ALO Continental Dual Mono

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Cellist88, Dec 27, 2016.

  1. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    Thought I would start this thread as I think it is one of the best transportable DAC/AMPs i have tried. I have posted a lot comparing it to the ZX2 and GO v2+ Infinity while using the andromedas. I don't have any other transducers so I will leave that up to others. I will edit this post once I have full impressions once my balanced cables come. Can't recommend the unit enough....aesthetically and sonically great albeit expensive.

    Only others I know with the ALO CDM are
    @The Life @mscott58 ...If they could chime in here as well that would be nice. @thegunner100 should have impressions soon as well.


    UMM if the mods can change the Title to ALO Continental Dual Mono....that would be nice. Thanks!

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2016
  2. Lightbulb Sun

    Lightbulb Sun Friend

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    I, too, enjoy the CDM (as DAC) with Sonotone 5719 (vs stock: better extension at both ends; tighter bass; slightly more treble air, imaging, and separation; runs 5-8 degrees cooler) and either the Andromeda or the Vega -- but more often the latter, particularly when I've enqueued a lot of rock/metal or pop, because bass is tight and intense, while vocals are clear and have an enjoyable grit (not on a wide, flat stage two feet in front of my nose; has some depth), and cymbals and hi-hats shimmer or zing with fairly accurate decay yet don't make my ears bleed. Black background, and I don't mind the treble rolloff w/ the Vega (which still have *impressive* extension and imaging).

    Sadly, channel imbalance in the pot at the low levels with the Andro is a bummer, and the battery life (as DAC) is fairly short.

    I used the Jupiter balanced with the GOV2 Inf feeding the CDM/5719 balanced (or w/o the CDM) for most of last year but grew to prefer darker and warmer. Balanced, the CDM has a *slightly* deeper stage. Tonality seemed similar to SE.
     
  3. alucart

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    The CDM that I bought second hand for a good price finally arrived yesterday.

    Initial impressions were done with stock tubes (Sonotone 5719 incoming), and PC -> CDM (via USB) and then with AK100II -> Mojo (optical) -> CDM. Headphones were modded HD650 (Dynamat and foam) and Focal Utopia:

    - The DAC in the CDM (WM8791) is good, can see myself using it in a pinch when overseas, but is less resolving when compared with the Mojo. The Delta-Sigma nature of the DAC is most evident when compared to desktop rig (Yggdrasil or R2R Pavane), with a definite metallic sheen in the treble, though not as marked as Sabre implementations. This was more noticeable on the Utopia than the HD650, as the former leans more towards brightness. I definitely prefer using the Mojo as the external DAC, though it isn't as convenient to lug around.
    - Portability: sits unobtrusively on my desk, but too big to carry while moving. Gets very hot when operating as a DAC/AMP when compared with AMP only.
    - Details: Reasonably resolving, scales higher with higher end DAC. Good micro and macrodynamics.
    - Soundstage: The most noticeable change when compared with Mojo alone - the soundstage is bigger, with greater width and layering.
    - Gain: Utopias driven well on low gain, while the HD650 needed high gain for sufficient volume.
    - Bass: good impact, speed and texture, more akin to a good solid state implementation.
    - Mids: detailed with a hint of warmness - would have preferred a bit more fullness with the Utopia, where the vocals seem a little thin, while the vocals were just right with the HD650.
    - Highs: more extended than my EAR HP4 desktop amplifier, less metallic when using the Mojo rather than the internal DAC - will need to try to hook the CDM up to my desktop DACs to see if the highs smooth out.

    TL;DR: A good portable tube hybrid amplifier, which delivers what one would expect - a hint of tube warmth and wider soundstage combined with solid state bass and dynamics. The DAC isn't as good as the amplifier. Those looking to drive full size dynamic headphones with the Mojo should give it a look, especially when second hand prices going down lately and more of these (two or three at last count) on sale at the HF forums.
     
  4. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    To deal with channel imbalance, and volume pot issues with the ALO CDM, I use a 2.5mm to 3.5mm balanced adpater, with the IFI Iematch and set it on ultra. It tends to take the life out of the sound, so I put it on high gain and barely have enough room to get channel balance with no hiss

    I think with stock tubes, the metallic sheen is accentuated as I think the ALO CDM dac creates a lot of contrast in the sound, which gives its tonality. The Sonotones will be more neutral and extend further. The bass does reach deeper but its less tight. The presentation is very euphoric compared to the stock tubes and less punchy and less metallic in the high end.

    For a relaxed listen, I prefer the ALO CDM dac to the GO v2+ Infinity as the soundstage is more holographic and bigger in all directions.

    A good cheap tube that is good to try out is the Mullard 6021s. Definitely an improvement over the stock tubes, but its really lively and super punchy!

    I have a WM1A coming so I will be comparing if the ALO will be worth carrying around ><
     
  5. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    @Cellist88 would you mind summarizing your ZX2 vs ALO CDM thoughts here? Having a ZX2, im curious, especially when using the CDM as a DAC/amp.
     
