fenixdown110
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2009
- Posts
- 2,555
- Likes
- 17
Well. This is my first dac amp and first review. First time for everything I guess?
This arrived through USPS from Craig at Whiplash, the official dealer for StyleAudio's Carat Jewel series dac amps. It was packaged very nicely with a full foam enclosure. Upon plugging this into my PC via usb, the dac amp was immediately recognized by Windows 7. I switched audio to the usb dac via drop down sound menu. I proceeded to open foobar2000/ASIO4ALL and double checked my settings for the 5.1 surround simulation, courtesy of Graphicism(link to settings in my sig). I had lots of crackling and popping in the audio which I figured out to be dirty power. The problem was solved by plugging my PC power supply into my power surge protector/power conditioner. I also switched the usb cable to a heavier duty version one I had lying around just in case. To get started off, it supports up to 16 bit/48k Hz, which is DVD quality. The dac amp can be considered a portable unit since it's so small and doesn't require external power to run. It can be powered by usb alone. It does have a power cord for some extra oomph I guess, but I didn't notice much difference with or without the plug. It only results in sounding just a little bit smoother.
Equipment: Custom PC, Sennheiser HD-650 silver version
Initial thoughts: Keeping in mind that burn in is required to get the most out of the dac amp, I'm not about to get super critical. The amp certainly does make things louder without distortion as higher levels. The volume pot at the 9 o'clock position is at a comfortable listening level. Anything past 12 o'clock is just painful loud. This little dac amp certainly has the power to drive the 300Ω 650's just fine.
The highs are much brighter. Sibilance is noticeable and a little hard on the ears. It forced me to place the foam I had removed from the 650's back in. This surprised me since 650's are supposed to have a dark veil. Bass is more pronounced, although not heavy, and definitely not overpowering. The mids are very pronounced and fun to listen to.
2 hours listening/burn in: Everything has started to smooth out. Highs have toned down and sibilance isn't an issue anymore and the 650 veil was more noticeable, so the foam is out again. Bass is even more prominent now, but still not overpowering. Mids have stayed consistent and are very clear.
Afterthoughts: I will have to add more information as this continues to burn in. However, I had no doubt this wouldn't disappoint me. It's made from quality parts and originally retailed for $349.99. I highly recommend this to those who are looking for a first dac amp. There is very little difference between the Emerald and the higher model Topaz($449.99). The only downside is that these opamps are soldered and therefore cannot be rolled. However, the dac is rated very highly and can be paired with a nice tube amp later.
Happy listening!
This arrived through USPS from Craig at Whiplash, the official dealer for StyleAudio's Carat Jewel series dac amps. It was packaged very nicely with a full foam enclosure. Upon plugging this into my PC via usb, the dac amp was immediately recognized by Windows 7. I switched audio to the usb dac via drop down sound menu. I proceeded to open foobar2000/ASIO4ALL and double checked my settings for the 5.1 surround simulation, courtesy of Graphicism(link to settings in my sig). I had lots of crackling and popping in the audio which I figured out to be dirty power. The problem was solved by plugging my PC power supply into my power surge protector/power conditioner. I also switched the usb cable to a heavier duty version one I had lying around just in case. To get started off, it supports up to 16 bit/48k Hz, which is DVD quality. The dac amp can be considered a portable unit since it's so small and doesn't require external power to run. It can be powered by usb alone. It does have a power cord for some extra oomph I guess, but I didn't notice much difference with or without the plug. It only results in sounding just a little bit smoother.
Equipment: Custom PC, Sennheiser HD-650 silver version
Initial thoughts: Keeping in mind that burn in is required to get the most out of the dac amp, I'm not about to get super critical. The amp certainly does make things louder without distortion as higher levels. The volume pot at the 9 o'clock position is at a comfortable listening level. Anything past 12 o'clock is just painful loud. This little dac amp certainly has the power to drive the 300Ω 650's just fine.
2 hours listening/burn in: Everything has started to smooth out. Highs have toned down and sibilance isn't an issue anymore and the 650 veil was more noticeable, so the foam is out again. Bass is even more prominent now, but still not overpowering. Mids have stayed consistent and are very clear.
Afterthoughts: I will have to add more information as this continues to burn in. However, I had no doubt this wouldn't disappoint me. It's made from quality parts and originally retailed for $349.99. I highly recommend this to those who are looking for a first dac amp. There is very little difference between the Emerald and the higher model Topaz($449.99). The only downside is that these opamps are soldered and therefore cannot be rolled. However, the dac is rated very highly and can be paired with a nice tube amp later.
Happy listening!
