ECP Walnut X.3 impressions thread

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Erroneous, Oct 13, 2021.

  1. Beefy

    Beefy Friend

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    Yeah, but the Gamma2 has multiple inputs. And, it's even smaller.

    *drops hand grenade, runs away laughing maniacally*
     
  2. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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  3. dsavitsk

    dsavitsk Friend

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    I have been trying to stay out of this, but I'll chime in a little ...

    ... on second thought. :D
     
  4. Ksorota

    Ksorota Friend

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    Big thanks to @Eroneous and @dasman66 for setting up and sending out these newly built DACS. The open sharing and support in this forum are beyond generous and helpful in the adventure that is HiFi audio.

    My time with the X.3 was not my first Walnut listen…I had owned the X.1 version for a bit early last year and came away thinking that it was not a great match with the MJ1 or WA2 that I had it paired with for whatever reason. I had the sense that it was too lean sounding. With the X.3 I do not get the same sense of leanness, it is nicely neutral paired up with the 3F but also provides more oomph if you will in the mids. I suspect the amorphous plays a definite role in adding body to the presentation and I have to say I am quite impressed by this little thing. I say little because it is tiny…about the size of two standard Hershey bars.

    In comparing against the Schiit Gungnir D/S there is a lot the Walnut does that I like more and some that I like less. Mind you, the Gungnir D/S is a DAC I continue to come back to and enjoy over many others I have tried. (But the Walnut is better)

    Advantages of the Walnut:

    · Better USB implementation
    · Better Footprint (debatable)
    · More attractive (less debatable, but still a bit)
    · Great synergy with 3F
    · Detail for days – layering gets top marks

    Advantages of Gungnir D/S:

    · More Digital interface options
    · Fully balanced design
    · Multiple outputs
    · More bombastic
    · Less expensive on the used market

    So how does it compare to the Gungnir in more words.

    The Walnut is the more refined DAC presenting itself as the detail/finesse champion in this match. At first listen to the X.3, I thought they sounded very similar in the detail department, but on longer sessions I found that the Gungnir smooths over (misses) some of the delicate sounds in a song, such as finger plucking, pick noises, lip smacking, etc. in tracks.

    But as noted above, the Gungnir is more bombastic in presentation, really giving you full dynamics all the time in a very engaging way. Bass is more emphasized and energized, mids a bit less so, and highs presented very forward. This forward presentation is fun, but when compared to the Walnut, gives the feeling of exaggeration. The Walnut presents all the same detail, if not more, while doing so in a more neutral manner that allows me to hear better separation, layering and (cannot find the word for it-Essence) of the music.

    What really sells me on the Walnut is just how involving it can be, particularly on well recorded music. With its more neutral presentation I also can push the volume higher (subjectively) than the Gungnir as I am never overwhelmed by a particular frequency response. At all listening levels the Walnut is providing detail, layering, and staging that is well sorted and natural. The Walnut could use a bit more explosiveness in the bass, it is punchy rather than slammy, but that is a small tradeoff for the level of detail in the lower notes.


    The USB Implementation:

    Lots of words have been provided on the USB by others and I for one am happy with only having the USB option as it is very well implemented on the Walnut. The Gungnir I am using has USB 3 I believe, and I get those crackly nasties often, but just let them pass and continue on my way. The Walnut had nothing short of excellent performance with no nastiness or strange behavior. Those hesitating at the thought of USB only should just stop and give it a try, its great!


    Toss up Thoughts:

    The Walnut X.3 is somewhat unforgiving as a DAC. The Gungnir has more of an ability to distract you from bad recordings with its ample bass presentation and forwardness. The Walnut produces all the same notes as the Gungnir but with more finesse…not as slammy, more layered as I keep saying. In a way I could see keeping both of these DACs for having options for listening, but I am not really one that likes to keep multiples around.

    Using RCA to XLR converter to go from Walnut to 3F is a solution that works great and due to the lower voltage I am using more volume knob rotation on the 3F. Channel matching is already insanely good on the 3F, but is it my imagination or does the thing sound better and better the further up the dial I go. The Gungnir limits my ability to go higher since I was running fully balanced. Going to have to try the RCA outs on the Gungnir and see if I notice the same thing.

