See how it stands up against high-end equipment --- and high-end ears
Was there a pun that is intended?
The next audio interface, spending less than 24,000
- Thread starter Thad E Ginathom
- Start date
Was there a pun that is intended?
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Not consciously. As you know, I no longer rate my own ears as objective tools, because the audiograph says that that would be foolish. It doesn't stop me enjoying the listening or having opinions, though.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I think it is time for the M-Audios to go. The speaker output is not bad, and I'd still say they are an ok entry-level pair of speakers for the desktop. I was hoping, though, to use the headphone socket --- and it is awful. When I switched the headphone socket back into the Audiofire and reconfigured, the result was a music-satisfied sigh of relief.
So what can I do with the ODAC, unless or until I get a headphone amplifier? Err... not much. How can I even test it?
Aha. By carrying the Cyrus over from the other side of the room. Right. Headphones plugged in, DAC connected --- and sounding good
I'm listening to Mahler Symphony no. 1. It's got wonderful bass stuff in it that, in this recording is sometimes almost ominous. It is coming over well. It's taking time to post this, because I keep shutting my eyes and just listening
So what can I do with the ODAC, unless or until I get a headphone amplifier? Err... not much. How can I even test it?
Aha. By carrying the Cyrus over from the other side of the room. Right. Headphones plugged in, DAC connected --- and sounding good
I'm listening to Mahler Symphony no. 1. It's got wonderful bass stuff in it that, in this recording is sometimes almost ominous. It is coming over well. It's taking time to post this, because I keep shutting my eyes and just listening
anm
Well-Known Member
which means the dac is pretty good
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
It is certainly the desired result!
I used to be such a purist about listening to music: decrying using is background, and going on about how it deserves concentration, respect, blah blah. Now, I find that the internet has got in there somewhere.
But now, a 320 MP3 Crosby Stills Nash live-concert download is also having the same effect --- and making it damn hard to try and concentrate on techie papers about speaker cable :lol:
The acoustic section of the concert is coming across really well. After so many years, these guys can still bring a tear to my eye
The tiny ODAC and the, err... temporary headphone amp ...
And, yes, That's USB Junction down there by the mouse mat!
.
I used to be such a purist about listening to music: decrying using is background, and going on about how it deserves concentration, respect, blah blah. Now, I find that the internet has got in there somewhere.
But now, a 320 MP3 Crosby Stills Nash live-concert download is also having the same effect --- and making it damn hard to try and concentrate on techie papers about speaker cable :lol:
The acoustic section of the concert is coming across really well. After so many years, these guys can still bring a tear to my eye
The tiny ODAC and the, err... temporary headphone amp
...
And, yes, That's USB Junction down there by the mouse mat!
.
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anm
Well-Known Member
I think I will order one for myself right away - odac+headamp
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
If you were interested in something for portable use, check out the C5 on JDS Labs site. The O2 would be hard to put in a pocket
The C5 is, I think, about the same size as the ODAC.
The C5 is, I think, about the same size as the ODAC.
anm
Well-Known Member
pockets are already full with phone etc. also it doesnt hv a dac
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Whilst that's true, ODAC+C5 would still be a pretty small combination. My current travel sound source, a Cowon A2, is like having a brick in my pocket in both size and weight.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Interim Solution Number 2...
Bravo Audio Ocean headphone amplifier. My first valve for over 45 years
It's hot.
Literally :lol:. Almost too hot to touch. Arrived today so too soon to report on its sound.
Bravo Audio Ocean headphone amplifier. My first valve for over 45 years
It's hot.
Literally :lol:. Almost too hot to touch. Arrived today so too soon to report on its sound.
Interim Solution Number 2...
Bravo Audio Ocean headphone amplifier. My first valve for over 45 years
It's hot.
Literally :lol:. Almost too hot to touch. Arrived today so too soon to report on its sound.
You seem to be on a roll these days
Photos and URLs to reviews would be really nice.
