[watchdog507]

Hi I have just picked up a wonderful Violectric V281 with the relay option.  I'm currently using Hifiman EX and sometimes Audeze EL-8's.  I'm looking for advice on a balanced DAC that I could use with this equipment.  I'm also in the process of selling my Woo WA6 and I'm close to getting a WA5-LE.  Other than upgrading to HE K's I would probably stay put with this configuration for a while.  Any balanced DAC ideas?  I don't want to totally bust the bank and I need DSD/DXD as a feature also.  All help will be appreciated.

 

[watchdog507]

  Hi I have just picked up a wonderful Violectric V281 with the relay option.  I'm currently using Hifiman EX and sometimes Audeze EL-8's.  I'm looking for advice on a balanced DAC that I could use with this equipment.  I'm also in the process of selling my Woo WA6 and I'm close to getting a WA5-LE.  Other than upgrading to HE K's I would probably stay put with this configuration for a while.  Any balanced DAC ideas?  I don't want to totally bust the bank and I need DSD/DXD as a feature also.  All help will be appreciated.

Ok,
 
I'm only using ripped digital on USB or Tidal Hifi from a Notebook Windows PC. I've done some homework and here are some DAC options and please chime in to help.  I've narrowed the choices to PS Audio NuWave DSD, NuPrime DAC-10, A lightly used Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 DSDse, and a Mytek Brooklyn.  I'm only looking are true DAC's I don't need Headphone Amp features. What are your real world opinions of these choices?

 

[thyname]

Ok,

I'm only using ripped digital on USB or Tidal Hifi from a Notebook Windows PC. I've done some homework and here are some DAC options and please chime in to help.  I've narrowed the choices to PS Audio NuWave DSD, NuPrime DAC-10, A lightly used [COLOR=333333]Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 DSDse, and a Mytek Brooklyn.  I'm only looking are true DAC's I don't need Headphone Amp features. What are your real world opinions of these choices?[/COLOR]

I am similar to you now. Mimby is probably not good enough for me. So looking at another Multibit from Schiit, some of the new R2R DACs, and Oppo Sonica DAC

 

[henryyiheng]

I have the same requirement and I am also interested in DAC with V281. I will upgrade to Utopia or HEK with this combo. Just looking for some advice. I heard Hugo TT is very good and some told me Mytek Brooklyn's DAC part is better than TT.

 

[watchdog507]

I have the same requirement and I am also interested in DAC with V281. I will upgrade to Utopia or HEK with this combo. Just looking for some advice. I heard Hugo TT is very good and some told me Mytek Brooklyn's DAC part is better than TT.

I'm ambivalent about the design of Chord equipment.  I have a hard time getting past the look of the gear. I'm leaning towards Mytek Brooklyn now. 

 

[smartin]

I have a Brooklyn, V281, HEX2s, HD800s, and Utopias.  I tried several other DACS (including TT mentioned above) and amps before settling on this combo, and am very happy.

 

[watchdog507]

  I have a Brooklyn, V281, HEX2s, HD800s, and Utopias.  I tried several other DACS (including TT mentioned above) and amps before settling on this combo, and am very happy.

I'm glad to hear that your pleased with the synergy in your system.  It will mirror mine up to a point. I'm leaning to HE K's but you never know Utopia's would probably be an amazing aquisition.  I've pretty much made up my mind on the Brooklyn.  Now the really important audiophile decision.........what color.

 

[smartin]

  I'm glad to hear that your pleased with the synergy in your system.  It will mirror mine up to a point. I'm leaning to HE K's but you never know Utopia's would probably be an amazing aquisition.  I've pretty much made up my mind on the Brooklyn.  Now the really important audiophile decision.........what color.

I actually preferred the X2's to the K2s (I was set on getting the Ks, but decided to demo both, ended up with the Xs), and like the Utopias considerably better than either (I really only listen to the Xs occasionally now, and for no good reason other than they are there, there's nothing about them I like better than the Focals.)
 
And black.  Looks great next to the V281 (also in black of course...)

 

[watchdog507]

  I actually preferred the X2's to the K2s (I was set on getting the Ks, but decided to demo both, ended up with the Xs), and like the Utopias considerably better than either (I really only listen to the Xs occasionally now, and for no good reason other than they are there, there's nothing about them I like better than the Focals.)
 
And black.  Looks great next to the V281 (also in black of course...)

I'll take your experience to heart and I'll try the Utopia's at some point.  This hobby can consume your mind and then your wallet.  I've got a silver V281.  I never understood the North American obsession with black gear. We have a large Asian community where I live in Canada and they love Gold gear.  

