Headroom Ultra Desktop Review

[Jalo]

The Max DAC does not use the ESS chip.  The ESS was only featured in the now discontinued UDAC.  The UDAC was introduced at the same time as the BUDA.  There is a thread in the HR forum that explains why it was discontinued.


By the way, I have a BUDA connectected to a Marantz SA-11S1 and very much enjoy listening to my HD650 this way.










I have the BUDA/UDAC/DPS triplets and am very happy with it. Do you know what kind of DAC is inside the BUDA? Like Alfredo, I will be getting my LCD2 tomorrow and I have the ALO balance cable coming. I hope the BUDA will have enough power for the LCD2. It suppose to have double the power of the Ultra Desktop amp due to the balance design. I have high hope on the new phone.


By the way, I thought aamefford got a good buy and a great deal. I don't know if it is their highend step attenuator that is on his UDA, if it is, that alone could cost a thousand dollars. I do wish HR the volume pot is a little nicer on the BUDA.

 

[Paganini Alfredo]

The LCD's sound awesome with the Ultra, you're in for a treat.

 

[aamefford]

Quote:

The Max DAC does not use the ESS chip.  The ESS was only featured in the now discontinued UDAC.  The UDAC was introduced at the same time as the BUDA.  There is a thread in the HR forum that explains why it was discontinued.
 
By the way, I have a BUDA connectected to a Marantz SA-11S1 and very much enjoy listening to my HD650 this way.

 
This is from Headroom's site, today:
 
http://www.headphone.com/learning-center/product-support/dacs.php
 
The Ultra Desktop DAC
The organic and natural sense of ease you experience when listening to the Ultra Desktop DAC belies the exotic, novel, and strikingly complex technologies found in the ESS Technology Sabre 9008 DAC. This exquisite audio part delivers state-of-the-art performance in numerous measures using several patented, or patent applied for techniques.
Digital inputs are switched and converted to an I2C digital signal in the Cirrus Logic CS8416 digital receiver; this device also significantly reduces incoming jitter. Once in the DAC input section, the digital signal edges are cleaned up using a digital delay line and, rather than re-timing or decoding the embedded word clock, data is “time stamped” and sent to the oversampling DSP. Also in this initial section is an IIR (infinite impulse response) recursive filter for removing jitter as the signal is passed to the oversampling DSP stage. ESS Technology claims this method allows the DAC to accept digital data with up to 50nS of random or 200nS of sinusoidal jitter and results in near-zero amounts of jitter in the digital signal which is now in the precision reference clock domain.
 
I also read the UDAC thread - maybe the ESS implementation in the UDAC was at issue, but UDA was fine?  I know the UDAC was discontinued until further notice, and the UDA is still for sale.
 
Yes, mine has the stepped attenuator.  This one had all options included by the original owner, along with the DPS.  I am very stoked to have it - which I'm pretty sure is obvious!

 

[DarKu]

 
Quote:

 
This is from Headroom's site, today:
 
http://www.headphone.com/learning-center/product-support/dacs.php
 
The Ultra Desktop DAC
The organic and natural sense of ease you experience when listening to the Ultra Desktop DAC belies the exotic, novel, and strikingly complex technologies found in the ESS Technology Sabre 9008 DAC. This exquisite audio part delivers state-of-the-art performance in numerous measures using several patented, or patent applied for techniques.
Digital inputs are switched and converted to an I2C digital signal in the Cirrus Logic CS8416 digital receiver; this device also significantly reduces incoming jitter. Once in the DAC input section, the digital signal edges are cleaned up using a digital delay line and, rather than re-timing or decoding the embedded word clock, data is “time stamped” and sent to the oversampling DSP. Also in this initial section is an IIR (infinite impulse response) recursive filter for removing jitter as the signal is passed to the oversampling DSP stage. ESS Technology claims this method allows the DAC to accept digital data with up to 50nS of random or 200nS of sinusoidal jitter and results in near-zero amounts of jitter in the digital signal which is now in the precision reference clock domain.
 
