[pilot232]

Welcome, Nkoulban. I have looked at the Coem Audio Australia web site and their mods to the Dac-AH look very interesting. Just curious--- how much do they charge for the dac with mods?

Cheers.

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkoulban /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm new to this forum... so hello all.

G'day mate. And a heartily welcome. Loads of DAC there. All you need to add is something like my favourite DAC, the Beresford TC-7510 and you can pack the rest up

. My search is over. Good luck with yours.

 

[fraseyboy]

This DAC-AH looks interesting...


How does it compare to similar priced competitors, such as the Total Bithead, and the Zhalou 2.5?

I am looking for a good DAC at the moment... Maybe this will be where my search ends.

 

[d-cee]

well i have the both the DAC-AH and Zhaolu D2.0

i'd say they're on the same level though have VERY different sound signatures, my DAC-AH - running @ 8volts, heatsinked and paper in oil cap passive outputs - is much more mellow and smooth, some like to call it the "analog" sound.

on the other hand the Zhaolu (i have the AD1852 chip, upgraded ELNA capacitors, blocking caps bypassed and with 3 x LM4562s) is very detailed, and emphasises a lot on the treble sparkle, and has a very fast bass slam, it is very involving.

each has their role in my system and i think both are fantastic value for the money.

 

[fraseyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-cee /img/forum/go_quote.gif well i have the both the DAC-AH and Zhaolu D2.0 i'd say they're on the same level though have VERY different sound signatures, my DAC-AH - running @ 8volts, heatsinked and paper in oil cap passive outputs - is much more mellow and smooth, some like to call it the "analog" sound. on the other hand the Zhaolu (i have the AD1852 chip, upgraded ELNA capacitors, blocking caps bypassed and with 3 x LM4562s) is very detailed, and emphasises a lot on the treble sparkle, and has a very fast bass slam, it is very involving. each has their role in my system and i think both are fantastic value for the money.

Wow...

So what do you think would fit the Grado/Alessandro sound signature better?


Anyone have the Total Bithead and the DAC-AH? I like the look of the Total Bithead because its compact, and can be used as a portable amp if I like.

 

[hugz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilot232 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Welcome, Nkoulban. I have looked at the Coem Audio Australia web site and their mods to the Dac-AH look very interesting. Just curious--- how much do they charge for the dac with mods? Cheers.

CAA (coem audio australia) dac-ah is AU$385 = approx USD$300

 

[nkoulban]

Agreed, the DAC AH CAA Mod is very analogue sounding with the Zhalou being more analytical. Both excellent but different. One advantage of the Zhalou is that you can get an integrated headphone stage for it. I'm used to vinyl so the DAC AH CAA Mod works for me.

 

[d-cee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow... So what do you think would fit the Grado/Alessandro sound signature better? Anyone have the Total Bithead and the DAC-AH? I like the look of the Total Bithead because its compact, and can be used as a portable amp if I like.

it depends on you, some like to find a middle ground, so if your headphones are brighter/analytical as the grados/alessandros tend to be, then they would pair it up with warmer DAC/amps down the line, such as a DAC-AH and/or tube amplifier for instance

on the other hand there are people who seek a particular sound, i would say i being one of them, i have separate systems, one being made up of brighter gear (zhaolu > SS heed canamp > K701) and one of warmer sounding gear (DAC-AH > Tube MC-66AE > HD580s) but that's me and call me crazy but i like having different setups the difference is so great when A/Bing the two systems

sometimes i go crazy and mix and match but it never really works out due to my tastes but at the end of the day decide what you want, and even sometimes what you want might not work out when the unit comes in, so audition and buy/sell used and you'll reach a system that you're happy with

 

[RasmusseN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by salmon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have crappy MP3 player in my car and with association with old delco radio it sound superb, i don´t know what the radio has amp inside but it sound incredible.

umm cool?

 

[DDF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RasmusseN /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there anything better than the DAC-Ah for the price? usb would be a plus as my computer is source

A used MSB Link DAC stomps it for teh same cash. The DAC AH (modified to fix the I/V, and passive o/p) is very old school: a bit muffled and thick, no where near the detail of even the simple MSB.

The DAC AH is "analog" only in the worst sense. It misses vinyl's great recreation of space, and only provides its mellowness.

 

[fraseyboy]

So how would the DAC-AH be compared to the Beresford TC-7510 Mk 3?

 

[athenaesword]

my apologies for digging up a 2 year old thread

but i was wondering how these would compare to the latest Zero. they seem to be in the same price range.

also, they don't seem to have a volume knob, do they? or do all dedicated dacs not have volume knobs?