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I had decided to pass the Pico and gotten a Gamma1 which will eventually be turned into a Gamma2.

Hey, I didn't say that! Anyway, today I have to return the Pico to its rightful owner. I'm gonna miss it... such a great little thing.

GPH asked for my opinion regarding the Pico's coloration and I merely responded to that. Due to the Pico's inability to function as line-out only, the signal actually goes through the amplification stage whether you use it as DAC-only or not and hence, my original deduction. The Mini^3 only served to confirm that. If you have a different opinion then I'm all ears.

Yeah, I have no idea how come it sounds warmish. Maybe someone who is more familiar with the design can explain better?

Hmm... it's a bit warmish. The problem is I'm not sure whether this is due to the amp or the DAC and I have no Ipod and LOD to test this. I have a feeling it's the amp though as the other day, I had a Mini^3 (standard edition IIRC) to compare and it sounded less colored.

Currawong, how is the coloration with the DAC19MK3? The Pico is very nice but after spending time with it for 3 weeks, I suppose I could use something more neutral.

That looks like a Bantam DAC but with a different implementation?

If you want to play safe then go for the Pico. But if you feel adventurous then there are other options. There is the Matrix mini DAC with 2x AD1955 chips which can do a balanced output, the Musiland Monitor 02US with its asynchronous 24/192 upsampling and last but not least, the venerable Cambridge DACMagic.

I'm in due for a portable upgrade and have been debating between the ESW9, TF10Pro or SE530. I however have discovered that I don't exactly need hi-fidelity for something which is going to be used on the road. Perhaps this much cheaper SA-1 will be right thing for me.

He did say that this is the first time for him so let's give him the benefit of doubt.

The D7000 is definitely not worth the $999 MSRP but I think they are ok if you like dem BASS for $500.

Indeed, I really like its sound as well. It will be definitely in my #1 list if I ever have the chance to visit the portable world again.

True that, I should have been clearer. My apologies, man.

Has anyone compared Pico DAC with the Gamma 1 before? Beefy said that the Pico is all-around better but more opinions are definitely welcome.

I applaud you for your effort, screaming oranges. For science indeed.

He doesn't mention about any variance in the measurement graphs though so it's pretty much garbage for me.

@digger945 Yes but I'm more concerned on how everytime the reviewer acquired a new converter, he would prefer the newer unit to his older one. This is a bit disconcerting. @Upstateguy Am I correct to assume that your standard Ethernet cable can be plugged between such port in the DAC to a converter unit like the Teralink-X?

Ah, I just seem to always associate I2S with RJ45. And in case anyone is interested, someone has written a review here comparing the more popular converters in the market.

Very nice, cetoole. I can't wait to hear more impressions from you.

I thought the more commonly used jack for I2S is RJ45? The one in the U2 unit is looking like a PS/2?

There is an impression thread here but as of right now, it's not very informative. A user has all three converters (Musiland, hiFace and VALAB's Teralink-X) but I noticed that everytime he got a new converter, he would always favor the newer toy which raises a question on his credibility.

Curiously the MS1i and the original MS1 are hard to distinguish because they look virtually alike. The SR60 and SR60i have different housings but these do not. The MS1i sounded really good though given its $100 price-point. In my mind, its biggest weakness is the claustrophobic feel you get from them which I guess is due to the serious lack of air.

Thanks, vicki. I suppose if I could live with the HF2, I will do just fine with this HE-5.

So another converter joins the fray. No mention about it being asynchronous or not though. M2Tech

I saw the RMAF impression thread in the other place and they look awfully bulky. How is the comfort of these HE-5s?