If I had a budget of 4.5k, I would get a used GSX mini ($1k), NewOntech dac 07 ($2.5k) and used Aurender N100 ($1.5k) (I have not heard this but have heard more expensive Aurender units). If you must stick to the budget get Sonic Frontier SFD-2 ($2k).
If I had a budget of 4.5k, I would get a used GSX mini ($1k), NewOntech dac 07 ($2.5k) and used Aurender N100 ($1.5k) (I have not heard this but have heard more expensive Aurender units). If you must stick to the budget get Sonic Frontier SFD-2 ($2k).
That all sounds really cool — thank you for the recs. I'm just curious — is there an all-in-one DAC/Amp that would do the job well? Preferably with a front-facing XLR balanced output since I already sunk money in an XLR → Lemo Lavricable lol.
I have limited desk space and just want to have a clean solution for daily use
That all sounds really cool — thank you for the recs. I'm just curious — is there an all-in-one DAC/Amp that would do the job well? Preferably with a front-facing XLR balanced output since I already sunk money in an XLR → Lemo Lavricable lol.
I have limited desk space and just want to have a clean solution for daily use
Okay, this is not very good advice from cost/performance perspective but Lina stack would work very well in your case (not even close to worth the asking price but the sound is decent, especially the dac and clock portion).
Okay, this is not very good advice from cost/performance perspective but Lina stack would work very well in your case (not even close to worth the asking price but the sound is decent, especially the dac and clock portion).
That all sounds really cool — thank you for the recs. I'm just curious — is there an all-in-one DAC/Amp that would do the job well? Preferably with a front-facing XLR balanced output since I already sunk money in an XLR → Lemo Lavricable lol.
I have limited desk space and just want to have a clean solution for daily use
What about the NAIM Uniti HE? I tried it with the OG Utopia and it was stellar. It’s tuned to have synergy with Focal. The footprint is small, and it does everything well. Had I been starting out, I would have bought it, but I already had a good DAC and just needed a better HP amp.
IMO Naim and Focal products should never be paired together, not for their speaker rig and not for cans. It's digital sounding, too fatiguing after long session, too much ear candies and lack musicality.
I found a used Bartok for 50% off. Still double my budget but it's 1/3 the price of a Lina stack. Thoughts?
Would it really sound 2x better than a Chord TT2? My Mojo 2 sounds fantastic, but I haven't heard much better yet.
What about the NAIM Uniti HE? I tried it with the OG Utopia and it was stellar. It’s tuned to have synergy with Focal. The footprint is small, and it does everything well. Had I been starting out, I would have bought it, but I already had a good DAC and just needed a better HP amp.
I just don't like the lack of XLR and the fact that the entire "streamer" functionality will be completely useless to me — I felt like I'd be paying for something I will never use, and I'd rather invest that into better pure audio.
Is the Uniti HE really that much better than the Focal Arche?
I found a used Bartok for 50% off. Still double my budget but it's 1/3 the price of a Lina stack. Thoughts?
Would it really sound 2x better than a Chord TT2? My Mojo 2 sounds fantastic, but I haven't heard much better yet.
If you like the Mojo2, the TT seems a logical upgrade. It's unlikely the Bartok is worth 2x your budget. At this level, you're chasing 5-10% improvements.
I've heard mixed reviews of the Lina stack. If you're dropping that kind of money, a demo is imperative. Same with the Bartok.
If you like the Mojo2, the TT seems a logical upgrade. It's unlikely the Bartok is worth 2x your budget. At this level, you're chasing 5-10% improvements.
I've heard mixed reviews of the Lina stack. If you're dropping that kind of money, a demo is imperative. Same with the Bartok.
That sounds fair. What I like about the Mojo 2 is that it brings a great amount of detail that the Utopias thrive on. What I don’t like is that it can sound a bit sterile and fatiguing for longer listens.
The Focal Arche is the complete opposite. It sounds warmer and can be heard for hours at a time, but it seems to roll off the detail and mushes the instrument layers together.
I’m chasing a warmer, deeper sound than the Mojo 2 but while keeping the same clarity and detail up top.
I just don't like the lack of XLR and the fact that the entire "streamer" functionality will be completely useless to me — I felt like I'd be paying for something I will never use, and I'd rather invest that into better pure audio.
Is the Uniti HE really that much better than the Focal Arche?
Uniti has XLR but isn't fully balanced. 1.5W into 16ohms will power pretty much every headphone.
I've never heard the Arche. The amp section was designed similar to the Arche though. The Naim also has ability to read external drives. So you get a digital transport/amp/DAC.
That sounds fair. What I like about the Mojo 2 is that it brings a great amount of detail that the Utopias thrive on. What I don’t like is that it can sound a bit sterile and fatiguing for longer listens.
The Focal Arche is the complete opposite. It sounds warmer and can be heard for hours at a time, but it seems to roll off the detail and mushes the instrument layers together.
I’m chasing a warmer, deeper sound than the Mojo 2 but while keeping the same clarity and detail up top.
Well, in my experience, the higher up you go in Chord, the better the detail retrieval. Not sure the TT will give you warmer sound.
Mojo2 as a DAC only into a warmer HP amp a possibility. There's pretty amazing synergy with Feliks tube amps. They tend not to be too tubey and more neutral. The Elise and Mojo2 is a pretty spectacular combo.
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