[wakeride74]

I may be posting in the wrong area but I'm just trying to figure out if I need a DAC. My portable rig in in the process of changing as I have a new Headroom Micro on order (to replace my Supreme) and I'm slowly looking to pick up a Sony d-ej2000 or something of the sort (yes I'm still listening to cd's and do not have an ipod or anythink like it). How much difference will a DAC make and is it similar to the night and day difference one can hear when going from ampless to amped? Any info would be appreciated!

 

[jamato8]

I don't think it is night and day if you have a good portable, which I think the 2000 is. But I won't travel or go for walks without mine. I use the Monica II in an Altoid tin.

John

Listening to music and trying out different opamps as well as trying out the different buffers mentioned by Xin (bottom V3).

 

[kiwirugby]

So, John, see if I have this right. You have the following set up.

pcdp --> coax --> DAC --> IC --> SM3 --> headphone.

Is that right? And the IC is just a regular IC, correct?

What is the improvement in sound using the DAC?

 

[jamato8]

From the D-EJ 2000 I run an optical link to the Monica II and from there to the SM V3 via my own IC made of high purity silver.

John

 

[Romanee]

I've listened to a bunch o' small amps with the Overture DAC and the difference with or without is night and day ... and it does make you sing (and tap our feet). Whether it's an SR-71, Portaphile V2, SM, VHP-1, ANT Amber, Ascent Signature, SuperMiniMoy, PC-MkII .... the Overture gooses up the sound on all of them (colorful expression that ... what do I mean? Is it Christmas yet?

)

The Overture (soon-to-be-MicroDac) made every Portable and small home amp I heard with it sound more dynamic, livelier, punchier and in some cases deeper at the bottom end ... and its output level is rather high so all amps were roughly 2-4 points louder.

I think it's especially great for the kind of environments a portable lives in, where various degrees of ambient noise make a livelier, punchier, deeper, more dynamic sound essential for any real enjoyment of the music.

I wouldn't say it's neutral or accurate, but it's great fun and sounds great ... and if you think about the usual lack of quiet listening whilst toting your portables around, it should be "de rigeuer" (...a must have...). Am definitely looking forward to hearing Tyll's new toys at the June 18 NYC Metro Meet!

"Night and Day" ... Fer Sure (sorry Cole...)!

 

[S_Dedalus]

The Microdac would be a huge improvement over a portable. I'd put it in the same class as my modded 0404. The old sony portable I had was as good as my AV710, but none of the others were, and the 0404 was a huge jump from the AV710.

 

[wakeride74]

Thanks for all the direction, I guess the best thing to do would be order the new Micro DAC from Headroom and hear for myself... another $300

This may have to wait a bit...

 

[applegd]

Look at the slew rate of AD822 and compare it with OPA2134/627's. I see following:

AD822 Slew Rate: 3V/ms = 0.003 V/ us
OPA2134 Slew Rate: 20V/us
OPA627 Slew Rate: 55V/us

Note: ms = 0.001 s
us = 0.000001 s

But what is the final impact on the audio quality because of above different opamp?? I am listening to my MicroDAC and feel its sound quality is not bad at least. Need help to understand why....

 

[ken36]

I agree with the night and day analogy and the Microdac soars.

 

[kdread]

In my past experience with some hi-fi equipment including minidisc, computer soundcards, cd/dvd all with digital in/out the DAC I used made a huge difference.