[mandrake50]

Got mine yesterday afternoon. Fired it up with the HE 560 driven by the Emotiva DC1. Immediately I was impressed. Have let it run for 24 hours. Will turn it off tonight and fire it up tomorrow.
I am really quite happy with the sound as of my first listen. If it really gets better.. I am going to be extremely impressed. 

 

[DDDamian]

Congrats guys - hope all sounds well after the cook-off

 

[auvgeek]

I am really quite happy with the sound as of my first listen. If it really gets better.. I am going to be extremely impressed. 

Let many have said, just don't freak out if it gets worse for the next few days.

 

[tretneo]

  Let many have said, just don't freak out if it gets worse for the next few days.

 
Can you elaborate? I can go back and look for what you're referencing but if you can summarize what you've seen/experienced that would be awesome.

 

[mandrake50]

  Let many have said, just don't freak out if it gets worse for the next few days.

It has about 30 hours on it now. I have not really been listening much during that time. I turned it off last night, but will crank it up and let it do another 24 or so. I am not a true believer in burn-in, but so many have commented on this one, I figured I had nothing to lose.
 
I will do the cycle twice more before I have time to do a bit of listening over the weekend.
And... don't worry, I will not freak out.
 

 

[lancevance117]

Got my H10 a few weeks ago, and finished reading this whole thread at this moment, changed the 5532 to LME49860 and opa134 to ad797anz. any recommendations?
DAC uses Gustard x12
and interconnects are super super cheap 6N OCC 1meter XLR cords from a chinese brand called Choseal, cost me around $32.

 

[PWGuy]

Just received mine (via Massdrop) and I have to say I was a little worried after hearing that others have been experiencing blatant QA issues. So far so good though, no internal rattling, the volume knob turns with ease, no obvious sound issues.

Anyone else pairing their H10 with a Modi 2 Uber and HiFiMan cans?

Currently I'm burning it in with the following setup (will likely keep it configured this way)

iPhone/iPad (Tidal) > AirPlay > TP-LINK AirEnabler > Modi 2 Uber (via USB) > Gustard H10 > HiFiMan HE-560

I'll also be adding a Raspberry Pi 2 running RuneAudio at some point for higher bitrate FLAC playback.

I do! Modi 2 Uber and H10. First DAC and HP amp, so I have no means to compare .

 

[tretneo]

I do! Modi 2 Uber and H10. First DAC and HP amp, so I have no means to compare

.

 
Fair enough, what's your opinion so far? And what headphones are you driving with the pairing?

 

[goobicii]

when will H20 come out

 

[lancevance117]

  when will H20 come out

from what i have heard, it will be late this year

 

[goobicii]

what is the general conclusion about H10,I saw ppl say its like V200 with less rolled of treble.Considering balanced H20 isnt out,how does H10 compare to V200 and V220?
 
I find it hard to believe that it can be so good for so little money

 

[swannie007]

  what is the general conclusion about H10,I saw ppl say its like V200 with less rolled of treble.Considering balanced H20 isnt out,how does H10 compare to V200 and V220?
 
I find it hard to believe that it can be so good for so little money

Not if you clone an amp and change a few details to avoid copyright infringement. Some companies have HUGE markups on their gear and others are happy with a more modest profit and higher turnover with corresponding savings passed on to customers. There is often a lot of hype surrounding expensive gear to justify it's cost. I am happy to let my ears do the testing and not rely on the price tag to dictate my purchase decisions. If it sounds good and is a relative bargain, then everyone wins!

 

[406382]

   
Oh it'll live. It's writhing in agony as we speak

, but it'll live. Now to make sure the wife doesn't see that new package arrive... 
 
I got hold of a Metrum Quad DAC + the accompanying 7VA power supply. Should arrive tomorrow, then I can post some impressions of this DAC's pairing with the H10 and HE-500. Also bought a couple of extra second hand cables since the Metrum doesn't have USB inputs: Audioquest Forest Optical & Oehlbach NF113 coax cables + a pair of Linn Black RCA's. 
 
