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Advice please!

post #1 of 12
7/14/11 at 3:11am
Thread Starter 

Longtime lurker and wannabe 'phile looking for help here  smily_headphones1.gif

 

So here's my dilemma:

I have a pair of AT ESW10JPNs, and am may be getting a pair LCD2s very soon. Thing is, I'm looking for a DAC that will work with both phones. This is kind of a problem as the ESW10s are low impedance and LCD2s are comparatively higher. On another note, I'm also expecting to get a laptop soon and it will house all my FLAC files.

 

So I have three choices.

1. Get the HM-801 and use it as a portable player and when wanting sound from my laptop, use the HM-801 as an DAC/Amp solution to power the aforementioned two headphones. Thing is the HM-801 batteries are kinda weak, I hear, and may not pull its weight in enough situations... Will the HM-801 work as a DAC/Amp solution, or just as a DAC solution? Also, can the 801 be plugged in to the AC adapter while it's being used as DAC/Amp? If not, that's a major turnoff.. frown.gif

 

2. Get a desktop DAC/Amp solution like the Burnson HA-160D or the DACmini and use a portable media player like the Cowon J3 while on the go.

 

3. Idk, convert my music to Apple Lossless, get an iPhone, and buy some Beats Solo HD/Studio/Pros and call it a day? very_evil_smiley.gif I kid.

 

Which of the options seems most logical for a soon-will-be college student with a limited budget ceiling of around $2k? Thanks.

 

PS The only reason I have cash to plonk is b/c I'm pooling my "mowing lawns/serving in restaurant" money for some decent hi-end audio gear.. That said I'm going to be set back for a while in terms of upgrades/finances so please recommend some option that'll last! 

 

JoonBug popcorn.gif

 

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post #2 of 12
7/15/11 at 7:40pm
Thread Starter 
Bump anyone?
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post #3 of 12
7/16/11 at 8:24am

Would you be using your laptop or the HM-801 as your source? The HM-801 is very good as a portable DAC/amp, provided you are using the S/Pdif input. As a USB DAC it's lousy, and you would be better off with something like a Centrance DACport.

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post #4 of 12
7/17/11 at 3:53pm
Thread Starter 
I guess when I'm stationary I'd want to use the laptop cuz it can house my full library.
SPdif/out. What cables and outputs are necessary to use the HM-801 as a dac? Also can the 801 do dac and amp from a computer (or any output source for that matter)?

JB
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post #5 of 12
7/17/11 at 5:53pm

The HM-801 needs a coaxial digital output from the source to act as an external DAC, which most laptops don't have. Optical digital won't work, and there is no line input either. It can connect to any computer with a USB cable, but it doesn't sound very good that way. If you're set on using it with a laptop that doesn't have a coaxial digital output, I would suggest pairing it with a USB converter. The Audiophilleo would work well with a laptop because it's so small and portable.

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post #6 of 12
7/18/11 at 3:33am
Thread Starter 

Would a simple USB-S/Pdif cable (I saw an ad somewhere) not work because there would be so much jitter?

 

On the other hand, what are some laptops that have coaxial digital out? (or optical out, for that matter)

 

EDIT: Scrap that question about laptops w/ coax-out. I'm planning to get a Macbook which I hear has coax-out. Ok, sorry to sound as dumb as I am, but where the heck is the coax-out? thanks biggrin.gif

 

 


Edited by JoonBug - 7/18/11 at 3:43am
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post #7 of 12
7/18/11 at 10:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoonBug View Post

EDIT: Scrap that question about laptops w/ coax-out. I'm planning to get a Macbook which I hear has coax-out. Ok, sorry to sound as dumb as I am, but where the heck is the coax-out? thanks biggrin.gif


MacBooks I think have optical out, not sure about coaxial. I don't know of any USB > S/Pdif can be done fairly cheaply such as with the M2Tech Hiface, the Kingrex UC-192, the Audio-GD digital interface, Stello U3 (unsure of price there). Definitely the best value in converters right now seems to be John Kenny's latest Hiface mod V3.

