[Thommohawk]

So I've had the Asus Xonar Essence ST on my list for a good long while for headphone audio listening (obviously it's a built in DAC/AMP unit) but I was wondering if the Firestone Audio Fubar IV+ is worth the extra money (also a DAC/AMP unit but has digital in and costs twice as much) in terms of pure DAC/AMP quality and therefore audio quality. I imagine it would be, but never can be sure until....so if anyone has any experience with both of these products it would be a big help to gain your opinion.
 
EDIT
 
Just to be clear, I don't need digital in or portability, both are nice but unecessary for me, I'm simply asking if the DAC and AMP on the Firestone product is £150 better than the DAC and AMP found in the Essence sound card which is £150 cheaper. 
 
I think I know the answer deep down, but it's always best to ask questions first because he who shoots first tends to regret.....useful opinions more than welcome.

 

[leeperry]

I've tried a F3 that was really lousy(the volume pot was also working on the line-out), and a friend of mine has a F4...it's got a soldered non-swappable OPA2134 on its line-out and the pot is cheapish and not stepped.
 
If I were you, I'd look into the Travagan units...they're made by the founder of Firestone, have fully swappable opamps and some of them use stepped attenuators.
 
And to answer your question, upsampling is only nice if you can toggle it, a mandatory upsampling can quickly become boring IMO...192kHz upsampling is a lot of data to interpolate.
 
Another option is the Littledot DAC_II, it's got a reclocker and fully swappable opamps off a clean PSU...I've asked questions to their boss but they're on national holiday.
 
A clean external DAC will sound far less shrill than the Essence cards(I've owned both).

 

[Thommohawk]

Thanks for the info leeperry.

 
I hope you don't take this personally as it's certainly not aimed at you or anyone in particular and I do enjoy hanging around this place most people seem to be cool but I have to say if there's one frustrating thing about head-fi it's that when you ask a question you get 3 totally different answers as an aside to the question you actually asked which leaves you with more questions than answers - that and when folks get headphones and proclaim them to be awesomes - and yet a couple months later they're sold on lol. So technically that's 2 peeves I have of head-fi - you haven't gotten to my wallet yet you saucy seductress and I'll be damned if you will!  (but we all know it's inevitable)....I'm just being resistant. 
 
Seriously though, thanks for the info I do appreciate the effort and taking the time for sure.

 

[leeperry]

hehe, the rabbit hole goes deeper indeed. And I think that the F4+ needs some more thoughts to it, because there's many other units in the same price range...and w/ better sounding volume pots and fully rollable opamps at that.

 

[mentt]

I own Fubar 4 and also Asus STX and no doubt Fubar 4 is better choice. As a DAC and also as a DAC/AMP. Definitely you can also hear the difference between  inputs on Fubar 4. Try to not use USB input if you can

 

[kfscoll]

FWIW you can swap the op-amp in the Fubar IV+.

 

[mentt]

Quote:

FWIW you can swap the op-amp in the Fubar IV+.

Does Firestone Supplier make a big difference with Fubar 4 and what DAC/AMP do you use with Grado SR325i?

 

[kfscoll]

Does Firestone Supplier make a big difference with Fubar 4 and what DAC/AMP do you use with Grado SR325i?

I've always used the Fubar 4+ with the Supplier so I can't answer your first question. Right now I'm just using the DAC section of my Fubar (Bravo to Fubar to Valhalla). I use my Bifrost and Asgard with my Grados -- I heard some hiss from the Fubar's amp with my more sensitive headphones (can't remember if the issue was with the Grados though).

 

[oaklandrkg]

.

 

[oaklandrkg]

holy crap, the op was from '10.
 
lolzzzzz

 

[mentt]

Quote:

holy crap, the op was from '10.
 
lolzzzzz

And I thought that you wrote the whole essay for me :-D

 

[mentt]

Quote:

And I thought that you wrote the whole essay for me :-D

Seriously now, I never heard Fubar 3, but Fubar 4 is without doubt excellent buy!!! I like "sound" of  Fubar 4 more than sound from Nuforce Icon HDP...