I also read the UDAC thread - maybe the ESS implementation in the UDAC was at issue, but UDA was fine?  I know the UDAC was discontinued until further notice, and the UDA is still for sale.
 
Yes, mine has the stepped attenuator.  This one had all options included by the original owner, along with the DPS.  I am very stoked to have it - which I'm pretty sure is obvious!

Your Ultra Desktop Amp uses AD1896 DAC chip and not ESS one. The problem with the UDAC was in the USB implementation as Tyll said twice already. As soon as they will resolve the problems caused by USB implementation in the UDAC they will start selling it again and maybe with an ESS 9018 instead of 9008 chip.

 

[aamefford]

 
Quote:

 

Your Ultra Desktop Amp uses AD1896 DAC chip and not ESS one. The problem with the UDAC was in the USB implementation as Tyll said twice already. As soon as they will resolve the problems caused by USB implementation in the UDAC they will start selling it again and maybe with an ESS 9018 instead of 9008 chip.

 
See post #21
 
tnili and DarKu, thank you!  Killer DAC to my ears, regardless, but I gots to know!  For reference, my experience with DACS:
I've owned Apogee Duet, Pico amp/dac, Carat dac of some sort, Peachtree Nova with the ESS 9006 chip, DIYMod (does that count?) Cambridge Audio DacMagic, and the Headroom Ultra Desktop.  I've heard a PS Audio DLIII with some level of Cullen mods at a meet, and several others that I just don't remember from that meet.  I guess I'm relatively familiar with the lower middle range, witha bit of exposure to the high end at a meet and an audio show this year.

 

[aamefford]

All Righty!  Here is the correct information regarding the DAC in my 2008 UDA, and as far as I know, all current UDA's:
 
First, from Mike Olson @ Headroom:
 
Hey Aaron,

Well don't feel too bad, it's pretty easy to get confused with all these technical spec's being thrown around.

Yes, technically you were wrong saying the Ultra Desktop has the Sabre DAC ESS 9008.  We only used that Sabre chip in the UDAC.  Your Ultra Desktop has the CS4398 as it's DAC chip.  Yes, it also has the OPA627's for op-amps.  Always glad to help and definitely let me know if you have any other questions about your amp. 


Sincerely,


Mike Olson
Technical Services Manager
HeadRoom Corporation
 
And from the Headroom site:
 
"The Desktop Dac:
 
The DAC in the HeadRoom Desktop Amp starts to become a very seriously impressive digital-to-analog converter: not only does it use the flagship Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC, it also uses sweet-sounding Burr-Brown OPA134 op-amps in constant-current "Class-A” bias as output stage devices. The result is the kind of fully transparent and liquid audio clarity usually found in multi-thousand kilo-buck component CD players but at a mere fraction of their cost."
 
Per Mr. Olson's note above, OPA627's instead of the OPA134's, and from what I'd posted above, the verbiage on the up-sampling circuit:
 
Found in the HeadRoom Ultra Desktop Amp is our 'Class-A' upsampling  DAC, a Big-Daddy high-end D-A converter.
This DAC is an apostolic work of digital upsampling art. These four-layer circuit boards are covered edge to edge with the best parts serious audiophile money can buy, and right in the middle of it lies an Analog Devices AD1896 192kHz Stereo Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter. WHAT?!... Simply a screaming miniaturized gizmo that up-converts any incoming digital audio signal into an ultra high speed, high resolution digital signal without relying on the incoming clock timing, and then down-converts it into the slower 192kHz word stream while interpolating (to get rid of digital 'haze') and re-clocking (to get rid of jitter) before sending the data off to the DAC stage.
 
So, Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC, with OPA627 opamps and the Analog Devices AD1896 Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter.  Thanks again to tnili and DarKu.

