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If you like the sound.... then yeah - do it.

Don't let anyone tell you what you should/shouldn't be doing. As long as you enjoy the sound and your not blasting your ears (and therefore likely to damage your ears) then just enjoy it however you like.

I got my aria from Jan this morning. It was well packed. The real aria looks better than its pics. It is beautiful.

I have listened to music with aria + K271S (zu cable) combo for about half an hour. My initial impression is: music is so FLAT! I feel something lacks. Probably musical things. Before I try the aria, I found that my DVD-HD 950 universal player and my iPod much difference in sound quality. More high and deep bass with the universal player. But with Aria + K271S combo, I can't find the sound quality that much different with my iPod. Rather, I am considering somewhat iPod + Aria + K271S (zu cable) might be better than DVD-HD 950 + Aria + K271S (zu cable).

So I think there must be something wrong. Is it a problem of burn-in of the newly arrived aria? Or it might be a problem of an interconnect between DVD-HD 950 and Aria? I am using Straight Wire Harmony Interconnects (Headroom sells it for $29.95). Or is the result of a non-good match between K271S and Aria?

I broke mine in for a good 100 hours before really listening, and I recommend this highly.

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Thank you, Skylab. I got the same tip from Jan.

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Wow..Jan actually believes in breaking a SS amp? That's weird. What's there to break in? I can still believe breakin on headphones where there are moving parts, but on SS amps?

Well, after around 90 hours burn-in, I can tell music becomes smoother and deeper. But I am not sure whether it was the result of the burn-in of my Aria, because my universal player was a new one as well. Maybe both of them (including interconnects) are burned in?

Yesterday I was curious as a USB DAC, I tested the Aira with my laptop (Apple iTune, Apple Lossless files). But my initial impression was not that much good. I can't feel deep high and bass with my lossless files. Also the DAC needs many hours burn-in? After that, is it going to be better?

I used my computer to burn mine in so I can't comment on whether or not the DAC experiences any changes from burn-in. I will say that I find the internal DAC to be on the lean side and the amp, in my experience, will pass along any signature of the source very well.

With my Proceed DAC (using lossless from iTunes through an M-Audio Transit) I get excellent bass quality and quantity when the recording calls for it. With the internal DAC the quality is pretty good but the quantity is a little lacking. Compared to the onboard soundcard on my Mac Mini the Aria's DAC is definitely an improvement, it just tends to be lean so I usually listen in that config with my 225s w flats.

Ant

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Yes, I agree with that. It is so lean!

Man I feel like an idiot, I just now figured out why the volume was so low when I used the DAC on the Aria: I didnt know that I had to go into the sound options for the DAC itself in the control panel of my computer. I'd been neglecting the DAC since I got the Aria because I thought it was too damn quiet. I really like it now that I can get the volume where I want. Very clean, even, and controlled sound. Sounds better than the line out of my Audigy 2 zs.

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I already volumed up in the control panel.

I had to max out the Master Volume and the volume switch on Winamp to get the desired results.

Nothing lean about what I was hearing though.

Yea the bass is better with the Aria's DAC than with the line out of my Audigy 2 ZS. From what I can tell anyway...

Hi,

Just got the Corda Aria and noticed that the USB light is always on when USB is connected, even when switch is set to Analog Input and also when the unit is powered off. Is this normal? Just wondering. I would have thought that the USB light indicator would turn off when the switch is set to Analog in, or when the unit is powered off.

Thanks.

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This is normal - the USB light is always on whenever the USB is connected (that includes when the unit is off) There was something (I think maybe even in this thread) about putting some more resistance inbetween the LEDs to make them a little dimmer.

Personally I have 2 pieces of blue tac (or local equivalent) stuck over both of the lights just to block them out... my room is generally rather dark at time and I found those lights rather piercing.

Thanks m_memmory. I'll try putting something over the lights too. They're very bright!