[sanakimpro]

  Am I crazy to consider getting the O2+oDac for HD800's? Tons of talk about how there is no "synergy" with the headphones and this dac/amp. Would I be better off with a modi 2uber and a vali or valhalla 2?

I'm sorry but I can't help you with that. I have heard the HD 800 with the O2/ODAC for an hour.  And I'd say I liked the presentation. I'm not sure about 'synergy' with other amps though. I have only heard the T1 with other amps other than the O2/ODAC (Burson da-160, rudistor nx-03, A20 by beyer), and I still keep my O2/ODAC. IMO, it wasn't worth the upgrade fee. 
 
Do let us know what you decide on, as I am considering a Valhalla 2 or LD to try the tube experience.

 

[AlanU]

  Am I crazy to consider getting the O2+oDac for HD800's? Tons of talk about how there is no "synergy" with the headphones and this dac/amp. Would I be better off with a modi 2uber and a vali or valhalla 2?

 
As far as amplification goes I'd say the 02 will do a fantastic job. If there is money to be spent I'd suggest spending a good budget on the dac. 
 
What music genre do you typically listen to?
 
The HD800's probably would appreciate some "body" from the source. Or some meaty harmonics from a tube amp. Many ways to approach this....... I've never auditioned the schiit products but I'd imagine the Hd800's would appreciate some high frequency roll of with tubes. Not sure if the schiit products really roll off the lows and high's like a tube amps from Woo.
 
Cosmetically speaking I think the stack you can get from the schitt line (which ever you choose) is much more appealing with a tad better feel of quality.
 
However I'd rather put more money towards the dac and run an inexpensive magni2 or 02 amp. Then later on decide what would be a good upgrade from there. 

 

[pearljam50000]

Any O2 vs Asgard 2 comparison?

 

[JacobLee89]

   
I was thinking about possibly getting a better cable for it though. That's why I was curious about what kind of USB cable it is. What kind of connectors are on each end? Is it a basic USB to USB, or USB to Micro/Mini USB? And yes I am getting the combo.

 
To prevent confusion there's a huge difference between Micro, and Mini USB.
 

 
The ODAC uses the Mini-USB plug socket.
 
As for noise isolation, you could fare better by getting a powered USB hub instead of an audiophile grade USB cable. It would be cheaper.

 

[AlanU]

   
To prevent confusion there's a huge difference between Micro, and Mini USB.
 

 
The ODAC uses the Mini-USB plug socket.
 
As for noise isolation, you could fare better by getting a powered USB hub instead of an audiophile grade USB cable. It would be cheaper.

Uptone audio's usb REGEN seems to be an extremely interesting product.... I'll get one soon...

 

[rick900]

My sennheiser HD700 Headphones have a 6.3mm cable will using a 6.3mm to 3.5mm Grado cable reduce sound quality at all using the combo version?

 

[inseconds99]

My sennheiser HD700 Headphones have a 6.3mm cable will using a 6.3mm to 3.5mm Grado cable reduce sound quality at all using the combo version?

No

 

[MrMateoHead]

Isn't the headphone the biggest "wild card" in the chain of sound reproduction? Aside from the quality of the recording, I generally follow the simple rule of "want different sound get different speaker". But then again I lack $1,000s of dollars to experiment with different equipment choices.

 

[James-uk]

if you want the HD800 to sound exactly like the HD800 then the O2 /odac does that perfectly. If you want to somehow change the HD800 sound to suit a preference then it's open season, it's the Wild West , it's anyone's game and good luck to you and your wallet. Alternatively there is EQ . Ignore the Luddites that are stuck in the 70s and remember software is better than the hardware now so EQ IS the best/most accurate way to change/ alter/ improve/ the sound etc. more options exist than ever to achieve a perfect sound to you. My preference at the minute is iPhone as source(convenient) benchmark dac1 (because it accepts iPhone as source) into HD650(because it just sounds right most of the time without EQ to ME) my most accurate headphone is definately HD800 which sounds perfect from either odac/O2 or benchmark dac1. My taste however sways toward HD650 at the moment . Nobody can decide anyone else's taste for them but they can say without doubt that the O2/odac is perfectly transparent . The only decision to make therefore is which headphone is best and do I use EQ to 'correct ' that headphone to my taste .

 

[dazzerfong]

  Dazzer, why so testy?
 