 

[DarKu]

Thats very correct, I posted different chip.
 
aamefford how do you feel the DAC section of the UDA compares to your Pachtree Nova ?
I'm thinking myself about a UDA in a (distant?) future. Are you very impressed by it's performance as a DAC and amp ?
I read the review and it's very nice, thank you for that, just wanted a little bit more impressions

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Thats very correct, I posted different chip.
 
aamefford how do you feel the DAC section of the UDA compares to your Pachtree Nova ?
I'm thinking myself about a UDA in a (distant?) future. Are you very impressed by it's performance as a DAC and amp ?
I read the review and it's very nice, thank you for that, just wanted a little bit more impressions

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[runswithaliens]

 
Quote:

 
See post #21
 
tnili and DarKu, thank you!  Killer DAC to my ears, regardless, but I gots to know!  For reference, my experience with DACS:
I've owned Apogee Duet, Pico amp/dac, Carat dac of some sort, Peachtree Nova with the ESS 9006 chip, DIYMod (does that count?) Cambridge Audio DacMagic, and the Headroom Ultra Desktop.  I've heard a PS Audio DLIII with some level of Cullen mods at a meet, and several others that I just don't remember from that meet.  I guess I'm relatively familiar with the lower middle range, witha bit of exposure to the high end at a meet and an audio show this year.

 
I see you had the Peachtree Nova. Since it is on my list of possible next upgrades I was wondering how that compared to your new Headroom setup?

 

[DarKu]

Quote:

aimlink maybe you can chime in and tell us how to you find your UDA (UltraDesktopAmp) compared with what you've heard, are you satisfied with it?

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

aimlink maybe you can chime in and tell us how to you find your UDA (UltraDesktopAmp) compared with what you've heard, are you satisfied with it?

Me.  I'm a HeadRoom devotee.  Never really felt inclined to go elsewhere.  The only non-HeadRoom amp I heard was my starter, i.e., the FireStone Audio Fubar III.  I then moved to the HeadRoom MicroAmp, followed by the UltraDesktop.  I then got the DPS for the UltraDesktop and have since been only changing cans.  I've been content since and feeling for nothing else really.  Since I don't have experience with other mid to high end amps, I don't think my opinions counts for much, but I do enjoy reading the favourable comparisons to other amps.  

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Me.  I'm a HeadRoom devotee.  Never really felt inclined to go elsewhere.  The only non-HeadRoom amp I heard was my starter, i.e., the FireStone Audio Fubar III.  I then moved to the HeadRoom MicroAmp, followed by the UltraDesktop.  I then got the DPS for the UltraDesktop and have since been only changing cans.  I've been content since and feeling for nothing else really.  Since I don't have experience with other mid to high end amps, I don't think my opinions counts for much, but I do enjoy reading the favourable comparisons to other amps.  

that what happends when you get a good product...you don't crave for anything else.    that's how i feel about my current rig.
it's nice to be satisfied with your system so the only thing you need to change is the headphones (until you find your perfect sound and nestle) when you have 100% trust in your system and don't have to "worry" about it. 

 

[aamefford]

that what happends when you get a good product...you don't crave for anything else.    that's how i feel about my current rig.
it's nice to be satisfied with your system so the only thing you need to change is the headphones (until you find your perfect sound and nestle) when you have 100% trust in your system and don't have to "worry" about it. 

I forgot my computer at work. I'll chime in on the Nova later. I think I'm there with closed headphones. I also think I may be there with the UDA. I thought I was there with the Dacmagic and Dynalo, but the UDA is much better. Nice thing about the meet last spring - I know how good the UDA really is. It is very good!

 

[plonter]

 aameford..i see you have the D7000.   I found the headroom sound to be excellent with the denons.  what the denons need is a powerful and clean SS sound,and the headroom got it bigtime.

 

[Paganini Alfredo]

I'm still waiting patiently for more people with HR gear to try the LCD-2s... I mean they sound great but I'm wondering as to where they stand compared to the other amps people say are awesome with them.