[Equus]

Heh...thanks for the vote of confidence, kwkarth.  While I cannot compare to the Peachtree line, I can agree that the DACMini is very transparent to my ears.  It has a nice clear sound to it without being fatiguing or clinical.  Both with the built-in amp and as a stand-alone DAC, I find it slightly less involving than my Assemblage and Rega DAC, probably because I perceive a little less weight to the mids and bass, but the lessened weight also means there is almost always superb clarity and resolution without the sounds getting lost in the movement of the piece.  What the listener would prefer in terms of presentation is totally subjective, so the DACMini may be right up someone's alley and hard to beat at that price point.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Thanks, just the info I needed. I agree, the iDac is $200 more than the DACMini, which at $800 for the DACMini, it makes it hard to want to spend more. For both budget and value reasons. The DacMini is seeminly a steal, I just don't know about matching it with the HD 800. Perhaps another set of phones... 

 

[Equus]

There's usually a HD800 at the Seattle meets, so I might be able to listen to a pair with my DACMini.  Course that's a month away, so it'll be a while. 

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Lately, I was just thinking I'd benefit more from a slightly warm energetic set, perhaps a top end Grado, to offset the cold revealing nature of the DACmini, I could just order the DACmini in, and take it with me to the store for demos with headphones. I'm in Philadelphia, perhaps there are stores here that have some of the upper end headphones on hand for demo. This is all paper to me currently, the best headphone, pretty much the only headphone I've heard are my Shure SE535s on my iPod with a lossless file. I know, I have a ways to go with sources and evaluation. For now, I may just use my Shures with whatever DAC/Amp I buy (I am leaning towards the DACmini) for movies, just because It is what I have on hand. I just bought an HDTV, so I have Blu-Ray watching on the brain. So I may want something a bit easier to slip on and off for movies, and give me something that the IEMs can't do. I assume the big cans are better in bass slam, imaging and certain other qualities. 
 
The best stereo I've owned was the NAD/Von. S VR-1 combo.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Lately, I was just thinking I'd benefit more from a slightly warm energetic set, perhaps a top end Grado, to offset the cold revealing nature of the DACmini, I could just order the DACmini in, and take it with me to the store for demos with headphones. I'm in Philadelphia, perhaps there are stores here that have some of the upper end headphones on hand for demo. This is all paper to me currently, the best headphone, pretty much the only headphone I've heard are my Shure SE535s on my iPod with a lossless file. I know, I have a ways to go with sources and evaluation. For now, I may just use my Shures with whatever DAC/Amp I buy (I am leaning towards the DACmini) for movies, just because It is what I have on hand. I just bought an HDTV, so I have Blu-Ray watching on the brain. So I may want something a bit easier to slip on and off for movies, and give me something that the IEMs can't do. I assume the big cans are better in bass slam, imaging and certain other qualities. 
 
The best stereo I've owned was the NAD/Von. S VR-1 combo.

I would never characterize the DACMini as cold.
 
 

 

[Equus]

Agreed.  While I think there's nice transparency, clarity, and detail, I wouldn't say the DACMini is cold or analytical.  Either as a DAC only or using the built-in amp.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Good to know on the DAC not being too cold, but how does the sound compare to the current headroom desktop amp for $850?

Headphones wise, I'm going to order up the LCD-2 and demo that vs the grado ps1000 and HD800 at the store. But I think the LCD-2 should do it for me, from what I've read.

Portable wise I still have the Shure se535, but the jh16 pro is also calling my name.

Denon d70000 and the ultrasone 8 were also on my radar, but they didn't quite seem as exciting as the above options. Same with the GR10 and Westone 4.

So DACmini vs Headroom vs the world, I'm undecided.

 

[RedBull]

Has anyone heard DACmini in comparison to Lehmann BCL, as amp?
or impression against NFB-2 as DAC?
 
Not that BCL or NFB-2 are bad, but you know, this hobby, we'll never stop

 
Thanks ....

 

[Equus]

Quote:

Good to know on the DAC not being too cold, but how does the sound compare to the current headroom desktop amp for $850?

...

So DACmini vs Headroom vs the world, I'm undecided.

I don't have any experience with the Headroom line.  Sorry.  I can say that I've heard the LCD-2 through a fairly decent amount of DACs, however, and the only real thing that I think it might not be so strong in is the weight and body of the lower tones, like low mids and below.  It's not that it's completely gone (or I wouldn't like the DAC at all), but my other DACs and amps tend to have more guts down there.  I realize that it's totally a matter of taste however, and while I think it may not be so strong in that area, it's not particularly weak or bad at any other areas off the top of my head.
 
