HeadAmp Pico USB DAC

[Dreadhead]

Methinks I will be getting one of these bad boys for my office setup Pico DAC -> AE2 hell yeah.

[Eric5676]

Methinks I will be getting one of these bad boys for my office setup Pico DAC -> AE2 hell yeah.

There's a Pico Dac and a Pico Amp as companion pieces for one another, yes?

What are the differences between the AE2 unit vs. the Pico Amp?

[wrecked_porsche]

There's a Pico Dac and a Pico Amp as companion pieces for one another, yes?

There is:

• Pico DAC
  
• Pico AMP
  
• Pico AMP/DAC combo.
  

I think they talked about the AE2 vs Pico amp about 10 posts back in this thread IIANM. Refer to ASR's post and also Justin said this a few posts further back:

Pico is equal or slightly better than AE-2 except in battery life and RCA connectors

So, there you have it.

[Eric5676]

There is:

• Pico DAC
  
• Pico AMP
  
• Pico AMP/DAC combo.
  

I think they talked about the AE2 vs Pico amp about 10 posts back in this thread IIANM. Refer to ASR's post and also Justin said this a few posts further back:

So, there you have it.

Found 'em, thanks.

[mayoibushi]

Aside from the RCA's is the Pico Dac only exactly the same components as the Dac/Amp?

[Fungi]

The Pico DAC has no amp circuitry; the Pico has mandatory amp circuitry. But the DAC itself is the same yes.

[Mr.Sneis]

The AE-2 as an amp is better than pico imo although I can't really explain why

[blessingx]

The Pico DAC has no amp circuitry; the Pico has mandatory amp circuitry. But the DAC itself is the same yes.

I thought the DAC only was upsampling beyond the DAC+amp. So at least the programming would be different, no?

[atothex]

I thought the DAC only was upsampling beyond the DAC+amp. So at least the programming would be different, no?

I'm not quite sure I understand your question, but the DAC/amp upsamples.

[blessingx]

Yeah, sorry, it's my bad. I knew the Pico DAC+amp maxed out at 16/48 input and thought the Pico DAC only was being programmed to accept 24/96, but that's hardware upsampled (and maybe the DAC+amp was also), as you said. Sorry for the confusion.

[grawk]

Pico DAC is exactly the same as the dac portion of the pico amp/dac. Same upsampling, same usb input restrictions, etc.

[uberburger101]

Then why do some people claim they sound different?

[padam]

Even they admit the difference is very little.

[Dusty Chalk]

Different analog output stages?

[Beefy]

Then why do some people claim they sound different?

With the Pico DAC + Amp, everything goes through the amp stage. With the Pico DAC, it does not. That is probably enough to generate subtle differences.

[uberburger101]

Thanks for clarifying.

[grawk]

The reason is, as stated, the analog stage. This is true of every dac. The chip is perhaps the least significant difference between various sources. The analog stage is everything.

[padam]

I don't know much about CD players, but I compared it to a Sony 555 SACD player today. (using the input selector on the SRM-T1S with SR-007 MK1 and the same ICs) The Pico DAC held on really well while costing a fraction of the price and being much easier to use. The sound stage was a bit bigger and the sound was a bit smoother on the SACD player overall but the difference was quite small, both sounded very good. Pico will definitely stay for a while I guess

[Knuckledragger]

So in front of me I have a Pico DAC, GLite (v1) and DPS. I also have two of the male-male RCA adapters that came with the Pico DAC. Unfortunately, the Pico DAC will not clear the DPS -> GLite power umbilical unless I attach the PDAC upside down (and therefore reverse the R/L connectors.) This isn't a huge deal, but I was looking forward to trying out this particular Stupid Pico Trick. What would happen if I connected the PDAC to the loop out jacks on the GLite? Would I get sound, get nothing, or maybe blow something up? Do they make 90

[Asr]

The loop output can also be used as an input (in which case the Input jacks act as loop out instead).

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/6090529-post437.html

[Knuckledragger]

Necroing this thread to say, dayum does this little DAC deliver. I've been listening to some ambient albums I've not heard since the 1990s and I'm amazed how much more I'm getting out of them. I'm using a decidedly consumer grade receiver driving a pair of NS1000s that are not placed in the room particularly well. In spite of that, the sound is fantastic. Either that I have tin ears.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Necroing this thread to say, dayum does this little DAC deliver. I've been listening to some ambient albums I've not heard since the 1990s and I'm amazed how much more I'm getting out of them. I'm using a decidedly consumer grade receiver driving a pair of NS1000s that are not placed in the room particularly well. In spite of that, the sound is fantastic. Either that I have tin ears.

I think I'm pushing 3 years on my Pico DAC, and still prefer it with my iPad to all the other USB DACs.

[perrew]

Reviving this thread. Found my old ECP Black Diamond in storage and connected to a pair of HD800 and all I have is the Pico to connect to my MBP. Sounds good to me but is there anything new dac wise worth exploring with similar form factor?