[exhornet]

Hi all. I need a DAC to drive my HD 518. I will eventually buy HE-400 but unfortunately not soon. Anyway, i read everywhere that even cheap DACs make huge difference in sound quality over onboard chip, which i currently use(laptop onboard). It doesn't need to be portable, I will use it on desktop. It needs to have direct output from DAC, bypassing its amp. As I know some DACs have also amps in them.
It has to be cheaper than 80 USD to avoid custom fees. The limit is actually 75 Euro which translates to 80 USD. The shipping cost is not counted on limit, 80$ DAC + 15$ shipping is still OK.
 
I actually wanted to buy O2+ODAC combo. O2 diy kit is below 80USD but i need a DAC, not an Amp. At least for now. There are no ODAC DIY kits, only finished board for 100USD which is above the limit. I was wondering if i can build ODAC from scratch? I have experience on soldering, i have built a cmoy and i make my own cables. I have found the schemetics but some parts are hard to find. I couldn't find TE7022L anywhere.
If possible, i want to order all required chips for O2 and ODAC from one place and buy resistors and capasitor locally. That would be perfect.
 
For 75$ i can buy Fiio E10K. But it is inferior to ODAC isn't it?
Someone sells a used E17(old version) for 60$. Has a slight problem on its screen which wouldn't bother me. Also local so no hassle. How is its sound quality compared to E10K and ODAC?
 
Any other recommendetions? Again, can be DIY.
Thank you all.

 

[exhornet]

How about theese?
 

Xmos 384K 32bit PCM5102 DAC

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Xmos-384K-32bit-PCM5102-DAC-USB-to-Fibe-tube-amplifier-ES9023-usb-dac-audio-power/1916634761.html
 

AK4399 + PCM2706 + WM8805 USB DAC

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/NEW-AK4399-PCM2706-WM8805-USB-DAC-decoder-Completed-board/1118466823.html

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hi all. I need a DAC to drive my HD 518. I will eventually buy HE-400 but unfortunately not soon. Anyway, i read everywhere that even cheap DACs make huge difference in sound quality over onboard chip, which i currently use(laptop onboard). 

 

Here's the thing - it would have to be really, really, really badly designed on-board audio for a cheap DAC to sound better. For the past few years mobos haven't been too horrible, save for when one uses low impedance, low efficiency headphones.

 

If you're planning on getting the HE400 later on then you might as well save up and get the DAC-HPamp later as well rather than get something cheap now that might still get to audible distortion levels when driving the HE400 (or has relatively higher distortion levels to start with).

 

 

[exhornet]

Hmm I see. Thank you for your respond.

So how about these weiliang DACs? They seem to have higher end chips. There is even one with SE9018 for 90$ unsoldered kit.

Weiliang DAC7 WM8741 WM8805
http://diyhifishop.com/wm8741-wm8805-24192khz-dac-decoder-optical-coaxial-dac7-diy-kit-p-74.html

Weiliang DAC9 AK4399+WM8805
http://diyhifishop.com/dac-decoder-ak4399-wm8805-coaxial-optical-input-assembled-board-p-95.html

Would you consider these as decent DACs? Like something you would use with HE-400, q701, HD650 etc. As amp i will use O2.
I prefer DIY kits as they are higher value for money and I don't mind soldering.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

So how about these weiliang DACs? They seem to have higher end chips. There is even one with SE9018 for 90$ unsoldered kit.

 

It's hard to tell considering the circuits built around the DAC chip and also power supply design can affect the sound a lot more than the DAC chip itself.

 

Quote:

Would you consider these as decent DACs? Like something you would use with HE-400, q701, HD650 etc. As amp i will use O2.
I prefer DIY kits as they are higher value for money and I don't mind soldering.

 

I'd much rather save a bit more and just get the ODAC. Depending on other expenses like shipping however you might want to consider the Schiit Modi2. The regular USB-only ersion version is $99 and AFAIK the Modi is generally known to sound similar to the ODAC. Note that with those DIY kits $90 means you still have to solder, and I think a chassis isn't included either. You're going to just end up putting a lot more work while still spending a bit more money.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Schiit Fulla. 79 bucks. It's an amp and a DAC. It can even drive 600 ohm headphones fairly well.
 
