Latest Thread Images

REVIEW: MHDT Labs Stockholm DAC
Jun 20, 2012 at 9:06 AM Post #17 of 28
Thanks Joel, just did.
 
Nov 29, 2012 at 9:23 PM Post #18 of 28
Not much activity on this thread for a while. S1rrah, are you still listening to your Stockholm and do you still recommend it?  I know one person at ALO audio, which might not even sell either the Havana or Stockholm anymore, said the Havana was still the better DAC.  But I'm wondering if with V-Cap upgrade, it's just as good.  I saw one nice review in a professional online magazine, but there just isn't much critical mass favoring the Stockholm and I wonder why.  Thanks!
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 12:40 AM Post #19 of 28
Quote:
mmcentyre said:
Not much activity on this thread for a while. S1rrah, are you still listening to your Stockholm and do you still recommend it?  I know one person at ALO audio, which might not even sell either the Havana or Stockholm anymore, said the Havana was still the better DAC.  But I'm wondering if with V-Cap upgrade, it's just as good.  I saw one nice review in a professional online magazine, but there just isn't much critical mass favoring the Stockholm and I wonder why.  Thanks!
Click to expand...

 
Without a doubt. I consider it in every way to be an equal (and slightly better in some regards) DAC to the Havana. 
 
It's main selling point is the slightly higher digital reception capabilities but mostly the Asynchronous USB, I think. And, like a lot of users, I'm not a USB user and so that wouldn't be a selling point for me. 
 
And I don't think there will be much critical speak of it (though I could be wrong) as it's basically the same DAC as the Havana. And most folk would probably consider it as ground already covered ... especially if they got a review unit like I did and heard the very similar performance of the Stockholm to the Havana. Personally, I felt the same, to be honest and I had to spend a lot of time coming to the conclusions I did and that can be seen in the Stockholm review. In fact, I contacted the Havana reviewer at Enjoy the Music and he initially wanted to borrow the Stockholm for review but a few days later changed his mind as he had another review he needed to complete.
 
Anyway ... if I were buying right now?
 
I would get  the Stockholm if I was a mostly high resolution file listener and *especially* if I listend via USB (as the Asynchronous seriously does make a difference) ...
 
I would get the Havana if I was mainly 44khz listening, didn't care about USB and didn't listen via USB much ...
 
They are both equally conducive to modding, however as they are literally almost the very same architecture.
 
Basically, to sum it up? Anything you've read about the Havana? Apply it to the Stockholm while considering a couple niche-sector advantages unique to the latter.
 
Good luck ...
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 10:22 AM Post #21 of 28
Quote:
mmcentyre said:
Thanks.  I guess time marches on and there will be a 2nd generation of the Stockholm out soon according to their website.  I'll wait for that.
Click to expand...

 
I keep wanting MHDT to make a super sized version of their Havana/Stockholm DACS ... like with all high end components similar to what the modders are doing in the main Havana thread ... and price it accordingly ... I know I would purchase one over their standard models ... maybe that's what they are doing with the 2nd Gen Stockholm you reference?
 
BTW ... what page did you see that discussed on? I've heard mention of a balanced Stockholm being made available but nothing else ... and I'd expect the balanced version to be the same as the stock, only, well ... balanced. Two tubes, four DAC chips, etc....
 
??
 
EDIT: oh .. I just saw the page you mention. Seems they sold out of all the Stockholms (this is excellent, BTW) ... so by "2nd Gen" I'd expect them to mean simply a new manufacture run of the same DAC ... but I could be mistaken.  Hmmmm ... 
 
Dec 8, 2012 at 2:39 PM Post #23 of 28
From MHDT:
 
 
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.

 
[size=15.99px] Stockholm est release time: Jan, 2012 [/size]
[size=15.99px] Balanced Stockholm est release time: Mar, 2012[/size]
[size=15.99px]  [/size]

Best Regards.

Jiun

Mhdt Labs

 
Dec 10, 2012 at 6:56 PM Post #25 of 28
Quote:
acousticdreams said:
Hi, this is definitely a mistake, I hope they mean 2013?!
Click to expand...

yeah - That's what they had in their email..  Then they sent me another one with the correct years on it..
biggrin.gif

 
Dec 20, 2012 at 6:41 PM Post #26 of 28
Just a quick word ...
 
Juins comments are accurate ... at least regarding output level ... I *did* notice that the Havana's output was just a tad "louder"  than was the Stockholms ... which, of course, just meant that I needed to raise my amplifier volume a teeny bit to get the same volume level as with the Havana ... personally, I do not see this as a "shortcoming" of the initial Stockholm release ... simply a novel difference, since I have a fairly simple listening setup...
 
That said, there really was a psychological effect as it seems physical/neural impulse response almost universally dictates that lower initial volume equals less perceived details ... which, I don't think is necessarily the case.
 
When A/B listening between the Stockholm and the Havana ... once I got the volume matching down, I actually found the Stockholm to be a bit more "resolving" DAC ... a bit more detailed ... at the same time, be it some trick of the new digital receiver or be it placebo ... I thought the Stockholm to be a tad "thinner" sounding ... mostly in regards to the bass ... as I think the Havana's stock bass performance, though very good, is still a bit "flubby" here and there compared to other DACs I've listened to. The stock Stockholm bass is a bit better, I think .... 
 
I'm curious to hear the new version, though .. especially regarding the true lack of any OPAMP circuit (either dedicated or built in to the DAC chips themselves) ... 
 
And it should be mentioned that both the Havana *and* the  newer Stockholm DACs both have an OPAMP circuit (of sorts) built in to their typical NOS R2R DAC design ... so, as a future RE-purchaser of a Havana (cause it's the most simple of the two and for no other reason) ... I'm hoping that MHDT mirrors the "true no opamp/filter" design to future renditions of the Havana too ... cause I want to buy one.
 
:wink:
 
Cheers!
 
.j
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top