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Short lived, perhaps... this pretty little glowing thing doesn't work well. Perhaps it was a mistake to buy a used one when a new one would hardly have broken the bank.
Member Sound and Music seems to be having a better experience, and writes about it here.
Hey ho... can't win them all
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Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Headphone and DAC setup, phase 1, complete.
I returned from Singapore a few days ago. One of my purchases (my only hifi purchase this time) was the iFi iCAN, as planned. Purchased from Stereo at S$359. That's about Rs.17,950 or, to me, as it was funded in GBP, about 188.
The unit comes boxed with RCA and 3.5mm cables, a 1/4->1/8th headphone socket adapter and a tiny screwdriver to set the gain switches. There is a wall-wort power supply, which is purpose built by the company and claimed to be ultra-low noise. It is compact, but not as light as it looks. The ODAC might blow away, but, in the same breeze, the iCAN probably won't.
I decided to buy on a previous visit, so I did not do any more auditioning this time. I went to the Singapura Plaza outlet, paid my money ...and then went to the ION Mall branch to collect, as the SP branch was out of stock. Stereo might look like a typical mall mass-turnover shop, but their staff are actually attentive, and, if you want to spend time there auditioning and talking headphones, you'd be very welcome.
Have had only two or three listening sessions so far.
First impression was that the sound was rather cold, maybe a bit sterile. it is certainly very different to lush richness of the Bravo! But one of my problems with the when-it-works Bravo is that it makes some music sound wonderful. To be honest, my first reaction was to wish I had asked for another audition, with a pair of AT headphones similar to mine, before buying.
Second impression is that thing, combined with the ODAC, is very transparent and revealing. The most important interconnect of all, my brain, is burning in nicely and I am enjoying the experience.
When I decided to buy this box, I was particularly impressed with the "3D" feature. Now that I have it, frankly I am not so impressed, and I think it will mostly be left off. Similarly the XBass, although the extra shot of bass (three settings) might well get employed with some music. I think they implement this better than I can do with EQ.
Next phase? Well, forget the Rs.24,000 budget! I want a Phonitor. Or else I might think about Lehman, Burson, etc, probably keeping the ODAC and upgrading the amplification only.
I have to admit that I'm a little relieved that Jaben, who hold the Singapore dealership for the Phonitor, are not actually currently selling it. It might have been harder to resist in the flesh! Lehman would have been easily available, but that was just a little easier to leave in the shop window and walk on without irresistible urges to triple the budget
.
Actually, the next amplification upgrade would be phase 3. Phase 2 would be upgrading the 'phones, probably to the Audeze LCD2. One of the reasons for not rushing to splash out on that is that neither I nor the amplification have yet outgrown (as Dr.Bass nicely put it) the AT AD900s.
.
I returned from Singapore a few days ago. One of my purchases (my only hifi purchase this time) was the iFi iCAN, as planned. Purchased from Stereo at S$359. That's about Rs.17,950 or, to me, as it was funded in GBP, about 188.
The unit comes boxed with RCA and 3.5mm cables, a 1/4->1/8th headphone socket adapter and a tiny screwdriver to set the gain switches. There is a wall-wort power supply, which is purpose built by the company and claimed to be ultra-low noise. It is compact, but not as light as it looks. The ODAC might blow away, but, in the same breeze, the iCAN probably won't.
I decided to buy on a previous visit, so I did not do any more auditioning this time. I went to the Singapura Plaza outlet, paid my money ...and then went to the ION Mall branch to collect, as the SP branch was out of stock. Stereo might look like a typical mall mass-turnover shop, but their staff are actually attentive, and, if you want to spend time there auditioning and talking headphones, you'd be very welcome.
Have had only two or three listening sessions so far.
First impression was that the sound was rather cold, maybe a bit sterile. it is certainly very different to lush richness of the Bravo! But one of my problems with the when-it-works Bravo is that it makes some music sound wonderful. To be honest, my first reaction was to wish I had asked for another audition, with a pair of AT headphones similar to mine, before buying.