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post #8 of 12
7/18/11 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 

The the JKenny mk3 of the Hiface I see has only been out for a few weeks (?) Do you have it? and would it have better synergy than the slightly cheaper priced JKenny mk2 or Bridge, AP2, audio g-d, etc with the HM-801 setup? 

 

So I might be looking at Macbook -> JKenny mk3 M2Tech Hiface -> (cable, but what kind?) -> HM-801 thu coax input (DAC & Amp) -> ATH-ESW10JPN (for ex.) 

Man, the ESW10s look kinda shabby in that expensive chain of gear (and it's a great headphone)

 

And as for the cable with the question mark, would I need an RCA to mini converter cable for this? if so, any recommendations for one?

 

JB

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post #9 of 12
7/18/11 at 9:50pm

I don't have the MK3 Hiface mod yet, but the MK2 version was already comparable with much more expensive converters like the Audiophilleo and the Wavelength Wavelink, and the MK3 has significant improvements over the MK2 that are definitely worth the small price increase. Early impressions from people who have gotten their MK3s in have all been extremely positive. The MK3 is battery powered, so it is portable like the HM-801. It will need to be charged occasionally though, whereas converters such as the Audiophilleo and the Halide Bridge are USB powered. Based on what I've heard, the MK3 is likely to be the best sounding converter short of the fully upgraded Empirical Off-ramp 4, which is not portable and costs $2K+.

 

The MK3 converter has a BNC output. You'll need a digital cable that has BNC on one end and a mini-plug on the other - somebody like Drew at Moon Audio could make you a custom cable like that.

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post #10 of 12
7/19/11 at 6:42am
Thread Starter 

(ok this may be double post since the other one randomly vanished)

 

I read on JKenny's website that the MK3 has both BNC and RCA output. So the BNC would be the better choice for SQ compared to the RCA? Or does it really not matter? (I think the 801 comes with the RCA to mini cable so no extra $ to spend there)

 

Side-question: In your opinion, does the HM-801's coax-input DAC give "desktop-rig sound" as Jude happily remarked in his review? Thing is, I'm still thinking about s:flo2/other DAP + decent portable amp for ESW10s and DACport/DACmini or HA-160D for desktop rig sound. The difference between the above rig w/ HM-801 is a couple hundred dollars at most with the latter being the more expensive? A couple hundred dollars more for a dedicated rig for each type? What say you?

 

JB

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post #11 of 12
7/19/11 at 10:49am

According to the order page, the MK3 is BNC only, while the MK2 can be ordered with RCA or BNC. If you don't want to buy a BNC to mini cable, you can buy a BNC to female RCA adapter for a few bucks, and then use a standard RCA digital cable with the mini adapter included with the 801. I don't think it will sound as good as a custom cable, though.

 

The 801 I think is pretty comparable to a desktop rig in the $500-700 range, which is impressive considering all of the compromises involved in making it that small, and the fact that it's portable. I'm not an s:flo fan. If you would prefer a separate portable rig, I would suggest the HM-601 or 602, or the QLS Audio QA350 Mod V2. For a desktop system, I would probably suggest separate components rather than a DAC/amp. As good as the DACmini or HA-160D may be, I think something like an Apex Arete and a separate DAC would be better.

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post #12 of 12
7/19/11 at 4:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveBSC View Post

According to the order page, the MK3 is BNC only, while the MK2 can be ordered with RCA or BNC. If you don't want to buy a BNC to mini cable, you can buy a BNC to female RCA adapter for a few bucks, and then use a standard RCA digital cable with the mini adapter included with the 801. I don't think it will sound as good as a custom cable, though.

 



Huh, I see that the drop down menu on JK's purchase page says  BNC only, but the description below says an RCA output can be requested. Strange.

 

I'll chew on my options for a bit... Though for going to college I think the HM-801 is going to be the most versatile and most useful kinda rig.

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