[madwolf]

A small wallet warning, Rolling Op-Amp could me more expensive than the AMP it self.

Definitely for my case. I think I have spend more then double on OP-AMP and other upgrades than the AMP itself. And I get part and solder myself.

But it is very addictive, Once you start you just need to have the next one to test.
Capacitors are expensive as well, I am working rolling Capacitors next.

 

[theory_87]

Anyone found way to lower the floor noise? I tried adding the UE attenuator and it help... but the bass came across distorted and lack of vol. I prefer internal mod. As of now, all i can think of is caps rolling. But from my memory, there is not much different from the stock to my current panasonic am caps.

 

[pekingduck]

Hi guys,

I bought a pair of HD600 recently. As much as I enjoy my setup (Macbook > Airport Express > D10 > Minibox-E+ > HD600), I really think the HD600 can do better especially in the bass department.

Now I am thinking about buying a better amp to do the HD600 justice

I am considering i) Lehmann BCL or ii) Graham Slee SOLO.

My question is: how good is the DAC in the D10? Would it be the weakest link in the system?

Also I am curious about the D10 compared to other more expensive DACs such as the Benchmark DAC1 or the Lavry DA10/11. Is the difference night and day?

I heard the amps in DAC1/DA10/DA11 have good synergy with the HD600 so in case the D10 is not good enough I could just grab one of these and be done with it.

I listen to classical music (mainly orchestral work) and some classic rock, if that matters.

Cheers

 

[twylight]

well my MHDT Havana spanks the D10 dac - but the D10 spanks most other things like soundcards

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pekingduck /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi guys, I bought a pair of HD600 recently. As much as I enjoy my setup (Macbook > Airport Express > D10 > Minibox-E+ > HD600), I really think the HD600 can do better especially in the bass department. Now I am thinking about buying a better amp to do the HD600 justice I am considering i) Lehmann BCL or ii) Graham Slee SOLO. My question is: how good is the DAC in the D10? Would it be the weakest link in the system? Also I am curious about the D10 compared to other more expensive DACs such as the Benchmark DAC1 or the Lavry DA10/11. Is the difference night and day? I heard the amps in DAC1/DA10/DA11 have good synergy with the HD600 so in case the D10 is not good enough I could just grab one of these and be done with it. I listen to classical music (mainly orchestral work) and some classic rock, if that matters. Cheers

The Solo was very good with my HD600, and not as good with my HD800, D2000 and RS-1 or HF-2 as it tended to be a little bright with the others. I wrote about it in mrarroyo's Solo thread. The Solo will beat the D10 or Apogee mini-DAC headphone out with HD600, but I don't know about the Lavry which IS good with ATH-A900 and Denon (didn't try HD600 with it when a friend brought one over).

I think the D10 optical DAC is about as good as the Headroom Micro DAC and just a little behind the Apogee mini-DAC and PS Audio Digital Link III - the others are better but I'm not sure I could say they "kill" it. D10 Optical is also very close to the Pico DAC-only via USB which is great. It takes an extended listening session to hear the Pico pass up the D10 optical, and sometimes I still prefer to connect the D10's headphone out to a bigger amp and not the line out which has a lower slightly less dynamic output level. So, I don't think optical will hold you back too much, but the USB DAC of the D10 is below the USB DAC of the Pico, Apogee and PS Audio; and if you use USB only then you may eventually want an upgrade. Still, the D10 USB section is a little better than the Micro DAC USB or 3MOVE, Predator and XM5 DAC, etc.

 

[jamato8]

I have been using some 96khz flac files on the iRiver and D10 with some great sound. Very full and analog like. I am listening to some Mozart right now and the violins are sweet but with the right amount of bite and dynamics.

 

[f00fighters]

This is going to sound psychotic... but I've just been listening to my Grado SR325is's completely unamped plugged into my mini-stereo port on my Mac Pro tower, and I actually prefer that sound to the D10. It just sounds more realistic and life like and over all natural. I think the D10 balances too much which makes things a bit more neutral. My ears are playing mind games with me.

And my 325is's have never been plugged directly into my iPhone 3GS, unamped before, until now. I like that too. I can't say the same for my other headphones, though.

