hmorneau
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2012
- Posts
- 144
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- 20
Thanks for the response. Really. Some of this stuff is still very greek to me. So, basically I need a DAC with balanced XLR outs, yeah?
I'm looking at...hell, I don't know how much cash, but finding the right DAC, that's transparent enough - not colored too much - detailed enough - will be a search on its own. * sigh * Maybe I'll just send all of this stuff back, because my Aune T1 rocks! I just don't think I'm getting all I can get from my cans with it.
Yeah, sorry I edited my reply while you were replying. I was still doing more research and I found some of my assumption were wrong/incomplete. But I'm basically saying that it's worst then I first expected, and it doesn't solve your issue.
I did drive the auditor with my sound card when I got it, but the result was poor, and the sound quality was exactly like when my headphone were connected directly to the computer (which is logical, since an amp should only amplify what is there, nothing more, nothing less), and it was not very loud (like what you experiment). The only improvement was maybe in the bass, where the sound card was distording under the load, the SPL fixed that (since the input of an amp use way less current then the headphone themself and the SPL have way more power on tap) Then I got a DAC with XLR output and a big change.
Now I have read a bit more about DAC, and I start to believe that there is not much difference between them. A transparent DAC don't need to be expensive. If some DAC sound warmer then other, it's because they colour the sound instead of simply converting digital to analog. But still, a DAC with XLR output are pretty expensive (probably since less common, more complex and they come with lot of input and output type that add to the complexity as well, so to the cost). Anyway, I went with the lower costing one I could find, and at that time it was a W4S DAC2 that I found for sale on the forum (got it for $1000 but with shipping and duty tax since I'm from Canada it was more like $1200).
Does it worth it? Yes, if you want a transparent sound, but with your headphone (who are very transparent as well) I don't think you will be pleased, with my LCD-3F it sound amazing. They sound crystal clear on all the frequency spectrum at any listening volume.