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Review: ZERO 24 BIT/192KHz DAC/Headphone Amp/Pre-Amp - Page 406

post #6076 of 9304
9/4/08 at 10:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeBuLLeT View Post
Yea I just read that and I think my asio4all is working. When I change the volume on "wave" it doesn't affect the volume at all. Guess I am getting Bit-perfect-playback. Thanks peete and nedman and also the creator of that thread.
If you are using Vista, download the WASAPI plugin for Foobar2000(and Foobar if you have). Then set output to WASAPI. It's easier on Vista.
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post #6077 of 9304
9/4/08 at 11:22pm
Yippee! Senn 650s are in the air today and the HDAMs have arrived in NZ.
Be here later today or tomorrow I think.
I too don't want to turn my Zero into a wire-y mess, if it ain't easily retrofittable, I don't want it. The power diodes (Shottkey) and better LT regulators are pretty easy and I like that idea. Can't remember exactly what model number they were, but there are far superior regs that slot straight in. I'd be interested in doing that for sure and if I could find some small value polystyrene caps, I would pop them in place of those icky little ceramics. I've done that many times on other projects and it's subtle yet worthwhile.
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post #6078 of 9304
9/4/08 at 11:31pm
Just got my LT1364's hooked them on the headamp....the result is FANTASTIC!!

As a newbie I installed two 1364's with the browndog adapter on one headamp slot..blew one opamp...luckily I had bought four units when I realized that there were two headamp slots...DUH!! Did the fix and boom! I am waiting for the 637's...

Meanwhile I replaced the 2227 on my portable DIY amp with the last 1364 and the thing sound beautiful!!!!

Thanks again to all of you for such a great thread!!
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post #6079 of 9304
9/5/08 at 12:24am
trax I actually have XP but can you use WASAPI on xp?
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post #6080 of 9304
9/5/08 at 1:09am
Ive had this little fault trying changing opa sun and earth..sometimes I didnt get the right spot while connecting them without extension, but they appeared to be ok..the result was a noticeable volume drop and cloudy highs, but the sound wasnt so bad, for this I can suggest to check that your opa is connected in the right way (for the sun is easier because of the led)

Opa kicks ass, nothing else to say, way better than 627, my ears are not bleeding for the highs penetrating harshness anymore, exciting sound. Very happy, thanks to all, expecially someone of course, you know, u are the heroes (musically speaking).

Im waiting for the mods right now
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post #6081 of 9304
9/5/08 at 1:45am
Wow.

This thread never stops giving us improvements in spades!!

I got the Earth via DHL today. 3 days from China to Texas, no sweat. I have been listening for about 4 hours straight with the Earth in the Dac and it is just freaking awesome.

So this is supposed to get BETTER with burn in hours??? INcredible.

I do not have it grounded yet and am using my GLite amp instead of the built in head amps.

I don't wanna go to bed yet, Mama!!!
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post #6082 of 9304
9/5/08 at 3:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emanuel View Post
Ive had this little fault trying changing opa sun and earth..sometimes I didnt get the right spot while connecting them without extension, but they appeared to be ok..the result was a noticeable volume drop and cloudy highs, but the sound wasnt so bad, for this I can suggest to check that your opa is connected in the right way (for the sun is easier because of the led)

Opa kicks ass, nothing else to say, way better than 627, my ears are not bleeding for the highs penetrating harshness anymore, exciting sound. Very happy, thanks to all, expecially someone of course, you know, u are the heroes (musically speaking).

Im waiting for the mods right now
Actually, I have to agree with you there on the sound of the 627s, which has surprised me greatly. They are bright and forward whenever I use it in the DAC, no matter what I use in KHA (my other head amp). They have been spectacular in KHA with the standard 2604 in the DAC, yet it becomes a little wearing after a while. "I want what he's having" -ie; PP and Pench, something I can listen too for hours yet have all the clarity and detail I love so much. My HDAMs are now not due in NZ until the weekend and ought to be on my doorstep Monday morning or Tuesday at the latest, Kingwa's English was a little, shall we say, dodgy.
What I have done while playing around a bit is put the Brown Dog with two LT1028s in it into KHA and that has done wonderful things for my Senn 540Rs, which are VERY sensitive to upper mid emphasis, as in the 627s, in my system at least. I just kept the standard 2604 in the DAC and at least I have sweeter sounds now, if a bit rolled at the tops. From all that I've heard so far on the HDAM incarnations, OPA Earth will do me just fine in the DAC.
I am thinking orgasmic things when the HD650s arrive next week sometime ..... mmmmmmm .....
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post #6083 of 9304
9/5/08 at 3:37am
LOL "orgasmic" sennsay. I have the hd650's with the zero. No separate amp yet but the Earth on the Dac sounds really good.
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post #6084 of 9304
9/5/08 at 4:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pricklely Peete View Post
I think you are correct about that.