    I think the Walnut will do very well with EQ with its more neutral presentation…but that is to be explored at another time.


    Final Thoughts:

    I really like the Walnut X.3 and will be owning one in the very near future. The Gungnir may head to my office to replace the Modi in hopes that Schiit comes out with an upgrade beyond MB…or I might just go ahead and sell it off to keep life simple and clutter free.

    This is a great DAC and I hope to see another production run in the near future, and possibly a fully balanced version like the x.5!

    Edit 1: Listening Chain is below, but almost listened exclusively on Clear
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2022
  5. dsavitsk

    dsavitsk Friend

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    Yes, it should.
     
  6. Noodlz

    Noodlz Almost "Made"

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    All righty. First off thanks to the generosity of @Erroneous and the friends here at SBAF to let me hear this beauty.

    TLDR summary - I REALLY REALLY want one now. lol. Spider Chart at the end of post.

    Please excuse me for the following word-vomit of impressions, and if you've read the stuff i wrote before you may know sometimes i talk like a crazy person and describe things in flavors and food etc (maybe that's why i keep gaining weight). Also YMMV, and i know some people dont believe in warmup / break in / cables / noise etc etc. So please take what I write with a (massive, not-good-tasting) grain of salt, and feel free to ignore my craziness.

    In any case here are my impressions after having it for about 6 days so far:

    SETUP
    [​IMG]

    DACs Compared

    • Walnut X3 (hereto referred as walnut)

    • Schiit Yggdrasil A1 (hereto referred as YG A1 or YG for short)

    • Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 mk2 with Mazda 6922 tubes (hereto referred as SFD)

    Amps Used

    • ZMF Pendant OG with all RFT tube set (Hereto referred as ZMF)

    • Schiit Mjolnir 1 full cap modded(arrived on day 5) (hereto referred to as MJ1)

    Power:

    • All powered through triplite isobars & Morrow Audio Power Cables / Walnut using stock power wart obviously.

    • Pi2AES uses stock power + a NoizeNuke

    • Pi-Zero for the Walnut is battery powered

    Cables:

    • RCA are all mogami 2549 made by worlds best cables, except the SFD which uses a Va Damme Lo-Cap Silver RCA

    • SFD is fed with a Better Cables SPDIF Coax

    • YG A1 is fed with a mogami 2549 AES cable from pi2AES

    • YG XLR is a mogami 2549 made by WBC as well

    • To feed the ZMF pendant, the XLR went to a Radial J-ISO and then to RCA

    • USB is done with a Supra USB cable.

    • Generic USB to USB-C cable used when connecting direct to iPad Mini 6

    • Later on used ifi iPurifier3 + supra USB + ifi iSilencer+ and the apple USB-C dongle

    Headphones/Speakers

    • Sennheiser JAR650 (impact audio XLR cables & SE adapter)

    • ETA Mini (audiophile ninja XLR cables & XLR>SE adapter)

    • iLoud Micro Active Monitor Speakers

    Impressions
    Day 1 - first impressions
    • Day 1 Setup
      • Walnut
        • Moode on PiZero > Supra USB cable > X3 > ZMF Pendant (All RFT tubes) > iLoud Micro Speakers | ETA Mini | JAR650
      • YG A1 & SFD
        • Pi2AES on Moode > AES to YG A1, coax to SFD. Both out to ZMF & headphones as above
    • Impressions / Comparisons
      • This thing is tiny but mighty! Just so slightly sweet, resolving. immediately can hear that this is indeed a top tier dac that way overperforms compared to what its compact ness suggests

      • Surprisingly this thing sounds LEAGUES above the YG. I see what people mean about the schiit smear and congestion. The YG is by no means bad though, it's still better sounding than my ifi Zen DAC Signature, but it sounds mid tier at best here. (at 1.5 days of warmup, since i just got the YG a day before i got the walnut). I'm scared after hearing this that I made a mistake buying this behemoth, but they say this thing REALLY needs warm up and the previous owner never turned it on for more than a day, so we'll see!