(But DACs do not "drive" headphones; amps do.)

 

[Sapientiam]

 
I actually wanted to buy O2+ODAC combo. O2 diy kit is below 80USD but i need a DAC, not an Amp. At least for now. There are no ODAC DIY kits, only finished board for 100USD which is above the limit. I was wondering if i can build ODAC from scratch? I have experience on soldering, i have built a cmoy and i make my own cables. I have found the schemetics but some parts are hard to find. I couldn't find TE7022L anywhere.
If possible, i want to order all required chips for O2 and ODAC from one place and buy resistors and capasitor locally. That would be perfect.

TE7022 isn't a DIY part - that was the primary reason (in my understanding at least) the ODAC didn't turn out as a DIY project. If you want to DIY a DAC you'll have to go S/PDIF not USB. You can always pick up a cheap USB-S/PDIF converter if you really need USB. It'll have a TE7022 inside quite likely.

 

[Senes]

I think it's clearly useless to have a cheap DAC for this kind of headphone, if I was you, I would keep my money and economize for a better a headphone.
And then, take a O2/ODAC for example.
 

 

[exhornet]

Aftersome thinking, this seems like the best route. I will not get enough additional SQ to justify the price i will pay for O2 and a DAC for now. Not with the HD 518.
Saving for HE-400 it is! I hope it will not be discontinued, since HE-400i came.
I will check for a used HE-400 in forum.
 
Thank you all for your answers.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
Saving for HE-400 it is! I hope it will not be discontinued, since HE-400i came.

 

It already is, it's not in HiFiMan's website anymore - it only has the HE400i and the HE4. It's likely that the only ones out there are just older stock, B-stock, or if you're going to look for it in the forum, used. Besides, I think there were some quality control issues on the durability (on the plastic part o the earcup? can't remember exactly), and then there are the ergonomic improvements on the new headband.

 

[exhornet]

Wait, i might be mixing HE400 and HE4 again. HE400 is the one with the epic low end quaility right?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Wait, i might be mixing HE400 and HE4 again. HE400 is the one with the epic low end quaility right?

 
Yes but it's been replaced with the HE400i; the old HE400 had a bit of a problem in the midrange-treble area, with a relatively deep dip followed by a relatively high peak, which being too close to each other is kind of harder to EQ with a parametric that has a bunch of variable settings. AFAIk the HE400i just has a wider valley in the midrange but basitcally it's a lot smoother. Also, HE400 looks a lot like the HE4 but has that blue plastic cup (or was it just the ring around the grill?), plus the same headband. The HE400i already uses the new headband design.

 

[exhornet]

Thanks for the explaination. I was set on he400 because it is cheap. He400i might be better but it is a lot more expensive. Almost double!
Maybe I should look for alternative mid-fi headphones...

 

[Music Alchemist]

Thanks for the explaination. I was set on he400 because it is cheap. He400i might be better but it is a lot more expensive. Almost double!
Maybe I should look for alternative mid-fi headphones...

 
The HE-400i is a great headphone. I used to own it. But if you want strong bass, look elsewhere.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks for the explaination. I was set on he400 because it is cheap. He400i might be better but it is a lot more expensive. Almost double!
Maybe I should look for alternative mid-fi headphones...

 

I'll say just save up for it, the improvements seem worth it. There's that midrange response that they smoothened out, plus the improved ergonomics of the new headband design.

 

Also, one more thing about either of those, in addition to what Music Alchemist said..."epic" here means "really flat all the way down to 10hz." There is no headphone in that price range that got that part as perfectly as these. Note however that what means isn't necessarily loud bass. If you want very low bass, then it definitely does better than the HD600 - not only does it have it louder, but it's very flat, so where the HD600 makes the upper bass louder and potentially to the detriment of very low frequencies since the imbalance can make these harder to hear, then the HE400 and HE400i are a lot better, no question about it. That however can be highly dependent on the music itself since not a lot actually have all that much in that range to start with, and one reason why dynamic driver designs tend to favor the upper bass boost to begin with since that makes up the main body of the notes - they just have enough response below that so for example a bass drum won't end up sounding like a snare with a kick to it.