AOC Piccolo

[Puddleglum]

Does anyone know where I can find a review of this DAC? I found only the audioasylum reviews on google, but sometimes there are reviews google can't catch. I was thinking this might be a good means of making a few of my assorted cd/dvd players around the house acceptable for music with a pimeta or something of the sort.

 

[dshea_32665]

Might want to edit the Title, it is an AOS Piccolo.

I have one with a Portable PIMETA and it is an amazing device for the money. I have had mine for about a month now and I am planning to write a review here when I get a moment. I am using my computer as source and it has transformed a pretty decent Apple soundcard into something comparable to a standalone unit (at least my 10 year old Nakamichi CD Player).

Quickly, these are my impressions:

1. Bass is much fuller with great detail, I am using Ety 4S's and there is none of the "I wish these had more bass" feeling that many Ety users exprience.

2. The sound is smoother and sense of space is improved. I am using the LM opamp with it which keeps things more neutral. If you want more sparkle and detail you can put in an AD8620 opamp.

3. The sound is a bit darker and mellow, but with increased detail. With my Ety headphones, this is a great match. If I were using a more laid back headphone I would probably throw the AD8620 in.

4. It creates a nice portable source for your amp. My JMT portable PIMETA sounds fantastic with this. I recently got an Emmeline SR-71 which of course sounds fabulous as well.

4. The AOS Piccolo creates a superior source upgrade to any portable device that I have heard (albeit I haven't thoroughly listened to a lot of portable devices). This makes sense because it is more expensive than most portable devices ($270).

So for the price and portability, I don't think there is a better DAC out there at this price level. If there was something comparable that was truly portable, I never found it and I did a lot or research.

Keep in mind that I was also looking for something I could throw into my computer bag every morning so I could take it with me wherever I go. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
dshea

 

[denis]

I bought my Piccolo DAC from AOS last spring and I don't regret the money it costed me.

I use it with a Sony PCDP, a Ray Samuels Emmeline XP-7 amp and a pair of ER-4Ss.

Since I plugged my Piccolo in my transportable system, I have more everything in my earphones.

I think that this little DAC is a must for everyone who wants to make a real upgrade in sound quality !

 

[Natsuiro]

Has anyone compared the AOS piccolo to the DacKit or TubeDac from scott nixon?

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natsuiro Has anyone compared the AOS piccolo to the DacKit or TubeDac from scott nixon?

i'd be interested in this comparison as well...they're around the same price. the chibi saru can be made with toslink input with a switch, so both can have coax and optical inputs. how do the sounds compare? anyone?

 

[dshea_32665]

I haven't, but aren't those full size DAC's. The Piccolo is tiny and very portable, size of a credit card. For the quality of what you are getting and the size, it is truly a unique product. If I wasn't going for portability, I probably would have saved for a more expensive standalone unit. Anyway, it would be an interesting comparison to see how this littly might mite compares.

I know this is not really addressing your question, but I thought I would at least introduce this consideration into the decision process if one were going to consider comparing and then buying one of these products.

dshea

 

[erikzen]

How portable is the Piccolo? Doesn't it run on 10 AA batteries in an external pack? I would imagine that would significantly hinder its portability.

 

[dshea_32665]

Yes it does run off the external pack, but the pack is a lot smaller than I thought it would be, about the same size as the unit. You can also use a regular 12V wall plug. I guess I meant portable as something you can take with you and throw in a pack or computer bag, not hook up to your iPod and go running with

.

dshea

 

[erikzen]

Good to know. I'm not a "runs with headphones" kinda guy.

 

[Zoide]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natsuiro Has anyone compared the AOS piccolo to the DacKit or TubeDac from scott nixon?

Bump for this good question.

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide Bump for this good question.

if someone wants to lend me their chibisaru or dackit, i'd be happy to do a comparison!