  6. Abhishek Chowdhary

    Abhishek Chowdhary Friend

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    CDM + AK120 as DAC + HD800 stock

    Tight , bright, clean, very good bass slam. Was pretty impressed however the brightness was just too much.
     
  7. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    You can also message @thegunner100 for some impressions as I lent him my ALO CDM for a week, though he only got to try the sonotone 5719 and not the mullards(much much better) which I got later. He also owns a ZX2 and used the amp with his Yggdrasil, though the ZX2 wasn't amplifed in TRRS so i don't think its fair to compare as the ZX2 TRS input as it is really mushy, foggy in texture and bass isn't tight. Also I couldn't give him balanced cables for use with headphones or earphones. I think the Balanced output of the amp is a substantial improvement over the SE.

    I find ALO sounds best with Andros when I use balanced using a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter to IFI Iematch set to Ultra, on High gain(to regain space and punchiness lost from the Iematch). No hiss either.

    I don't have a ZX2 anymore because I have a WM1A coming. I've owned it twice, so I think i can recall how it sounds, but for me the hiss was the killer. No way to get rid of it and when i hear classical music....just hear that grey hiss over the whole track....just ruined it for me.

    For me, ZX2 sound really good when I used it with the andromedas. In comparison to the ALO CDM, the first thing that will you will realize is the soundstage. It is for me at least 30%-40% bigger and the sound is more transparent. The ZX2, even with all the enhancements switched off, sounds muffled and darker. Tonal Body is thick, the sound is a bit more vicious and lacking air in comparison. The ZX2 has great driver control and the transients are explosive and long decay, but sounds dry in comparison.

    Best analogy i can come up is with Lava. ZX2 Feels like Cooled lava that is slowly moving down the hill and the ALO is hot lava....more fluid just as thick and transparent.

    The moment you hear the ALO...the word that comes to my head is beautiful.

    The sound from the ALO is more transparent and there is far more contrast and better decay detail. Not on Sonotone tubes, but on stock tubes more mullards, the transient response and punch is really great, without being aggressive. Contrast comes in hearing all the different parts of the track, cymbal crashes, piano notes, bass, all being clearly delineated with timbre of their own. When you hear a cymbal crash, because of the added soundstage and transparency, you can hear the ripple of cymbal decaying in different variance quiet well. Because of this the bass is much better at layering, tight with great texture and is more engulfing. When you listen to vocals you can hear each grain of grit in the voice....and it is beautiful

    Most of this I believe is attributed to the mixed SS/tube amp section.

    If you like tube flavoring better, the SE option allows for a more lose sound. I personally find the balanced output far superior as it can maximize the amp and dac in full balanced dual mono topology. Bass is tighter, textures are much cleaner, resolution is greater, and all the above sound characters are maximized. When I go back to the SE, i can't listen to it anymore.

    I think the ZX2 can't compete with the amp section of the ALO. Also the ALO on single ended hissed less than the ZX2 and balanced hissed just about equal or slightly more. The ZX2 DAC section slightly outperforms the DAC section of the ALO and for me it pulls out more micro nuance and details in single ended. In Balanced I would say ALO pulls ahead.

    I tried pairing the Geekout v2+ Inf as an external dac to the ALO, but I find the ALO dac to pair better with the Amp section as it adds more contrast, more weight, and more holographic soundstage in comparison. You can hear better details with the Geekout v2+ but as i said before its fault is sounding too clean, with less micro details, and too fast of a decay even in FRM mode. cymbals hits just go tiss...and then disappear into the darkness, instead of decaying. This allows for more transparency in complex tracks, but I don't find it convincing enough to recommend the dac section of the GO V2+ INf over the ALO DAC. I put GO V2+ Infinity dac on the same level of the IDSD micro. I know others prefer the V2+, but I don't see it being in another class.

    Besides all the technical performance details, I find the ZX2 very musical, but the ALO coming out ahead. Its just so enjoyable especially with the right tubes. I listen mostly to jazz and classical, but I don't mind listening to Ariana Grande and other pop on this because its sounds beautiful.

    It doesn't have as much output power as a IDSD BL and the dac section of the IDSD might be preferrable, but as a whole dac/amp unit, I would take it over IDSD, mojo, hugo....any day.

    People say its very expensive for what it does. I think its very expensive. But how many portable tubes amps are out there....esp a ss/tube hybrid...that has balanced dual mono topology, balanced out, balanced in, capable of rolling tubes, and user replaceable battery for around 20 dollars? Also it looks nice aesthetically and I know enclosures like this with gorilla glass and CNCed aluminum cost quite a lot.

