HeadphoneAddict

Hi Ryan! How long will the sale price be available? I have a big tax refund hitting the bank by the 12th, and I could charge it, but I am auditioning a used Stello DA100 signature on Sunday and can't make decision before Sunday (assuming the meeting goes as planned).

That's okay, I actually tend to enjoy most of what I hear as well, and although I can hear the differences between stuff it's not always a "make it or break it" difference. That's why it's so hard for me to sell off stuff that I like but don't listen to - I don't know when I'll be in the mood to listen again sometime. There is also a lot of brain adjustment that needs to happen to make certain cans sound good, and they may not actually be all that good. I can put on my Edition 9 as the first phone of the day and love them. But if I first listen for a while to my O2 or ESP950 or Jade, and then when I switch to the Edition 9 then the Ed 9 sound closed and bloated and forward and dull. I can then switch to the modded D2000 and vs the Edition 9 the D2000 are open and airy and spacious, till I grab my balanced HD600 or stats and then it's like wow, those D2000 are closed with recessed mids and shiney treble. The RS-1 and K1000 or ESW10 don't have that kind of dramatic effect after listening to stats, which makes me finally realize the edition 9 that I have loved for 15 months really aren't as good as I thought. So, it's definitely weird sometimes.

Please PM me with where to send the terminated Canare cable and SFI drivers. I already have Smeggy's address if that is where they should go, but I don't know if that is what you want me to do.

Hey, I said it first. dibs.

I didn't mean to say oversampling, I have been talking about up-sampling the whole time, as you can tell from the context of my example about Stello USB DAC with and without up-sampling. Sorry for the typo, don't know where that "over" came from. As for "improvement in quality of outputs", in response to your question to Ryan about his statement, "The Ultratlink DAC was considered to be a great DAC when it was released about 15 years ago. The reality is the DAC technology has changed dramatically in that same time period. Unless you can pick this thing up for sub $200, I woudl recommend looking elsewhere." In that regard I was just talking about the sound quality of the analog out or output stage, or what ever you would like to call it. As manufacturers and designers learn over time and experience, their designs and circuits and parts can often be improved to sound better. And, my statement was acknowledging that it isn't just the DAC chip that determines the sound, but if the output stage is improved upon that can make just as big of a difference in the sound. I think we would agree two DAC can use the same DAC chip and not sound the same, and one can sound better if the output stage is better. So, one with an older DAC chip could still sound better than one with a newer design DAC chip, etc. I understand there are many areas that determine the quality of the DAC unit as a whole - the quality of the parts used, the receiver chip, clock, DAC chip, power supply, analog output stage, how they are all wired together, etc.

I have a 6 or 7 foot section of blue Canare quad cable, just like what you used on my woodies but with no super nylon, which I'd be happy to donate along with my last matched pair of 120R SFI orthodynamic drivers, and the cable already has a Neutrik 1/8" plug installed by Blutarsky. If those are not acceptable, I could donate cash to the project.

6moons said the difference between the Cullen modded one and stock "Was not subtle", but I think we'd all agree that a person has to spend a good amount of time with both to really get an idea of how different those DAC's might be in the end. And, I agree oversampling doesn't always mean better, but when it does make an improvement it is much appreciated. It certainly makes an improvement with the Stello DA100 via USB, where the sound when up-sampling is bypassed is thinner and less spacious than with it on. But, with that same DA100 via optical input I could not reliably hear a difference between the upsampling on or bypassed.

I thought he meant the different chips available, the upsampling instead of just oversampling, or the quality of the outputs, etc...

Isn't that something a newbie would say? You have to have a better imagination, Spritzer would say.

Right, so that still leaves reason #1.

The KGBH Naaman has reminded me more of your ES-1 with the O2 Mk1, with a little harder attack or more aggressive sound or punch to it. It wasn't bad, just different than what I am used to (a more tubey romantic sound). I think the right tubes would make a big difference in the sound, and it could always be different just from that.

I thought it's claim to fame was being able to get bit perfect jitter free 24/96 music out of a computer that only has USB and no coax or optical out, so your coax capable DAC can decode it splendidly. Of course for the same price you could get a Mac mini with optical out, but some peeps claim it will have more jitter than something like the Bel Canto.

Silence of the Lambs: "Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb: It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it is told." "Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb: It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. [to his dog, Precious]" or

I'm pretty sure Smeggy managed to slide 7 feet of 1/4" super nylon sleeve over the blue rubber outer portion of the canare cable.

Maybe I'll have to look at a used DA10 when peeps upgrade to the DA11, or my budget says may I should stick to the Pico DAC-only like originally planned for my second rig.

I got the impression that even Naaman was a little disappointed with the O2 on the KGBH, at least vs his K1000 out of the B22 (or the Jade - Gasp!). His is not a KGBHSE and it's possible the SE would be better, or rrolling tubes could change that completely as well. But the Buffalo DAC was great as a source and I wouldn't change that in his rig. With the GES I was able to eek more treble out of the O2 Mk1 and Mk2 with a change from the stock 12BZ7 to some Telefunken smooth plate 12AX7 or GE "Wurlitzer" 12AX7. It gets even better when I switch from feeding the GES from the Apogee mini-DAC and use the Pico DAC/amp as a source/preamp. Alas, I worked out a trade of my O2 Mk1 for a low SN K1000 and we should both be cross shipping on Monday. I'm keeping the O2 Mk2 though, along with the Jade, HE60, ESP950 and the others.

This is the same stuff you installed over the blue Canare quad cable with the Smegma SFI woodies - you said it was a PITA. But, while it makes the cable stiffer than no sleeve, it is more flexible than techflex.

I read the pdf about PIC and said that was one of the main things that attracted me to the DA11, other than the DA10 sounding better than my Mini-DAC. I think it is a great idea.

I'm pretty sure I posted my thoughts on the treble a couple of days ago. I won't argue with your comments at all, other than if the O2 is the first phone I pick up to listen to that the brain adjusts to the slightly decreased treble quickly and fills it in. Naamanf's KGBH did not change the nature of the treble other than to give everything a slightly faster attack or aggressiveness which it also imparted to the bass (not necessarily in a bad way, just different).

Yes it was, I admitted it as well.

It was more like wishful thinking, and being silly at the same time. That doesn't seem to play well here.

Well, I rest my case here: http://www.head-case.org/forums/home-source-components/5602-new-lavry-da11-dac-4.html#post207274 I'll leave the snappy comebacks to everyone else. Now, can we get back on topic and stop crapping on this thread?

[snip] NVM, it's not worth it.

[snip] NVM, it's not worth it.

Screw you and the dinosaur you rode up on.