      • Compared to the SFD, the walnut is not as smooth or as romantic, but its very close.

      • Walnut seems to sound fantastic right out the box.

      • The only issues seem to be random pops, typical usb shittyness, and its most likely that Moode is too heavy weight for the pizero (i used to have roonbridge+picoreplay and it was great, until roon kept breaking and I just had enough of their bs and canceled it for good, but thats a whole nother story). Will be testing other software / different setups to mitigate the USB funkiness.
    Day 3 & 4
    • Setup Updates:
      • Walnut is now running DietPi which performs waaaay better. Still has some random pops here and there but much more stable, and much less digital grain as a whole.
    • Impressions
      • Walnut remains the same sound as day 1, SFD has been warmed and running during this time. Both are fantastic and neck and neck.
        • SFD just has that little bit more organic-ness and listening to Music, as opposed to files. This is where the walnut has issues with its USB, I definitely feel like listening to files and not music.

        • That being said, Walnut has a REALLY nice sweetness. This is the sound that i’ve been hunting for the whole time. Similar to the feeling of my LCD-2.1 nonfazor.

        • This is not syrupy or gooey or even caramel though. It’s like… a REAALY nice toffee wafer, with a really subtle hint of glaze right up top, some notes of butter milk cream. Like something really expensive that you’d drink some $100 tea with out of japan or paris.

        • For the sophistication of flavor, it’s like:
          • If the ifi Nano is a scale of 70 (think japanese kitkat bar),

          • Ifi Zen Sig V1 = 85 (think Royce Chocolates or some boutique chocolatier wafer bar)

          • Walnut = 98 (something that i can’t afford. LIke things they would serve at some crazy reserved suit tailoring shop for clients who are literally royalty)
        • The USB-ness/funkery knocks it down a notch though. So instead of being there eating this wonderful bar. You’re looking at it on an 4k monitor, that occasionally has pixelation distortions.
      • The YG has been improving dramatically day after day. In the middle of a track around midnight it officially crossed over. Now from a technical standpoint it sounds better than the walnut.
        • The space has opened up just a hair above the walnut (still less than the SFD), the details and dynamics now are at the same level. It’s fairly neutral across the board, but the digi-etchy-congested Schiit-smear is basically gone.

        • Track by track i can hear it extending (i play some of the tracks repeatedly or come back to it and noticed the sound improving. Its pretty wild)

        • With it being more and more organic, it’s starting to make the walnut feel digital & grainy in comparison, but i feel like that’s likely the USB implementation that needs adjustments to resolve that.


    Day 5
    • Setup Changes
      • Got my cap modded MJ1! Hooked up and tested various configurations and have decided that it sounds the absolute best with the YG A1 xlr directly into it. (for all the headphones i have). Better than the SFD surprisingly. I think i’ve found my end game solid state. (the only thing about this that isn’t great is the preamp to speakers. Sounds really funky, just not right. This will stay as a headphone amp.)

      • Spent the day testing with The MJ1 & headphones (ETA mini & JAR650), and not the ZMF & no speakers today.

      • Changed Walnut setup to go directly from USB to USBC to an ipad mini. Waay way way better. No more weird stutters and very minimal pops now if at all. No more digital grain, still a tiny bit of hardness but much much better than running from a piZero. Won’t be using that for the walnut anymore.
    • Impressions
      • YG A1 is well warmed up now. Quite spacious, well layered, detailed and organic. Everything is just right. Not wet not dry, right in the middle.

      • SFD is not as detailed on the MJ1, Organic nature is still there and musicality still there, but not quite as engaging as a full tube setup. Some of the magic feels lost here.

      • Walnut is niiiiiice
        • Slightly sweet, slightly well glazed, ultra-expensive-toffee wafer bar applies like before. Maybe even more. This is a wonderful pairing with the MJ1

        • Like the ZMF though, the soundstage seems to be a weakness compared to the YG and SFD. With the YG now all warmed up (and still getting better) , this feels more “in your head” than “being there”

        • This still has a very organic, smooth, fluid sound. The new setup with it going directly to the iPad has removed most of the digital-ness

        • Dynamics are great, punchy and details for days. Not quite at the level of the YG tho.