Second impression is that thing, combined with the ODAC, is very transparent and revealing. The most important interconnect of all, my brain, is burning in nicely and I am enjoying the experience.
When I decided to buy this box, I was particularly impressed with the "3D" feature. Now that I have it, frankly I am not so impressed, and I think it will mostly be left off. Similarly the XBass, although the extra shot of bass (three settings) might well get employed with some music. I think they implement this better than I can do with EQ.
Next phase? Well, forget the Rs.24,000 budget! I want a Phonitor. Or else I might think about Lehman, Burson, etc, probably keeping the ODAC and upgrading the amplification only.
I have to admit that I'm a little relieved that Jaben, who hold the Singapore dealership for the Phonitor, are not actually currently selling it. It might have been harder to resist in the flesh! Lehman would have been easily available, but that was just a little easier to leave in the shop window and walk on without irresistible urges to triple the budget
.Actually, the next amplification upgrade would be phase 3. Phase 2 would be upgrading the 'phones, probably to the Audeze LCD2. One of the reasons for not rushing to splash out on that is that neither I nor the amplification have yet outgrown (as Dr.Bass nicely put it) the AT AD900s.
.
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Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
With some more listening, and less confusion about the switches, life between the headphones is looking up
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I was enjoying Quicksilver Messenger Service: Happy Trails, as much as I did with the Bravo. Flat may be my preferred setting for the Bass switch, but for an album like this, extra umph is appropriate. seting 1 gives extra umph, setting 2 gives a great deal of pow --- but it does it without affecting the overall quality, and it does not, in any way, detract from the details in the highs. All of the EQ in this unit, by the way, is not DSP at all, but done in analogue circuitry. This is just an amp: nothing digital at all.
The switch is there, by design, to cater for different headphones, but, of course, it caters for different music, ears and tastes too. Welcome back tone control! :lol:
I've been rereading reviews by people who are also impressed with the 3D function. Perhaps I will be in time. I'm leaving it alone for now, until I get used to the native tone quality of the box with, perhaps, a little discreet use of the Xbass switch. When I feel accustomed to how my favourite music sounds that way, then I'll revisit the 3D function. For now, it only serves to confuse.
Psychologically (see signature!) I tend to suffer post-purchase doubt. Getting clear of that now and seeing more clearly that, yes, this was a pretty good purchase.
One reviewer compares the sound of the iCAN to that of NwAvGuy's O2 --- and stresses that, in his book, this is a compliment. Perhaps I could have stuck in that camp and paired an O2 with my ODAC, Just as I could (the thought crossed my mind), more expensively, have bought the iFi iDAC to accompany the iCAN.
An O2 is not hugely expensive. One day, a comparison unit just might make its way to my home. One day, too, I might creep upmarket to Lehman, Burson or even that Phonitor, for the amplification. But for now, I think I have a very good DAC/AMP pairing, at a price which is huge value for money. So, for a while, at least, I should forget all that and ...enjoy the music
The switch is there, by design, to cater for different headphones, but, of course, it caters for different music, ears and tastes too. Welcome back tone control! :lol:
I've been rereading reviews by people who are also impressed with the 3D function. Perhaps I will be in time. I'm leaving it alone for now, until I get used to the native tone quality of the box with, perhaps, a little discreet use of the Xbass switch. When I feel accustomed to how my favourite music sounds that way, then I'll revisit the 3D function. For now, it only serves to confuse.
Psychologically (see signature!) I tend to suffer post-purchase doubt. Getting clear of that now and seeing more clearly that, yes, this was a pretty good purchase.
One reviewer compares the sound of the iCAN to that of NwAvGuy's O2 --- and stresses that, in his book, this is a compliment. Perhaps I could have stuck in that camp and paired an O2 with my ODAC, Just as I could (the thought crossed my mind), more expensively, have bought the iFi iDAC to accompany the iCAN.
