[sphinxvc]

Thanks. 

 

[calipilot227]

Anyone compared the ODAC with the Emotiva XDA-1? I'm curious as they're very close in price, and the XDA-1 offers coaxial and optical inputs as well as USB.

 

[sphinxvc]

Also noticing some small differences in timbre today.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

 
Yes, the light will stay on.  That's thrown me for a loop once or twice.

BG

 
For me it was there, and then off. The amp shuts down if the batteries are too low on power, I think.

 

[bellsprout]

Quote:

Anyone compared the ODAC with the Emotiva XDA-1? I'm curious as they're very close in price, and the XDA-1 offers coaxial and optical inputs as well as USB.

Emotiva XDA-1 does only up to 24/48 on USB

 

[seaweed]

I'd like to second, er.. third the observation that the ODAC is very close to the Bifrost. At least in detail extraction. But they do sound different. The Bifrost has a smoother, richer, fuller sound. The downside I find is there is a loss of instrument transients and attack with this DAC.
 
I also find the ODAC's treble to be pretty hot and maybe even a little grainy as well, leading to fatigue. I'm debating on returning it for this reason as well. I may just keep both as long as my wife doesn't find out. The DacMagic 100 had a very sweet detailed treble, but I returned it to try the Bifrost and don't have it on hand to compare.
 
If any of you fallow John Darko's reviews, he sates that a lot of ESS Sabre Dacs can have a piercing treble (Check out the KingRex USB Dac). In his words, he states it "Has too mutch metal in its teeth". Id say this holds true for the ODAC. The Bifrost, he claims has a lot of "connective tissue" and sounds more like a "Humid summer morning". I find these poetic analogies pretty accurate. So, Maybe it is the DAC chip does play a big role, not just implementation.
 
I should also add im listening through a pair of Totem Mites and an Emotiva amp,in nearfield setup. So even through speakers I'm finding the same impressions as everyone else I think.
 
Jason

 

[caracara08]

Quote:

I'd like to second, er.. third the observation that the ODAC is very close to the Bifrost. At least in detail extraction. But they do sound different. The Bifrost has a smoother, richer, fuller sound. The downside I find is there is a loss of instrument transients and attack with this DAC.
 
I also find the ODAC's treble to be pretty hot and maybe even a little grainy as well, leading to fatigue. I'm debating on returning it for this reason as well. I may just keep both as long as my wife doesn't find out. The DacMagic 100 had a very sweet detailed treble, but I returned it to try the Bifrost and don't have it on hand to compare.
 
Jason

 
although i couldnt compare side by side, i THINK my experience is like yours.  the Bifrost seemed a little smoother and the treble slightly less hot but again, i didnt get to side by side it.  overall though the ODAC for its price, is very good. 

 

[wushuliu]

Just read NwAvGuy's entry on ferrite choking having a measurable improvement then of course walks it back with the blind test card. So maybe folks can compare performance with usb/ferrite vs non and report what difference they hear to see if that is part of the treble/digititis question. JDS should have shipped with the ferrite, no reason not to if the measurements are indeed better with it.

 

[Mako321]

Quote:

Just read NwAvGuy's entry on ferrite choking having a measurable improvement then of course walks it back with the blind test card. So maybe folks can compare performance with usb/ferrite vs non and report what difference they hear to see if that is part of the treble/digititis question. JDS should have shipped with the ferrite, no reason not to if the measurements are indeed better with it.

I received my ODAC from JDS today and the USB cable in the package did have a ferrite. 

 

[wushuliu]

Quote:

I received my ODAC from JDS today and the USB cable in the package did have a ferrite. 

Weird. Mine didn't.

 

[willmax]

Weird. Mine didn't.

Mine didn't neither. I thought this was really strange coming from JDS Labs since they don't usually cut corners, bearing in mind the ferrite choke was Nwavguy's recommendation.

 

[mikeaj]

I don't have an ODAC myself to look at, but there are definitely filtering components and regulators on board according to the pictures and diagram.  A ferrite choke on the USB cable is going to help, but it doesn't really seem to be such a big deal.  I wonder how much measurable improvements there are—I mean, 0.1 dB or so lower noise floor is measurable and would be a repeatable result on that setup, probably, so let's not make too much of a fuss here.  I guess it would depend on the computer being used, and the difference may be a decent amount more than 0.1 dB, but still...
 
It's probably a red herring.  It doesn't seem to me like the kinds of descriptions people are giving about the sound quality match what would be expected from having a ferrite bead or not, but then again, I'm not exactly a whiz on DAC design or any analog electronics.
 
But if somebody wants to do some listening or tests with and without, that may be interesting.

 

[willmax]

I've been using my ODAC connecting straight to my Active Monitor speakers, I went and connected the ODAC to the O2 amp then to the speakers and the volume level was actually much lower, for instance the O2 colume was at 12:00 and it was still lower than what I was getting through the ODAC. 
The same does not happen when I'm listening to headphones, like the Denons for instance, can anyone tell me why this happens?

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

I'd like to second, er.. third the observation that the ODAC is very close to the Bifrost. At least in detail extraction. But they do sound different. The Bifrost has a smoother, richer, fuller sound. The downside I find is there is a loss of instrument transients and attack with this DAC.
 
I also find the ODAC's treble to be pretty hot and maybe even a little grainy as well, leading to fatigue. I'm debating on returning it for this reason as well. I may just keep both as long as my wife doesn't find out. The DacMagic 100 had a very sweet detailed treble, but I returned it to try the Bifrost and don't have it on hand to compare.
 
If any of you fallow John Darko's reviews, he sates that a lot of ESS Sabre Dacs can have a piercing treble (Check out the KingRex USB Dac). In his words, he states it "Has too mutch metal in its teeth". Id say this holds true for the ODAC. The Bifrost, he claims has a lot of "connective tissue" and sounds more like a "Humid summer morning". I find these poetic analogies pretty accurate. So, Maybe it is the DAC chip does play a big role, not just implementation.
 
I should also add im listening through a pair of Totem Mites and an Emotiva amp,in nearfield setup. So even through speakers I'm finding the same impressions as everyone else I think.
 
Jason

 
 
This impression seems accurate to me and very much reflects my own observations of the odac and bifrost. Particularly the comments on the treble between the two and somewhat fatiguing nature of the odac. Pretty much right on IMO...

 

[evanft]

I don't find the ODAC fatiguing at all. I don't hear overemphasized treble at all.