[Edwood]

 
hi Edwood
 
May I know what amp do you use with the Dock? Also, is there SQ improvement from using the normal LOD  (with 3.5 to RCA interconnect)?

 
EF-6  
 
Coax input wasn't as good sound quality as using Player with SD Card.  But the USB Input pretty much sounds the same, well other than not being able to play anything beyond 96KHz so far.  Maybe it's my settings, we'll see.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

EF-6  

Coax input wasn't as good sound quality as using Player with SD Card.  But the USB Input pretty much sounds the same, well other than not being able to play anything beyond 96KHz so far.  Maybe it's my settings, we'll see.

Thanks, Edwood.

My use case is probably just docking the hm901 and connect to a desktop amp.

So the remote control can allow me to select track/album, stop/play/next prev, right? Vol control is bypassed and control in the amp?

Sorry for too many questions

 

[Edwood]

If you're not using it with a Computer, it's likely major overkill, unless you need to have wireless control capabilities.
 
In "Player" mode, it reads files off the SD Card like normal, and you can use basic controls on the remote like Play, Pause, Stop, FWD, FFD, etc.
 
But you cannot navigate with the Remote, as there are no directional buttons.  A feature that probably should've been incorporated into the remote.
 
Speaking of the remote, it's all Aluminum, even the buttons.  Very solid.  Buttons make a clicky sound when pressed.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

Thanks, edwood!

I was hoping the line out of the dock will sound better than just using the LOD adapter.

 

[LarsHP]

What's the expected price for the dock?

 

[jamato8]

I will have the dock in about a week and will report back, maybe this weekend. So it is up and running.

 

[fermelom]

 
So far as I can tell, it's really difficult to tell the difference.  I've tried many different song types and bit rates (24/48, 24/88, 24/96, 24/192).

The most noticeable difference is the treble decay and fall off maybe.  Also soundstage, the HM-901 on 1.084 is maybe slightly more open sounding?  Slightly less congested?   It's so subtle.

There may be a tiny bit of high Bass, low Midrange emphasis, bump up.  Maybe that part is what makes it sound warmer perhaps?

I don't know, it's kind of too close to call, because the playback behavior is quite different now, because 1.084 cuts off a lot more of the beginning of songs.  1.085b still cuts off the beginning, but much less so.

Maybe there's sample variation between the player builds?  My HM-901 is one of the first ones made, and the other 2 I'm comparing are more recently built.

And I couldn't tell a difference really with Digital Bypass Filter being On or Off.  I'm exactly sure what it's supposed to be doing.  Something with the Dock?  

The difference that I was pointing out before (when say comparing this new FW with how my computer changed when lowering latency) was also subtle cos I change my system to run in a 5.33 mseconds latency to 0.667 mseconds, and the most noticeable effect was a slight decrease in treble but in general the sound improved slightly becoming more tight (I still had this impression every time that I had to switch from Linux with the audiophile settings to regular Windows). I had the same impression with this FW. I suppose that they improve the reclocking to allow the dock usage but this it's just a supposition. So I consider this new FW a step forward,

 

[Kiats]

  If you're not using it with a Computer, it's likely major overkill, unless you need to have wireless control capabilities.
 
In "Player" mode, it reads files off the SD Card like normal, and you can use basic controls on the remote like Play, Pause, Stop, FWD, FFD, etc.
 
But you cannot navigate with the Remote, as there are no directional buttons.  A feature that probably should've been incorporated into the remote.
 
Speaking of the remote, it's all Aluminum, even the buttons.  Very solid.  Buttons make a clicky sound when pressed.

 
Thanks for the information, Edwood. Certainly something to ponder over. 

 

[Edwood]

  The difference that I was pointing out before was also subtle cos I change my system to run in a 5.33 mseconds latency to 0.667 mseconds, and the most noticeable effect was a slight decrease in treble but in general the sound improved slightly becoming more tight (I still had this impression every time that I had to switch from Linux with the audiophile settings to regular Windows). I had the same impression with this FW. I suppose that they improve the reclocking to allow the dock usage but this it's just a supposition. So I consider this new FW a step forward,

 
To reiterate, when comparing Firmware versions, I was comparing them with same files on SD Cards.  I was not using the Dock.   I was comparing Player to Player.  Used Analog Line Out Dongle to the same external amp and headphones each time.
 
In regards to the dock, I've found the sound quality to be improved with USB over Coax with my Halide Bridge.  Especially with audio drop outs, which the Halide Bridge is prone to. 

 

[Mimouille]

The dock is the only way to get a digital LO from 901, to use as transport with Hugo right?

 

[frankrondaniel]

The dock is the only way to get a digital LO from 901, to use as transport with Hugo right?

Will the "Line Out Dock Cable" give you LO for use with an amp?
 

 

[Mimouille]

Will the "Line Out Dock Cable" give you LO for use with an amp?

This would be an analog line out, to use with an amp, not a DAC.

 

[frankrondaniel]

This would be an analog line out, to use with an amp, not a DAC.

 
Ok - got it.

 

[Mimouille]

I had an answer on the Hugo thread if you are interested.

 

[frankrondaniel]

I had an answer on the Hugo thread if you are interested.

 
Thanks - I'll take a look.