[Brubacca]

Can the headphone amp in the black ice dac drive the Aeon's properly or would I need either the new Vali 2 or Lyr 3?

 

[havagr8da]

Can the headphone amp in the black ice dac drive the Aeon's properly or would I need either the new Vali 2 or Lyr 3?

The Aeons I have I like to run using the Black Ice Dac and Jotunheim with a balanced cable. As far as the Lyr3 goes it works great as well with the Aeons. The only reason I am not using it is that I really wanted to hear just the dac. Probably most revealing of what the dac has to offer was with the Drop THX 789 but I personally preferred the Jotunheim. I would say though that the Aeons do benefit from the extra power of amping.

 

[monadnock]

I have a lumin u1 mini feeding data via USB to a Jolida Glass DAC. oddly, the USB seems to sound better than coax.

the sound is tube and power dependent. I put a decent power cable with it and imagined SQ got better. I was feeding it with a Schiit EITR in chain that cleaned up the signal some, made the DAC sound better.

The stock Tung Sol- new production Russia, start off really brassy and challenging. When I got the DAC, I listened to the first few songs, was just ok, so I left it running for a day and 'everything' got better. The new issue tubes found fullness, lost the steel wool rasp and the sound stage opened up.

When I put some nice NOS matched telefunken, mullard, raytheon, RCA and GE, each changed the sound. All were nicer than new issue, by some amount. The volume/ gain dial allows you to find the right input level, depending on material and gear. I maybe liked the Telefunken the best so far but it's close.

This week I found some new stock mullards, so I gave them 36 hours of non-stop breakin. Similar to the Tung Sol, they started off harsh, then got better.

Today I got some GE Dgetter 12ax7 in the mail .. and they just walk all over the New Sensor Dullards, with deeper, rounder sound and more of it.

Shielded cables seem to work better but that could be more due to my preamp and other gear... Anyway, for the $, especially used, it's a flexible, articulate performer. Also, I was reading about an upgrade path.. if you go new, be sure to ask them about the Naked z-foil resistors and other fun whistle bells in the power/ sound path.

 

[havagr8da]

I have a lumin u1 mini feeding data via USB to a Jolida Glass DAC. oddly, the USB seems to sound better than coax.

the sound is tube and power dependent. I put a decent power cable with it and imagined SQ got better. I was feeding it with a Schiit EITR in chain that cleaned up the signal some, made the DAC sound better.

The stock Tung Sol- new production Russia, start off really brassy and challenging. When I got the DAC, I listened to the first few songs, was just ok, so I left it running for a day and 'everything' got better. The new issue tubes found fullness, lost the steel wool rasp and the sound stage opened up.

When I put some nice NOS matched telefunken, mullard, raytheon, RCA and GE, each changed the sound. All were nicer than new issue, by some amount. The volume/ gain dial allows you to find the right input level, depending on material and gear. I maybe liked the Telefunken the best so far but it's close.

This week I found some new stock mullards, so I gave them 36 hours of non-stop breakin. Similar to the Tung Sol, they started off harsh, then got better.

Today I got some GE Dgetter 12ax7 in the mail .. and they just walk all over the New Sensor Dullards, with deeper, rounder sound and more of it.

Shielded cables seem to work better but that could be more due to my preamp and other gear... Anyway, for the $, especially used, it's a flexible, articulate performer. Also, I was reading about an upgrade path.. if you go new, be sure to ask them about the Naked z-foil resistors and other fun whistle

 

[havagr8da]

Thanks for the info it is very well received. I am currently running Psvane tubes and really love the sound. Great to get some info on this Dac and glad you posted your experience with it. Interesting also is that there are options for upgrades. Thank You!

 

[monadnock]

Thanks for the info it is very well received. I am currently running Psvane tubes and really love the sound. Great to get some info on this Dac and glad you posted your experience with it. Interesting also is that there are options for upgrades. Thank You!

Find a closed matched pair of 12ax7 NOS GE, RCA, Raytheon.. I think you will hear a difference in sound. If you like that difference, then it's a win w little risk/ cost.

 

[havagr8da]

Find a closed matched pair of 12ax7 NOS GE, RCA, Raytheon.. I think you will hear a difference in sound. If you like that difference, then it's a win w little risk/ cost.

I have some incoming. I got the Psvanes because I have a few 6sn7s they make and like them a lot. It takes a little research when buying NOS tubes and I have been doing that.

With the Psvanes and Grado RS1e and the Black Ice alone I am very pleased. A fantastic match up. The amp section is very capable with these headphones. Just this Dac/Amp and the Grado headphones makes me very happy.

Listening now to some Supertramp with this set up and the spontaneous smiles are what makes this hobby so fun.

Another fantastic set up is the Black Ice DAC pre out to a the Woo Audio WA8 eclipse and Audeze iSine 20, rivals many full sized headphone set ups. This set is a synergy phenom. But’ even better is the Black Ice alone with the Audeze iSine 20. Black Ice Dac with Jotunheim high gain and iSine 20 you are in the stratosphere now. Goosebumps!

Just out of cureosity Black Ice pre out to X005 Plus and iSine 20 well, holy s##t. Rivals full sized headphones, nah, beat em! Beat em all, no but many priced well above the iSine 20.

Black Ice vs mojo using iSine 20. Black Ice Amp/Dac for sure. Why? Musical, not fun, not anything but pure musicality. Everything purely in harmony not analytical not fun. Just purely musical.

Sorry, got on a rabbit hole about the iSine 20, but hey! Listening as I am posting and could not resist.

Do you really know how much power these iSine 20s can take? EarSplittinLoudenBoomer!!!

 

[monadnock]

I used the glassDSD as a preamp for a while, from source (digital/ TT) to DAC to amps.. used some clean sounding Adcom 565 and Quicksilver v4.. was better through V4 but both were a little harsh, without a preamp in there. would be interesting if they looked into the photo voltaic vol pots instead.

I switched this morning to some Sylvania 12ax7 this morning, same date codes, came from same organ.. really nice but maybe I liked the GE better? Idk, giving them a few days before an AB test. GE may have been favorite, so far. Such a good, flexible, responsible DAC for the money >> just shows up, handles the bytes, hand carrying them to the amps, without dropping too much info.. solid work ethic, great value.

 

[Satoshi N]

Does anybody know how to stream music to this DAC from a Windows-PC via WiFi?
Is there special software to install?
I'd rather avoid going Coax/Optical as I believe WiFi is a superior data transmitter.
Thanks