[delancyst]

anyone knows what happened to the new firmware update?

 

[LAmitchell]

Hi guys,
 
I'm having trouble figuring out what the big deal is on the Herus. I realize I have only had it for ONE night, and I reallllly WANT TO LOVE IT....
 
I'm not hearing the tonal color (like in the Meridian Director Dac which is double the price but miles better so far).  I'm hearing a clinical and clear sound with a slight edge to it (slight fatigue to me).
 
Hope I'm not coming off negative, because I consider myself to be a very optimistic person. $350?  I could have bought a new ipad mini for $50 more. Maybe I should retire from the audio hobby
 
the build: GREAT
 
the packaging: simple yet very nice
 
the specs: wayyy impressive, but just listening to everyday files like 320kbps or Redbook, I'm just not so sure....
 
 
 
LA Mitchell

 

[Ultrainferno]

I know what you mean. I love using it as a DAC with another amp but as a combo I'm not too impressed.
Still a good unit though. How are you using it?

 

[LAmitchell]

  I know what you mean. I love using it as a DAC with another amp but as a combo I'm not too impressed.
Still a good unit though. How are you using it?

 
Both in my system and with headpones...
 

 
 
**** EDIT ****
 
Just listened to my first DSD album. Wow, now I see what all the DSD fuss is about: non-edgy, no glare, lots of texture yet so smoooooth!

 

[AnakChan]

Personally I find the best way to enjoy the Herus is with DSD which was a stark contrast to Redbook or lower quality. That's at least to my expectation.

 

[LAmitchell]

Wow.
 
I just finished listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller in DSD.
 
I am so converted to this format now.
 
I've heard it millions of times, and certainly have heard it with much more "sparkle", at louder volumes, etc... but just now in my back room with a modest size 2 channel system it wasn't amazing like "wow, check this out man!!!"  more like: "this sounds so good it's going to be hard to listen to anything but DSD from now on"
 
I hope the DSD revolution take hold soon.
 
LA Mitchell

 

[nipponbiki]

Well, I am thinking about getting the iFi iCAN headphone amp to pair with the Herus.
Does anyone know where to get a good breakout cable to split from the 1/4 inch to two RCA jacks that is neither the cheapest, flimsy type of thing you might get at Wal-mart nor an 'audiophile' grade cable costing hundreds of dollars?
 
If anyone also has any input on the headphone amp itself, that commentary is also welcome.
 
Reason for wanting a separate amp is that in my comparison between the Herus and the iFi iDSD NANO, I noticed that Herus does everything better except bass. The iFi just does it that much better, so I am hoping to correct this with a separate amp, and the bass option on the iFi headphone amp has gotten a lot of positive feedback.

 

[project86]

Most of the stuff you find from Audioquest etc will be 1/8" to RCA. You could always contact the company to see if they will swap for a 1/4" jack. I'm sure Signal Cable would, for example, and their stuff is really nice without being too expensive.
 
Then there's eBay as another option

 

[EtymoticFtW]

I think there's a couple 1/4 to RCA stereo options from Monstercable on Amazon.  There were a few months ago when I looked, for my Herus.

 

[MikeyFresh]

  Well, I am thinking about getting the iFi iCAN headphone amp to pair with the Herus.
Does anyone know where to get a good breakout cable to split from the 1/4 inch to two RCA jacks that is neither the cheapest, flimsy type of thing you might get at Wal-mart nor an 'audiophile' grade cable costing hundreds of dollars?
 
If anyone also has any input on the headphone amp itself, that commentary is also welcome.
 
Reason for wanting a separate amp is that in my comparison between the Herus and the iFi iDSD NANO, I noticed that Herus does everything better except bass. The iFi just does it that much better, so I am hoping to correct this with a separate amp, and the bass option on the iFi headphone amp has gotten a lot of positive feedback.

One cable possibility is a Double Helix Cables model called the Single Strand.
 
http://www.doublehelixcables.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=13
 
The typical termination uses a DHC 3.5mm stereo plug to 2 Neutrik RCAs, however they will let you specify a 1/4" stereo plug in place of the 3.5mm plug, it's not on their web store drop down order form but you can just email them after placing the order as 3.5mm and confirm your need for a 1/4" plug instead.
 
Not in the category of "cheap", but at $99 certainly not expensive given the high quality of the wire/conductors, plugs, and overall construction. If you are willing to drop a little more coin, you can further customize this cable with different RCAs, or even various cosmetic touches involving the sleeving too.
 
Another slightly less expensive option is the CEntrance Reserve Series, somewhat longer in length than the DHC is at 5', listed for $75.
 
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/878951-REG/CEntrance_Inc_reserve_series_1_4_1_4_TRS_to_Stereo.html
 
I can personally vouch for the sound and build quality of the DHC Single Strand, I own one, but I have never used the CEntrance Reserve Series cables despite being an owner of their superb HiFi-M8 DAC/headphone amp.
 
In either case be prepared to wait a little, DHC has about a 6-8 week back order, while CEntrance is 1-2 weeks.

 

[nipponbiki]

MikeyFresh,
 
I guess I am not quite ready to spend that kind of money on just cables. I don't know, maybe for analog signals, which would apply here, but I lean towards the logic that cables cannot make that much difference assuming they are well made, which is why I was hoping to find a well-made cable for 30-40 or so.
Also, it is just the interconnect between the Herus and the amp, so I really don't need a long cable, 6-12 inches would work. With a such a short run, I really doubt an expensive cable would matter much.
 
I noticed you use the iFi USB power conditioner. What do you think about that?

 

[project86]

In that case, just grab something like THIS and call it a day? It looks plain but is actually rather thick, much more robust than some cheap pack-in type cable. 

 

[nipponbiki]

Project86, thanks for the link!  Unfortunately, I only saw 1/8-inch to RCA cables.
But, monoprice is really cheap!  Seems almost too cheap. How is it possible to be quality and that cheap? (serious question)

 

[project86]

Sorry, I forgot to add that you'd attach a common adapter to it, converting to 1/4". 
 
Monoprice buys in enormous quantities so their stuff tends to be good for cheap. Not all of it though - there's a nicer looking, more expensive version of this which tends to fail in one channel according to reviews. But most of their stuff is very solid. This thing isn't really pretty and it's kinda stiff, but should do the job just fine. 

 

[nipponbiki]

Hey guys,
 
I rechecked the specs on the iCAN amp, and I noticed that is has both RCA and a 3.5 mm input.
Would it better to use one input or the other, or does it matter?
 
I wonder if it would be easier to simply find a 6.3 mm to 3.5 mm stereo interconnect.