[Poetik]

Hey all,

I came to the conclusion that I wanted to upgrade my DAC. I'm planning to spend a good $400-500 on one and I've narrowed it down to either a Nuforce HDP or a Audio GD-19 (either the mk3 or the newer version). I'm currently using an EMU 0404 USB and I'm sure either one would be a noticeable upgrade. It's quite a big chunk of money so if you guys had the funds which would you get and why?

Also I would be connecting it from my computer via usb > dac > little dot mkiv > hd600

Thanks,

-Cedric

 

[SoupRKnowva]

considering the HDP in a headphone amp and a dac, and you already have a amp, id say that as just a dac that the dac19 would be better, but this is based purely on opinions ive read on here, ive never heard the HDP, or any other sabre dac's

 

[busyx2]

Audio GD 19 is 96kHz, HDP is 192kHz. Audio GD has no USB input, HDP does.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Originally Posted by busyx2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Audio GD 19 is 96kHz, HDP is 192kHz. Audio GD has no USB input, HDP does.

incorrect, the audio gd does have USB, and 192khz is worthless, the audio gd will sound better, which is im assuming what the op wants.

 

[dongringo]

Just joining this thread because I'm also thinking about updating my dac...in the same price range.

 

[bcwang]

Let me help clarify a few facts here so the OP doesn't get confused.

-HDP only supports 96khz through USB, though it can do 192khz through it's digital interfaces
-HDP does not use the sabre DAC
-How does SoupRKnowva know the audio gd sounds better? The HDP is so new no one has reviewed it yet.

 

[AustinHorn]

I was 1 of 20 end users (as was bcwang above) who got the HDP & I got mine yesterday. So I can't say much other than what is written on the HDP thread. I'd pm HeadphoneAddict, who was one of the early Nuforce testers. He may know something about the dac 19 & more experience with the HDP than any of the rest of us. I don't have any experience with the dac19 - other than what I've read on their thread plus the good rep of that company, in general.

I can say that I've been very impressed with the HDP for the 20+ hours I've put on it since yesterday. I have an LDV ss amp that I'd like it to replace with the HDP yet also be able to serve as dac for my Doge 6210 tube amp. But the jury is still out on whether that can happen 'cause the LDV is a great headphone amp, for the money. The early production run of the HDPs had a recall due to swapped inputs & mine's on the way back to Nuforce for repair. So from my standpoint, I'd say the jury is still out on the HDP. My first impressions are great, but until I get 300-400 hrs on it, I doubt I'll be able to say if my plan will fly. I have a DAC1 I'm using now to feed my headphone amps from my PC, but I want to move it back to my 2-channel stereo system which was what I really got it for. Moving it & getting rid of the LDV will free up a lot of desk space around my PC so that is my goal. Again it is too early for me to say if the HDP can do & be everything I want it to be, but Nuforce makes great gear & I have high hopes.

Good luck with your decision. If you can wait a bit on the decision, feedback on the final version of the HDP ought to be just a couple of weeks away. Hope this helps you a little anyway.

P.S. I agree with bcwang, no one can tell you yet whether the HDP is better or worse - unless HeadphoneAddict or one of the other early testers can.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcwang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Let me help clarify a few facts here so the OP doesn't get confused. -HDP only supports 96khz through USB, though it can do 192khz through it's digital interfaces -HDP does not use the sabre DAC -How does SoupRKnowva know the audio gd sounds better? The HDP is so new no one has reviewed it yet.

as a combo amp/dac im sure the HDP is great, but i dont think it can compete with the dac19 in its dac capabilities. Also, as far as i know it uses the same sabre chip that the nuforce uDac uses, i believe that one of the nuforce guys stated that in a thread on here. Though if you show me evidence proving otherwise i will gladly listen. but until that happens, i will trust certain member of this forum who say that the pck1704uk sounds better than any implementation of the sabre chip. And honestly, the op is asking for opinions, i provided mine, based on a lot of research done on this site, and i even warned him that i had not personally heard it.

 

[bcwang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoupRKnowva /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...Also, as far as i know it uses the same sabre chip that the nuforce uDac uses, i believe that one of the nuforce guys stated that in a thread on here.

Trust me on this, it definitely does not use the Sabre chip. HeadphoneAddict will be able to corroborate that fact.

But don't worry about it, for the longest time I thought it used the sabre too. Then I realized I just got confused by the many products and threads going on at the same time. After directing my research at that particular topic, I realized it was all a figment of my imagination that it was using the sabre.

