[Computerstud]

^^^^x2

 

[rumatt]

I just ordered the MOVE yesterday. My plan is to use the USB input with my laptop when I'm on the "move" (on a plane, in the office, etc).

When I'm home, I plan to use my existing DAC (Paradisea) together with the MOVE's amp. If I decide that I listen in this environment enough, I may buy a dedicated desktop amp, but I figure this should be the last thing I upgrade and I'll wait until I find the right deal (and figure out if I'm looking for a particular sound, etc).

I'm hoping this plan makes at least some sense, because I don't want to have to re-think it.

.

 

[sweetwilly]

My laptop produces some annoying grinding/static-y noises when headphones are plugged straight into the jack. I really can't wait to see how it is on my MOVE.

 

[MrSlacker]

I have not heard the Move, but I did listen to HeadAmp's DAC quite a bit at that meet. I absolutely loved it. If I didn't see it, I would think it was a $1000++ CDP and Amp. I listened to many setups at that meet that were in thousands of dollars, but something just pulled me back to that little gem. I would seriously consider waiting for it even if it might be a long wait.

 

[oicdn]

I reviewed the USB/DAC in it...read this thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...48#post3125848

 

[SONGsanmanwah]

My plan for portable rig is quite firm and I will have no use for its DAC but the Move's still very tempting. I guess I will have to give it a listen.

Now if there's a non DAC model available at lower cost....

 

[jamato8]

What would be nice if someday a manufacture comes up with the simple to employ optical in dac. I have one but I had to do it myself. For some reason there is resistance to this but I have no idea why unless it is felt there is too small a market, which may be the case.

 

[facelvega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza /img/forum/go_quote.gif facelvega: It depends on what you're expecting from the DAC, but as far as a PC based solution they are quite adequate. For instance the AlienDAC is just about a notch below the EMU 0404 in sound quality from what I've heard and what others have reported even though the EMU 0404 has a 'superior' DAC (AK4396). The reason for this is because implementation of the DAC goes very far in determining the final SQ. This is something the Alien DAC (PCM2702) and Jan Meier with the Aria (PCM2704, same as the Move) have achieved. Relative to the quality of the Amp in the Move, distortion of 0.002 and 100dB dynamic range are not going to make a big difference. Not to mention 24bit and 200khz sampling rates won't be a big deal for typical 16bit/44.1khz CD audio.

Of course implementation is absolutely critical, as of course what matters isn't the digital but the analog signal we create out of it, but nevertheless implementation can never go beyond the limitations of the chip, and what I see in the difference between the chip in the move and that in the bloat or opera is something that I can still (but only just) hear even with perfect implementation in both cases. If the implementation shaves a little off the numbers the PCM2702, the difference will just get more pronounced, and become a painful limitation on an otherwise fine amp. Especially in the aria this seems totally crazy to me, a bizarre false economy. Why assume people will never listen to anything with a higher sampling rate than redbook? I'm tempted to buy a move just so I can a/b the real-world differences between it and the bloat. (once I get my bloat fixed, that is)

I have no doubts about Jan Meier's amp sections, they are almost unanimously beloved, and it seems very clear it is where he focuses his energies. My question is why then skimp on the dac section? Would it be so much harder or more expensive to feed the 2702 signal into a separate dac chip that could handle unusually high resolutions and give snr and range statistics well beyond the audible range? Does it use up too much more power? Why not do it? My requirement is that I don't want any dacs that don't sound as good as a $20 midfi CDP from the 90s, and I'm skeptical that a pcm2702 is a good basis to satisfy that demand.

 

[cmirza]

I should note that I have not heard the Corda Move yet. But I have heard an Alien DAC which is similar to the DAC on the Move, and gives me an idea of what the DAC is capable of.

The USB DAC market is fairly polarized, there are plenty of lowend devices with integrated chips like the PCM2702/4 and then plenty of highend USB devices like the MicroDAC or the DAC unit of the Opera with seperate USB->SPDIF and DAC chips, but not much in between. The PCM2702/4 is cheap and easy to implement compared to discrete USB->SPDIF and DAC units. Just look at any USB DAC with anything better than a PCM2702/4, even something cheap like the Chinese Pro.DAC which has a CS4398 DAC costs ~$90. Let alone a nice unit like a Headroom MicroDAC which is $300. If Jan Meier went with discrete USB and DAC chips, I highly doubt he could price it for under $300 let alone $230.

