UPDATED 2/22 REVIEW 13 USB DAC amp - Predator, Pico, 2/3MOVE, D10 D3 D2 Viper/Boa D1, Lyrix, MicroAmp, Vivid V1, Nuforce, XM5

Is there any safe way to feed these single-end portable amps with full-size headphones without stressing their outlets?

infoseeker said:

Is there any safe way to feed these single-end portable amps with full-size headphones without stressing their outlets?

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Yes, purchase a 1/8" to 1/4" Grado adapter. About $15 and works great.

Larry, I would like it if you listened to the TTVJ Slim. Curious as to what you think, particularly with the ES5 but also the LCD-2. (I have a TTVJ Slim on the way which I intend to try with the CLAS and ES5...)

Thanks for the suggestion.
 
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hiflight said:

Yes, purchase a Grado adapter. Works great.

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cooperpwc said:

Larry, I would like it if you listened to the TTVJ Slim. Curious as to what you think, particularly with the ES5 but also the LCD-2. (I have a TTVJ Slim on the way which I intend to try with the CLAS and ES5...)

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I tried one in the TTVJ room with my HD800 at the CanJam 2009 and thought it sounded very good, desktop quality.  I imagine they still sound just as good now.  I just have too many portable amps to need another one, so I stopped looking.
 

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hiflight said:

Yes, purchase a 1/8" to 1/4" Grado adapter. About $15 and works great.

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I don't like Grado cable adapters, and use the Sennheiser ones.  I think they offer a little more micro-detail/transparency.  YMMV.
 
(Well, actually I use one with silver wire that AudioCats made for me the most, but don't find the Sennheiser ones to take away much from the music.)

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headphoneaddict said:

Finally, when I'm not mobile and just using my Macbook at home I find my DACmini to offer superior performance to the portable rigs, which I now use mostly when I travel but not at home. 

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A (trans) portable DACmini powered by a battery (Energizer XP18000):
http://www.head-fi.org/t/453116/audeze-lcd-2-orthos/15315#post_7627426
 

 

 
 

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/523850/centrance-dacmini-dac-amplifier-official-thread/270#post_7486714

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qusp said:

hey HA, did you get to rmaf? did you get to try out the wyred4sound portable dac and dac/amp offerings? any info its pretty thin on the ground as yet

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headphoneaddict said:

That's this coming weekend.  I've been pretty sick but haven't canceled plans to go yet.
 

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"μSeries (Three versions!)
The μSeries includes a μDAC, μDAC-­‐HD and a μLINK. 
All three products are constructed in the same chassis which is a 3.5”x3.5”x1” aluminum case powder coated black.
Depending on your needs all three may be of interest! In spite of the small size these units perform very well!
 
μDAC
• Three digital inputs including 24/96 async USB, 24/192 Coaxial and 24/192 Toslink
• RCA Analog output
• Power selectable between USB or 9V DC power supply
• Signal lock indicator
 
μDAC-HD
• 24/192 async USB
• RCA Analog output
• Headphone output
• Power selectable between USB or 9V DC power supply
• Signal lock indicator
 
μLINK (USB to S/PDIF converter)
• 24/192 async USB
• Coax, Toslink, BNC digital outputs
• Power selectable between USB or 9V DC power supply
• Signal lock indicator"

 
 

 

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danba said:

 

 
 
"μSeries (Three versions!)
The μSeries includes a μDAC, μDAC-­‐HD and a μLINK. 
All three products are constructed in the same chassis which is a 3.5”x3.5”x1” aluminum case powder coated black.
Depending on your needs all three may be of interest! In spite of the small size these units perform very well!
 
μDAC
• Three digital inputs including 24/96 async USB, 24/192 Coaxial and 24/192 Toslink
• RCA Analog output
• Power selectable between USB or 9V DC power supply
• Signal lock indicator
 
μDAC-HD
• 24/192 async USB
• RCA Analog output
• Headphone output
• Power selectable between USB or 9V DC power supply
• Signal lock indicator
 
μLINK (USB to S/PDIF converter)
• 24/192 async USB
• Coax, Toslink, BNC digital outputs
• Power selectable between USB or 9V DC power supply
• Signal lock indicator"

 
 

 

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Looks interesting, but I missed it.  Sorry.

