[brunk]

Quote:

*sigh*
 
I think you are the one misunderstanding me. I use my "transparent" ODAC and O2 to listen to my "colored" magnums, and I really enjoy the sound and the pieces of gear. That is all I care to know anymore.

Ok, I see. That's your opinion, and a valid one. Someone who likes "color" in their DAC/Amp isn't wrong either. It's their opinion. This is what makes audio so great. It's science and art.
 
Hopefully all of us (myself included) can appreciate this and find more helping and less arguing in the future. The goal we should all help each other achieve, if anything, is transparency and most of all, enjoyment!

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

Ok, I see. That's your opinion, and a valid one. Someone who likes "color" in their DAC/Amp isn't wrong either. It's their opinion. This is what makes audio so great. It's science and art.
 
Hopefully all of us (myself included) can appreciate this and find more helping and less arguing in the future. The goal we should all help each other achieve, if anything, is transparency and most of all, enjoyment!

 
I"m glad this came to a nice ending. I don't think color in the dac/amp is wrong either.. Especially when it comes to speakers, and tube amps. Coloration and distortion can be incredibly euphoric and pleasureable.

 

[brunk]

Quote:

 
I"m glad this came to a nice ending.

See, that wasn't so bad was it?

 
EDIT: and yes... tube distortion can be most pleasurable, but SS distortion is typically not. I personally like tubes in my 2CH, but not my HeadFi.

 

[proton007]

I'd like to have transparent speakers, but its just too expensive because its difficult to do. 
DACs and Amps can be made transparent with much less effort/cost.
But coloration is nice in some cases, and the easiest (cheapest) way to get it is via speakers/headphones.

 

[audionewbi]

Hey guys this might be a stupid question but here is the dilemma I got. Do i connect the DAC using 3.5mm to 2 x RCA or should I just use the 3.5 to 3.5 mm port? My amp has both 3.5 and RCA input. 

 

[audionewbi]

Quote:

I'd like to have transparent speakers, but its just too expensive because its difficult to do. 
DACs and Amps can be made transparent with much less effort/cost.
But coloration is nice in some cases, and the easiest (cheapest) way to get it is via speakers/headphones.

Try to demo yamaha hm50, I think it might please you if you are after cheap transparent speakers. 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Just to stir the pot; got hold of a Dragonfly DAC designed entirely by Gordon Rankin. Same chip as odac. Sounds better usb-powered than my odac stock, and about on par
with my odac using 5v external supply, maybe a little cleaner even. So my PC usb power is not to blame for the odac digititis. Dragonfly $100 more, but then half as small.
Just sharin'.

 
How can you compare DACs though?  Isn't the dragonfly using an integrated amp?
 
I've also heard the dragonfly referenced to the ODAC a few times, is there any known similarity apart from the same chip?  Implementation is everything.

 

[wushuliu]

Quote:

 
How can you compare DACs though?  Isn't the dragonfly using an integrated amp?
 
I've also heard the dragonfly referenced to the ODAC a few times, is there any known similarity apart from the same chip?  Implementation is everything.

 
Yes. Both dacs are connected to a receiver as pre, then to classdaudio cda-224 amp. Sorry I am giving a 2 channel speaker perspective to my posts which really is a different affair. No idea how they compare internally, but Gordon Rankin has a very strong rep when it comes to both dacs and amps. In any case the Dragonfly sounds similar to the odac, just more refined, for lack of a better word. It sounds, really, really good and I have played with a bunch of budget dacs; but like I said this is strictly through speakers. I will bow out of the thread now. The odac was more of a curiosity for me than anything else, and certainly worth the money.

 

[WiR3D]

ENDING THE TRANSPARENT/COLOURED DEBATE
 

• ALWAYS use a transparent source/DAC
• for a coloured headphone (Denons) you want a transparent and an uncoloured amp.
• for uncoloured headphone and sometimes boring, cold, overly analytical headphones (AKG springs to mind) you want a coloured amp (like tubes) to make it musical, especially IME AKGs take on the characteristics of the amp way above its own.
• if you are just after accuracy, uncoloured everything, and don't mention musicality.

 
By doing this, one component is mostly responsible for the difference sound signatures, matching components becomes easier.
\end discussion.
 
and to note, there are oddballs who have success with coloured headphones and amps, (Denon + Woo) but thats just up to you, I still don't agree.

 

[willmax]

Coloured or uncoloured gear I don't know.
 
All I know is that I'm loving my ODAC driving my Denons D5/7K as well my KRK Rokit 6 Studio Monitors 

.

 

[muzzer]

Quote:

Hey guys this might be a stupid question but here is the dilemma I got. Do i connect the DAC using 3.5mm to 2 x RCA or should I just use the 3.5 to 3.5 mm port? My amp has both 3.5 and RCA input. 

I connect with a 3.5mm to 2*RCA cable.

 

[audionewbi]

thx

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Just to stir the pot; got hold of a Dragonfly DAC designed entirely by Gordon Rankin. Same chip as odac. Sounds better usb-powered than my odac stock, and about on par
with my odac using 5v external supply, maybe a little cleaner even. So my PC usb power is not to blame for the odac digititis. Dragonfly $100 more, but then half as small.
Just sharin'.

 
I recently tried Jude's Firefly, it was pretty damn impressive.  But at that point I had already pulled the trigger on the ODAC + O2.  

 

[tzjin]

Hey Sphinxvc, do you think you could post a comparison when you get your ODAC? Or did you get the combo in one enclosure?

 

[Sllow]

Quote:

ALWAYS use a transparent source/DAC

• for a coloured headphone (Denons) you want a transparent and an uncoloured amp.
• for uncoloured headphone and sometimes boring, cold, overly analytical headphones (AKG springs to mind) you want a coloured amp (like tubes) to make it musical, especially IME AKGs take on the characteristics of the amp way above its own.

 

Wrong statements there. There is no uncolored headphones on the market. Every headphone have their dips and accents. And, a truly uncolored headphone with perfectly flat FR would be just unenjoyable to listen, because when perfectly flat and uncolored response enters our ear, it's becomes colored, because sound waves reflecting from the walls of the ear canal,and become colored. Not pleasantly colored, thats for sure. What FR should have a headphone to reach our brain in perfectly flat, uncolored sound? Well, that's another question. I could just post a picture describing it, but everyone would flame me to death yelling "You call this an ideal? What a moron" Etc. 
If you really interested and got time, then read some books about psychoacoustics, there is an answer in it, and some other funny facts. Like what ear sensitivity to high frequiencies reduces with age. Thats why some old guys find grados pleasing. I just love to know what my Denons are futureproof and would sound even better in future.