I'll try to do a full comparison in the next day or so but basically the addition of the Sound Tiger adds more authority to the presentation coupled with a wider staging, indeed. Everything has more weight and an exceptional sense of resolution and clarity. I would say it's more beneficial on full size headphones but already on IE900, the same benefits apply.
Thx, pls also consider how Hugo 2 is scaling.
Will try tomorrow. I've owned Hugo 2 at least 3 times and paired it with numerous amps over the years and it scales up super well. I bought it again this year (new
) and will definitely hold out for Suzi and hopefully my quest will be over https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/suzi
You can also consider something like the AK PA10. Its a fabulous class A amp which adds a lot of authority mainly in the mid bass area. Ive used it paired with the SP1000 and Softears Twilight, ie900 and ie600.
Thanks for penning down the comparison. Much appreciated. That cable though is gorgeous.As requested by @FooFighter, I had a little time this morning to compare DC-Elite with Sound Tiger Potenza vs Hugo 2. You can see the set-up below. I'm using a Lotoo Paw 5000MK2 as a coax source for Hugo 2. I also have Sound Tiger's Loud running from Hugo 2 using a Brise Audio RCA - 4.4mm IC. I tested with both IE900 and HD800s. To go direct into Hugo 2 on balanced, I'm using a DJ44C Pro plug, which to my ears sounds as good as the PWAudio adapters.
Here's what I hear:
DC-Elite with Potenza: Very dynamic sounding, with excellent grip on the drivers. The overall presentation is authoritative, impactful, and highly engaging. For rock/metal/EDM/golden era hip-hop, it's spot on. The soundstage is massive. I do not feel like I'm listening to a portable set-up, much less a dongle and a portable amp. To compare with just DC-Elite alone, I adjust the volume by about 3 steps. Without the Potenza, the presentation becomes narrower, less dynamic, and less resolving. This is especially audible on HD800s, though also at play with IE900. It definitely doesn't sound deficient in any sense, but for full size headphones, I would pair with the Sound Tiger amp when possible (though it has to be said, the DC-Elite does a superb job driving the HD800s on its own).
Hugo 2: Compared to DC-Elite/Potenza, the Hugo 2 alone is cleaner with more refinement and a greater sense of "air." Clearly there are some differences in overall tuning; the Hugo 2 is more linear in its tuning, whereas I hear the DC-Elite/Potenza to be more coloured in the sub/mid-bass. Dynamics and impact are not as visceral as with DC-Elite/Potenza combo.
Between the two, I don't feel as though I'm stepping down a level when switching to DC-Elite w/Potenza. Rather, it's a different style of presentation with the latter being more impactful if not more engaging. Synergy would determine the preference here. Certainly on HD800s, the added weight of the DC-Elite w/Potenza works to an advantage in terms of generating more body to the presentation (this is my test track here, though in WAV format rather than YouTube).
Bonus: Hugo 2 with Potenza/Loud: I've always felt the Hugo 2 benefits from more amping, and that's certainly the case with Portenza (and also with the mini Loud amp). You get everything that's great about Hugo 2 - the clean, refined, precision but with better dynamics, more body, and a wider staging without any notable loss of transparency (I think this only works here because the Sound Tiger's have no volume control of their own). In effect, it's Hugo 2 maxed out.
Hope that was helpful!
Absoutely, it's Grandis from Arctic Cables. Info here - https://www.arcticcables.com/ac-store/Grandis-p544374433 Can't recommend it enough (also using Opus for IE900, which is equally incredible).
I'm using this Anker powerbank, which has a nice fit with Hiby R3 II. CB19 also received. Need to work out if Hiby R3II/CB19 differs from phone and laptop as transport....I will say the Hiby R3II has a super responsive UI for such a tiny DAP.
oo very affordable too... think this may be the answer.I'm using this Anker powerbank, which has a nice fit with Hiby R3 II. CB19 also received. Need to work out if Hiby R3II/CB19 differs from phone and laptop as transport....I will say the Hiby R3II has a super responsive UI for such a tiny DAP.
I've been experimenting with different transports for Elite since I received it. For anyone interested:
- Both Samsung S10 and my Zenbook 14X (Space Edition) seem to operate on the same high level.
- I tried both of these with a powerbank. No difference with the Zenbook; on the Samsung S10, there is perhaps a bit more clarity/transparency.
- I also tried with Sony A306: sounded very good, but awful, barely usable UI. I had it before as transport for Mojo 2 and don't remember it being this awful.
- With the Hiby R3II, on its own, it's a step behind the S10 and laptop. Less resolving, less dynamic.
- I added two powerbanks to R3II, one from Anker and a new one from Zendure. The Zendure has an excellent form factor with the Hiby and the overall package is probably as neat and compact as it gets, though of course it's not as neat and simple as a phone with the Elite. However, even with the powerbanks, I can't help but feel that the synergy between the R3II and the Elite isn't as good as with the S10. It's lacking something. Not sure if this is the OS or Hiby's USB implementation...
- The CB19 cable works fine, but the casing of mine just came off the day I received it (with Hi-Fi Passion ignoring my request for a replacement).
- So for now, S10 remains the best portable pairing. It's one of the last of the compact phones with an SD slot and good specs generally. Battery life is fine at 7 hours or so without a power bank. I have looked into other compact DAPs - M300, R4, RS2 - but they're all iffy in one way or another. The next step will be to compare Sony Xperia 10 VI with S10. The Sony has much better battery life while also retaining an SD slot (though is a fraction larger). Any other suggestions for compact transport would be interesting to hear.