 

[pekingduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by twylight /img/forum/go_quote.gif well my MHDT Havana spanks the D10 dac - but the D10 spanks most other things like soundcards

For almost three times the price it better be

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Solo was very good with my HD600, and not as good with my HD800, D2000 and RS-1 or HF-2 as it tended to be a little bright with the others. I wrote about it in mrarroyo's Solo thread. The Solo will beat the D10 or Apogee mini-DAC headphone out with HD600, but I don't know about the Lavry which IS good with ATH-A900 and Denon (didn't try HD600 with it when a friend brought one over). I think the D10 optical DAC is about as good as the Headroom Micro DAC and just a little behind the Apogee mini-DAC and PS Audio Digital Link III - the others are better but I'm not sure I could say they "kill" it. D10 Optical is also very close to the Pico DAC-only via USB which is great. It takes an extended listening session to hear the Pico pass up the D10 optical, and sometimes I still prefer to connect the D10's headphone out to a bigger amp and not the line out which has a lower slightly less dynamic output level. So, I don't think optical will hold you back too much, but the USB DAC of the D10 is below the USB DAC of the Pico, Apogee and PS Audio; and if you use USB only then you may eventually want an upgrade. Still, the D10 USB section is a little better than the Micro DAC USB or 3MOVE, Predator and XM5 DAC, etc.

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I'll definitely be using the optical input of the D10 instead of USB (source = airport express). I hope I'll have a chance to audition some better DACs soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have been using some 96khz flac files on the iRiver and D10 with some great sound. Very full and analog like. I am listening to some Mozart right now and the violins are sweet but with the right amount of bite and dynamics.

Yep.. it's amazing the D10 can produce such wonderful sound for its size

 

[oxophone]

Help required from iriver h140/120 users and owners of D10.

When I connect the digital line out (mini) of the Iriver h140 (rockboxed, playing flac) or h120 (original factory setting, playing mp3 ) to Ibasso D10's toslink via sys concept cable , I do not get any signal !!

However, it works perfectly when I connect Ibasso D10's toslink with my macbook's line out (mini digital) via the same cable. so, there's no problem with the cable or Ibasso.

How does one get sound out of H140's line out ? what am I doing wrong?

Please help. thanks.

 

[oxophone]

double post, sorry.

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxophone /img/forum/go_quote.gif Help required from iriver h140/120 users and owners of D10. When I connect the digital line out (mini) of the Iriver h140 (rockboxed, playing flac) or h120 (original factory setting, playing mp3 ) to Ibasso D10's toslink via sys concept cable , I do not get any signal !! However, it works perfectly when I connect Ibasso D10's toslink with my macbook's line out (mini digital) via the same cable. so, there's no problem with the cable or Ibasso. How does one get sound out of H140's line out ? what am I doing wrong? Please help. thanks.

Do you have the optical "out" turn on, on the iRiver? You have to go into the menu and turn on the optical. You can verify if the optical is on with the iRiver by having it playing and look at an angle, not directly, at the opitical out of the iRiver. It should be the red transmission signal (light).

The Line out is either by mini or if the optical is turned on, with the mini toslink cable.

 

[oxophone]

Thanks a lot, John.

Did find the optical out "ON/OFF" option on both Rockbox and Iriver, and the red light glowed - a nice indicator. And now works like a charm.

now, H140 and D10 tell me that some of the vinyl transfers and conversion to flac have been pretty awful, with lots of clicks and pops - overall a noisy floor.

 

[oxophone]

sorry , double post.

why does head-fi keep doing this?

 

[Viper2005]

Ok so I got a pack of op amps from HiFlight, and I really prefer the OPA2228 + 8656 buffers for my Shure 840's... very crisp highs, almost grado-like in clarity and forwardness. I think this combination makes up for the 840's rolloff of the high frequences. Bass is quicker too I notice, and has more 'punch' with Michael Jackson tracks for example, than with my previous opamp combination.
I will try this new combination out for a few days before I pass judgement on it

I also tried the topkit with the 840, and the results are not satisfactory so far.. I can hear audible hiss with this combination, and getting some light distortions on the high end for some reason.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper2005 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok so I got a pack of op amps from HiFlight, and I really prefer the OPA2228 + 8656 buffers for my Shure 840's... very crisp highs, almost grado-like in clarity. I think this combination makes up for the 840's rolloff of the high frequences. Bass is quicker too I notice, and has more 'punch' with Michael Jackson tracks for example. I will try this combination out for a few days before I pass judgement on it

That's also a halfway decent opamp combo for the Senn IE8, but a little brighter with my other phones where I don't like it as much.