        • Layering is great but its more of a front and back stack layering. Like a 2.5D layer instead of a 3D immersion like the SFD and YG. still really goo though.
    Day 6
    • Setup updates
      • Ordered and received the ifi iPurifier3 & iSilencer+. Tested on the USB chains and the best result was with walnut>Purifier>supra USB cable>isilencer>Apple dongle > iPad Mini 6

      • Put in a ‘57 footscray for the the input tube on the ZMF pendant to get the most out of it. Tested on speakers & ETA mini & JAR650

      • Final set of Comparisons betwee the SFD, YG A1, and Walnut (tomorrow is the Superbowl, so this is it~)
    • Impressions
      • YG - wow it sounds so..right. Organic & detailed, tight. CLEAN prat, great layering and decay. Vocals are realistic, not as romantic as the sfd but not far behind. Gone up another notch since yesterday

      • SFD - sooo smooth. Not as technically right as the A1, but still so engaging everytime i do these comparisons. Literally found myself involuntarily foot-tapping-head-nodding-finger-snapping. Like wait what the hell am i doing kinda thing lol

      • Walnut - Fluid and sweet, FLAVOR. Fantastic mids. This just has like my favorite sound signature that i loved with the LCD 2. Sophisticated sweet detailed and organic, with just the right amount of bloom.

      • It’s like comparing photos from a hasselblad (YG) vs cinema film stock (SFD) vs a Leica Digital Camera (Walnut)

      • Comparatively the weakness might be in the staging. Its not congested at all, but its not as expansive as the YG or SFD

      • Crazy amounts of details and plankton though. Nearly as much as the YG.

      • Sound is crisp without ever being fatiguing, glistens without ever being glaring.

      • Most of the digital hardness & weird pops are basically resolved after using the if purifier3/silencer+. Connecting with the piZ theres still that digital-hardness, however slightly. But connecting with the iPad thats basically solved entirely. Not looking at the picture/screen anymore, you’re there.
        • Also everything tightesns up just a bit with the ifi usb cleaner things. Looks like the sources and chain really matters to get the most out of this, as with all USB based dacs i’ve noticed. Any funkiness/suboptimal setup brings down the quality of this quite drastically in my opinion.

    Closing Thoughts
    (read this if ya don’t wanna deal with all the ramblings above)

    • Ok i probably rambled on for way too long. But here’s a spider chart that gives an overview of the comparisons. I also threw in the day 1.5 YG for comparison, and the apple dongle as a reference point (ipad > dongle > audioquest 3.5 to rca adapter > speakers | ZMF )
    • [*]Side Track - The dongle, was… surprisingly bad. I’d half expected it to be like oh hey its not too bad and put it at like a 2 or a 3. But oh man it was awful. Super grainy, etchy, no details or bass textures to speak of, as digital as it gets, and even has VERY audible pops ever once in a while. Maybe these aren’t as bad with iems? Dunno. Im never using these ever again tho.

      [*]
    [​IMG]
    • So overall, three are super close with each other, just different in terms of the presentation
      • YG A1 has the best technicalities hands down. Everything just sounds right

      • SFD is the most organic and engaging. I forget i’m listening to files. Its pure music.

      • Walnut has the best flavor, i keep saying “damn” when i listen to tracks, especially when there are nice vocals or instruments that really sorta just glisten. Like awesome expensive sweets/desserts for my ears.

      • Only gotcha’s of the walnut - staging & USB
        • Staging isn’t as amazing as the other two, but it’s plenty good.

        • Even if theres a bit of usb funkiness one would need to deal with, its totally worth it. (granted, once set up its actually a far far simpler chain)
      • One HUGE benefit the form factor of how compact and pretty the Walnut is, and when connecting to the ipad it essentially one cable. Way simpler than the Pi2AES setups. The Combo of it connecting to the ZMF pendant is functionally space saving, aesthetically pleasing, and sonically wonderful.

    Now. Gotta figure out how i’d get one of these. LoL
     
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    Last edited: Feb 12, 2022
  7. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    Going to set up my walnut today. 1 question. Mine dis not come with the Triad 1.5A wall wart. And instead has a decently bulked Amigo plug, should I be good to go?

