In terms of pure sound quality, how does the irDAC compare to the Grace M9xx and the Chord Mojo? I am really stuck between these 3 for my next upgrade, coming from an HRT Microstreamer and driving Hifiman HE560s. If the irDAC was the best in terms of sound, I'd invest in a Gustard H10 too if needs be. Can anyone compare that setup by any remote chance?
In terms of pure sound quality, how does the irDAC compare to the Grace M9xx and the Chord Mojo? I am really stuck between these 3 for my next upgrade, coming from an HRT Microstreamer and driving Hifiman HE560s. If the irDAC was the best in terms of sound, I'd invest in a Gustard H10 too if needs be. Can anyone compare that setup by any remote chance?
I had irdac, and now have the Mojo. Overall, I prefer the Mojo. More musical and euphonic nature. It's a more audiophille in terms of details and resolution. Irdac is calmer.
In terms of pure sound quality, how does the irDAC compare to the Grace M9xx and the Chord Mojo? I am really stuck between these 3 for my next upgrade, coming from an HRT Microstreamer and driving Hifiman HE560s. If the irDAC was the best in terms of sound, I'd invest in a Gustard H10 too if needs be. Can anyone compare that setup by any remote chance?
While I thought the m9XX was nice, I felt it was more a transportable AMP/DAC and DAC. I did not feel it was ever competitive with the irDAC on just the DAC sound alone. Based on what I heard, I was never tempted to put it into my big rig and compare to the irDAC.
While the Mojo is portable, it is sonically something entirely different. I could use it as a DAC-only and be done! And as a DAC-only, I would consider it to be a supreme value. The fact that it also holds a battery for portability, also outputs into headphones (dual outputs) for AMP/DAC use, also has every digital input you could need for DAC use - just icing on the cake!
If you decide to get the Mojo, try plugging it directly into your HE560 headphones. Don't get another amplifier until you heard it standalone. In my opinion, the purpose of the amplifier is distortion, such as feeding Mojo into a tube amplifier. Otherwise, I've not found the need for an amplifier for any headphone I own. Mojo is sufficient on its own.
I had irdac, and now have the Mojo. Overall, I prefer the Mojo. More musical and euphonic nature. It's a more audiophille in terms of details and resolution. Irdac is calmer.
I think overall Mojo is a half step above irdac. Irdac is good too just that mojo is better. Mojo has a little more energy than irdac, also instruments sound more real and details and resolution is better on mojo. Irdac might be a little more airy and calmer overall. Nothing you would notice unless you a/b for tests. Id just get the Mojo.
ustreamer is very bright and in your face/congested in comparison to the irdac. I agree with the characterization of the irdac as "calm". It also has great resolution of spatial details and sounds "open", and is in my system conveys texture excellently but maybe lacks dynamics compared to some.
When I owned this, I only turned it on and left it on the entire time, until I sold it. I definitely heard the sound improve over the course of the first day. But then I never turned it off, back on, to listen again. Are you stating that if you turn this off, after the initial burn-in/warm-up, you must leave it running 6 hours before it gets back to the warmed up state?
When I owned this, I only turned it on and left it on the entire time, until I sold it. I definitely heard the sound improve over the course of the first day. But then I never turned it off, back on, to listen again. Are you stating that if you turn this off, after the initial burn-in/warm-up, you must leave it running 6 hours before it gets back to the warmed up state?
I agree with you 100% on the horrible part, and then the smooth once warmed.
I am just surprised it needs it each time. That does kind of hurt its usability. Sorry
Apart from just looking at the specs, has anybody actually compared the irDAC vs irDAC-II? I haven't heard the irDAC but I have the irDAC-II on demo at the moment. Sounds quite nice to my ears, but I think it lacks a little impact. IMO not as punchy as Bifrost 4490 and not as 3D and spacious as Gungnir Multibit.
Apart from just looking at the specs, has anybody actually compared the irDAC vs irDAC-II? I haven't heard the irDAC but I have the irDAC-II on demo at the moment. Sounds quite nice to my ears, but I think it lacks a little impact. IMO not as punchy as Bifrost 4490 and not as 3D and spacious as Gungnir Multibit.
I've owned Bifrost 4490 (and Uber and original and Multibit) and irDAC and Gungnir Multibit.
Your description of how the irDAC-II sounds compared to the Schiit DACs sounds right-on! That is, if you said you were listening to the irDAC, I would believe you. It does not have quite the same impact as the Mike Moffat implementations (from Schiit). It is not quite as resolving and spacious as the Gungnir Multibit. In fact the Gungnir Multibit replaced, in my system, Bifrost and irDAC and a Meridian Director, because it did so many things well relative to all these.
In short, I suspect there is much similarity between irDAC and irDAC-II based on your description of the new version's sound.
Bifrost has a lot of the same sound as the Gungnir. Depending on your setup, and particularly for headphones, it may be quite good enough.
When I heard the biggest deltas between Bifrost and Gungnir, I was either using pristine equipment (think HD800-ish with a good amplifier) or listening to stereo speakers. More depth and more dynamics on the speakers was the most obvious.
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