    I know people think ZX2 is a better value now after 2 years on the used market. People forget that the ZX2 was 1.2k when it came out and people would have been shitting over it in this forum saying its overpriced for what it is....with low power output, hiss, ancient android...paired with that god awful sony sound processing, and have to get TRRS cables(SO PITA just to get your device sounding like 1.2k). Still think the sony as great as it is as a dap....but it still has no real flexibility....other than being a dap......only good for iems, no usb dac function, streaming apps or anything other than stock player sounds pretty bad.

    That said ALO is more flexible, beautifully made, operates smoothly, and in the end has better sq than the ZX2. I think if you use a much better dac in balanced not single ended(For this amp it makes a big difference), the amp will scale and reward you....It does its job of creating the space, and your resolving dac will provide it with more details....Despite power ratings I know many say HE1000 on balanced is a dream pairing with this product.

    I hope to compare it to the WM1A, when it comes in monday or tuesday(though I don't have 4.4 TRRRS....f'ing annoying proprietary Sony crap....ever interation of product has something proprietary to lock us in their ecosystem).
     
  8. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    So yeah.....CDM > WM1A....its not close......:(
     
  9. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Like some others I love be the CDM as an amp but am not crazy about it as much as a DAC.

    Now have the NW-WM1A and 1Z and will get to comparing the with the CDM eventually.

    As of now I do like the 1Z >>1A, but for ~3x the price I should! Also, like @cellest88 I just got the 1A so it's still settling in and not so fair to compare it to the 1Z which I've had for a bit longer.

    More to come soon. Cheers
     
  10. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    I'm not crazy about the DAC, but I cannot say it is bad. Its no Gungnir Multibit or dedicated unit, but fully in balanced output....its pretty darn contrasty, warm, and enjoyable to listen. Not the final word on resolution though ><.
     
  11. loplop

    loplop Acquaintance

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    Thanks for the thoughts, @Cellist88 . If I was to summarize, would it be fair to say that you found the ZX2 musical but veiled and noisy, the CDM as a DAC/amp is more lively while retaining musicality but perhaps not the nth degree of resolution, and the CDM's amp section is a cut above the DAC and therefore you could "scale" it with a better DAC..?

    It's an interesting place to be, I think. For a portable solution, it sounds fun, but perhaps in need of a DAC upgrade to get the best of it--ruining its portability. Have you heard the new WA8? I wonder how it compares in that regard.
     
  12. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    I haven't heard the WA8....but I wouldn't necessarily call the alo portable. You can't take it around because it'll get too hot(esp with mullard tubes). I recommend ZX2 if you really need portability. ALO is more for transportable listening, rather than stacking on the go(not that it is ever pleasant to stack). I don't think adding a dac to the CDM makes it necessarily sound better unless its desktop quality. I tried the mojo and the Go V2+ Inf and I really didn't find it an upgrade over the internal dac. I know I had a discussion with someone else who owned all 3, along with a Gungnir Multibit. Also thought the rest weren't really upgrades(but if you get a Gungnir Multibit...its not portable). Others on the HF forum paired a chord hugo with the CDM and prefered to hear each seperate. I doubt that running the ifi micro black dac through the amp will be much different.

    I'm listening to a WM1A now, and I don't find its dac section to be superior to the ALO....on and off the amp.

    The Unit as a whole def sounds better than the Ifi micro black or Go V2+ Infinity, Mojo, WM1A, and for me the hugo as well when compared as a complete unit. I don't see the dac section as a problem. I just find if the dac was the same level as the amp, it would be tremedous. Yes its not gonna sound like a multibit or desktop dac.
     
  13. JK47

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  14. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Would assume this means it doesn't have a dedicated DAC chip (like a 9018 or 1704, etc.) but that the D-to-A conversion is done in the processor? Cheers
     
  15. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    Yes its a Digital Class D Amp....not a DAC. It does everything in the digital domain before it goes to the amp that goes directly to the earphone. Either way there is Digital to Analog conversion......when I hook it up to my ALO, though I can call it double amping.....It is being used as the source translating the Digital to Analog signal.....so at the end it is doing what a dac does....albeit a different way.
     
  16. JK47

    JK47 Guest

    I'm confused, please clarify.
     
  17. loplop

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    Thanks for the thoughts, @Cellist88 . I love the ZX2 for portability. I walk my dog a lot, and it's a constant companion there. Very satisfying. I wish the 1A/Z had streaming; I use Tidal and SiriusXM paired to my phone sometimes, and really enjoy both on the ZX2. How's the 1A vs the ZX2?

    I think the Sony S-Master DAC is rather like the NAD Direct Digital amps. A short explanation can be found here:
     
  18. Cellist88

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  19. alucart

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    My Sonotones have arrived - replacing the stock tubes with them proved to be a little troublesome - I think I bent the header slightly when putting on one tube :-(

    Fortunately the CDM still works when I turn it on, and yes indeed on initial impressions, the metallic sheen is almost gone, and the bass does extend deeper!
     
  20. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    Just bought one of these. Hopefully I like it.
     

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