You have a direct out...how does it sound to your ears ? Usually you can detect signal loss and degradation with careful comparison vs a dedicated CDP using a familiar track for reference.

Peete.
it's slight more brilliant and less flat... but maybe it's placebo...
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post #6085 of 9304
9/5/08 at 5:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Booo View Post
Glad you discovered the LT1028 greatness! Throw away those dull and harsh OPA627...
Where are you using the 1028s, Booo? I must say I have never thought of the 627s as harsh, definitely bright in some applications. I think it's just the combo of my headphones and various electronics that doesn't gel with them, as I have no reason to doubt PP and Pench and others, who find them a magic combo as far as op-amps go.
I do like the 1028s though, where I have used them in KHA. Not great, but very nice. I have actually gone to 1364 in both DAC and KHA now and retrieved the 3D back again which the 1028 loses a tad by rolling the very tops in my amp.
Someone mentioned waaaaay earlier in this thread that the 1364 (may have been Penchum) is wonderful in the DAC with his SPEC amps, though ruthless on dodgy recordings, I agree! I bought a new CD of some exquisite music yesterday but this pressing of the CD is an insult to the music, edgy and glarey. It's made glorious choral music almost unlistenable sometimes. Shame.
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post #6086 of 9304
9/5/08 at 6:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Booo View Post
Also try replacing the two LT1028 with an LT1361... should be interesting. What you'd prefer depends on your system (of course).
That is exactly what I have been thinking of doing this avo! Good things have been writen about this op-amp.
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post #6087 of 9304
9/5/08 at 6:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Booo View Post
The LT1028 in two DACs, a Super Pro 707 and a Musiland SVDAC05. It's not rolled off in the treble (hey, has 70 MHz of bandwidth, how could it be?), it's rather a little silky soft. Yep, that's also my little complaint with it - fortunately it is made up for by a wonderfully transparent midrange (more transparent than that of the LT1364).

The LT1361 is the next you would have to try. Has less midbass than the 1364, yet fuller vocals. Also has slightly better midrange transparency. It's my favorite of the LT13xx line (and, funnily, the very first LT I tried, a couple of years ago). That's not to say that the LT1364 isn't great!


Besides, the LT1361 has less stability issues than the LT1364. Ah, finally you would want to try the LT1358, which is slightly darker and smoother.

Mmmm, each op-amp seems to interact differently with whatever circuit it's in and it's certainly dark in the tops in KHA. It's added quite some fullness to the bass though, as if in my amp it has tipped the frequency up in the bass and down to the treble, interesting and kinda suits the Senn 540s, though robbing some air. Great with some music even so. Really though, I would rather the system was neutrally balanced and it's not always as easy as just putting the brighter 627s in the DAC to compensate. In fact with the 1028s in the DAC and 1364s in the Zeros amp, it just sounded a little weird to my ears. Fun for a while, but now I just want the HDAMs and some stability (in the op-amps too, heh heh ) in the system so that I can get down and really enjoy some great toons and the new Senns when they arrive. I s'pose it'll be a while before they burn in too!
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post #6088 of 9304
9/5/08 at 6:55am
Munchmunchchewchompcrunchmunch ..... the sound of me eating some of my words after dissing the CD I spoke of. I imported it into my Apple lappy as a lossless file and played it back through my Meier 2Move and the Denon 1000s and it sounds .... um .... mostly utterly exquisite. A touch of digititis in a few places, not perfect but damn fine all the same. AND it's utterly neutral!
Gulp, maybe my CDP as a transport could be a tad better, methinks. One thing I do know, the Zero improves greatly on the CDPs DAC and analogue electronics, as much as I have enjoyed it previously. I know 'cos I went back to the CDP a short time ago from it's analogue out. Yay Zero!
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post #6089 of 9304
9/5/08 at 8:33am
[OT]

Haven't dropped by here in a while. Checked here a few hours back and the thread's already grown by 6 pages. Pretty crazy traffic!

[/OT] My Zero's still rocking along happily. Also can't help but notice there's a few Kiwis in the club.
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post #6090 of 9304
9/5/08 at 8:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by alxwang View Post
I do not think you will be happy about D2000 with zero headphone Amp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trax416 View Post
Ya, it's between the D2000's and AD900's now. I never thought the Denon's needed a super good amp to power them.
I'm using modded D5000's and they are driven fine by the Zero, though better with my MKV. If I had bought the Zero in the first place, instead of the MKV, I probably wouldn't have bothered with the MKV. I'm waiting for the arrival of another pair of headphones with a different sound signature and impedance to compare a few things, however.

That being said, I'm sure I haven't the least gotten the most out of my Denons.
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