[robjrock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hmm... /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep, but I think they call it USPS Priority Mail International

The following items were sold by and shipped from Nuforce, Inc in package
1 of this shipment: (Australia)

1 of NuForce Icon uDAC
Shipping Carrier: USPS
Ship Date: February 12, 2010
Shipping Speed: Standard

$20 for international postage is a little steep, especially considering its not express, but hey, the exchange rate is strong!

 

[kite7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robjrock /img/forum/go_quote.gif $20 for international postage is a little steep, especially considering its not express, but hey, the exchange rate is strong!

Steep compared to? Canadapost charges about the same really.

 

[robjrock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kite7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Steep compared to? Canadapost charges about the same really.

Yeah, I shouldn't complain, its still cheap: but I think the equivalent of $20USD in Australia would buy you express international post easily enough... considering its meant to be very small and light...

 

[amicus]

The actual postage cost to Australia is approximately USD25. You can check the postage stamp once you receive the parcel.

While the uDac is very small and light, it will be shipped in its retail packaging and will be housed in a sturdy external box for mailing. So, the size of the parcel will be bigger and it will be heavier.

The shipment is trackable with signature receipt and should normally arrive in about 2-3 weeks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robjrock /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, I shouldn't complain, its still cheap: but I think the equivalent of $20USD in Australia would buy you express international post easily enough... considering its meant to be very small and light...

 

[buz]

So let me put this out there: if the uDac was going to cost you 150 USD (which after doing the math it likely is the case for me), would you still consider it outstanding value? Or would an E7 for say 80 be a better value (assuming it stays just below the bar where customs and the damned fees on top of it kicks in)?

 

[kite7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by buz /img/forum/go_quote.gif So let me put this out there: if the uDac was going to cost you 150 USD (which after doing the math it likely is the case for me), would you still consider it outstanding value? Or would an E7 for say 80 be a better value (assuming it stays just below the bar where customs and the damned fees on top of it kicks in)?

It's still good value for $150 but for the same price or less I'd rather settle for a Musiland 02US.

 

[buz]

The Monitor 02 looks interesting but I don't think it'll work with Linux. And even under Win, the software looks painful to use.

 

[stuckonsound]

Well after burning in the AKG K701 for about 150 hours I concluded it was not the right headphone for me. The uDac had good synergy with it, although with some recordings 90-100% volume was necessary for the internal amp to provide for moderate listening levels. I preferred the K701 out of the EF2 fed by the uDac. I also prefer my SR325is out the EF2 fed by the uDac.

HOWEVER, I recently acquired a HFI-780 and after about 120hrs of burn in, I definitely prefer this headphone directly out of the uDac. This suggest to me that these headphones will do better with a solid state amp. Since I am actually liking this headphone more than my Grado, I am considering buying a new solid state amp. Has anyone using the uDac found any solid state amps that work particularily well with it. I am considering a Channel Island VHP-2 as my next purchase. Any thoughts?

 

[robjrock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by buz /img/forum/go_quote.gif So let me put this out there: if the uDac was going to cost you 150 USD (which after doing the math it likely is the case for me), would you still consider it outstanding value? Or would an E7 for say 80 be a better value (assuming it stays just below the bar where customs and the damned fees on top of it kicks in)?

Well, its still very early days, but the general vibe seems to be the uDac offers the best out-n-out sound quality, while the E7 offers great sound quality and cool options, such as portability and bass boost.

It so happens I've come to the conclusion that carrying around portable amps is kinda silly. My phonaks sounds just fine from my iPhone

: yes they could sound better, but I'm listening to them on a bus surrounding my snotty school kids and kamikaze taxi's screeching past: not exactly ideal listening environments...

For me, the E7s exclusion of a DAC out (will probably come in the future via a propriety cable) was kind of a deal killer, since my uDac will be my main desktop headphone amp & also a DAC into my future gainclone-speaker amp. Oh yeah.

 

[cyberspyder]

I love my uDAC...

OT: FINALLY picked the gloves up, just took several months

Brendan

 

[Wohoho]

Btw Ibasso D4 and Nuforce uDac plugged with MacbookPro

which one likely matches small speakers like Audioengine A2 and AV40
see that D4 has Aux-out while uDac has only headphone port

I focus on nice soundstage and neutral sound, and mostly listen to Jazz,Pop,Vocal

 

[sune]

About the channel inbalance, I only experience it at the lower end of the scale, like with any other pot I've tried. The thing is that with the uDac it gets "much later in the day" before the tracking is right (Around 9'o clock), compared to other audio equipment I've used - hifi and pro audio.

The Good news: Just tried it in my home "speaker system" with an old Sugden amp that is very sensitive by todays standards and always give me troubles with too much volume (Usualy feeding the Sugden with my dac/pre, I have to turn down the volume in windows, to avoid operating my pre-amps volume control in the 7-8'o clock range of the scale.. I'm SCARED of the dangers of channel imbalance and sound degradation found here you see

). I connected the uDac directly up to the amp, bypassing my pre, and the output seems very tamed. So the tracking is not an issue here, nice.

The Bad news: With my Sennheiser hd-380 plugged into the headphone out of the uDac, I have trouble with to much volume, sometimes having to turn down into the range where the pot tracks badly. This especially happens if I listen to very compressed material, like a film trailer or a youtube video. Since the uDac does not react to master volume settings in windows (xp or vista), and I don't really like wasting bits anyway, this is kind of a problem.

So there you go

My unit is still a bit to virgin for me to comment on the sound.

I'd like to know if anyone thinks the uDac benifits from warming up before use and if so, for how long? My DacMagic seems to love a least one hour.

Cheers,
Sune

 

[sune]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wohoho /img/forum/go_quote.gif Btw Ibasso D4 and Nuforce uDac plugged with MacbookPro which one likely matches small speakers like Audioengine A2 and AV40 see that D4 has Aux-out while uDac has only headphone port I focus on nice soundstage and neutral sound, and mostly listen to Jazz,Pop,Vocal

I just got the A2 the other day to go with my uDac.. And so far I'm not impressed! But, hopefully this will change with some burn-in of both units

However I tried the uDac today with my Nautilus 805's (pretty revealing speaker) and though it was not a match for my DacMagic, at his point at least, it fared very good.

 

[bcwang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sune /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just got the A2 the other day to go with my uDac.. And so far I'm not impressed! But, hopefully this will change with some burn-in of both units However I tried the uDac today with my Nautilus 805's (pretty revealing speaker) and though it was not a match for my DacMagic, at his point at least, it fared very good.

Haha, I don't think the A2 with any source is going to impress you when you are coming from B&W 805's.

Could you comment if the udac at max volume is louder out of the RCA jacks than the Dacmagic?

 

[sune]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcwang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haha, I don't think the A2 with any source is going to impress you when you are coming from B&W 805's. Could you comment if the udac at max volume is louder out of the RCA jacks than the Dacmagic?

I know

I work as a contractor abroad at the moment, so I just got the A2's to have in my "second home", so I can spare my ears a bit, since I can't do to many hours with head phones. And those are unfortunately easily spent, bloking out some of the chatter at work. Maybe I just got my hopes on the A2's up to high based on all the positive reviews. They really do deserve a chance to settle, before I rule them out.

I'm pretty sure I tried feeding my pre-amp with the output of the uDac at full volume and that I could turn up the volume control of my pre a good deal more, than I can with the DacMagic, before reaching the same level. So I would say that the volume of the uDac is notacibly lower. However to be sure I would need to double check this and that I did not miss some windows volume setting, and unfortunately I don't go back to my home the next 10 days or so.