palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
Ive read through the entire thread now and dont remember reading about a fix for the high freq roll-off on upsampled/higher rez files. Has anyone heard anything new about a firmware upfrade?
Asus Essence One Headphone Amp/DAC (CeBIT 2011)
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Gandah
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REALLY!!! .....hmmmm I think this depends on where you live
Today I handed in my E1 to where I purchased it, because you can't deal with asus Australia in regards to some components like the E1 unfortunately you have to do it this way, unlike north America it seems where asus does care and has RMA many E1 owners direct
Anyhow I didn't end up with a RMA unit have to wait for there supplier to contact asus
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Asus have top notch service
REALLY!!! .....hmmmm I think this depends on where you live
Today I handed in my E1 to where I purchased it, because you can't deal with asus Australia in regards to some components like the E1 unfortunately you have to do it this way, unlike north America it seems where asus does care and has RMA many E1 owners direct
Anyhow I didn't end up with a RMA unit have to wait for there supplier to contact asus
Cross off ordering the A10K 
Got a quote back.. Copped a mild heart attack in the process.
Got a quote back.. Copped a mild heart attack in the process.
palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
My shipment from NewEgg arrived today. NewEgg described it as an "open box" Muses Edition although it arrived in a plain white box with Europe power cables only - which makes me think it is more likely a "factory refurbished" unit.
It is in cosmetically excellent condition with no marks or scratches that I can find anywhere. I removed the cover and confirmed that there are no gain jumpers and it has "B10K" volume pots.
I have done some preliminary listening and cannot detect any channel imbalance. I am a bit disappointed with the plastic knobs and the amount of play they have between each detent.
Sound wise, I think it sounds good. My first impression is that it is clean and neutral with no emphasis or coloration. Not warm or thin, not bassy or lightweight. Unfortunately, like most other amps Ive tried in my system, I really dont hear any difference/improvement over my Pioneer home theater receiver. Maybe Im just not super discriminating, but switching back and forth between them quickly becomes an exercise in futility trying to detect any subtle differences.
At this point, I think if Im going to buy a dedicated headphone amp, I would be inclined to spend more money and get one with better build quality. I like the sampling rate indicator but I think a product that costs this much should have better build quality. I cant help but think of my old Benchmark DAC1 with its milled aluminum volume knob and outstanding feel.
Oh well, overall I think the E1 is a fine unit for all it does and its price point. Im going to get to know it better over the next couple of weeks and decide whether to keep it or return it.
It is in cosmetically excellent condition with no marks or scratches that I can find anywhere. I removed the cover and confirmed that there are no gain jumpers and it has "B10K" volume pots.
I have done some preliminary listening and cannot detect any channel imbalance. I am a bit disappointed with the plastic knobs and the amount of play they have between each detent.
Sound wise, I think it sounds good. My first impression is that it is clean and neutral with no emphasis or coloration. Not warm or thin, not bassy or lightweight. Unfortunately, like most other amps Ive tried in my system, I really dont hear any difference/improvement over my Pioneer home theater receiver. Maybe Im just not super discriminating, but switching back and forth between them quickly becomes an exercise in futility trying to detect any subtle differences.
At this point, I think if Im going to buy a dedicated headphone amp, I would be inclined to spend more money and get one with better build quality. I like the sampling rate indicator but I think a product that costs this much should have better build quality. I cant help but think of my old Benchmark DAC1 with its milled aluminum volume knob and outstanding feel.
Oh well, overall I think the E1 is a fine unit for all it does and its price point. Im going to get to know it better over the next couple of weeks and decide whether to keep it or return it.
Gandah
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That's a shame man, I wonder if there is another way of getting them...... however I've had this thought for people like myself who use it as a dac only device, would it be at all possible to just remove the pot itself and somehow solder it up?
The only reason why you would have a pot for the outs is if your using powered monitors which most already have there own volume control, so really its unnecessary, should be just a button to turn if off and on I feel
Cross off ordering the A10K
Got a quote back.. Copped a mild heart attack in the process.
