[Johnny Moondog]

  To anyone who has the HE-1000's do yourself a massive favour and ditch the stock cables. I have never heard a headphone respond so well to decent cables.
 
[...]
 
I am not exactly feeling sorry for myself after all it was my "bright" idea to add the optional balancing transformers.

 
Glad to read your comments about stock cables. Received the HE1000 a week ago, and already happy with the performance. I plan to have them modified at Stephan AudioArt — as I did with the HD800.
 
When I first read about the HD DAC, I was interested in the balancing transformers. But if I understand things correctly, that option was not yet available when the HD DAC was released.

 

[isquirrel]

 

Yes that's my understanding to, although the paperwork that came with my unit suggests that the optional balanced transformers can be fitted at a later date by the dealer. To be clear when you have the optional balanced transformers installed you can use either the XLR OR the RCA outputs symmetrically balanced. Without the option the XLR outputs are Pseudo balanced only. 
 
However with the transformer option you cannot do the following:
 
Use the RCA's and the XLR outputs at the same time
 
You cannot use the variable volume control only direct mode is available
 
You cannot vary the output line level between high and low it appears to be one only, I think it is the low option that it defaults to which would explain the requirement for more gain than normal
 
Summary, if I had known that the option came with the above limitations I would not have ordered it. I will be taking it out if possible. 
 
Please share on the HE-1000 mods available from AudioArt?
 
If you like the HE-1000 now you will love it after 200 hours or so and some decent cables. Both myself and a friend ended up selling our Abyss as we never used them after the HE-1000. It scales very well.

 

[bmichels]

Yes please Johnny Moondog, share on the HE-1000 mods available from AudioArt 

 

[romaz]

I plan to have them modified at Stephan AudioArt — as I did with the HD800.

 
Yes, please share your thoughts on this cable.  I was ready to pull the trigger on these for my HE-1000 as I have heard excellent things about his HD800 cable but a few head-fiers have recently complained about poor quality.  Just search "Stephan Audio" here on Head-fi and you'll see what I'm talking about.  When I spoke to James Serdechny recently, he told me he was backed up until February 2016 but he did offer me a full money back guarantee if I wasn't happy.

 

[romaz]

 
 My post above covers the outputs, I am using a new DHC cable based on the Spore 4 Fusion. I had several cables on hand and have tried swapping them round, no joy.

Did you like the Fusion better than the Silver Spore4?

 

[romaz]

 
Yes I also have a CAD 1543 and a Light Harmonic DaVinci - you could say I am DAC'ed out, no seriously I find DAC's fascinating and also have a couple of systems so they get switched around and used. What drew me to the Nagra was the re-think of the basic way that the digital signal was processed. It also has a headphone out so it can be used when I travel overseas. I have family in the UK, so I spend a few weeks of the year there typically. I decided this year that I would investigate a few DAC's. These have all been on the short list and so far what I have found is that at this level there is no such thing as a bad sounding DAC, (apart from the surprise of the dCS). 
 
Bac on topic the Gryphon is built wonderfully well, the power supplies are massive and Gryphon have enough resources that they could have run with any topology. I was amazed when the choose the Sabre 9018S however despite my earlier reservations I have been pleasantly surprised by its performance. 
 
Please feel free to shoot away with any questions. There is a another review of the Kalliope up here:
 
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0814/gryphon_audio_designs_kalliope_dac.htm

Is the CAD 1543 at the same level as the CAT?  I understand why Scott went with SE outputs only but it makes it impossible to directly connect headphones to the signal output.  Furthermore, the output impedance is 135 ohms.

 

[isquirrel]

Did you like the Fusion better than the Silver Spore4?

No, but still excellent performance from the Fusion, I have switched most of my cables over to the Silver Spore 4, Peter has just sent me photos of a really cool 3D printed XLR to 6.3mm Jack adapter. It's still a work in progress but I will have a test one late next week, I hope.....

 

[isquirrel]

Is the CAD 1543 at the same level as the CAT?  I understand why Scott went with SE outputs only but it makes it impossible to directly connect headphones to the signal output.  Furthermore, the output impedance is 135 ohms.

The 1543 is an excellent DAC, very musical

 

[isquirrel]

Initial photos of the new XLR to 6.3mm adapter. i understand that there will be all sorts of trick colour and finish options. 
 
 

 

 

[seeteeyou]

Speaking of headphone cables, did anyone get a chance to try the full loom Entreq Atlantis SII with accompanying Atlantis earth cable / ground box yet?
 
https://www.facebook.com/fromthemusic2013/posts/756852704442237
 

 

 

[isquirrel]

Nope, but I hear they make great stuff and are well respected within the industry

 

[isquirrel]

  Speaking of headphone cables, did anyone get a chance to try the full loom Entreq Atlantis SII with accompanying Atlantis earth cable / ground box yet?
 
https://www.facebook.com/fromthemusic2013/posts/756852704442237
 

 

Have to hand it to you, you seem to have an limitless stash of all gadgets and accessories. Great stuff ! Anymore info you have on HE-1000 mods?

 

[romaz]

  Speaking of headphone cables, did anyone get a chance to try the full loom Entreq Atlantis SII with accompanying Atlantis earth cable / ground box yet?
 

From reputable sources that I trust, I have heard the grounding boxes can make either a small difference to a very large difference but I'm guessing it depends on how good the ground on your mains is to begin with.  I am interested in their cables as well.  On the surface, their philosophy seems similar to Stephan Audioart but when I spoke to James Serdechny, he said his technology is completely different since with Stephan products, he believes in disconnecting all the grounds.

 

[isquirrel]

 
From reputable sources that I trust, I have heard the grounding boxes can make either a small difference to a very large difference but I'm guessing it depends on how good the ground on your mains is to begin with.  I am interested in their cables as well.  On the surface, their philosophy seems similar to Stephan Audioart but when I spoke to James Serdechny, he said his technology is completely different since with Stephan products, he believes in disconnecting all the grounds.

Scott is also working on a grounding solution which will be available very soon I understand. It has significant benefits to the sound of his DAC. Interesting, I note also that the back of my Shunyata Triton V2 has a new grounding box installed. I have tried running all 4 of my sources to it and I didi not hear any difference in the sound. Surely this would affect different people in different ways, depending on how your house wiring was grounded. I used to have a 2 metre earth spike into the ground next to my previous listening room. That helped although in Australia it is illegal to disconnect the ground from the house ground as it runs into a earth leakage safety box in every dwelling.

 

[isquirrel]

Okay now for some progress, this morning I used the jumpers to enable the balanced transformers through the RCA outputs, to my delight that worked with RCA cables attached. I then attached XLR's and guess what they worked as well right up until I removed the RCA's once I did that the sound went back to its normal anaemic state. 
 
So to be clear the only way I can get decent sound out of the XLR's outputs is to have the RCA out;its connected at the same time?
 
This is looking like a grounding issue, any ideas guys?
 
I have some grounding cables here so I might try one of those to the Shunyata, still doesn't explain fully whats going on.