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Asus Essence One Headphone Amp/DAC (CeBIT 2011)
Sep 10, 2011 at 6:33 AM Post #151 of 3,573


Quote:
dmcs414 said:
Anyone know if this thing will convert to Dolby Headphone for gaming?  I didn't see anything about that in the spec sheet and I'm looking for a good external DAC for my laptop that I can also game with.  
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I agree. This would actually make their external DAC/amp really unique, and to be honest I think they need something like this to properly get into the external DAC/amp market. Other than some computer users, how many audiophiles would trust a DAC/amp box from a computer brand like Asus?
 
Sep 12, 2011 at 4:13 AM Post #152 of 3,573
Sep 12, 2011 at 9:39 AM Post #153 of 3,573
Knowing how well the Xonar D2X and STX sound, I'd buy this without ever reading a single review on it.  Over the years I started liking Asus products so much that its probably become the only company out there that I trust completely, and know that I always get top quality for very good price.
 
Sep 12, 2011 at 1:35 PM Post #154 of 3,573
I fail to see the point of this thing... Audio-GD stuff accomplishes more for less. 
 
And it really SHOULD have Dolby Headphone support.. thats one way it could distinguish itself from the likes of Audio-GD on the lower end and the Burson on the higher end.
 
Sep 12, 2011 at 2:46 PM Post #156 of 3,573
Asus designs to solid engineering - it's all they know. On the other hand, AudioGd's marketing material is busy trying to convince me that opamps and feedback are evil, and that they didn't include a voltage selection switch because it would compromise the sound quality. I'm not in the market for a DAC, but I know which one would get my money.
 
Sep 12, 2011 at 7:09 PM Post #157 of 3,573
Obviously not AudioGd.
 
BTW, opamps are evil.
Some say it depends on the implementation.
Since I dont know anything about that (how the engineer designs the circuit),
I just steer clear of them these days.
I do know that every piece of equipment that I have owned or listened to
that uses opamps in the signal path has flawed characteristics.
At least to these ears....
 
Sep 12, 2011 at 10:32 PM Post #158 of 3,573
edit: nevermind I see the AP test report was mentioned earlier. Any pictures or descriptions of what's there?

livewire said:
Obviously not AudioGd.
 
BTW, opamps are evil.
Some say it depends on the implementation.
Since I dont know anything about that (how the engineer designs the circuit),
I just steer clear of them these days.
I do know that every piece of equipment that I have owned or listened to
that uses opamps in the signal path has flawed characteristics.
At least to these ears....
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The short and sweet argument goes: you know how many op amps are in the signal path of pretty much every recorded piece of music out there, by the time you purchase it? Of course it depends on the implementation, but the alternative to op amps are even more dependent on the implementation.
 
Sep 13, 2011 at 1:48 AM Post #159 of 3,573
 
Quote:
livewire said:
... BTW, opamps are evil.
Some say it depends on the implementation.
Since I dont know anything about that (how the engineer designs the circuit),
I just steer clear of them these days.
I do know that every piece of equipment that I have owned or listened to
that uses opamps in the signal path has flawed characteristics.
At least to these ears....
Click to expand...


Fabulous fairy tale, dawg!
 
 
Sep 13, 2011 at 3:01 AM Post #160 of 3,573


Quote:
bojamijams said:
I fail to see the point of this thing... Audio-GD stuff accomplishes more for less. 
 
And it really SHOULD have Dolby Headphone support.. thats one way it could distinguish itself from the likes of Audio-GD on the lower end and the Burson on the higher end.
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When you say Audio-GD stuff accomplishes more for less... you're saying Audio-GD stuff sounds better than a product you've never heard?
 
Sep 13, 2011 at 5:10 AM Post #161 of 3,573


Quote:
arnotts said:
When you say Audio-GD stuff accomplishes more for less... you're saying Audio-GD stuff sounds better than a product you've never heard?
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Agree with you.
 
I really liked how Essence One sounded, even comparing with my Burson, Asus sound actualy Very nice, I can even say that it sounds about 80% as Burson, Burson having the edge in speed, control, amplification factor and detail retrieval department, but the difference is not that big.
Listened to lower offerings by Audio-GD, very nice specs but they didnt impress me sonically at all, sorry. Everything is subjective and it's my opinion, by my ear
rolleyes.gif

 
Sep 13, 2011 at 12:24 PM Post #163 of 3,573

 
Quote:
bojamijams said:
I fail to see how 11 op-amps sounds better then a discrete design so ... yes .. I am saying Audio-GD stuff sounds better then this. 
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I fail to see how discrete designs have any inherent advantage when we're talking about driving headphones. The amount of R&D and expensive parts required to develop a discrete design to compete with pretty old, 50 cent IC opamps is truly monstrous.
In fact, I would put my money consistently on the IC opamps. Especially vs AudioGd products. Have you seen the measurements for their discrete opamps? They're a traffic accident, worse than the aforementioned 50 cent ICs on prettymuch every conceivable level.
 
Seriously, read Burson's article on why opamps are bad. It's barely literate, contains a tonne of unsubstantiated crap and virtually no real science. They and other companies are pandering to audiophile irrationality.
 
 
 
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