That's a shame man, I wonder if there is another way of getting them...... however I've had this thought for people like myself who use it as a dac only device, would it be at all possible to just remove the pot itself and somehow solder it up?
The only reason why you would have a pot for the outs is if your using powered monitors which most already have there own volume control, so really its unnecessary, should be just a button to turn if off and on I feel
Gandah
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Your in North America man so you will have no problem at all RMA for a real muses edition, its been done many times for peeps on this thread, just PM ASUSXONAR.
Good luck
Your in North America man so you will have no problem at all RMA for a real muses edition, its been done many times for peeps on this thread, just PM ASUSXONAR.
Good luck
palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm liking the performance of the Muses Ed as I spend more time with it. I'm beginning to sense a slightly tighter, punchier sound compared to my receiver and also a slightly sharper image.
So, to help me decide which path to take, I'm wondering how many others notice the "loose play"on the volume knobs like mine has? It doesn't feel like the pot itself is moving - rather the knob is a bit loose on the shaft. The volume knob play alone is enough for me to return this back to NewEgg.
So, to help me decide which path to take, I'm wondering how many others notice the "loose play"on the volume knobs like mine has? It doesn't feel like the pot itself is moving - rather the knob is a bit loose on the shaft. The volume knob play alone is enough for me to return this back to NewEgg.
palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm listening straight from the E1.
Mr.Sneis
Headphoneus Supremus
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The volume knobs have notches as you turn them but shouldn't have play imo.
palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
Yes, I feel the detents in the rotation. I'm not talking about the detents, which are soft. My knobs are loose enough to rotate a few mm in either direction with just a light touch of one finger. No resistance from the knob at all.
Mr.Sneis
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That doesn't sound right
palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
Sorry, I meant millimeters, not centimeters... That would be bad!!! (above post corrected).
Can anyone else comment on theirs?
Can anyone else comment on theirs?
Pippin76
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Mine (that I've had for more than a year) does that too - and I dont think it's a problem tbh
Mine (that I've had for more than a year) does that too - and I dont think it's a problem tbh
palmfish
Headphoneus Supremus
I've gotta say I am more and more pleased with my Muses the more I use it. The differences between this amp/DAC and my other amps weren't apparent at first listen but as I spend more time with it, I'm noticing a level of musicality that I just haven't heard with other amps in the past. I usually fall on the objective side of all things audio but I must admit, the definition, PRaT, bass control, sense of 3D space are all just really enjoyable with the Muses.
I must admit when I ordered it I fully expected to use it for a couple of weeks, be underwhelmed, attribute the positive reviews to FOTM hype, and send it back for a refund. Well, not this time!
Asus clearly put a lot of effort into making this a serious audio component for headphone (and 2-channel) enthusiasts. The performance is what I would expect from a "high end boutique" product (although I think few really deliver), but at a price I think reflects the actual product and not a desire to fill a niche with smoke and mirrors. In other words, I feel for once that I got my money's worth.
I did contact ASUSXONAR about my lack of jumpers and loose volume knobs and he didn't hesitate to arrange a swap for a newer unit. So my hat is off to Asus for having pride in the Essence One and going to the effort to please their customers with support that exceeds expectations.
I must admit when I ordered it I fully expected to use it for a couple of weeks, be underwhelmed, attribute the positive reviews to FOTM hype, and send it back for a refund. Well, not this time!
Asus clearly put a lot of effort into making this a serious audio component for headphone (and 2-channel) enthusiasts. The performance is what I would expect from a "high end boutique" product (although I think few really deliver), but at a price I think reflects the actual product and not a desire to fill a niche with smoke and mirrors. In other words, I feel for once that I got my money's worth.
I did contact ASUSXONAR about my lack of jumpers and loose volume knobs and he didn't hesitate to arrange a swap for a newer unit. So my hat is off to Asus for having pride in the Essence One and going to the effort to please their customers with support that exceeds expectations.
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