Also, now that I have a DAC with SPDIF inputs, I can use my existing Teddy Pardo USB/SPDIF converter to optimize the HTPC > DAC connection. The hard part will be to resist testing all those new variables at once. Every new piece in the chain will have to prove it's worth before it can stay, so I'll swap 'em in one at a time to see what it does.

 
Metrum Quad DAC and PSU arrived today. Had an evening to compare it with the Modi on the H10 and HE-500. Is there a significant difference between the Quad and the Modi?
 
Yes, absolutely. The Modi sounds muddied compared to the Quad. The best way to describe the Quad is clean & detailed with a big soundstage. It's also tight (good PRaT), if such a characteristic is possible on a DAC (perhaps this is due to the tighter bass?). Despite being very clean, it doesn't slip into an analytical performance. Still, if you like your sound mellow, this might not be the DAC for you. Output on the Quad is different, I have to turn the volume down compared to the Modi.
 
Does the Quad pair well with the H10? I think it definitely does, although the clean sound can border a bit on the bright or harsh side at times. But the HE-500's treble might have more to do with this than the H10 sound signature. I enjoy the added qualities of the Metrum a lot, and definitely prefer these + slight harshness over the kinder, but (a lot) more veiled performance of the Modi. 
 
I must admit the comparison isn't entirely fair. The Quad DAC doesn't have a USB input so I use my more than decent Teddy Pardo USB/SPDIF converter to feed it an SPDIF signal. The Modi 1 doesn't have Coax input, so it does not benefit from the same clean signal. 
 
My wife is starting to comment on the stacks' height. I guess 1 member will depart soon. Modi you were (are) a sound performer for the money. 
 
Edit: forgot the Magni. Maybe I should add a Schiit Fulla as the cherry on the cake? 

 

 

[mandrake50]

Just curious, about what did you pay for the Metrum gear. I tried to look it up.. saw demos for around $800.. did not find the power supply. I am not a huge Schiit fan, but is this a level playing field? Are you surprised at the outcome?
 
Nice gear BTW...

 

[BassDigger]

 
Metrum Quad DAC and PSU arrived today. Had an evening to compare it with the Modi on the H10 and HE-500. Is there a significant difference between the Quad and the Modi?
 
Yes, absolutely. The Modi sounds muddied compared to the Quad. The best way to describe the Quad is clean & detailed with a big soundstage. It's also tight (good PRaT), if such a characteristic is possible on a DAC (perhaps this is due to the tighter bass?). Despite being very clean, it doesn't slip into an analytical performance. Still, if you like your sound mellow, this might not be the DAC for you. Output on the Quad is different, I have to turn the volume down compared to the Modi.
 
Does the Quad pair well with the H10? I think it definitely does, although the clean sound can border a bit on the bright or harsh side at times. But the HE-500's treble might have more to do with this than the H10 sound signature. I enjoy the added qualities of the Metrum a lot, and definitely prefer these + slight harshness over the kinder, but (a lot) more veiled performance of the Modi. 
 
I must admit the comparison isn't entirely fair. The Quad DAC doesn't have a USB input so I use my more than decent Teddy Pardo USB/SPDIF converter to feed it an SPDIF signal. The Modi 1 doesn't have Coax input, so it does not benefit from the same clean signal. 

 
Can a dac have an effect on PRaT? Absolutely!! You got my attention, when I read this part of your comment.
Why? Because, to me, this is a key factor in the difference between the two dac technologies, that are currently implemented. And your reference made me very curious about which kind of technology your new dac is.
I won't go any further; this topic would be much better discussed on a dedicated thread (Here's one: http://www.head-fi.org/t/693798/thoughts-on-a-bunch-of-dacs-and-why-delta-sigma-kinda-sucks-just-to-get-you-to-think-about-stuff), (and it would undoubtedly make the discussion more interesting, than it is currently!).
 
It's widely accepted that the he500's treble and upper mids are less than perfect; there are grill mods etc. to improve this. But as your Metrum is brand spanking new, I think that after a few more hours of burn-in, the bass will probably fill out somewhat.
 
As both you and another poster have mentioned, this isn't really fair on the Modi. It seems that you've found quite an interesting dac. Where did you hear about it?