Lynx Hilo - new offering from Pro Audio company. - Page 14

I haven't experienced any hiss with my Hilo using headphone, TRS or XLR out, before or after level ajustments which I described earlier in the thread.

 

Both TRS and XLR have been fed into EAR Yoshino HP4 XLR feeding Sennheiser HD 800. Headphone out has been used with Sennheiser HD 800, HD 650 and beyerdynamic T 5 p so far.

To comment, there was another listener who noticed some static as well and that was on a different rig so it was common to the DAC. I turned down the input volume and it dropped but I don't know if it got rid of it or not. I have to get another USB cable as the meet claimed my original and then I'll do some listening to see if I can hear it.

My Hilo has been dead quiet with headphone out and line out.  I have not tried the monitor out. 

 

Perhaps this issue is specific to the unit being used in these comparisons?  Or, perhaps there is something amiss in the settings?

I suspect it is the setup but will get back later with my findings. In the mean time, Scott contacted me and said that the pricing will be good for a while so to those bidding to purchase in the future, $1850/$1725.

OK, had to drop the input as it was boosted +12 db. I had dropped both the in and out trims to 0 db but needed to drop the Line in volume to 0 db. Was boosted to +12 db. With that, all hiss is gone.
Edited by Happy Camper - 3/18/13 at 10:06am

Holy crap why would you ever boost it +12db? lol

 

That's good to know it was just set up wrong. Also good to know that price will good for awhile.

Even a boost of +0.5 on the line in volume has the potential to cause problems. Time for another shoot out!

Three possible explanations:

• The standards of professional audio are different than domestic hifi
• It is quiet easy to manipulate the wrong setting with the rotary knob because it sets whatever is in focus on the screen
• You may also inadvertantly manipulate something when you use your fingers on the screen.

 

You get used to it rather quickly though.

I now have 7 albums in DSD format.  I am extremely impressed on the quality of these recordings.  I am not going to claim (yet) that DSD beats 24/192 PCM.  That will require some careful listening sessions with the same albums, from the same distributor/recording studio masters in the different formats.  For now I have been having too much fun listening to all this new music in this new format.

 

I suspect a lot of what I am hearing has to do with the studio practices during the recording sessions.  I can say that I have noticed more inconsistency with my 24/192 files/downloads in terms of quality.  So far, with the DSD downloads I am at 7/7 for outstanding sound quality.

Edited by mrcasey - 3/18/13 at 10:48am

Maxvla seems to like DSD but prefers DXD overall on his X-Sabre. Unfortunately the Hilo is not capable of playing DXD so we'lljust have to live in poverty with DSD. :D

Fortunately the pain and suffering is tolerable.

As for the shootout, I still want to do this but not at a meet. Too much going on. I'd really like to listen to each DAC for an evening with the same material covered. We'll need to figure out a means of doing that.

 

I can see your point.  I find it difficult to come to any conclusions about gear until I can have it to myself for a while (even a few evenings) without distraction.  Unless, of course, a few stiff glasses of single malt scotch are considered to be a distraction.

Edited by mrcasey - 3/18/13 at 11:28am

If anything my ears get slightly more sensitive when I drink. :D

 

Contacted Lynx, Cirrus is the chip used, I guess.

 

Sadly, they aren't very cooperative providing specifics like I had asked, instead I was fed with their BS "Oh we don't post information, but surely, we publish full qualified specifications."