I've been working on a review of the Audioengine D1 24/96 USB/Optical DAC/Amp that I picked up at RMAF http://www.head-fi.org/t/581474/review-of-the-new-audioengine-d1-24-96-usb-and-optical-dac-amp-in-progress#post_7909608 
 
I'll add to my posts later when the last bit is done, and also post it in the review section at that time.  I felt bad for taking this long to get any impressions posted, so I wanted to post something while I'm 80-90% done. I have not had a chance to fully compare to my uDAC-2 or assynch uDAC-2 SE yet, but I will. I'll also try the optical DAC via my Macbook Pro. 
 
I also have a new Nuforce uDAC-2 SE with Assynchronous USB mode, which I think sounds a bit more transparent and realistic than the original uDAC-2.  I'll be posting my impressions of that as well when I have time. The new Assynch uDAC-2 and the D1 are both strong competition to any of the DAC/amps I've previously reviewed in this thread, and both their RCA line out audio quality seems to be on par with my Pico Slim DAC-only RCA outputs (and RCA out is a little better than headphone out).
 
 

Quote:

danba said:

A (trans) portable DACmini powered by a battery (Energizer XP18000):
http://www.head-fi.org/t/453116/audeze-lcd-2-orthos/15315#post_7627426
 

 

 
 

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/523850/centrance-dacmini-dac-amplifier-official-thread/270#post_7486714

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Can somebody tell me what's the case on the last picture? it looks really nice and where to get it? 
thanks
 
 

Ah, nevermind i found it sorry 

HeadphoneAddict, would you please add  Audioengine D1 into your page.1 ranking ? If i've missed it by accident, please, link me to the thread/post... 

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alexroma said:

HeadphoneAddict, would you please add  Audioengine D1 into your page.1 ranking ? If i've missed it by accident, please, link me to the thread/post... 

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I don't have the 1-10 type of ranking anymore, but would divide the ranks into top tier, second tier and bottom tier (as mentioned elsewhere in this thread).  I also can't do such a finely divided placement because half the DAC/amps in this review are gone now.
 
I'd probably put the Audioengine D1 in the top tier with the D4 and upgraded D10 (opamp kits), because it's DAC is so clean and transparent and performs beyond the DAC of the 3MOVE or XM5 (whose DACs put those 2 into second tier despite their excellent amps).  The AE D1 amp section is on par with the second tier units, but with less power than 3MOVE or XM5 (esp for 300 ohm headphones like HD600).  
 
I'm now member of "team source first" and so I now tend to gravitate toward the units with the best DACs, even if some of the others have a better amp section. The disadvantage of the D1 or DACport is that their amp sections cannot be evaluated on their own without the DAC in the signal chain, so they can only be weighed as a whole unit.  I'd say the AE D1 is not as transparent as the D4 as a whole, which basically means the sound is very good although not as spacious and deep.  Even then the D4 is not as spacious and deep as the DACport (which is at the very top of the best).  But the units running on 5v USB only are also a little less powerful than those with a 9v battery.
 
To get an idea of where the AE D1 stands in my DAC/amp rotation, I use it daily for my headphones my Audioengine speakers with my Macbook Pro.  Being able to connect it to my AE speakers via RCA-out to control the volume, to feed it either USB or optical, and to have the speakers shut off when I listen to headphones is invaluable to me.  I previously used the DACport or the D4 in the position, but they were less convenient to switch between speakers and headphones.  The D4 uses a 1/8" line out and won't act as a pre-amp.  The DACport can be used as a speaker pre-amp but requires unplugging the speakers cable, and my speakers pop when unplugged and still powered up.
 
 

 
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To get an idea of where the AE D1 stands in my DAC/amp rotation, I use it daily for my headphones my Audioengine speakers with my Macbook Pro. Being able to connect it to my AE speakers via RCA-out to control the volume, to feed it either USB or optical, and to have the speakers shut off when I listen to headphones is invaluable to me.

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O, I've got the Idea. So AE D1 is a very good DAC for the money, and one of it's greatest pros is versatility when someone has to use both Speakers and (sensitive) Headphones. 
 
 
For a pure (hardcore) head-fi-er , though, Ibasso stuff serves better... Ok...