Nuforce uDAC 2 and Bass

The uDAC 2 will route your audio stream into your media player. You can adjust your equaliser settings there so your choice of media player is important. If you can access Smart Audio from your program files then it shouldn't be a problem provided it recognises the uDAC2.

Hi I would like to know about this uDac2 because I thought that it bypassed my computers onboard soundcard is that right??  Will I be able to use EQ and how is the bass with the udAC 2?  I was going to pair this with a set of Audioengine 2s.

You are absolutely right - what I meant to say is in the next post. The direct digital stream goes into your media player and then onto  the uDAC.

I have both this and the Fii0 E10, and I can safely say that for purposes of superior bass, the E10 wins.  It's cleaner, too.  And it has a bass boost switch built in, which is cool.  It's also $50 cheaper.

Does the FiiO E10 have RCA out for attaching active speakers??

Sorry just checked it has a line out thanks!

Hey Marximus would the Music Streamer II be a better Dac for a set of Audioengine A2 speakers than the FiiO E10??  I don't really need a headphone Amp - any advice??

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrmhng 

Thanks for the reply but I dont quite get this. I thought it was just a bypass of the onboard sound card, then DACed and AMPed in the Nuforce then straight out into the headphones. Is there something I am missing?

Equalization software is digital. It alters the bits in the digital domain. So you can still use equalization even with the onboard sound card (which is just a DAC/amp itself) bypassed. The altered bits will be transferred to the external DAC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ciaran Van Don 

Hi I would like to know about this uDac2 because I thought that it bypassed my computers onboard soundcard is that right??  Will I be able to use EQ and how is the bass with the udAC 2?  I was going to pair this with a set of Audioengine 2s.

Avoid the uDAC. It has some silly flaws, both as a DAC and an amp. It clips with 0 dBFS signals (meaning pretty much every modern recording, if you aren't using digital volume attenuation).

If you only need a DAC, I'd save some money and get a Behringer UCA202.

The MusicStreamer II is probably good, but I haven't seen any measurements of it, and the original's measurements weren't very good.

The fiio e7 & e10 have bass boost, the E7 has more bass boost than the e10, the e10 has a 3.5mm line out the e7 you need the l7 which gives you a 3.5mm line out aswell.

I think I will order the FiiO E10 hope the line out is good.  I ordered the damn uDac 2 - looks like I will have to sell it or return it!  

Keep it if you want, just use ReplayGain or turn the software player's volume down a decibel or two. Beyond that its performance isn't necessarily good, but not bad enough as a DAC to worry about.

Ok cheers for the help will try that.  I've often found that when a product ie headphone, amp or whatever is trashed on headfi I end up liking it maybe I have a terrible sense of sound - Most headphones and IEMs I like get terrible reviews on headfi LOL

If you can return it for a full refund I would do that though