I have been using this unit for a fair amount of time now (around 3 months) and I figured that I should speak about my experience for future buyers of the Zhaolu.
Must do when buying the Zhaolu
First, here's my list of must do for anyone who has bought the Zhaolu:
- Change the coax cable to something better
- Change the LT-1057 Op-amp
- Get the discrete amp upgrade if you don't already have an amp and don't intend to buy one
Changing the cable takes away the thinness of the sound and makes the sound feel more full bodied. I am normally a scientific guy, and normally I am not convinced that a cable would change so much. However, I have decided to trust my own ears and not worry too much about the issue. Ori has recommended changing the power cable as well which I suspect will make the unit sound clearer. However, I have already spent too much money on audio for the time being and will rest a bit on my upgrades first.
The LT-1057 Op-amp is very fun to listen to in that it will make your bass sound crazy. However, the trade off is a very sibilance high which just sounds awful on my A900 (which is already quite a bright phone). I have changed this to the LM4897NA which took away some of the fun in the bass, but the overall sound is much better.
The "discrete amp" upgrade on the headamp stage is excellent. It is able to deliver reasonably high volume without sounding overstretch. There is an op-amp on the unit itself (with marking 0820 JRC 30870) which I suspect I can change to get a better sound. However, my investigation on head-fi found nothing. I am pretty pleased with it, and I am only going to buy a tube amp to compliment this unit (darkvoice 336i which should be arriving next month).
My experience with the Zhaolu
My Zhaolu is the Zhaolu 2.5A with the discrete headamp upgrade and the black gates mod. The below experience assumes all of the above "must do" have been done.
Firstly, my equipment experience: My everyday experience in source is still rather limited so I can only compare this unit with the Audigy 2 and the X-Fi. Since buying the Zhaolu, I have heard from expensive CDP sources but not for extensive period of time. The headphone I am currently using with the Zhaolu is an Audio Technica ATH-A900 and the Sennheiser HD650. The A900 does not require the use of an amp, while the HD650 would sound awful without an amp at high volume.
First, my opinion of the sound coming out of the Zhaolu itself. The unit favour a more "fun" approach to sound. This is very evident in the soundstage of the unit and the bass. I have not heard a professional CDP put the soundstage as wide as the Zhaolu. The low bass of the Zhaolu have a certain punch which sounds very pleasant for R&B. The mid-bass have a certain sound of authority . Nothing in the high is highlighted and the mids sounds rather neutral. Personally, I feel that this is a good point of the Zhaolu. The warmth should be changed by the amp and the headphones rather than at the source. Because of the soundstage of the unit, at no point do I feel that the bass has covered the rest of the music.
The most noticeable change on the Zhaolu when I swap quickly between the soundcard and the zhaolu is the soundstage. The Zhaolu produces a wide soundstage which projects sound all around your head whereas using soundcards, the sound is very concentrated and sounds more intimate. The soundstage produced by the zhaolu can sound unnatural (a lot of the sound is concentrated around 120 degree and the 240 degree area) and there is a lack of forward projection (I don't feel a lot of sound in front of me). However, I think this is more down to my own set of ears rather than any flaw of the Zhaolu. After spending a bit of time with the Zhaolu, the soundstage is definitely welcomed and I would miss listening to music without it. The expanded soundstage works well with the A900 which already have a large soundstage without the help of the Zhaolu. (sidenote: the A900 is definitely source dependent. Soundstage is one area where having a good DAC helps. The A900 just do not demand a good amp). With the Sennheiser, the soundstage is still there, but is a lot closer. With the Audio Technica, I sometimes feel sound that's a feet away. With the Sennheiser, the maximum distance is 1/4 feet. It's fun to be able to swap phones!
The difference in details between the Zhaolu and Audigy 2 is audible but require critical listening to spot. The difference between the Zhaolu and the X-Fi requires certain type of music to spot. The Zhaolu excels against both the x-fi and the audigy 2 in the body of the music. The Zhaolu never sound thin to me.
As commented above, the discrete amp is a very worthwhile upgrade for so cheap. The HD650 is a moderately hard phone to drive. At max volume on the Audigy 2, the sound coming out of the HD650 sounds harsh. On the Zhaolu, I rarely have to turn above 180 degree on the volume knob before the HD650 sounds too loud. At maximum volume, the sound coming out of the HD650 do not sound harsh at all, and I feel the Zhaolu can handle the phone well. I cannot comment on the quality of the sound since I have not had the chance to compare against another amp.
So is the Zhaolu worth the price of the upgrade? My answer is yes if your onboard soundcard already have an coax connector, or you already have an existing soundcard with a coax connector. The Zhaolu sound almost identical coming out of the Audigy 2, my onboard soundcard, and my X-Fi. The total cost of the Zhaolu was around £140. Considering I had to spend £60 to buy the X-Fi, the Zhaolu was definitely worth the extra £80. Having an external unit with volume control for your headphones to plug into is a very nice convenience. If you already have the X-Fi, I would still think the Zhaolu is a very nice improvement on the sound. Unfortunately I can't speak about comparing the Zhaolu against the Beresford which is an £110 DAC in the UK. Unfortunately there are not many head to head with the Zhaolu vs the Beresford. I feel that UK buyers considering buying the Zhaolu should also do research on the Beresford and come to their own conclusion.
I am sure that this write up has several points which betrays my lack of experience in this hobby. If you do feel that you disagree with any point of this write up, please let me know. I find that in addition to the pleasure of
good sounds, the best thing about this hobby is the different way I listen to music than previously. In addition to critically listening to the music, I find myself being concious of the way music is created and then transmitted to my ears.