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Dont now what do you think by "DI" but anyway, read the review only and reviewer said that hegel hd 2 has upgraded hd 10 tenor chip usb transport not being too specific.
I am still waiting distributor to get it and probably will audition arcam r dac and hegel hd2, just to see what is going on.
Did some comparisons between the nuForce uDac 2 and the Hegel HD2 and thought I would share if it helps.
My Setup: Audirvana.app (running with "Integer Mode" playing 24/96 FLAC) > Wire World Starlight USB cable > DAC > Schiit Lyr > Audio Technica ATH-M50)
Soundstage = Both are nice and wide, can't tell the difference. Tie for me.
Dynamics = Both allow me to hear the individual instruments clearly and separated... no blending. Tie here too.
Bass = Hegel is more laid back in the upper bass notes (80-150 hz), whereas nuForce has a slightly exaggerated presence here... it's very subtle though as I had to go back and forth several times to put my finger on it. Hegel wins here.
Treble = Both seem to have equal extension here and don't seem harsh. Tie for me.
Noise = nuForce has a slight 2db increase in background computer noise/interference. (Note that the voltage on the nuForce is 2V while the Hegel is 1.25V so I had to lower the volume on the nuForce amp to about 1 o'clock to match the Hegel).
Has anyone compared the nuForce uDac 2 and the HRT Streamer II+? I am looking at returning the Hegel HD2 as I thought it would be a nice improvement over my uDac 2, but at twice the price, I am just not sold on it. Really considering the HRT Streamer II+, but would love to hear feedback from those with both uDac 2 and HRT II+.
While some focus on the best possible analogue stage in their digital converters, Hegel choose instead to suppress digital noise that manifest itself in the form of time errors in the digital signal a.k.a. jitter. (bla bla bla.. meaning it can be used as a re-clocker).
The USB signal is processed by a new chip from Tenor providing low jitter (not asynchronous). After being converted into SPDIF the signal passes through two additional AKM circuits with jitter correction, combined with a discrete master clock.
It's power are drawn from the USB which gives it lower output voltage compared to other DACs, but Hegel seems to think that op-amps degrades the sound.
A biased Norwegian in a no-brainer thread stated that the choice of components and layout was indeed smart and worth every cent. A Japanese blogger (to some extent -> http://muplay.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2011-03-30) are agreeing that it's a simple and convincing design, but changed one Rubycon YK to a Sanyo OS CON and added two Shizuki caps beneath those green ones (think he's saying something about the limit of Hegel's budget). According to the shoddy Google translation he might be in cap-rolling limbo for some time-> http://muplay.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2011-04-17
Maybe the answer is not Nippon, one practical Danish guy tends to use Vishay / BC Component..
128 SAL-RPM (MAL212855478E3) and 136 RVI series (MAL213661102E3).
Quote:
What makes the SAL caps sound better is the fact that the plates are held in place with a solid potting compound that prevents any kind of micro-vibration when currents run through the capacitor. The lifespan of a SAL cap is an impressive 30.000 Hours at load.
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Look at the data sheet (PDF - 136 RVI). You will see nice linear curves for higher ripple currents. In our case it shows that for the 2.7A RMS you have a 1.5 - 2 times life expectancy (meaning 10500 - 14000 Hours) from 43 - 48 C ambient temperature. And as we all know this is only when playing sine waves. With music, the average ripple current is about 1/3 of that, increasing the life expectancy about 3 times the 10500.
Makes more sense spending $13 on capacitors and add some clean power, than trying to fix the "problem" with expensive cables.
Edit: Former Hi-Fi pusher now employed by Hegel explain the unexplainable or monolithic.. sort of, who really knows?
Hey Albedo you dag pretty useful information about hd2, do you own one ?
Saw that clip although it wasn't very useful, at leas for me. To me it looks like marketing gimmick ....
Maybe off topic but I ve auditioned one in Sweden and compared it next to the Thingee from Blue Circle Audio and further my netbook, Lehmann Black Cube Linear (analog output directly from HD2 and Thingee)and the HD-25 and other time the DD converting using a Benchmark DAC1 HDR and the T1 without a significant difference..
