[rei_yano]

so I have the ms2is coming my way and I now need to buy the amp/dac to help get the best I can out of those alessandros. I am using my laptop with the ms2is mainly. this is my home rig im building here. (my portable rig isnt that great yet but lets wait till I get some more money or somebody offers me a credit card lol) anyways I like a lot of different kinds of music so I cant be pinned down on anything really. rock, jazz, classical, noise, indie pop, etc, etc. I convert all my cds into flac or apple lossless. now from there I am thinking of buying the e-mu 0404 usb http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp?product=15185 http://www.creative.com/products/pro...&product=15167 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ace?sku=242516

should I purchase this or should I take a step back and rethink all this and look at all my options? I want to make sure this is the best idea before I click checkout.

 

[Assorted]

This is an excellent choice- above par headphone output and supposedly great DAC.

Beware, I'm sure you know but its a brick, so it's not optimal in portability if that's your purpose.

 

[rei_yano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is an excellent choice- above par headphone output and supposedly great DAC. Beware, I'm sure you know but its a brick, so it's not optimal in portability if that's your purpose.

not my portable rig. I dont really have a portable rig yet. have a ipod classic 6g 160gig and paired that with the v moda vibes. not the best setup but I am gonna save up for that a bit later.

 

[rei_yano]

I want to hit that checkout button so bad lol. I just need some reassurance before I really make this choice...

 

[vcoheda]

wait for more responses. an informed decision is always the best one.

 

[rei_yano]

bump

 

[SR-71Panorama]

Well Im rockin mine right now. It is a fine sounding dac. Nothing stands out as a flaw. There are better DACs, I have no doubt, but I think at this point, they are just adding refinement. I don't think there are any significant flaws you will have to live with. If there are, I haven't found them. Though I haven't used the software at all. (it comes with about a million programs, mostly for musicians).

I recently sold my SR71 amp, as I am planning a new rig, and am using the headphone out to power my HD650s, which are high impedance phones. It isn't as good as the SR71 but it works pretty well. If it handles Sennheiser with no complaints, than it should handle Grados or Allesandros with aplomb.

The main thing that would be holding it back is its power supply and/or wiring. I have not looked inside the unit, but it is crammed full of I/O, which leaves little room for any type of massive transformers that are used in audiophile gear. I think the only way to make this DAC better is to replace the wiring and power. But I have yet to hear of that happening.

** or you could wait till November and get the Headamp Pico. It is supposed to be as good, while being significantly smaller. But the amp section runs on battery power, AFAIK. I think it goes for ~500 bucks.

 

[rei_yano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SR-71Panorama /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well Im rockin mine right now. It is a fine sounding dac. Nothing stands out as a flaw. There are better DACs, I have no doubt, but I think at this point, they are just adding refinement. I don't think there are any significant flaws you will have to live with. If there are, I haven't found them. Though I haven't used the software at all. (it comes with about a million programs, mostly for musicians). I recently sold my SR71 amp, as I am planning a new rig, and am using the headphone out to power my HD650s, which are high impedance phones. It isn't as good as the SR71 but it works pretty well. If it handles Sennheiser with no complaints, than it should handle Grados or Allesandros with aplomb. The main thing that would be holding it back is its power supply and/or wiring. I have not looked inside the unit, but it is crammed full of I/O, which leaves little room for any type of massive transformers that are used in audiophile gear. I think the only way to make this DAC better is to replace the wiring and power. But I have yet to hear of that happening. ** or you could wait till November and get the Headamp Pico. It is supposed to be as good, while being significantly smaller. But the amp section runs on battery power, AFAIK. I think it goes for ~500 bucks.

damn 500 bucks.... well i think im going to hit that checkout button... i just cant wait any longer. i want my first audiophile rig! lol but seriously im just getting started really... maybe in a few years of saving money i can get me something really impressive...

 

[bebanovich]

You probably hit the checkout button but reassurance after-the-fact never hurts. For $200 (or $150 if that deal is still floating around) it's hard to imagine a better deal. You can finder cleaner DACs but $500 would be a bargain to beat the 0404 IMO. Enjoy!

 

[rei_yano]

alright! I bought it! I found it in the scratch and dent area for 50 bucks off and also found a pair of audio technica headphones for 50 bucks lol figured might as well buy them and if I dont like them I know somebody that would appreciate em. thanx for the help guys cant wait to hook up my ms2is to the emu 0404!!! Im soooo excited!!!

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rei_yano /img/forum/go_quote.gif alright! I bought it! I found it in the scratch and dent area for 50 bucks off and also found a pair of audio technica headphones for 50 bucks lol figured might as well buy them and if I dont like them I know somebody that would appreciate em. thanx for the help guys cant wait to hook up my ms2is to the emu 0404!!! Im soooo excited!!!

I'm grinning for you

. Fun experiencing the exitement. Enjoy!