The All Purpose Advice Thread

Discussion in 'Advice Threads' started by purr1n, Sep 26, 2015.

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  1. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Thank you, it was a good point. I got the DAC, it is Teradac TDA1543 NOS DAC-V3 2009 and it is not going to be wasted in my TV setup.
    It replaces modi3 on my desk. paired with Roon Rpi Digi+ Pro,Talisman T3H headphone amp, and TR-X00 Mohogany.
    The whole setup sounds clearer, more engaging, and although the TR-X00 bass is just a tiny bit less elevated, it has more texture and better articulation. Well, it is a cheap NOS DAC but it is something different about, This one is so called "luxury edition": it is longer and has build in LPS which may be helping.
    I hope it will not lead to me wanting a better NOS DAC, that I know from experience may end very badly for my wallet.
    In any case I like listening to it and with TR-X00 it is a pure pleasure.

    And it plays nicely with Digi+ Pro, I had problems with Modi3 and Digi+ Pro but it could have been just my particular setup.
     
  2. Pogo

    Pogo Friend

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    Ford truck? year? Sync by Microsoft system?

    My 2014 F150 has the Sync, it doesn't play well with Android USB input but my kids Iphones work well.
    I just use the headphone out on my Samsung into the AUX in on the radio, the phones DAC is fine for a vehicle especially with upgraded speakers and a lot of Dynamat.
     
  3. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    I'm calling poo-poo on this. You brutalized the hugo 2 which has the same DAC and implementation as the Cutest. Come on man, keep your Chord shit straight!
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    All the Chord shit is essentially the same architecture, and has been for some time. Devil is in the details, the implementation. For all we know, no battery f'ckery makes Qutest bettar. Or maybe they read how much I hated their Hugo series, so took DAVE learned lessons, or DAVE based power supply and applied to Qutest. I did like Mojo than any of the Hugos though - it came later and cost less. And even if everything was exactly the same, all it can take is a firmware upgrade, e.g. PS Audio DACs.

    Likewise, the Gungir and Yggdrasil are almost exactly the same, yet sound quite different. And A1 and A2 iterations were really just magic tweaks. The top of the boards look the same, yet A1 and A2 sounded very different. You can also have two dudes build a Dynalo. One will be exquisite, another will sound like GSX2. Heck, two CMOYs I built with same opamp, but on different breadboards sounded quite different. The one with a ground plane sounded better.

    Build shit before you spout your drivel.
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
  5. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    We will have to disagree then. I maintain that the hugo 2 and Cutest have effectively the same chip AND implementation. I say this because I've owned them both at the same time and they both sounded exactly the same. ;)

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Oops, that linked pic is a little on the large side. Sorry about that. Guess I overshot it a little bit. :oops: It's all good though. Just giving you a little crap Grand Pooba.
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I heard at different points in time. Hugo 2 a while back. Qutest more recently. So could be memory differences, associated gear or running changes for all we know. I kind of felt Qutest had more DAVE like sensibilities whereas Hugo 2 like the 1, but with some things fixed.

    Edit: could have been the filters. I didn't know about the filters with Hugo 2.
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
  8. psuKinger

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    It's a 2018 Ford F-150. SYNC 3 Infotainment.

    My buddy says he doesn't have an aux input, otherwise I had recommended he look at a "cheap" external DAC like a dragonfly and just come into the head unit analog...

    He's having success with it via USB in as long as the Android Audio Renderer gets involved. It's only when he uses USB APP to try to bypass the native renderer and output "bit-perfect" that it craps the bed on him and won't play.
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
  9. mkozlows

    mkozlows Friend

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    But who cares? It's auto sound. Even at its best, road and wind noise is going to erase fine details, and a stock Ford pickup isn't its best. There's no chance that the Android mixer is going to make an audible difference there.
     
  10. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

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    Totally agree. Best move to improve auto sound is upgrade speakers, external amplifier, then sound dampening like dynamat.
     