Besides, the PCM2702/4 is a fine chip, capable of near EMU 0404 sound quality. Perhaps on a desktop amp like the Aria, you would be able to notice the difference between its integrated USB DAC and a discrete USB DAC, but on a portable amp like the Move, getting near EMU 0404 SQ is nearing the ceiling that the amp would be capable of discerning. Besides, its alot better than most DAPs, which the Move will likely to be used with much of the time.

As far as assuming people will not listen to anything greater than redbook on the Corda Move, since ripping anything greater than redbook (SACD, DVD-Audio) is either difficult or impossible, I don't know where people would be acquiring anything other than 16bit/44.1khz audio (or 16bit/48.8khz if they're watching a DVD) to listen through a USB audio device. This might change someday, but no time soon.

I wouldn't mind having a nice DAC like the CS4398 integrated into the Move. But when you consider all the constraints (sound quality, implementation, size, power consumption and of course price), the PCM2702 is a reasonable compromise. If you're that concerned with sound quality, I'd avoid USB devices altogether until a USB audio chip that supports asynchronous transfer is available (eliminating the jitter issue that USB currently has). All things considered, I don't question Jan Meier's choice in this decision.

 

[facelvega]

Well, my Bloat cost much less than a move, and does manage to implement the better dac chip, not to mention a 2-stage amp section (I have the OPA2107) which is what got me thinking in this direction. It doesn't have a separate power supply or fancy casework, which presumably accounts for the lower price. I'm extremely interested to find out how it sounds against a Move, and might well swallow the cost to be able to A/B them, though it would probably be a more even match if I had the bloat with the AD8620.

I could say already that I do like the bloat quite a bit, though I hesitate to recommend hippohifi because I've been asked to pay return shipping to fix a unit that arrived damaged, something that Jan Meier or, say, Norm from Go-Vibe would not charge. But the sound is very clear, clear enough for me to identify bitrate differences that I couldn't hear on any of my previous equipment. I don't know how much of this is the dac and how much the implementation, though.

 

[cmirza]

The HIPPOhifi Bloat looks like a very interesting device, but with a different purpose than the Move, since you would only be able to use it with a PC. When you throw out the need for portability and analogue input, resources can be freed up for a nice PCM2707 -> PCM1798 DAC setup. Not to mention the extra 'polish' and customer service Jan Meier provides for his products comes at a premium.

Also, I forgot to mention in my last post that some people may be interested in a high resolution DAC for upsampling purposes, but since upsampling tends to so contentious, it would be useful for some and dubious for others.

As this category begins to grow (USB DAC + Amp), hopefully we'll see some more comparisons. If you do end up purchasing a Move, I'd be very interested in how they compare toe-to-toe, with the Bloat having a much nicer DAC. It looks like its just beginning...

 

[NiceCans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza /img/forum/go_quote.gif At $235, the Move is an incredible value providing a Hornet/PRII level amp (according to Skylab's review) with a very decent USB DAC. All things considered, the Move is pretty hard to beat. I'm looking to replace my Headfive/NC 203.2 setup with it...

OK, I must ask . . . . . is this because you prefer to have a portable/dual-use setup, or do you expect the Move to trump the H-5/NC combo in SQ?

(sorry, but as much as I have an interest in the Move I am not going to read the entire 30 pages o the "Move" thread)

 

[cmirza]

I'm getting a Corda Move because I recently bought a laptop and don't like being tethered to my desk anymore. As much as I love the sound of my Headfive/NC 203.2 setup, I found I don't use it as much as my KSC35 or E4C straight out of my iPod.

There's no way the Move will outshine the Headfive or the NC 203.2, but it should come close enough that I won't miss it much. With the Move being compared to the Hornet and PRII and the DAC of the Move should sound almost as good as an EMU 0404, or at least as good as an AV710.

The convenience of the Move is what I'm really looking forward to. I can plug it into my laptop and listen through iTunes/Multi-Plugin/foobar2000 or go iPod/ALO Dock/Move and take it wherever I go.

Sorry that I'm leaving the Headfive/NC 203.2 club...

 

[rumatt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm getting a Corda Move because I recently bought a laptop and don't like being tethered to my desk anymore.

There's also the new portable Micro Amp/Dac combo. I'm guessing the dac is a significant improvement over the one in the Move. Then again, it had better be given that it's costs $400 more than the Move.

 

[pkjames]

I would say in the near future, manufactures will most likely to roll out more products in DAC/AMP combo config. Standalone portable amps like the HORNET/TOMAHAWK will sit in a great disadvantage position because they lack the DAC option (and considerably more expensive). ppl already selling their HORNET/TOMAHAWKs in the FS forum to get the MOVE!