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Review: ZERO 24 BIT/192KHz DAC/Headphone Amp/Pre-Amp - Page 562

post #8416 of 9303
12/15/08 at 12:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattcalf View Post
I have a bantam DAC and I'm building a starving student so I'm wondering if it'd be worth using the Zero as a pre-amp.
So:
Laptop > bantam > ZERO > starving student > Q40s

Or should I use the ZERO independent of the other two? (If I get one)
The Zero only has digital inputs, either coax or optical, so you can't use analog outputs from another DAC to feed the DAC/pre-amp in the Zero.
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post #8417 of 9303
12/16/08 at 4:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coreyk78 View Post
The Zero only has digital inputs, either coax or optical, so you can't use analog outputs from another DAC to feed the DAC/pre-amp in the Zero.
Ok thanks for clearing that up.
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post #8418 of 9303
12/16/08 at 7:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jujulio View Post
Thanks currawong, i will keep that in mind when the time is ripe for buying an amp!
edit: i saw your review i enjoed it, realy abstracting to deliver the meaning to a newcomer like me. So you think it's best designed for low impendance cans like AKG and Denon, how would it sound with a HD 650 given its impendance? Truth is i meanly listen to electronica, trance, goa, dark etc...I used to listen to rock and some classical with organs like Bach, but when i got my HD650 and my father's marantz 30 years old receiver, i fell for this kind of music, while the music i once favored didn't rival its pleasure. But your review makes me think about that, should give it a try again I assume that my setup is currently favoring this type of music, though i don't regret because it allows me to explore new music.
You bring up a very good point. I discovered quite a bit of music not suited to AKG K701s was fantastic with my Denons, which opened up a world of music that is brought to life by them.

The C2C does pretty well with all cans IMO. The perspective you often hear on the forums about high-impedance headphones needing tube amps comes from the high-end of the listening spectrum. I plugged my HD650s into the Zero (before I traded them for the HD600s) and was quite pleased with the result. Having headphones that are too good for your gear in a manner allows you to upgrade everything else and hear a clear improvement.
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post #8419 of 9303
12/16/08 at 10:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Currawong View Post
Having headphones that are too good for your gear in a manner allows you to upgrade everything else and hear a clear improvement.
That's my route also

Compared to the Zero amp + LD MKV, which upgrade after that was the biggest, your dac upgrade or your amp upgrade?
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post #8420 of 9303
12/16/08 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henmyr View Post
That's my route also

Compared to the Zero amp + LD MKV, which upgrade after that was the biggest, your dac upgrade or your amp upgrade?
That's a hard question to answer. When I did the C2C review, I was going about picking apart the fine details when listening. There were two aspects that stuck in my mind with upgrades: Improved detail and separation and improved ability to drive headphones (deliver that detail). The former was delivered by a DAC upgrade, and the latter by an amp upgrade.

Considering this actually, I've ignored component synergy, that is, what combinations of components work well together. In one of the head-fi meets, someone wrote about how in a system, you could change one component and the system then sounded horrid. In an article on one of the hi-fi review sites, correspondingly, someone changed one component in his system and suddenly nailed the right combination, resulting in amazing sound. After going through a few components now, I'm starting to feel what others have said about it being more important about enjoying listening than whether the system is perfect or not. For me, that means I might have, in the beginning, just bought the Zero and been happy, using the same headphones as I had for 15 or more years (MB Quart QP 55Xs if you were wondering). So if you're enjoying yourself now, keep enjoying yourself. The further you go up the chain, the harder it is.
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post #8421 of 9303
12/17/08 at 3:11am
Hey guys,

Alright I love my new zero, but this clicking is driving me mad. It clicks a relay when it receives a new signal, and another when it looses it. Since the whole computer is running through coax out to the zero, it clicks every time there is a small noise on the computer.

I read a few pages back about there is a light that turns on inside when it receives a signal and turns off when its gone. That got me thinking, might there be a way to manually force the zero to hold that relay open? I know absolutly nothing about circuitry, but I thought someone here might.

Some people have suggested that they dont have this problem b\c their sound cards are obviously sending some sort of data through the digital outs all the time so the zero's relay just stays open, but I really dont want to add a sound card just to use its digital out (b\c there wouldnt theoretically be any increase in SQ over mobo on board coax out...right?). I am using ASIO4all if that matters..