  11. TristanL

    TristanL New

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    Hi all,

    I'm a new audio enthusiast and am looking for a bit of advice or feedback / guidance.
    I'm a headphone user, because I like to listen to music late in the evening / at night before going to bed when everybody else is already asleep.

    I currently run DT 1990 pro headphones via an ODAC into a WA6SE and an o2. (The WA6se is my first 'big' purchase in audio for me)
    My headphones are EQ'd primarily to take that treble peak out around 8 khz and boost the dip around 4,5 khz.

    I don't really know what my preferences are as I have too little experience and don't know exactly what I'm looking for or what I like yet.

    I mostly listen to rock and heavier rock and enjoy the acoustic / unplugged sessions greatly. The main thing I like to hear are the vocals, I especially enjoy female vocals above anything (think Ann Wilson and Stevie Nicks).
    I'm not a bass-head, nor big on excessive treble, I THINK I like neutrality, but also warmth. I don't feel like sound-stage needs to be big per se. I like detail. Although I do feel things get too "analytical" and tiring with my current set-up, I need to roll of the treble on the DT 1990 pros, otherwise I'm in pain. (and even then)

    The tube amp wa6se has solved quite a few things that I didn't like about my o2 (too "brittle", maybe too clean and ""harsh""). Apologies for the subjective naming, I'm not good with the terminology. So I think I like 'warmth'.
    I also feel things sound too "thrown in together" and there's not enough separation?

    I think my DAC is my first thing I want to upgrade.

    I shortly tried listening to my friends Modi Multibit and I really enjoyed it, I was set on ordering one myself until I thought if I wait for a couple of weeks I'm be able to get a Gungir Multibit, which seems like a nice upgrade and probably the only DAC I'll need in a long time. I do have a good amount of Hi-Res audio files.

    Secondly I'm thinking about saving up for another set of headphones, I have honestly no clue.
    However Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser are easy to order for me and have super easy return/refund policies.
    I could order directly through their websites without risking anything. If I don't like them I could send them back to Germany very easily due to their awesome return policies.
    Though, at first with my DT 1990 pro I thought: wow what a detail and clarity, later I did research and found out it's probably just the treble peak causing a false feeling of detail. Which incidentally also causes physical listening pain during longer sessions, ergo I'm not sure if a better DAC would help this or if the headphones are just too much for me. I do like long, relaxed listening sessions. The Amiron home and T1 are on my list, but I absolutely hate their treble peak. EQing is not an issue though. The HD600, HD660S and HD800s are on my list as well. I'm looking around a more local place where I could try them out, but so far alas.
    [I did try out the Amiron Home for a few longer listening sessions and I can't recall me being in pain like I do with the 1990s, that was without EQ, I didn't like the soundstage I think, vocals seemed too distant?]

    Thirdly, amps, I like my wa6se tube amp a lot, but I really want a solid state replacement for my o2.
    I feel the Magni is an awesome bargain. But this is certainly not a priority. And probably will be upgraded last.
    I do have a friend raving about the Beyerdynamic A2, but it's pricey, probably overpriced.
    I'm not sure that I want to spend big bucks on a solid state, I prefer my tube sound so far, it's quite amazing in comparison to my o2 (but that's probably not saying much).
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2019
  12. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    I think the Bifrost 2 is one of the best dacs on the market. Pair it with the Asgard 3, and you have an amazing stack. A low cost SS amp, and a dac that I currently use and greatly enjoy with the ZDS and 3F amplifiers.

    Hd650 is an easy recommendation, given its capabilities and low cost. It would be a great place to start, as it is a very well known quantity, it is easily modable, and could serve as your baseline for understanding what else, if anything, you would want a headphone to do. My higher end recommendation would be the ZMF Auteur.
     