Your extremely fortunate to hear very little audible differences between DAC's. If you listen to a pianist and then throw on a pair of headphones with an excellent recording with the ODAC as the source it is NOT a true representation of this "unaltered" sound your so defending regardless how well the music was mastered in the studio.  The sound you will have with the ODAC will have a shorter tail and "thinner body" and lack the longer tail "organic note decay" compared to higher end solid state dac's and tubes. Since you've never done such a comparison you truly have no basis to compare. It's not a matter of "more power to me". If you've done an a/b comparison it would be very apparent. This is where I can see you've never dabbled in vinyl or tubes or more capable solid state dac's. 
 
The Odac works fine but what does "unaltered" mean?? True to the mastered recording?  portray layers well defined? what kind of soundstage?  what you fail to hear is your benefit in the decent performing odac. There is a reason why folks move up the line in DAC's. It's not a matter of "sticking the nose up high" for prestige. It comes down to synergy and what provides a enjoyable musical experience that is non fatiguing. 
 
At the end of the day it comes down to synergy. The headphones can paint colours to the music. Ideally the dac should be "text book perfect" but what you will find is  they will all have some characteristic  of some form of "house sound" who ever designs the solid state dac. Go ahead and borrow a Nad m51, Concero HD, Moon 300d or MK2, wyred4sound dac mk2 and you'll find they will all sound different with your 02/dac combo. 
 
What's the difference between a dac that accentuates high/low
 
OR
 
changing headphones that are bright and bass heavy?? Note decay is something a transducer cannot randomly output unless the source or preamp attempts to provide natural representation of intimate vocals or strings etc. At the end of the day it's a matter of enjoying the hobby. No rules where you can add colour to the music.  If you want neutral and proclaim the ODAC as the ultimate "unaltering " source  why do you own so many headphones??????? Your still manipulating what the mastered source that was suppose to present to your ears....yet you own so many headphones. 
 
If your into electronica this will be less critical but if your listening to jazz vocals and strings.......you cannot compare an Odac to other much pricier DAC offerings. 
 
I can see your defending your gear but try to be more open minded.  The 02 amp is quite a trick pony for such a small package. IMO i find the components like the headphone jack, 3.5mm stereo source connector (RCA to 3.5mm jack on the earlier version) is not the highest in quality but it works. The amp has alot of clean neutral power. 
 
Like I mentioned before I'd be just as happy using my 02 objective amp with tube dac/super rectifier and push my Burson virtuoso aside.  For the money I think the 02 provides ALOT for the money. As for the Odac......there's a tonne of other dac's out there.

A lot of theories and suppositions are thrown around. Like I said, if you don't like the ODAC, more power to you. I don't care what you like.
 
The problem with your theory on the pianist playing is that you're assuming your mic is perfect and so are the million variables out there. They're not, so your argument falls flat. Let's just agree to disagree on the impact here rather than you acting all high and mighty with your strawman argument of saying I'm defending my gear. If you don't like it, fine, but don't describe what it is for everyone else. The whole point of the ODAC/O2 is the minimise colouring as much as possible of the source. Some may like it, others may not. You find it unnatural: nothing wrong with that, but the problem with you saying that it's inaccurate because it doesn't alter anything is wrong.
 
For the record, I also have a WA7. I like it alongside the O2/ODAC, but I'll be damned if there's a huge difference between them. After all, I don't have golden ears like you do.
 
I'll concede: no point ruining this thread over different philosophical approaches.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

Has anyone tried the new Jds odac that no longer has nwaguy's name on it? Is it any better than the old one?

 

[AlanU]

Dazzer,
 
When it comes to instrument note decay we can all hear this with our own personal ears in a lounge or concert. If you can recreate this note decay  with a dac in your living room with loud speakers or on a couch with headphones it becomes once again engaging. What you hear in real life and having it recreated in your "gear" is quite evident. 
 
The word "neutral" is used in a very loose term. Hard to determine this "unaltering" because every "can" you own will paint a different colour to the music. We judge the sound quality as a collective system. At least I would imagine most hobbyists do not analyze with great detail the sound of headphones in a scientific manner.... unless your using HP to master an album. This is where you'd want very neutral sound with studio non musical monitors or very neutral headphones. 
 
We all have a different approach in how we build our system's synergy.  In this hobby each and every headphone paints a totally different picture and in most cases far from neutral. 
 
Throw on a pair of AKG 702, K612 pro and K812 and they all sound extremely different and to my ears have little "house sound" resemblance on the same exact amp/dac combo.
 
I guess you can discuss things as you please. The bottom line is the collective group of components to achieve the synergy that is pleasing to our ears. There is absolutely NO rule in how you want to create this synergy by colouring source (house sound of different manufacturers dac's)  or changing the headphones. In the Hifi two channel world it's not uncommon for a person to buy the best dac they can afford and pair it with a tube preamp and solid state amp. Again no "rule" of how a hobbyist approaches his audio nirvana.
 