An O2 is not hugely expensive. One day, a comparison unit just might make its way to my home. One day, too, I might creep upmarket to Lehman, Burson or even that Phonitor, for the amplification. But for now, I think I have a very good DAC/AMP pairing, at a price which is huge value for money. So, for a while, at least, I should forget all that and ...enjoy the music
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wishihadtubes
Active Member
The ODAC is something I came very close to ordering before getting the MyDAC. In fact I wanted to order the board an d make my own box for it. Would love to hear this DAC some day. Any ODAC users in Delhi please?
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Not sure of the numbers, money nor resolution*... but I think the ODAC would have saved you some cash, but I don't think it goes so high up the resolution ladder. I don't regard that as a practical issue, because the majority of my music is going to 44.1 for the foreseeable future. 96 is probably going to be my personal resolution ceiling.
On the other hand, this was not something that I thought through before buying. Of all the hifi things I would like to experience, the ODAC is affordable, so I bought it for the experience. I certainly wouldn't have excluded anything because of high-res capabilities!
As things stand now, I think that this ODAC will do very nicely for this headphone amplifier, and probably the next too. both amplifier and headphones stand for upgrading before the DAC does.
*Yes, the ODAC goes to 24/96. For some people that mght be an "only."
On the other hand, this was not something that I thought through before buying. Of all the hifi things I would like to experience, the ODAC is affordable, so I bought it for the experience. I certainly wouldn't have excluded anything because of high-res capabilities!
As things stand now, I think that this ODAC will do very nicely for this headphone amplifier, and probably the next too. both amplifier and headphones stand for upgrading before the DAC does.
*Yes, the ODAC goes to 24/96. For some people that mght be an "only."
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Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Now here's a stramge thing...
Members may have noticed me bemoaning the state of my hearing, and, sadly, it is with good cause, as demonstrated by the tests. One of the reasons for me prioritising PC audio is that I can so easily include software EQ in the chain to being some of those high-frequency sounds back into my life.
With the iFi iCAN I seem to need it less! Whilst it can't give me shhh of a cymbal without EQ, it is, somehow, delivering high-end detail that I was not getting before.
This is an interesting journey
Members may have noticed me bemoaning the state of my hearing, and, sadly, it is with good cause, as demonstrated by the tests. One of the reasons for me prioritising PC audio is that I can so easily include software EQ in the chain to being some of those high-frequency sounds back into my life.
With the iFi iCAN I seem to need it less! Whilst it can't give me shhh of a cymbal without EQ, it is, somehow, delivering high-end detail that I was not getting before.
This is an interesting journey
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
Oh dear, my headphone ambitions just suffered a several-hundred-$ hike:
New Audeze LCD-X.
I don't luuurve the looks quite as much as the real wood of the LCD-2, but hey, what they look like only matters when one is not listening to them
~
New Audeze LCD-X.
I don't luuurve the looks quite as much as the real wood of the LCD-2, but hey, what they look like only matters when one is not listening to them
~
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
The ifi iCAN has jumper settings to set gain at 0dB, 10dB, or 20dB. I've been listening ith it set to 10, which I think was the out-of-the-box setting. It made the listenable volume range about 9.00 to 12.00, but made the volume adjustment feel rather course.
Yesterday, I changed it to 0dB gain. I am now using about 3 "hours" higher volume setting, with greater and easier control.
But... the strange thing is that the music seems to be flowing more easily. Now it seems that there was a slight edge (fatigue) to the music which is gone. I do not know if this is even possible: wouldn't the gain/volume controls work in such a way that equivalent settings were ...equivalent?
Can it be sounding better with the lower gain setting?
I'm getting worried: next thing I might find myself changing the power cables :lol:
Yesterday, I changed it to 0dB gain. I am now using about 3 "hours" higher volume setting, with greater and easier control.
But... the strange thing is that the music seems to be flowing more easily. Now it seems that there was a slight edge (fatigue) to the music which is gone. I do not know if this is even possible: wouldn't the gain/volume controls work in such a way that equivalent settings were ...equivalent?
Can it be sounding better with the lower gain setting?
I'm getting worried: next thing I might find myself changing the power cables :lol:
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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