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HeadRoom Micro DAC Arrived Today

post #1 of 22
7/5/06 at 11:50am
Thread Starter 
My HeadRoom Micro DAC arrived today at my office.

My anxious little fingers quickly opened everything up and got it set up:

Sony Vaio Laptop -> 192 Kbps .mp3 -> Foobar -> Micro DAC -> No-Name I/C -> PA2v2 -> E4c

It sounds darn good, but I don't really have the time right now to compare a with and without the DAC scenario.

I am going to take it home tonight and hook it up to my home desktop PC. At least there I will be able to try 320 Kbps .mp3 files as well as CDs and some other players - Foobar, WinAmp, WMP.

After I get comfortable fooling around with it going through USB, I'm going to try and use the optical out of my X-Fi Xtreme Music and see if that makes any difference in sound. Also, I have a little Cardas mini-to-mini interconnect coming in the mail. I don't think that will make much of a difference, but I don't like having a coiled-up 18" interconnect obscuring my view of the Micro DAC.
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post #2 of 22
7/5/06 at 1:47pm
I love my Micro, so glad I forked out the $300 for it. I'm using the optical, I like that my music is a beam of light!

I've got a little Cardas mini-to-mini going into my amp too.
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post #3 of 22
7/5/06 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chri5peed
I love my Micro, so glad I forked out the $300 for it. I'm using the optical, I like that my music is a beam of light!

I've got a little Cardas mini-to-mini going into my amp too.
What kind of digital out do you have from your PC? I have a X-Fi Xtreme Music, and it has a 3-in-1 multi-jack with 3.5mm jack. I'm going to try a mono mini-to-mini cable that I supposedly can get from Radio Shack for pretty cheap.
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post #4 of 22
7/5/06 at 2:30pm
It's a shame there are so many cards out there with that 3.5mm jack. I wonder if doing pigtails from the board would be much better with RCAs or maybe even BNCs on the ends.
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post #5 of 22
7/5/06 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckybaer
What kind of digital out do you have from your PC? I have a X-Fi Xtreme Music, and it has a 3-in-1 multi-jack with 3.5mm jack. I'm going to try a mono mini-to-mini cable that I supposedly can get from Radio Shack for pretty cheap.
I use the Optical-out of my Juli@. Supposedly its as good as the digital-out of the $1000 Lynx card?
I'm using it Bit-perfect too.

Have you got an amp? You need one with the MicroDAC.
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post #6 of 22
7/5/06 at 9:43pm
Congratulations on your Micro Dac. I think it is a great product.
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post #7 of 22
7/5/06 at 10:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chri5peed
I use the Optical-out of my Juli@. Supposedly its as good as the digital-out of the $1000 Lynx card?
I'm using it Bit-perfect too.

Have you got an amp? You need one with the MicroDAC.
Oh, yes. I'm using my PA2v2 until I scrape together enough coin for the Micro Amp.

What is a Juli@?
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post #8 of 22
7/5/06 at 10:45pm
the juli@ is a very nice relatively low-cost card that has digital out as well as the option to choose between RCA or TRS analog i/o. well regarded around here and it's the card i'm planning on getting soon fwiw.
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post #9 of 22
7/5/06 at 11:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by warrior05
the juli@ is a very nice relatively low-cost card that has digital out as well as the option to choose between RCA or TRS analog i/o. well regarded around here and it's the card i'm planning on getting soon fwiw.
Oh, silly me! It is a sound card! I went and googled it and learned about it.

Sounds like a nice card for music.

Maybe I'll sell my X-fi and try one of those Juli@ cards. I guess I'd have to be pretty sure that I'm done gaming, though. I've quit BF2, and I don't really want to get into games now, but then again, the last time I said that, I only lasted a few months before I got into BF2 hard core.
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post #10 of 22
7/5/06 at 11:47pm
Thread Starter 
This shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone, but I figured I'd toss it out there anyway.

I've tested the following configs off of my home PC:

[A]: Sony DRU-710A -> Windows Media Player -> USB -> Micro DAC -> No-Name I/C -> PA2v2 -> DT 770 Pro/80

[B]: Sony DRU-710A -> Windows Media Player -> Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music -> DT 770 Pro/80

Configuration [A] sounds much, MUCH better than configuration [B]. I am currently listening to Roxy Music's Country Life HDCD, and here's what I'm finding:
  • [A] has a much less congested soundstage
  • [A] is much "cleaner" sounding - the mids seem to be brought forward a bit (which helps with the DT 770's tendancy to recess the mids) and the bass is clearer and less muddy
  • The timbre of the various sounds just seemed more distinct and "meaty" with [A]. I don't know if this is a function of the DAC or the amp, because I get this feeling of "meatiness" when I use the amp with the line out from my iPod.
  • The combo still isn't enough to bring the mids- and vocals up to where they need to be. Although an improvement, vocals are still better with my E4c. This is a limitation of my DT 770, though.

BTW, basic set-up of the DAC went very well. Just plug in and check to make sure it is set as your output device in whatever player you're using. I really like the way the DAC is put together, and I can't wait to get the Micro Amp. Not that there's anything wrong with the PA2v2, but I want it to be my portable amp, not the one that powers my PC rig, lol!
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post #11 of 22
7/6/06 at 12:56am
Try a/b-ing optical and usb. I tried real hard but, despite the general consensus on this board, I couldn't tell any difference. My micro has zero noise through usb so I'm using that and I'm using the optical for my iriver iHP-140. Get to use the handy little input switch that way.
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post #12 of 22
7/6/06 at 9:22am
I like how with using the optical, the MicroDAC is not connected to the PC other than through a piece of non-conducting glass/plastic, which also won't transfer any interference. USB is metal right? So its physically connected.
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post #13 of 22
7/6/06 at 4:27pm
Thread Starter 
Chrispeed,

Did you notice a big difference between USB and going optical?

I tested my digital line out from the X-Fi to see if I'd get sound via my set-up. I used a mono mini-to-mini connector, and obviously, it sounded poor compared to the USB connection.

I am interested in seeing how much of a difference going coaxial or optical will make. I am discussing the possibility of having a custom made cable with Bluemoon Audio, but I really don't want to have to spend big $$ unless it is going to provide me a noticeable improvement over the USB.

Thanks.
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post #14 of 22
7/6/06 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by akg_man701
Try a/b-ing optical and usb. I tried real hard but, despite the general consensus on this board, I couldn't tell any difference. My micro has zero noise through usb so I'm using that and I'm using the optical for my iriver iHP-140. Get to use the handy little input switch that way.
What kind of optical interconnect are you using?
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post #15 of 22
7/6/06 at 5:09pm
I've never tried the USB on mine? It would be real easy to A/B them, but I've never bothered.

I'm of the opinion with short runs all optical cables are the same. It either works or it doesn't, how can a blinking light be bettered?*
I guess with longer or non-static runs, durability and flexibility of expensive cables become a factor?



*My opinion!
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