I think that's the key. The D16 is a powerhouse and if you're just using IEMs, I don't think it's worth the extra spend. If you like detail/shimmer the Clarinet is the better choice in my opinion. I also own the DC-Elite and I could not for the life of me distinguish it from the D16. The DC-Elite is an incredible dongle dac/amp.
I try to be more careful when recommending things that are 4 figures. A person with a 3k IEM, 1k cable is going to hear things someone on a $300 set is not.
The clarinet on the other hand is much easier to confidently recommend. It sounds amazing and price tag is that of a dongle.
I think that's the key. The D16 is a powerhouse and if you're just using IEMs, I don't think it's worth the extra spend. If you like detail/shimmer the Clarinet is the better choice in my opinion. I also own the DC-Elite and I could not for the life of me distinguish it from the D16. The DC-Elite is an incredible dongle dac/amp.
Totally valid. Even in my circle of friends. We have different preferences. Some swear by the one bit Dac for the its organic naturalness. But it’s going to lose out in terms of technicals and extensions to the sigma delta chips. I had the DC Elite and it’s a beast of a dongle.
I think that's the key. The D16 is a powerhouse and if you're just using IEMs, I don't think it's worth the extra spend. If you like detail/shimmer the Clarinet is the better choice in my opinion. I also own the DC-Elite and I could not for the life of me distinguish it from the D16. The DC-Elite is an incredible dongle dac/amp.
I feel that most of the music I will listen to these days is streamed, ansd even when it is flac or highres, if the recording is not up to par, having something that is TOO reference just makes the music worse.
The cable could not work! If the cable connect to clarinet, mean the signal connect to Ground. So you could hear a noise then no sound out.
The picture from @fx88 means clarinet is an unambiguous design , If there is COAX signal input for either the left or right channel, it can be received.
So the best way is a RCA output from source ,then use the clarinet RCA TO 3.5 adapter.
You are right. I use a 3.5 to 3.5 AMP cable, connecting Fiio X2 Coax out to Clarinet, it works!
For L&P DAP, a customized cable is neccessary. If the source uses a 4-section plug with multiple functions, it can easily cause compatibility issues.
Been listening to Clarinet for 2 weeks. Coming from M1, I think it has some M1 characteristics but in a smaller scale. It’s a powerful little portable amp, dethronray house tuning and dark background etc. I started listening with the stock firmware and via USB-C. Meanwhile Anson encouraged me to try out coax / opt. Then things got exciting after I updated the latest firmware (v 30/12/24 - rhapsody), I noted slightly more note weights, Anson confirmed that the latest firmware squeeze more power, up to 0.5db increase. Also, the sound profile changes under coax, it sounds analog and smooth. I’m still exploring the coax setups, curious to try out opt as well.
Been listening to Clarinet for 2 weeks. Coming from M1, I think it has some M1 characteristics but in a smaller scale. It’s a powerful little portable amp, dethronray house tuning and dark background etc. I started listening with the stock firmware and via USB-C. Meanwhile Anson encouraged me to try out coax / opt. Then things got exciting after I updated the latest firmware (v 30/12/24 - rhapsody), I noted slightly more note weights, Anson confirmed that the latest firmware squeeze more power, up to 0.5db increase. Also, the sound profile changes under coax, it sounds analog and smooth. I’m still exploring the coax setups, curious to try out opt as well.
Excellent news! Thanks. I'm still waiting for my Clarinet to arrive - I opted for the SMSL PO100 as well. I'm curious if there's any difference between using Coax versus Optical. I ordered both cables for the sake of experimentation.
I feel that most of the music I will listen to these days is streamed, ansd even when it is flac or highres, if the recording is not up to par, having something that is TOO reference just makes the music worse.
The RU7 is remarkable, I primarily stream from Apple and Qobuz, but buy a lot of music too. It is a great dongle, the best I've used. I am curious about the Elite, but I have too many portable sources as it is.
The RU7 is remarkable, I primarily stream from Apple and Qobuz, but buy a lot of music too. It is a great dongle, the best I've used. I am curious about the Elite, but I have too many portable sources as it is.
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