And I'm biased towards the LCD-2.  I've heard the Grados, T1s, HD800s, and a few Stax (granted, without higher end amplification), and still prefer the LCD-2 for my applications.
 
Quote:

Has anyone heard DACmini in comparison to Lehmann BCL, as amp?
or impression against NFB-2 as DAC?
 
Not that BCL or NFB-2 are bad, but you know, this hobby, we'll never stop

 
Thanks ....

No experience with the Lehmann.  I've heard a few audio-gd DACs and while they've been solid, I haven't ever been blown away.  Granted, only experience was at meets or visiting a local head-fier for a half hour or something, so take that with a gigantic grain of salt.
 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Good to know on the DAC not being too cold, but how does the sound compare to the current headroom desktop amp for $850?

Headphones wise, I'm going to order up the LCD-2 and demo that vs the grado ps1000 and HD800 at the store. But I think the LCD-2 should do it for me, from what I've read.

Portable wise I still have the Shure se535, but the jh16 pro is also calling my name.

Denon d70000 and the ultrasone 8 were also on my radar, but they didn't quite seem as exciting as the above options. Same with the GR10 and Westone 4.

So DACmini vs Headroom vs the world, I'm undecided.

I found the Headroom desktop (current model) to be a nice sounding setup, plus I do like their crossfeed circuit on occasion.  From memory, I think the DACMini had better low level detail retrieval, better transparency, etc.  If I was going to buy one or the other today, I would have to audition both again at length.
 
 

 

[RedBull]

Quote:

 
No experience with the Lehmann.  I've heard a few audio-gd DACs and while they've been solid, I haven't ever been blown away.  Granted, only experience was at meets or visiting a local head-fier for a half hour or something, so take that with a gigantic grain of salt.

Thanks, at least something Equus

 
Let's say, I'm a sucker for vocal music, with your gigantic grain of salt, which one do you think do you prefer, DACmini or A-gd?
Considering we both love LCD-2 signature, at least we have similarity somewhere. 
 
From what I read so far, DACmini has better extension for both bass and treble (vs A-gd), is this your impression as well, (if you can remember)?

 

[Equus]

Quote:

Thanks, at least something Equus

 
Let's say, I'm a sucker for vocal music, with your gigantic grain of salt, which one do you think do you prefer, DACmini or A-gd?
Considering we both love LCD-2 signature, at least we have similarity somewhere. 
 
From what I read so far, DACmini has better extension for both bass and treble (vs A-gd), is this your impression as well, (if you can remember)?

I honestly can't comment much more beyond that without doing the Audio-gd gear a disservice, because I've only heard them for maybe 10 to 15 minutes at a time.  I can safely say that what I've heard hasn't really motivated me to purchase one, and that I don't have any plans to sell my DACMini any time soon.

 

[WilCox]

Quote:

Has anyone heard DACmini in comparison to Lehmann BCL, as amp?
 

I had my Lehmann BCL connected to my DACmini for the past couple of weeks.  Listened mostly to my LCD-2 and HD800.  Concluded that the BCL wasn't giving me anything more than what I was getting from the DACmini amp so I put the BCL back in storage yesterday.
 
The DACmini may not be perfect, I think it does everything I'm looking for an makes me forget about the equipment and listen to the music.
 

 

[Equus]

Quote:

 
The DACmini may not be perfect, I think it does everything I'm looking for an makes me forget about the equipment and listen to the music.
 

That's a good way of putting it.  If my budget only allowed for the DACMini and I didn't have any of these other rigs around here, I think I could still be very happy with it.  It does a lot right without doing a lot wrong.  Been listening to the soundtrack from The Borrower Arrietty with my LCD-2 through it, and it's fantastic.

 

[RedBull]

Quote:

I honestly can't comment much more beyond that without doing the Audio-gd gear a disservice, because I've only heard them for maybe 10 to 15 minutes at a time.  I can safely say that what I've heard hasn't really motivated me to purchase one, and that I don't have any plans to sell my DACMini any time soon.

Thanks. I understand that.
 
Quote:

 
I had my Lehmann BCL connected to my DACmini for the past couple of weeks.  Listened mostly to my LCD-2 and HD800.  Concluded that the BCL wasn't giving me anything more than what I was getting from the DACmini amp so I put the BCL back in storage yesterday.
 
The DACmini may not be perfect, I think it does everything I'm looking for an makes me forget about the equipment and listen to the music.
 

May I know where DACmini strength over BCL?  I use BCL as comparison because I'm very familiar with the sound and then it's easier to imagine how the sound would be.