mobile(at ~$100 this is probably a bit better than the E7) are products that I'm more interested in due to the whole mobility and amp. factor. Although for the price, the uDAC indeed is excellent for its intended use.
BF1983 said:
True . @Blr_p
Main reason we guys met was to have some fun with different audio gear while Viralbug also wanted to leech some movies etc.
.We weren't there to for any testing as such .I just posted my views/impressions of the uDAC so that others can get an idea of where it stands and how good it sounds.Amien said:
You aren't off-topic .The E7 is a DAC .
I was also anticipating the release of E7.It seemed like an awesome package for ~80$. The initial impressions by Clieos are out and it doesn't seem to be so great. Anyways lets wait for a a few more reviews .Even it's release has been postponed.In Ear Matters: [Impression] FiiO E7
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Pilgrim
There was no sarcasm in there at all.FaH33m said:
I'm not sure about this myself so threw it into the open. Let's see if i can coherently put my thoughts down.FaH33m said:
The first question is are earphones preferrred over speakers when auditioning ?
I'm thinking since its all straight to the ear with outside sounds left out maybe earphones are more accurate. In a way they simplify the problem because all external sounds are removed or as close to it as possible. However does this create (for lack of a better term) a vacuum effect. Meaning this is how it sounds in isolation to all other sounds. In which case will a review performed with earphones carry over to speakers too ?
With speakers, you're seeing how well the sound fills the room, and how it feels. Ideally you'd have a perfect room but then again this is again another vacuum effect for me, not real world. I've always been wary of those auditioning rooms in hifi stores because they are perhaps too perfect to ever approximate how it would sound in the real world, ie your home.
Its was to do with the way you were comparing the different DACs. 6pack said earlier it was good to match equipment that complimented each other rather than the opposite. He used a simple example, use a good dac with good earphones etc. Now reading your posts on the subject I see you use terms like 'dark' & 'bright'. So i wonder at this point whether care has to be taken matching earphones that are bright with DACs that are bright instead of dark. I'm not sure whether this actually makes sense but maybe its more clear what the intention behind it is.FaH33m said:
Put simply, when you test out those DACs, there are 2 variables (actually there's the 3rd one ie you but i'll assume you're perfect)
- the earphones used
- the DAC in question
How to perform the test so the effect of the earphones is as minimised as possibe allowing you to better compare the DACs. What i'm getting at is are the earphones you use ideal for the DACs being tested given their individual personalities ?
The earphones have a personality and the DAC has its personality. How does one select a earphone that will give a proper comparison of the various DACs. This is what i mean by baseline. Where the earphone plays a minimal role and you can ideally forget any influence it adds to the test and concentrate solely on the DACs.
Otherwise the results you get depend on the particular earphones you use and do not extend beyond to other models of earphones or even speakers for that matter.
SO when you say DAC x sounds better than DAC y, it must come with the caveat, but with using earphones a
I realise this is subjective and ideally one would be able to test out various DACs with one's equipment but that is impossible in the real world, so at best we have experiments where ppl relate their experiences. What i was hoping to do was use your experience to come to some sort of decison over the various DACs. I'm not sure as yet to what extent I can do that atm because of the earlier questions asked.FaH33m said:
I'm also not even sure whether the questions asked are valid and whether they can be ignored :ashamed:
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