Just getting back into headphones after a few years away. I picked up this amp locally for a good price and have to say that I am very impressed. It actually works great with the low impedance phones that I mostly use at work (westone 3, denon d1000). It does a great job of controlling the bass...

Quote: Originally Posted by d-cee Well I received my E-MU 0404 USB a couple of weeks ago now, and I have been letting it burn in, but haven't really had a chance to write some proper observations about it. I will compare it to my Oritek Modded Zhaolu v4 which is the latest version of...

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to save up for a bit.

bump for any thoughts or link to thread with info

I tried searching for this information, but could not find anything specific. Does anybody know or have an opinion of whether there would be a difference in digital output quality between the transit and the 0404 usb? I primarily work with my laptop so I need a usb rather than pci card. I use...

If you conseder midrange to be under 500, the VDA2 has two rca outs. I would say that the VDA2 is the best dac I've owned SQ-wise although I like the Mini-dac better because I can run my headphones balanced direct from the dac.

I bought a used usb apogee mini-dac for $600 + shipping on audiogon. I've had a lot of dacs and this is the best value considering it has usb, full-asio (i.e. bit perfect with any software), balanced out, mini out, and 1/4 headphone amp. You can also listen to as many as three headphones at the...

Nevermind

Thanks for all of the advice. I just assumed that a stepped attenuator would be better for a passive preamp. I also thought the switchable inputs would be fun for comparing dacs. However, the axiom does seem to have a strong following and it is $40 cheaper for the caddock version. I actually...

I am looking to try out a passive preamp for my dynaco st-70 stereo amp. I found this ad on ebay for an aural thrills with stepped attenuator for $215 shipped. I am thinking that this is my best bet under $300, but I thought I would see if any of you more knowledgable type had other...

Most of the info is available on the TCC website: http://www.technolink.com.tw/ I also emailed them with a couple of questions and they respond very quickly.

Sorry that I was unclear. Maroon was color reference, which is between red and brown. I was referring to the cylindrical caps, such as in ec4, c9, etc. Thanks for looking

Nice review... Can you tell me if the maroon caps all 10uf silmic?

I just put an ad8599 in place of the opa2604 in the previous version and it makes a very nice improvement. There is noticeably more detail and refinement, but musicality is maintained. I used to prefer GE triple mica over WE 396a with the opa2604, but now I prefer 396a with the ad8599 opamp. I...

I have the original Paradisea (with we 396a tube) and a modded tec tc-7510 (opamp ad8599, 4700uf power supply cap, elna silmic II's in analog signal path). IMO, the paradisea is significantly better in the midrange and has better soundstage (wider and deeper). The level of detail is about the...

The dac opamp is surface mount and is in a fairly congested area. It is located near the first set of rca outputs. It is a small rectangular chip with the the info scratched out. The desoldering is actually more difficult than the soldering. It is not that difficult, but I would not suggest it...

Congrats on the new dac. I have the regular (non+) version and its best quality is definitely the midrange. Vocals just come alive in a very organic way, which is better than I have ever heard. I am glad that he switched opamps to the lm4562. I feel that the opa2604 is probably the bottleneck...

Thanks for the advice. I figure this is a free (in a relative sense) way to look for a difference. Quote: Originally Posted by mono I'll work but be kinda large, if you're not going to have it portable I'd just go with an AC-DC supply, the hyped benefit of using batteries is beyond...

I just received a sample of the ad8599 opamp. It sounds absolutely fantastic in the tec tc-7510. I would highly recommend swapping this opamp in if you have soldering skills. It is better than the already very good lm4562. I thought that I would have to pay for my sample from Analog Devices, but...

Thanks for the help. They are definitely ni-cd, so I'll give it a shot and see how much run time i get.

My cordless drill has three batteries. Since, I really have no use for three batteries, I was thinking of using two of these batteries as power supplies for an amp and dac that I use. I know people usually use SLA batteries for this purpose, but I was wondering if I could do any damage if I...

THanks for the pics. I also put a FC series 4700uf in the power supply. I also added silmics in the signal path. Finally I replaced the stock opamp with a socketed lm4562. I might also try 2107 and 2111 since I have a couple of those. I haven't had much time to listen to yet, but initial...

Thanks for the advice. I will try to redo the SMD soldering.

It looks like opa604 is also +-4.5v. However, the absolute min voltage for opa604 is +-1v compared to +-2v for opa627. You're best bet is to ask in the diy forum because they know the most about switching opamps.

I checked the data sheet for you. The min operating voltage for opa627 is +-4.5V which is equivalent to a voltage swing of 9v, so 5v is not enough. 5v is at the lower limit of lm4562 and ad8066, so you might consider those. Take this with a grain of salt because I am not an expert as far as...