  13. TristanL

    TristanL New

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    Thanks for the suggestions! I totally oversaw the Asgard and Bifrost. That does indeed sound like a great stack that's within budget. I'm eager to replace my O2/ODAC that's for sure. The HD 650 seems indeed a very rational and great choice, especially for a starter like me. The ZMF Auteur is noted for later times.

    I am still within return period for my dt 1990 pros and I think I'll go that route and get the hd650. I'm pretty much always in pain after longer listening sessions with them, I don't think they're for me.

    Thank you!
     
  14. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Good call. Dump the 1990's and grab the 650/bf2/asgard3 stack. That setup is insanely good for the price. Many would call it end game.
     
  15. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    While @Elnrik is 120% right (his recommendation is what I would go for if starting over), do not rush for amps and dacs for this stage. As you mentioned, you need to understand what is your preference. And also importantly, what a "serious" chain may sound and how such things benefit you.

    Exploring various headphones (find audio shops demoing them) can help to figure out your real needs and narrow down specifically. In addition to senn 6x0, I'd also recommend Verum 1 (good planars have their own merits and likes).
     
  16. TristanL

    TristanL New

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    Thanks all, I placed an order for the Bifrost. I'm really thankful for the suggestion, reading about the changes and upgrades I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival.
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2019
  17. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    In the opinion of those here who've heard vintage Theta DACs and the like, what is the max amount I should pay for a Theta DSPro Basic IIIa? I'd much prefer the DSPro Generation III with the PCM63 chips in it but those are near-impossible to find. There's a Basic IIIa on eBay right now for $740 + $45 shipping but that feels pretty pricey to me. There's another on Head-Fi for $450GBP but it's in England, would require a converter, would be expensive to ship, and would greatly reduce my ability to resell here (and would likely be close to or more than $785 after all is said and done).

    The Basic IIIa uses 4x PCM1702 chips, correct? It's so hard to find ANY information about these let alone reliable information but I believe that's what I've found. Also, the fact the naming of all these products is so close/similar helps nothing. And I know that the 1702 was the spiritual successor of the PCM63 but is it as good of a chip?
     
  18. haywood

    haywood Friend

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    That seems like too much unless you already have something modern that you like and getting the theta is a labor of love kind of thing. If you really want vintage and pcm63 though see this thread:

    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...dac-for-750-that-stomps-most-modern-dacs.508/

    but if you don’t have much experience with dacs also see this thread where Marv talks about a recent mini “thunderdome” type event where the ds modi 3 went up against the vintagey sounding modi mb:

    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...dge-thunderdome-nov-14-2019.8546/#post-278706


    I believe it used 2x, scroll down for the Basic III:

    https://www.thetadigital.com/legacy-products/
     
  19. klyrish

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    Thanks for your response. I've actually read through most of both of those threads and did look at the Theta website's legacy products section but found it lacking. I know the Gen V uses the PCM63 chip but I swear I found other resources (and cannot find them again now...I have 27 tabs open so it's probably in one or two of these but I've gone so far down so many rabbit holes I honestly don't know at this point) stating that that DSPro Generation III used them as well. And then found a listing from one of the Hi-Fi marketplace sites that stated the DSPro Basic IIIa has 4x PCM1702 chips in it.

    Regardless, it's difficult finding anything concrete and trustworthy.

    There's also a DSPre Generation III on US Audio Market for $980. Once again, I can't find anything confirming what's inside of it and if the only differences between the DSPro/DSPre Generation III is the inclusion of preamp functionality in the DSPre but otherwise they're identical.

    It's not so much a labor of love as much as I just want to hear this highly-lauded chip (PCM63) in an excellent implementation. I'm not a huge fan of the Schiit multibit sound but I'd like to hear this to see what Mike was able to do with his filter on the PCM63.

    I'm also looking into other, cheaper PCM63 alternatives.
     
  20. Raicorl

    Raicorl Acquaintance

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    Planning to get Nuc for Roon Rock OS. Is there any benifits (esp. In sound quality) vs using general pc as roon server? Using pi2aes as endpoint.
     
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