Anyways, ANY help would be greatly appreciated!!
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post #8422 of 9303
12/17/08 at 9:42am
Yes, you could force the relay to stay closed-circuit. You'd have to look up the part number of the relay and give us the pinout for us to tell you which pins need to be connected together. And you may find you get unwanted noises when there is no actual input signal.

TBH mate, pick up an AV-710 and use the optical out instead. They're dirt cheap, and mine keeps the output open the whole time

~Phewl.
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post #8423 of 9303
12/17/08 at 5:26pm
Well, having just purchased my second Zero, this one for my "Head-Theater" setup, I can add confirmation to the consensus of WSZ0304 being a much better seller than Lawrence. Communication was MUCH better, and shipping was 6 days order to door - As opposed to Lawrence's Month.

Now then, where shall I buy an HDAM or two...
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post #8424 of 9303
12/17/08 at 5:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oatmeal769 View Post
Well, having just purchased my second Zero, this one for my "Head-Theater" setup, I can add confirmation to the consensus of WSZ0304 being a much better seller than Lawrence. Communication was MUCH better, and shipping was 6 days order to door - As opposed to Lawrence's Month.

Now then, where shall I buy an HDAM or two...
See the sig of APs post right above you! Audio-GD is the place! Great serive there too - when my first HDAMs came with the leads loose in some places, even though I fixed it myself, he gave me 50% off my next order.
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post #8425 of 9303
12/17/08 at 6:59pm
I have to say that I'm not quite happy with Audiophilechina's way of doing business.

I ordered two Zero's... almost a month ago. After two weeks i sent them a message asking where they might be lingering. Right away received a message saying that someone will check the details and reply the next day... This was one and a half weeks ago. Still no reply.
Better contact them again..

I just want my zero
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post #8426 of 9303
12/17/08 at 7:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by electropop View Post
I have to say that I'm not quite happy with Audiophilechina's way of doing business.

I ordered two Zero's... almost a month ago. After two weeks i sent them a message asking where they might be lingering. Right away received a message saying that someone will check the details and reply the next day... This was one and a half weeks ago. Still no reply.
Better contact them again..

I just want my zero
You may like to pile on my thread in the Vendors forum. I figured if they wouldn't answer during pre-sales, FRAK-EM!
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post #8427 of 9303
12/17/08 at 9:37pm
OK! Finally got the cash back from the other amp that I recently returned and now have the funds to purchase a Zero.

From what I could gather by searching through these 800+ pages about the zero the mods to have are the HDAM Earth (v1?) for the DAC section and the LT1346 for the amplifier. Then there was something about some 22uf caps? Finally there's the Frankenmod which can be purchased from PP (still, I hope).

The person to buy from is WSZ0304 on ebay.

Do I have everything correct?
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post #8428 of 9303
12/17/08 at 9:45pm
Yes, your correct on all counts, but have a look at this: Introduction to the Zero DAC and Headphone amplifier. - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

The 22uf cap mod is covered in the section: The unnecessary capacitors

The Frankenmod is a kit and you have to DIY, more here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/fra...-heart-370985/
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post #8429 of 9303
12/18/08 at 4:32am
Hi, this is my first time when i try to use a ZERO DAC but the problem for me is that i really dont know how should i connect to my soundcard. Basically i want to use Zero DAC as preamp for my AKG 601, so i want to take the signal from my Creative X-Fi the problem is i dont have optical out so i need to use a RCA coaxial cable, the problem is that my knowleadge about this stuff are basically 0 (zero), so i need some advise like to some little child.

Should i connect a cable from LINE IN from Creative X-FI and plugged to LINE OUT or COAXIAL on my ZERO DAC?
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post #8430 of 9303
12/18/08 at 5:09am
DaLiu: The Zero DAC has only two digital inputs - one OPTICAL and one COAXIAL. Your sound card must have a digital output too - either coaxial or optical.

So, you have only two possible ways how to connect the Zero DAC to your soundcard:

1. Optical digital output of your soundcard > optical cable > OPTICAL digital input of the Zero

2. Coaxial digital output of your soundcard > coaxial cable > COAXIAL digital input of the Zero

There is no other way to connect the Zero to your soundcard.

The Line OUT connectors of the Zero are analog outputs of the Zero for some external amplifier.
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