Review: ZERO 24 BIT/192KHz DAC/Headphone Amp/Pre-Amp - Page 200

9h30 with the 325s. Occasionallly 10 as well.

hmm ouch. I have OPA627 + LT1469 (EDIT: I used LT1469 not LT1364) now and am using my MS2i. They are probably rather equal to SR225 in the volume regard.

I'm around 8' and listening to "Nightwish - Wanderlust". I would even like to be able to go a bit lower, but then the channel imbalance kicks in. 9' is waaay to loud for my ears.

I tested the volume with my volume level meter, I use C-weighting, fast response and I look at the peaks.

8'o clock: around 65dB
9'o clock: 90dB!!!!! WAAAAAAY to loud.
I don't even want to go louder with fear of damaging my ms2i.

To keep the ears healthy in this hobby, I would suggest that you re-adjust to the 70-75dB range. It will take a while. In the beginning you will think that 70-75dB is extremely low volume, but after some weeks you will start to adjust and will not find it to be too low.

EDIT:
Trying the volume test again with a rather low volume cd: "Dire Straits(Brothers in Arms) - So Far Away"

8'o clock: 57-58dB
9'o clock: 78dB. This is much much better than 90dB.
10'o clock: around 94dB.

This CD is one of the lowest volume wise in my collection, and not even now is it safe with 10'0 clock.

How strange. You both do 9-10'o clock. I wonder if you have zeros which are different than mine, but I doubt it.

EDIT: For me, the biggest weakness of the Zero is the inability to listen at low volumes (around 60dB) with sensitive headphones. With MS2i and AD2000, I raise the volume slowly until the channel imbalance is gone and keep it there. This is around 8'. I only have 7,5' to 8,2' of the volume dial to use, rather bad. The Headfive is much much better in this regard.

I would like to have 50dB to be the lowest on the dial.

EDIT2: The Little Dot MKIII is also much much better, as I can listen at lower volumes.

Whats the word on the discrete module? How big of a difference does it make?

I've noticed that the signal coming in via Mac optical is quite hot and it seems too much sometimes. Not sure how to regulate that without using the volume in iTunes which i'm sure degrades ths sq.

also the signal outgoing from the pre-amp is quite hot. these are probably related. but does anyone know how to change the output from an iMac?

Turning down the volume of your digital signal (optical/coax out) shouldn't affect the SQ at all, as far as I know. I use this myself atm to reduce the 'inbalance' effect.

Does anyone have an answer to this?

Thanks

I should have it by mid week next Wednesday or earlier. It's 100 klm from me,right now, but being held for review by customs.

AFAIK I'm the only one that has ponied up the $$$ for the HDAM module. Lawrence has assured me it's a very nice jump up in SQ over and above the already excellent BB OPA627BP's. We'll soon see, or hear

Peete.

Upgrade, without a doubt.

Peete.

My Zero Amp/DAC should be here late next week. That makes it over a month that I have waited for it. Luckily my headphones are still in the process of being woodied, so it didn't bother me too much.

Mine are like these:

Yep those are the surface mount package. SOIC I believe is the official designation. I could be mistaken though, as I haven't checked recently.

Peete.

Is it being delivered by ricshaw and 1920's era float plane ?

Denon phones per chance ? I'd like to try a set of D5000's.

Peete.

The MKIII rarely makes it past 9 o'clock for me, after that it's way too loud on the HD650's. The Zero shouldn't make a difference (2v standard out from DAC I think) in fixed output mode. Tried some DVD-A's and surprisingly I had the volume up to noon for some disc's. I think the DVD deck was compressing the signal though since I had it set to 2 channel mix down. Probably the wrong setting somewhere. Sounded really really good but strange, blame it on the mix down algorithm, or my pick of mix down method. There are 2 to pick from, I picked wrong and can't change it until I hook it back up to a TV to see the damn menu. Big drawback to the new/dead formats, having impossible menus to page through blind. Major PITA.

Nuff about dat

Peete.

Hah, that's what it seems like.

No, I'm getting a pair of SR225's woodied/recabled by Cody at HeadCoverage. But I'd also like to try some D5000's, markl modded preferred!