Audiobyte Hydra: High-End USB interface
Aug 13, 2013 at 3:59 AM Post #91 of 189
Quote:
Prepoman if I'm not tripping I think you wrote in another thread that you already got the Hydra-X, so how it is? :)

Good point! :D Waiting for the impressions :D
 
Aug 13, 2013 at 4:16 AM Post #93 of 189
I'm interested in hearing moar about the Silver Dragon also primarily for its DAC and preamp capability but it would be handy to have a backup headphone amp as well.  Here's a picture of the internals from the Audiobyte website for those who might be able to determine what is happening: 
 
 

 
Aug 13, 2013 at 4:56 AM Post #95 of 189
Quote:
I'm interested in hearing moar about the Silver Dragon also primarily for its DAC and preamp capability but it would be handy to have a backup headphone amp as well.  Here's a picture of the internals from the Audiobyte website for those who might be able to determine what is happening: 
 
 


Looks like all discrete circuit (no op-amps) + I think it is a ESS Sabre DAC (but I can be mistaken, as the photo is not clear enough) + Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) + 2 power supplies for the digital and the analog parts. It seems like it's all custom, except the DAC chip, should sound very good.
 
Aug 13, 2013 at 6:08 AM Post #96 of 189
http://www.audiobyte.ro/silver-dragon.html - The website states:
The dual mono conversion (2 x AK4396)
is a perfect complement to the digital input stage. Each dac chip is processing one channel in fully balanced mode which leads to better analog performance and noise rejection.
 
So no ESS Sabre :)
 
Aug 13, 2013 at 6:28 AM Post #97 of 189
Quote:
http://www.audiobyte.ro/silver-dragon.html - The website states:
The dual mono conversion (2 x AK4396)
is a perfect complement to the digital input stage. Each dac chip is processing one channel in fully balanced mode which leads to better analog performance and noise rejection.
 
So no ESS Sabre :)


Yeah, forgot to check the website first. At least I guessed the Spartan-6 and discrete design
tongue_smile.gif

 
Aug 13, 2013 at 7:38 AM Post #99 of 189
Quote:
i will soon purchase (coming end of this year) the new Rockna Wavedream player and hook it up with the Dragon so i think this will be the end game
 

 
Can't wait for your impressions. That dac truly looks like end game (and Nucu told me some great stuff about it). 
Quote:
only quick impressions with HD-800 headphone
 
First on 44,1 Hz files the Silver Dragon has a very liquid midrange it's like if you listen to SACD files and you have the feeling that you don't need more,if you compare it to HDVD-800 the Sennheiser sounds more compressed or artificial.The Dragon has also a wider soundstage more analog like with lots of details .It's very easy to listen with the Dragon because of the very analog like liquidness especially in the midrange The sound of Dragon is "round" and the HDVD -800 has sharp corners and you get the feeling to be more involved to the recordings with Dragon ,
 but you are not lost it handles excellent pin point imaging.The Dragon is neutral on the warm side and the Sennheiser on the cold side.On DSD native files you find a new world ,everything is put aside between the recording and you like a open window
natural real life like, on recordings like this http://shop.dsdfile.com/2013/05/01/tomas-ornbergs-blue-five/ the instruments are presented or should i say breathing in your ears.On DSD the soundstage imaging is holographic like .All inputs sound excellent even the optical and if you change different USB cables you can clearly hear the difference between them.Build quality of amp and remote unit is excellent the Dragon is easy to use and everything runs like butter.You can also think that the HDVD-800 sounds solid state and Dragon like a tube amp.I like to mention again that the midrange is wide and liquid almost like my 300B headphone amp.Mono stereo is reviewing the Dragon soon  
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2013/03/audiobyte-hydra-x-reference-usb.html
 

Thank you for your impressions :D
 
Aug 14, 2013 at 12:44 PM Post #100 of 189
any pricing yet on the  Rockna Wavedream player ?   And what is the difference between those 2 boxes ?  Does the CD player at the botton include a DAC ? 
 
Anyway.....Super good looking gears !
 

 
thanks
 

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