Since the system is daisy chained to one another there will always be a weak link. 
 
I would probably say if a hobbyist wanted to spend 1-2 grand on "upgraditis" urges - 2 things would come to mind for noticeable SQ differences. 
 
1) New headphones !! changing the transducer will colour the music in the most drastic way.
2)  New DAC.  I would probably say the DAC would be a tad more noticeable in SQ more than swapping from solid state amp to solid state amp (different case with many tube amps though). 
 
Keep the Objective amp because it does a very good job in clean amplification but there is more refined smoother amplification offerings out there. No doubt there is a point of diminishing returns and finances is no business but for the hobbyist's pocket/budget. 
 
The warm veil of the HD650 IMO has great synergy with the raw power of the 02 amp. This is an example of how the intimate HD650 can benefit from the 02 amp. In some cases using an extremely lush tube amp can possibly create a heavy syrupy sound. However the higher end tube amp you'd be able to roll tubes to create the sound you like.
 
Many ways to skin a cat..... getting back to the topic of 02 and Odac I'd say it's a good combo. However the objective amp is more along the lines of  an "excellent" performer. As far as odac is concerned musical engagement I'd look elsewhere if your wanting intimate vocals and realistic note decay but at the cost of more $$$ for a dac.  I'd imagine you cannot recreate note decay in the headphones/speakers if it's not present in the source or preamp. You certainly will not get it from a solid state 02 amp.

 

[castleofargh]

Has anyone tried the new Jds odac that no longer has nwaguy's name on it? Is it any better than the old one?

you have all the information you need here http://blog.jdslabs.com/?p=1003
my perception of it was that I didn't need to "upgrade" as transparent is good enough for me.

 

[JacobLee89]

  Uptone audio's usb REGEN seems to be an extremely interesting product.... I'll get one soon...

 
Almost twice the price of our forum's DIY alternative: the Doodlebug. Which makes me wonder about impedance matching at USB level. First time I've heard of this.
 
Also I find it interesting that you call the HD650 being "Warm veiled". I would call it warm and veiled, but I feel that the warmth and the veil are distinct enough to be separate, definable characteristics of their own. I've also heard that the HD650 favors voltage over current, which I don't quite understand why, and I imagine that the O2 is just one of those amps that is capable of providing a bit of both. However, going into the HD650 thread you'll see just as many interesting viewpoints on this lovely oddball of a headphone.
 
Back onto topic though. It would be interesting however, to see if there are any audible improvements by linking the USB REGEN to an ODAC. I can imagine very little audible improvements, but I am open to surprises.

 

[castleofargh]

 

  Uptone audio's usb REGEN seems to be an extremely interesting product.... I'll get one soon...

 
Almost twice the price of our forum's DIY alternative: the Doodlebug. Which makes me wonder about impedance matching at USB level. First time I've heard of this.
 
Also I find it interesting that you call the HD650 being "Warm veiled". I would call it warm and veiled, but I feel that the warmth and the veil are distinct enough to be separate, definable characteristics of their own. I've also heard that the HD650 favors voltage over current, which I don't quite understand why, and I imagine that the O2 is just one of those amps that is capable of providing a bit of both. However, going into the HD650 thread you'll see just as many interesting viewpoints on this lovely oddball of a headphone.
 
Back onto topic though. It would be interesting however, to see if there are any audible improvements by linking the USB REGEN to an ODAC. I can imagine very little audible improvements, but I am open to surprises.

for the hd650 favoring voltage over current, it's simply that it represents a 300ohm or more load. it's the same with any high impedance headphone the hd650 is nothing special on its own.
 
about all the crap to improve usb, if people are really concerned about how good usb can be, then they wouldn't use usb in the first place. get a soundcard and a dac with a nice coax or some optical stuff, that's how you improve usb IMO.
now back to the odac, I have never heard noises from sources with it, when I did on some of the other DACs I got in my hands(cheap stuff for the most). so while it's nothing scientific, it's good enough for me to believe I don't need to "improve" my usb.
now if you go on the shiit topics, you see that several people heard noises, and using a wyrd or any nonsense stuff like that does seem to improve on noise for most of those cases.
I read it as bad computer usb(try to get an usb card for 20$, or if voltage is the problem, get a powered hub also for about 20$), or as the DAC being crap(change DAC instead of trying to turn a donkey into a race horse). on the shiit topic they prefer to read is as amazing wyrd.
take your pick, in a sense everybody's right.