Stello DA100 (show-off/impressions thread) - Page 33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironmine Then, how come my Stello played music when I fed it with 24/192 files via optical from my iRiver H120 player? I am puzzled. How can it be explained?

It gets downsampled.

Ok, I just found out that it is the RockBox firmware in iRiver H120 that downsamples (quite crudely) all bitrates to 44.1/16.

Hmm, don't remember saying that. If I did it was a typo, it always was  2704

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/238825/stello-da100-show-off-impressions-thread/15#post_2957571

Anyway it's tons better with HiFace. :)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by upstateguy 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironmine Can anyone please tell me which USB receiver does Stello DA100 have and which clocks does it have onboard?

I think Andrew said it was a 2707.

I never heard anything about the clocks.

USG

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT 

Hmm, don't remember saying that. If I did it was a typo, it always was  2704

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/238825/stello-da100-show-off-impressions-thread/15#post_2957571

Anyway it's tons better with HiFace. :)
 

I could be wrong Andrew????????  It was 270_ something.......  but why would it matter, even the Thingee transport was better than the native USB implementation in the Stello.

USG

Hey, anyone know when the Stello DA100 first went into production?  Also, is there different models/marks for the DA100?  I'm interested in one in which the seller claims that the unit was bought in 1997.  I didn't know that USB DACs were even alive then!  Regardless, if it was really produced in 1997, would there be a newer model or a version that possibly has different parts/sounds different?  Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChroniCali 

Hey, anyone know when the Stello DA100 first went into production?  Also, is there different models/marks for the DA100?  I'm interested in one in which the seller claims that the unit was bought in 1997.  I didn't know that USB DACs were even alive then!  Regardless, if it was really produced in 1997, would there be a newer model or a version that possibly has different parts/sounds different?  Thanks.

The original version was introduced in 2006, Signature in 2008.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChroniCali 

Hey, anyone know when the Stello DA100 first went into production?  Also, is there different models/marks for the DA100?  I'm interested in one in which the seller claims that the unit was bought in 1997.  I didn't know that USB DACs were even alive then!  Regardless, if it was really produced in 1997, would there be a newer model or a version that possibly has different parts/sounds different?  Thanks.

I don't know about 1997 either......  sounds too old.... Got any pictures or serial #?

Maybe Andrew knows??

The other thing is that the USB implementation is not good, so if you want to use it that way, you're going to need a transport like the Trends or "Thingee" .

USG

Thanks guys for the quick response, I will ask him again if it was really 1997, I think they probably meant 2007.  But regardless, I will not be using the USB interface, I will be running it with a coaxial through the spdif of my computer, like how I am currently running from my Bel Canto DAC 1.  I wonder how it will compare with the Stello. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChroniCali 

Thanks guys for the quick response, I will ask him again if it was really 1997, I think they probably meant 2007.  But regardless, I will not be using the USB interface, I will be running it with a coaxial through the spdif of my computer, like how I am currently running from my Bel Canto DAC 1.  I wonder how it will compare with the Stello. ;)

At one of the NY meets, we compared my stello with one of the newer, but non USN benchmarks, using the Thingee as a transport.  After switching the cables back and forth to eliminate the cables as a factor, we lost track of which DAC was connected to which input on my GS-1, because we couldn't tell them apart.....

In another test I did, volume balancing the stello to a neko MKI, (also with the GS-1 because it has 2 inputs and it's easy to flip back and forth), I was not able to tell them apart.... this came as a big surprise because when I listened to them separately, they seemed to have very different sound signatures. The louder stello seemed to have a  smile EQ relative to the frown EQ of the 4db quieter neko.  After volume balancing they both sounded the same.  I have a post somewhere about this in the sources forum about 'chicken tasting better than crow'. <BG>

Neither example represents a scientific test of any sort, but they are food for thought.

USG

By the way, he did make a mistake, it was purchased in Feb 2007.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by upstateguy 

At one of the NY meets, we compared my stello with one of the newer, but non USN benchmarks, using the Thingee as a transport.  After switching the cables back and forth to eliminate the cables as a factor, we lost track of which DAC was connected to which input on my GS-1, because we couldn't tell them apart.....

 

In another test I did, volume balancing the stello to a neko MKI, (also with the GS-1 because it has 2 inputs and it's easy to flip back and forth), I was not able to tell them apart.... this came as a big surprise because when I listened to them separately, they seemed to have very different sound signatures. The louder stello seemed to have a  smile EQ relative to the frown EQ of the 4db quieter neko.  After volume balancing they both sounded the same.  I have a post somewhere about this in the sources forum about 'chicken tasting better than crow'. <BG>

 

Neither example represents a scientific test of any sort, but they are food for thought.

 

USG

Thanks for the food for thought.  Putting it in a nutshell, do you mean that DACs all sound the same? ;)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChroniCali 

By the way, he did make a mistake, it was purchased in Feb 2007.
 

 

Thanks for the food for thought.  Putting it in a nutshell, do you mean that DACs all sound the same? ;)
 

I would not want to say that because I upgraded from a DAC-AH to a Zhaolu D2 to a Constantine+ to a Stello DA100 and then when I set up another rig in a different room I started with the old Constantine+ and migrated to a North Star MKII........... 

But those two instances are, as I think James Woods said regarding the 18 hours of static in the movie "Contact", "Interesting".

USG

Hey, just a quick question.  Does it matter which SPDIF output from my computer that I use to connect to the Stello?  Meaning if I connect my Stello to my motherboard SPDIF and if I connect my Stello to a dedicated soundcard SPDIF, will it sound different?  Also, I read in past posts that some people go through extra resampling in foobar, how does this change the sound and how can I do this?  Just trying to find the best way to get my unit to sound optimal before I officially get it. ;)

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChroniCali 

Hey, just a quick question.  Does it matter which SPDIF output from my computer that I use to connect to the Stello?  Meaning if I connect my Stello to my motherboard SPDIF and if I connect my Stello to a dedicated soundcard SPDIF, will it sound different?  Also, I read in past posts that some people go through extra resampling in foobar, how does this change the sound and how can I do this?  Just trying to find the best way to get my unit to sound optimal before I officially get it. ;)

 

Thanks!

The best answer is for you to try it yourself and see which sounds better with your set up.  I generally don't care for resampling in foobar but if you want to, you might try the SOX resampler.  Then, see if you can tell the difference between the resampled and the non-resampled sound.  My Stello is connected to the optical outs from the MBs of 2 Shuttle computers.

I also keep my Stello in the 'by pass' mode.

USG