[steveoboy]

Thanks stalkerDk.

 

[preproman]

Any new impressions on this DAC.  I'm very interested in it.  

 

[steveoboy]

Hi,
I sent it back to MHDT Labs and sold the Havana Balanced. I don't think either of these DACs are a good match for the McIntosh C2300, MC275 V combo. I also sold the McIntosh C2300. The Havana Balanced seems to have been a better match with the YS Audio Balanced A2SE preamp, but I can't say for sure since something in the YS Audio Preamp wasn't functioning properly. I did send it back to YS Audio where he said there is nothing wrong with the preamp, so it must have been the tubes. I told him, as long as he had the preamp opened up, please install new tubes. YS Audio also installed(at my request) russian JAN oil caps in the preamp. The preamp seems to be working okay except, every time I turn on my McIntosh MC275, it causes the relays in the preamp to "click" and the red light source indicator starts blinking. 
Take care,
Steve 

 

[s1rrah]

Just found this thread ... thanks for your comments.
 
I'm a Stockholm user myself, and previously a Havana user. Both DACs mate very well with my particular rig.
 
That said, and as others have mentioned...it's very refreshing to hear some alternate opinions of these DACS. And although the gear didn't work well in your system, you nonetheless qualified in a way that made sense and very much explained specific reasons for why things didn't work.
 
Thanks again ... great comments ...
 
And I agree ... Juin and the rest of the MHDT folk are some of the most hospitable scene supporters (in regards to gear demos, etc.) that I've run in to ...
 
Also...a final word ... I agree with you 100% that the Stockholm is a tad more towards the lean side than the Havana but just barely (at least as perceptible in my particular system). I also hear this as a bit more emphasis on refined details and micro details. Further, the overall output of the Stockholm is slightly lower than that of the Havana ... upon first listen, this was a bit bothersome to me as, psychologically (psycho-aurally?) I had to get used to the extra notch of gain I needed to add at my amplifier volume to get the Stockholm to volume-match with the Havana (the latter having a slightly hotter/increased gain). Juin explained that this is simply a matter of the "core logic" (his words) of the Stockholm and totally normal.
 
Best.
.joel

 

[steveoboy]

Hi Joel, thanks so much for your support. When it comes to NOS DACs, they either work in your system, or they don't. And in my system, it clearly didn't work.
Best regards,
Steve

 

[AcousticDreams]

When it comes to NOS DACs, they either work in your system, or they don't. And in my system, it clearly didn't work.

It seems, you haven't been the only one with problems in the first run, according to the last statement of MHDT Labs.

 

[steveoboy]

What was the last statement from MHDT Lab?

 

[AcousticDreams]

What was the last statement from MHDT Lab?

Read this:

The original Stockholm has only 1.1V output voltage which will cause some matching problem if the preamplifier has lesser impedance. The 2nd generation of the Stockholm will have 3.0V output voltage and increased current drive capacity.
Also, by many requests from all over the world, the 2nd generation of the Stockholm will be real no op-amp, and no feedback structure.

Stockholm est. release time: Jan, 2013
Balanced Stockholm est. release time: Mar, 2013

Best Regards.
Jiun
Mhdt Labs

 

[steveoboy]

I wish they would have figured this out before releasing it to the public

.