 

[AustinHorn]

According to a post by Jasonl of Nuforce, the HDP shares the DAC from their $1500 CDP-8 player. He made it clear it was a different dac than the udac. I have both & even just out of the box, the HDP was clearly superior. That still doesn't mean it is better or worse than the dac19. I do know that since the HDP just got in the hands of a very few users, no fair comparison is yet really possible 'cause the Nuforce real production line just started this past Tuesday in Taiwan. We were told these 1st few units were pretty much hand built so it will be a while before anyone can make a fair comparison of the HDP to any other amp/dac. So if Poetik can wait, eventually someone can compare them fairly.

 

[AustinHorn]

It is a little bit dated, but the following is a good place to start & to check out possible dac purchases in your price range. Check it out & then check out the reviews & possible updated models in your price range. Often here or on AudiogoN you can also often find used dacs that new weren't in your price range but now are. I just saw a Benchmark DAC1 on AudiogoN for $595 (a little more than you wanted to pay but a whole lot more dac than one normally gets in this price range). Don't believe me, read the pro reviews. Anyway good luck.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/all...an-buy-197674/

 

[busyx2]

Can't tell what type of USB interface on AG supports.

My experience, when I first tried the Icon Mobile comparing with Emu, at 16/44, the Icon Mobile was significantly better than the Emu; however, when I play a 24/96 file, EMU could walk all over the Nuforce.

Hence, assuming HDP and AG are pretty closed in performance, and depending on the goal, the ability to decode hi-res vs. Windows-SRC conversion probably is more important.

 

[techenvy]

Quote:

Hey all,

I came to the conclusion that I wanted to upgrade my DAC. I'm planning to spend a good $400-500 on one and I've narrowed it down to either a Nuforce HDP or a Audio GD-19 (either the mk3 or the newer version). I'm currently using an EMU 0404 USB and I'm sure either one would be a noticeable upgrade. It's quite a big chunk of money so if you guys had the funds which would you get and why?

Also I would be connecting it from my computer via usb > dac > little dot mkiv > hd600

Thanks,

-Cedric

im in the exact same boat u are,, and it was down to either the 19 or hdp or benchmark,
  As soon as i found out the hdp had a toslink adapter for input, im all for hdp, small and sleak and american made  thanks to HA for helpin me decide

 

[tim3320070]

The DAC19 has been reviewed and compared to more expensive DAC's like the Benchmark and was found universally superior. I feel the HDP is not in the same league as the DAC19 (for DAC use)...at all. Take a look at what's in both units and decide for yourself.

 

[slim.a]

Quote:

Hey all,

I came to the conclusion that I wanted to upgrade my DAC. I'm planning to spend a good $400-500 on one and I've narrowed it down to either a Nuforce HDP or a Audio GD-19 (either the mk3 or the newer version). I'm currently using an EMU 0404 USB and I'm sure either one would be a noticeable upgrade. It's quite a big chunk of money so if you guys had the funds which would you get and why?

Also I would be connecting it from my computer via usb > dac > little dot mkiv > hd600

Thanks,

-Cedric

Hi Poetik,
 
I haven't listened to the Nuforce HDP so I cannot comment on its sound. However, from a designing (and choice of components) point of view, there is a huge difference between the HDP and the dac19.
 
On one hand, the HDP is a multi-purpose device (dac, preamp, headphone amp) built with space saving in mind. I haven't seen the internals, but my guess is that it uses regulars opamps throughout. If it were a discrete design, it would have probably been mentioned somewhere.
 
On the other hand, the dac19 is a DAC only device, it is an all discrete design, it uses a 50w R-Core Linear transformer, the best DAC chip ever produced (pcm1704uk), a high quality digital filter, zero feedback, high quality components (Vishay Dale resistors, Nover capacitors ...)
 
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the price of the 2 PCM1704uk dac chips used in the dac19 weren't more than the price of all the components used in the HDP. I have seen the internals of DACs costing much more than the HDP that didn't have more than $100 worth of components inside.

Also, when I read something like "Note: Icon HDP uses the same DAC as the high-end CDP-8 (MSRP $1450.00) and similar preamp as P-8S (MSRP $1650.00)."I can't help but think of marketing BS. Either Nuforce are loosing a lot of money on the HDP or the CDP-8 and P-8S are way overpriced.
Either way, it is not a good thing for Nuforce. 
 
My advice is that if you are looking for a real stand alone DAC and don't need the headphone and preamp out of the HDP is to look somewhere else. You will get a much better value for the $ spent on a DAC only (DAC Magic, DAC19, ...).