Nano IDSD or Jds ODAC (RCA)

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Patomata, Dec 7, 2015.

  1. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    The E10K is a different version than the first E10. In general, the X3ii, X5ii, E10K, etc. have all left behind Fiio's previously warm house sound.
     
  2. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Honestly, let me be super blunt: the pace at which new awesome DACs have come out is astounding and it has completely shifted my recommendations based off the quality you get. This is what I'd recommend:

    If you are spending less than $250-300: use your existing phone, laptop, desktop, or receiver headphone out. If you REALLY want to spend $100, get a Modi 2.

    Once you have $250-300, buy a Geek Out V2 and make sure you have balanced cables.

    Use that until you can afford Gungnir Multibit or better.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,779
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Even Modi 2 won't be a huge jump. As I've said, move up to the value DACs at around $400, and then you will start hearing differences better sonics. Maybe.
     
  4. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    One consideration maybe to to improve ones USB power as ZD and Marv said before. It may help the E10K just as it does the ODAC.

    Maybe try a decent usb hub. Or go the Schit Wyrd way. This starts to decrease convinience though.
     
  5. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    This advice is huge. And there.... goes an industry!
     
  6. Patomata

    Patomata New

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2015
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Then I assume that I will not find anything miraculous with around 200$, loud and clear :)

    When you say that the ODAC need a decent USB power, do you want to say the "cable" or the usb port?

    I have never heard that about the need of "power" in the ODAC, is new for me.

    Thank all of you guys :)
     
  7. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    The power from the usb port might be filled with demons and goblins. A powered usb hub or a Wyrd (fro Schitt) might be able to exorcise your usb interface with their blessed touch.
     
  8. Patomata

    Patomata New

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2015
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Hahahah xD
     
  9. Nateman831

    Nateman831 Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2015
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    New York, NY
    Home Page:
    @ultrabike that's a good point... FWIW the e10k I had came in an Olympus box, and I bought it in the Spring. I think it was the new one, but I don't know... I'm pretty sure my ODAC is the original - but I guess I should also point out I've always tended to place it higher than I sense many others do, but I'm not sure why.

    More and more, my thoughts align with what @zerodeefex just said - that you really need to spend a certain amount of money to get above the quality say of my iPhone 6. I feel like my ODAC/O2 definitely does that, but I still prefer the "tone" of my iPhone 6, so you may not get everything.

    For the ODAC, I think it's more cost effective to simply get a $15 powered USB hub which will ensure it's getting the right amount of power.

    Finally, take all opinions with a grain of salt, but especially mine. A lot of the other guys on here have more experience than I do.

    These days, this is my "cheap" setup: NVX XPT-100 out of my iPhone 6, and I would never tell a friend to get anything else unless they wanted to spend at least around $1000. Everyone I have let listen to these has been VERY impressed. I used the angled pads to hopefully help negate some of the hissy treble
     
  10. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    lol
     
  11. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    Well, unless you were closed back or portable, I could see quite an improvement with a Magni Uber 2 and HD600. That would only run around $500. I wasn't really that impressed with the HM5 though.
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,779
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Yeah, buy a Wyrd or Regen. You can use those devices later as they "improve" most DACs.
    So true. See my posts on USB cable gremlins with m9xx. The spurs even showed up on the measurements via headphones!
     
  13. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    USB power-line evil spirts are very real. Filty power lines are the cause of many DAC and Amp sicknesseses.

    Why, just a few minutes ago a friend of mine (ASIC designer) was complaining to me that his O2 is giving him sporadic static noise issues. Not kidding. Like exactly 5 min ago. Creepy.
     
  14. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    At what point does the line out of a cheap source like ipod, X3ii, etc become "better" than a computer with all the potential USB problems? Is it possible that battery operated is consistently cleaner?
     
  15. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    It proly depends on implementation. But consider that size and convinience may command some compromises.
     
  16. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    What amp is he using with it? There's that mismatch between the O2 and Odac when the O2 is on high gain.
     
  17. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    LOL! Dude is using Dell PC headphone or line out.

    Cannot use USB device in such computer.
     
  18. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    5,345
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Unless the Realtek in your computer or phone is noisy as shit, there's no reason to get an entry level DAC. They're mostly not asynchronous, they have shitty USB controllers and driver support, and you'll be using DirectSound with them anyway so unless it's noisy as shit and you can't sell blood or not drink two cases of PBR a week to get 50 more bucks don't bother. A good vs shitty USB controller is basically more important than what actual modern DAC chip you stick in and the cheap guys cheap the hell out.

    Listen to us and don't bother with bus-powered shit. My Thinkpad T series randomly has a good, probably over-volted USB bus power but all of the other laptops in my house don't.

    The Modi 2 Uber is the cheapest one worth buying (trust me I'm half Irish) and then after that you can go to multi-bit land but good R2R dacs won't beat well implemented D-S DACs (if they really beat them at all...) for detail presented (even if it has noise/glare) until you spend almost 8-10x the price of the M2U. NOS DACs are 80s whiskey warmth for vinyl lovers (all good R2R dacs oversample. Also all good, modern ADCs are analog to delta-sigma to PCM so whatever and SACDs are a ripoff. I have a major drunk rant I have to edit on D-S and comparing DACs to vinyl. The Bifrost regular wouldn't even be that much better than the Modi 2 Uber. They both use very similar DAC chips but the Bifrost's is inaudibly minutely better performing with more features that Schiit doesn't let dumb people select but really just has a better analog stage with a different sound signature (audiophile warm vs studio lean) so synergy with your transducer and amp will affect you more than the actual "improvement".
     
  19. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,019
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    Aw, crap. I thought you said your friend was using ODAC. My bad.
     
  20. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    He is using the O2 in there. LOL! he suspects poor grounding. It's possible he has a dud. But more than likely the powerline is possessed by Satan himself.
     

Share This Page