 

[watchdog507]

  I have a Brooklyn, V281, HEX2s, HD800s, and Utopias.  I tried several other DACS (including TT mentioned above) and amps before settling on this combo, and am very happy.

I've followed your lead and I've picked up a Brooklyn.  I'm pleased with the performance of the DAC. It works well with the V281.  I need to find a balanced cable in my pile somewhere.   To get the best resolution I had to tweak the Device settings to get the highest playback rate at 32/192 as the default. I'm listening an MQA recording on TIDAL and it's quite revealing. So far so good.  Native MQA decoding is a nice feature.

 

[watchdog507]

  I actually preferred the X2's to the K2s (I was set on getting the Ks, but decided to demo both, ended up with the Xs), and like the Utopias considerably better than either (I really only listen to the Xs occasionally now, and for no good reason other than they are there, there's nothing about them I like better than the Focals.)
 
And black.  Looks great next to the V281 (also in black of course...)

I have a V281 question.  I have the stepped relay, remote option on mine.  When I adjust the volume I hear faint clicking in the Amp.  My guess is that this is their safety mechanism when changing volume and it disconnects the volume to headphones while  it's changing volume.  I got this out of the manual.  Do you hear this on your amp?

 

[smartin]

  I've followed your lead and I've picked up a Brooklyn.  I'm pleased with the performance of the DAC. It works well with the V281.  I need to find a balanced cable in my pile somewhere.   To get the best resolution I had to tweak the Device settings to get the highest playback rate at 32/192 as the default. I'm listening an MQA recording on TIDAL and it's quite revealing. So far so good.  Native MQA decoding is a nice feature.

Glad you're enjoying it.  Not sure if i understand the device settings part.  You mean setting exclusive and passthrough in Tidal?  I agree some of the MQA stuff sounds great, but they are 24 not 32bit streams (and anywhere from 44.1 to 352 rate) , so not sure where the 32/192 comes in...
 

  I have a V281 question.  I have the stepped relay, remote option on mine.  When I adjust the volume I hear faint clicking in the Amp.  My guess is that this is their safety mechanism when changing volume and it disconnects the volume to headphones while  it's changing volume.  I got this out of the manual.  Do you hear this on your amp?

Yes.  Don't know what it is, assumed it was just the stepped relay.

 

[watchdog507]

  Glad you're enjoying it.  Not sure if i understand the device settings part.  You mean setting exclusive and passthrough in Tidal?  I agree some of the MQA stuff sounds great, but they are 24 not 32bit streams (and anywhere from 44.1 to 352 rate) , so not sure where the 32/192 comes in...
 
Yes.  Don't know what it is, assumed it was just the stepped relay.

I reached out to Lake People and here is the response from the support team:
 
Hello RXXXXX SXXXX
 
Inside every amp there are small portions of DC voltage coming with the audio signal which normally do no harm.
When you turn the volume knob the internal relays are engaged/disengaged in order to attenuate the signal to the desired level.
By chance the audio signal may be cut for some micro-seconds due to the mechanical action of the relays.
During this time the DC voltage is internally rising and will discharge when the contacts are closed again.
This can be heard as soft click in the signal.  
 
Best regards
 
Fried Reim

 

[watchdog507]

  Glad you're enjoying it.  Not sure if i understand the device settings part.  You mean setting exclusive and passthrough in Tidal?  I agree some of the MQA stuff sounds great, but they are 24 not 32bit streams (and anywhere from 44.1 to 352 rate) , so not sure where the 32/192 comes in...
 
Yes.  Don't know what it is, assumed it was just the stepped relay.

If you look at your Brooklyn, the display will tell you the bit rate and frequency of the stream that is being sent from your computer.  You need to select the highest rate available form the advanced settings of your Brooklyn driver on the computer.  Mine was 16/44.1 and now its 32/192. 

 

[smartin]

  If you look at your Brooklyn, the display will tell you the bit rate and frequency of the stream that is being sent from your computer.  You need to select the highest rate available form the advanced settings of your Brooklyn driver on the computer.  Mine was 16/44.1 and now its 32/192. 

That just effects sounds when using windows default driver, and will result in Windows upsampling (which it does very poorly) since those sounds are all 16/44 (or lower) quality.  Any music software (Tidal, Roon, Foobar, etc.) will directly access the DAC and the windows settings will have no effect (assuming you set them up correctly, i.e. picking the correct output device (not windows default =), exclusive mode, etc.)  That setting will effect windows sounds, games, or other apps that don't directly control the DAC.
 
In Tidal for example, output device should be Brooklyn DAC, and under it's settings, use exclusive mode, force volume, and passthrough MQA should be checked.