No it is not off topic at all, at contrary. Can you be a little detailed in comparison, like what were strong and bad points of the little hegel when compared with Benchmark using T1.
No it is not off topic at all, at contrary. Can you be a little detailed in comparison, like what were strong and bad points of the little hegel when compared with Benchmark using T1.
Ohh, maybe my English is too bad but actually I compared the HD2 as a D-D converter to my Thingee and as an DAC I ve used the Benchmark with headphone out. The reason was because I was looking for sth for my netbook to connect my personal DAC.
I am very familiar with the T1 because I am using them and what I can remind is that for me, and this would be personal, the Thingee was a bit smoother like the HD2. The technical performance was the same but the presentation was +1 for the Thingee
I'm really torn between HD2 (monolithic) and another DAC, using Google to piece it together only one could be verified as a sane option. Budget is below about.. $850, headphone, amplifier, DAC and cables. The other DAC is somewhat overstepping my budget, Metrum Duo (NOS) has so far only one review claiming jitter below 40 ps and this -> http://www.metrum-acoustics.nl/sample__squarewave.html
The debate about time domain and distortion gets the heat going up some degrees on DIY and professional gear forums, NOS vs. clock lock. Well.. the video was not a marketing gimmick inspired by Troll Hunter and hand-held cam. BTW the designer was at the opposite side, short story.. asynchronous USB cost a lot to implement properly at this time.
I'm leaning towards the Norwegian DAC, mainly because there's the option of communication with the company.
I'm really torn between HD2 (monolithic) and another DAC, using Google to piece it together only one could be verified as a sane option. Budget is below $1K, headphone, amplifier, DAC and cables. The other DAC is somewhat overstepping my budget, Metrum Duo (NOS) has so far only one review claiming jitter below 40 ps and this -> http://www.metrum-acoustics.nl/sample__squarewave.html
The debate about time domain and distortion gets the heat going up some degrees on DIY and professional gear forums, NOS vs. clock lock. Well.. the video was not a marketing gimmick inspired by Troll Hunter and hand-held cam. BTW the designer was at the opposite side, short story.. asynchronous USB cost a lot to implement properly at this time.
I'm leaning towards the Norwegian DAC, mainly because there's the option of communication with the company.
But as far as I know the Hd 2 is designed as an DD converter and as a plus it has a DAC. My opinion soo far and with 1K you could have a lot of more fun I think..
Okee , error in my head, the homepage states DA converter..
PCM1754 has a SNR of 106 dB, all good really.. a hybrid amp packed with fun is 92 dB. The "problem" with HD2 are line level voltage of 1,25 and gain, but there's single channel monolithic op-amps that can be Class-A biased.
I think those should take care of any smoothness, but it all boils down to speculation and wading through Google-hits.
You could also go hunting for a second hand Hegel HD10, it's the predecessor to the new HD20 but the differences are actually very small. I'd say the HD10 has 90-95% of the sound of a HD20 and that the biggest difference is that the HD20 can be a pre-amp with volume control while the HD10 can't. I've seen quite a few HD10 up for sale from people who've just upgraded.
HD2 has better jitter reduction than HD10 and for someone obsessed with 2nd and 3rd harmonics this DAC seems like the perfect link between computer and tube amp. EQing tubes are not an option...
The Hegel Music Systems HD2 is the Swiss Army knife of high-end audio -- but imagine such a knife with a Kikuichi Yanagi sushi blade. For the absolutely sane price of $350, the HD2 would be a bargain even if it were only a DAC or a USB-to-S/PDIF converter. The fact that it does both more than competently makes it a real standout, especially when you consider the competition.
.. I might add that it all depends on the rest of your system as this is the first joint and the effect can (in the last joint) mean a much leaner bass and considerable more sting in the treble because of quite a different behavior of the timing of those harmonics. One might take a closer look at those Burr-Brown that some find too lush and rather fat/ sluggish, because as you all know...