    @TomB
    @dsavitsk

    Pic below:
    [​IMG]
     
  8. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    that was the stock wall-wart before they switched to triad, so you are good to go... and the triad is just as bulky
     
  9. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    Thanks for the info @dasman66 ! Looking forward to this one.

    Any reason to grab a triad as well, or just for my own preference?
     
  10. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    I had the amigo which suffered a premature death about 1 month into use. @TomB switched the stock to triad when he sent me the replacement. I could not hear any difference between the two of them, so no reason for you to switch.
     
  11. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    Early impressions are pretty good. It feels very "polite" with the BHC and Atrium. It may be a little too eased with the smooth Atrium and rounded BHC natures. The mandolin on "Battle of Evermore" feels a bit more like window dressing than with other dacs.

    It does add a little intimacy to certain tracks which has added a nice touch to acoustic sets.

    It also fits in very nicely to the whole setup[​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2022
  12. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    This matches my first few hours impression extremely well. I have an old Cowon Dap that had a Wolfson and it matched here as well, though i used Cowon's excellent EQ and DSP to excite it more.

    The Walnut would probably be an excellent match for brighter amps and cans. I can see the Headamp GS-X amps being a good balance here. It did help with more aggressive tubes in my BHC.

    I felt the Bifrost 2 with the BHC could be a bit too much at times and it felt closer in. I didnt try a tamer tube set with this as getting the bf2 rigged up is a pia with undoing and redoing the set up in 2 tight spots.

    The walnut was wider and more polite. No issues with the usb for me coming out of the lumin. I did hear digital noise picked up somewhere at times but i cant say it was the dac, too inconsistent to pin down.

    I am still not sure if this is for me. Ideally I would love something between this and the bf2. It is gorgeous and compact, and it matches the simplicity i want. I may try it at the desk but not sure i want to step into the usb windows audio driver world and possible pc noise. The bf2 unison reigns there and is dead quiet to boot.
     
  13. Souldriver

    Souldriver Almost "Made"

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    A little more listening today and some general observations vs a BF2.

    The Walnut is for sure lighter on it's feet and gives a bit more air and seperation to the total presentation. More nimble overall. Really kind of started liking this for orchestral music. Details are there but they arent as called upon and prominently up front as the bf2. The small details such as the rattle or strings, or a bow being out down seem to come and go quicker. Not sure if that is a general speed thing or just the Walnut not being as resolving of those things. Cleaner with its timing making things feel tidier.

    The BF2 leans more heavy and visceral. It for sure beats out the Walnut on the bottom end, more full and you can feel it more. I wont say it is fully punchier or slammier as its not a hard hit but if you love also hearing the bass guitar in rock songs the BF2 does it better. More intimate and in front of you, details are more prominent. More in your head and less space, not congested but objects are closer to each other. Overall not afraid to let it "rip" and embrace some good power chords.

    Surprise 3rd contender, an asus essence stu ive had for ages based on a Ti PCM1792A chip. It is a middle ground but closer to the bf2. Stage is slightly bigger than the bf2 by 3 hairs, but it is a little lighter and tighter like the walnut. I keep thinking maybe i stick with this one but the timbre is off, and the overall resolution is "fuzzier" and can be a bit condensed on itself. Oddly enough it is the most black background-ed and maybe most detailed/detail forward. My favorite part is hearing the tracks of a song being turned on, that extra little fuzz, and the swell of instruments slowly building up almost like they are heating up. It is oddly resolving of those things. The other dacs tend to just have the volume grow and dont present that "how the song was made" extra part.

    Here is a good ending comparison...

    With the Walnut, percussion is lighter but more exact and technical feeling. Like the line is being fed on a long printout via machine. I feel many of my drummer friends would adore this.

    On the BF2, it is looser but you feel it more. Kind of like its getting into a groove with a jam band. It all dances around more.

    Both are toe tapping but for different reasons.
     
  14. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

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    If you guys don't mind me asking does anyone compare the Walnut DAC with Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 or SFD-2?
     

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