Have you tried MDR-XB1000? Just go to a local Sony boutique and give it a shot. ;)

Listening to Tron: Legacy while playing Diablo III is quite refreshing...

Eh... he was deaf before he had white hair...   Quote:

I have experienced audible differences with TOSLINK and USB. See post 460 (http://www.head-fi.org/t/542563/asus-essence-one-headphone-amp-dac-cebit-2011/450#post_7961750). This happens with and without upsampling. The difference is audible with a low end computer speaker and my Q701. I have...

You can otherwise get an Analog to Digital Converter to connect your analog devices to Essence One.   Quote:  

Have you updated the firmware? Makes big difference.   Quote:  

That... is pretty awesome...    Quote:  

Hmmm.... That's a really big squirrel...   Quote:  

What HP is that? HEY, eyes up there...   Quote:  

Kudos for making good use of a paper towel holder!     Quote:

Have you considered a receiver with digital output to connect to the DAC?   Quote:  

The Teac UDH01-S ($499) is out too. I am also curious about it's comparison with Maverick's D2 ($239) + A1 ($199) combination. All are in the same price range (DacMagic Plus is $599).    Quote:  

Yeah! Thought this was hilarious:   Quote:  

Luxurious! Thanks!   Quote:  

What is this!? Can't find it on Audio Technica's website... Please ID! (The HP, not the woman...)   Quote:  

Good luck with the OpAmp roll! I am not in that league...   1) So far so good, but then I don't have the golden ears...  2) I think you missed the part the author mentions that TOSLINK is only a bit inferior to the S/PDIF. The graph is an example of a bad TOSLINK wave, not all TOSLINK...

There are a few reviews out there comparing the Essence One to Benchmark DAC1, which is ~$1600. The conclusions have been favorable to the DAC1. So without listing with my own ears, I am guessing that the Essence One probably can't stack up against those +$1500 DACs.     Here's my VERY...

Hmmm... I am pretty happy with this set-up, but obviously it's not good enough for you. - The Realtek I have is an on-board sound card, so I know it's subpar, that's why I bought the Essence One. Doesn't processing the data through Essence One bypass Realtek? - TOSLINK should be able to...

Ok, here's my set-up:   1. Amazon Cloud > Realtek® ALC889 > TOSLINK > Essence One > Headphone-out (Volume dial at 9 o'clock) > AKG Q701 2. Amazon Cloud > Realtek® ALC889 > TOSLINK > Essence One (Volume dial at 12 o'clock) > Unbalamced-out > Behringer HA400 (Volume dial at 9 o'clock) > AKG...

Wow, many schools of thoughts... I have lots to learn...   Since the E1 requires only USB 1.1 or higher, would bandwidth still matter as cladisch mentioned that the S/PDIF and USB1.x has the same bandwidth?   Also, I noticed USB ports are different... I have external powered hub...

Ok, this is probably a dumb question: I have a PC with optical output. Would it sound better with E1 through optical-in or USB?   I was thinking of using optical because optical seems to have better transfer rate, but everyone seems to be using USB. I am confused...   Another dumb...

That lady should be warned: Sound isolation on a busy street is not good for health, no matter how bright the jacket is or how much shox the shoes can absorb...   Quote:    

Amazon did. I think I just took the last one "Sold by Amazon". More will be in stock though. ;P Beach Audio also carries a few units at a time on Amazon. Just check-in early in the morning. :)   Quote:  

I wonder how this will stack up against the new DACs like ASUS Xonar Essence One and Maverick D2.

It is available in the US now: http://www.google.com/search?q=TEAC+UD-H01&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=rPI&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=shop&ei=HEjTTtfwFcSkiQKO5u33Cw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=6&ved=0CDUQ_AUoBQ&biw=2048&bih=1000