[yodjone]

 
 
Quote:

 
Try adjusting the buffers to improve response times.



As for the EQ, once you apply any effect such as EQ your audio is no longer bit-perfect.

However, for sake of discussion you could use an internal sound card to send S/Pdif sgnal to the Essence 1 as this would give you the ability to have EQ or other effects. So it is possible to get EQ..etc.

 
i don't have a Spdif coax cable handy on me, but from what i remember, doesnt running SPDIF take away the ability to use the EQ in the asus software? (Just from what I can remember) ?

 

[morfeeus]

Would like mention that the ESSENCE ONE will be reviewed in the near future at........http://www.computeraudiophile.com/

 

[gardener]

Yes it would be good to hear a current, detailed and un-biased review of pro's/con's of this unit, it is priced quite affordable, if it can cut the mustard then maybe

 

[leeperry]

"We Have Explosive"
 
more feedback later

 

[sagatman]

You are right. I varified it on my Stax headphone amp just now. Analog volume knob degrades sound!

 
Quote:

And people wonder why I keep recomending just using the digital volume control. You will never get channel imbalance with a digital volume control. Channel imbalance is just one problem with analog volumes, There is a host of them actually but not present in every system. I've been over them before so I won't go into them here. Analog volume in a perfect world  with perfect manufacturing & tolerances as well as execution by the final product manufacturer would yeald as good as if not better performance in many areas but we don't live in a perfect world & digital volume controls offer a ton of real world advantages over the more common quality & execution of analog volume control in this day & age.
 
I've been around audio including high end audio for a good 30 years so I've tried a lot of things & have found what works best for me at least. I'm sticking with my Essense STX digital volume control & all as with very minor & very inexpensive mods it rises to a level of sonic performance that would leave most even "high end DAC's" in the dust.
 

 

 

[mikai]

I would like to know how the Essence One compares to Nuforce Icon HDP as dac/amp or only dac to use with some amp. Im currently using Sennheiser HD25 and Genelec monitors.

 

[vrln]

leeperry: any updates on opamp rolling? Highly interested!
 
This little box seems seriously nice value... If it were assembled by hand in a western country the price would easily be close to 1000.

 

[leeperry]

 

leeperry: any updates on opamp rolling?

they've just been installed, will fire it up later:
 
 
EDIT: humm, once you inject Scott Wurcer's(AD797's daddy) soul into the best design Asus had to offer, it literally
 
I've advised my friend to leave it w/ me for a few days, for mere observation purposes of course. I will come back in due time w/ more thorough impressions

 

[Miab]

Does anyone know if the analogue section is in class A or not?

 

[Minitrox]

Well , I have one HD650 with cardas cable and my Nuforce HDP . I'd like to improve my DAC/Head-amp .
This Asus is better than my HDP ? 
I am willing to buy the TEAC UD-H01 , I think it's better the asus essence one .
Help me.
Thanks.

 

[gardener]

anyone using this unit?
doesn't seem to have the interest that the stx/st has

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Does anyone know if the analogue section is in class A or not?

Not very likely stock. Most opamps are biased class AB from the factory & few manufacturers change that. The ones that do bias the output stage to class A do so externally to single ended class A through a resistor leading to power supply thus ensuring that only one of the output transistors is doing any work at all. Most opamps now days perform very well without such tricks & will deliver wider dynamics in the class AB mode. Many early opamps did perform poorly in class AB mode but that is largely in the past now.
 

 

[germanium]

Quote:

160 DS is OK but not the be all and end all some might make it out to be.  Personally I find the bass too warm and bloomy with LCD-2.  Midrange and treble were quite refined though.
 
The Burson does however have a better volume control than the E one.  You will probably have more fun rolling opamps in the E one though.
 
Burson resale is also good.  Personally I wouldn't pay more than $400 for the E one though.
 
I think you will be hard pressed to find someone who owns both - maybe a meet might be a good chance?

While the bursons volume control is technically better it offers fewer volume choices which could work against some users if thier phone are more sensitive than normally expected with this unit. you need 50-100 volume choises to be able to find the right volume for the different music taking into account the different sensitivities of different phones. The Burson only offers 24 volume choices.
 

 

[our martin]

Quote:

There is no advantage to a 32 bit DAC, it's all marketing. No 32 bit DAC exceeds 24 bit true resolution, in fact they still haven't even reached the limitation of 24 bit audio though the Sabre DAC come close at about 22 bit resolution but then again so does the Burr Brown  PCM1792A in mono mode & it is a 24 bit DAC. With the Burr brown chip it is easier for the manufacturer or in some cases the consummer to configure the sound signature compared to the Sabre DAC.
 
There is nothing in the $399 range that will exceed the specs of 24 bit audio even with a 32 bit DAC & probably never will be. It will take a massive amount of money & even better 32 bit DAC's to exceed 24 bit resolution & all of that will be for naught because the human ear won't be able to hear it anyway, it can't even hear the limits of 24 bit. The honest truth is that even if they did come up with a DAC that could exceed 24 bit resolution we are already bumping the limits of analog audio as the thermal noise of resistors (a passive componant) does not allow with current technology to exceed 24 bit resolution.
 

the audio lab m dac users sabre 32 chips if your interested...krell use sabre 32 chips that's not marketing my friend it's the best possible sound you can get..average speakers and average sacd players and amps will give you average sound..if you get the chance to ever go to the ces shows have a listen to krell my friend and you will be blown away how a sabre 32 chip can sound..
 
 

 

[germanium]

Quote:

the audio lab m dac users sabre 32 chips if your interested...krell use sabre 32 chips that's not marketing my friend it's the best possible sound you can get..average speakers and average sacd players and amps will give you average sound..if you get the chance to ever go to the ces shows have a listen to krell my friend and you will be blown away how a sabre 32 chip can sound..
 
 

While the Sabre chip may be very good I don't see it as an improvement over the best of the Burr brown chips, maybe equal but not better. The Burr Browns are extremely good. I have managed to get really excellent sound out of the Essense STX which uses the top Burr Brown chip with just minor modification.