How do you plan on connecting the DAC - connect to what?
LAiV Harmony R2R DAC Impression and Reviews
- Thread starter tassardar
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]eep
Headphoneus Supremus
XLR is highly overrated. It is useful for professional use with long cable runs. Like in PA systems where cables can run for 100ft. Susceptible for noise pickup on unbalanced cables. Balanced amplification had 6dB more of electrical gain, but you need double the components. In the old days that meant you needed double the expensive tubes, with double the heat etc. Close to using 2 amplifiers instead of one. For domestic use it's much more sensible to use better quality tubes with a little less power.
So, for the same money, for a living room where cables are very short and powerdraw is limited, you get a lot more quality with single ended circuits. Really, if anyone thinks that professional gear is better for home use, you're an idiot. It's the same with DJ turntables and HiFi turntables. Your home is not a stadium nor a discotheque. The demands are very different.
But if you have the choice (meaning you already bought a dac that has spent money on both) , yes, XLR is slightly better with a little more gain. But if you understand the physics you'll understand you need 10 amplifier power to perceive the sound as double as loud per definition of decibel.
So in short; it makes very little difference.
On usb vs i2s, also very little difference. The usb implementation is very good. In theory i2s could be worse with a lesser reading of the file to produce a stream.
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I think Laiv will beat Yggy.
catastrofe
100+ Head-Fier
I find the USB implementation to be excellent. I tried the SMSL PO 100 Pro DDC and the USB sounded better.
I keep it simple, has always worked for me. Schiit USB has always worked fine and I’ve it actually sounded better than the other inputs using a Singxer SU-6 DDC.
Would prefer to keep it that way. Just macbook USB to the DAC and RCA cables to my Aegis. I prefer less things in the chain.
I appreciate all the input everyone, now to choose black or silver...
Did I not answer your question to your satisfaction? I clearly just wrote out my chain lol
Not sure what your issue is, no "head games" are being played. You are just omitting the sentence answering your question from my postYour head games are noted. Anyway...
Peace
Macbook USB --> DAC --> ZMF Aegis Amp
I'd prefer not to repurchase/use a DDC, but would if the I2s is a notable improvement from the USB input. I don't know why that was so hard for you to understand. Whatever
hotblackdesito
New Head-Fier
Using a Holo Red to Laiv, I cannot reliably tell USB and I2S (in either clock configuration) apart.
USB implementation is 100% dependent on the front end you use to feed a DAC. If it's a macbook pro, I2S would definitely demolish it. If it's something like the Innuos Pulsar USB out, yeah it will beat the I2S input. In any case, your DAC will ALWAYS be bottlenecked by your front end source and front end cables and NOT because it's USB vs I2S
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Just recieved my Harmony DAC after some holiday shipping delays. Loving the initial sound impressions, looks and heft of the unit.
However, I'm just wondering how sharp the display should be, mine has a a couple spots that are a bit darker white in color and seem to be in a constant state of glitching out and appear to have a small gap between sections. For example, when its reading 705.6 kHz, it appears the 0 is split into left and right sections by a flickering black line. Also the tops section of the 7, 0 and 5 appear darker while sitting static (3rd image shows pretty well how this appears in real life)
This is pretty hard to photograph due to the camera refresh rate causing the screen to scroll on images, but it's obvious when just looking at the screen in-person. Multiple people in my household have pointed it out when looking at the screen.
Just checking if anyone else's unit is like this, or if I should arrange for a replacement.
Whats a new expensive audio product without a bit of nervosa anyway?
However, I'm just wondering how sharp the display should be, mine has a a couple spots that are a bit darker white in color and seem to be in a constant state of glitching out and appear to have a small gap between sections. For example, when its reading 705.6 kHz, it appears the 0 is split into left and right sections by a flickering black line. Also the tops section of the 7, 0 and 5 appear darker while sitting static (3rd image shows pretty well how this appears in real life)
This is pretty hard to photograph due to the camera refresh rate causing the screen to scroll on images, but it's obvious when just looking at the screen in-person. Multiple people in my household have pointed it out when looking at the screen.
Just checking if anyone else's unit is like this, or if I should arrange for a replacement.
Whats a new expensive audio product without a bit of nervosa anyway?
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My first two DACs were for my headphone rig used in my bedroom exclusively, the Modius then the Bifrost.
The third DAC, the Pontus II, was being move back and forth from the bedroom to the mezzanine on my stereo setup.
The Venus and Terminator were on my mind as the next upgrade but didn't have the budget for it.
The Laiv Harmony DAC came along with great reviews all over the web.
The sound improved over time and I real happy with the choice I made.
Heavy rock and metal sound fuller now and was missing from the Pontus on the stereo setup.
The third DAC, the Pontus II, was being move back and forth from the bedroom to the mezzanine on my stereo setup.
The Venus and Terminator were on my mind as the next upgrade but didn't have the budget for it.
The Laiv Harmony DAC came along with great reviews all over the web.
The sound improved over time and I real happy with the choice I made.
Heavy rock and metal sound fuller now and was missing from the Pontus on the stereo setup.
]eep
Headphoneus Supremus
It'll settle in time. The idea is that the display background is totally black. And in big font so you can read it from across the room. The only advice is not to let it stay on permanently because then you'll get burn in. That's just the nature of an oled screen.Just recieved my Harmony DAC after some holiday shipping delays. Loving the initial sound impressions, looks and heft of the unit.
However, I'm just wondering how sharp the display should be, mine has a a couple spots that are a bit darker white in color and seem to be in a constant state of glitching out and appear to have a small gap between sections. For example, when its reading 705.6 kHz, it appears the 0 is split into left and right sections by a flickering black line. Also the tops section of the 7, 0 and 5 appear darker while sitting static (3rd image shows pretty well how this appears in real life)
This is pretty hard to photograph due to the camera refresh rate causing the screen to scroll on images, but it's obvious when just looking at the screen in-person. Multiple people in my household have pointed it out when looking at the screen.
Just checking if anyone else's unit is like this, or if I should arrange for a replacement.
Whats a new expensive audio product without a bit of nervosa anyway?
Once I had a freak eye infection and for a while I was blind in my right eye. My dad lost his left eye due to an eye infection when he was 4. That made me a bit nervous. (now I haven't worn my glasses for months because that eye is now close to 20 for distance viewing, that took years). You could call that a bit of Dutch comfort but I'm just saying, it won't break down and there are more serious things to get worked up about.
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Hmm, I get where you're coming from, but I think a $2700 product should have a screen that doesn't constantly glitch and stutter, I'm familiar with how OLEDs work and have a couple around the house (TVs, phones, tablets), but this to me just seems like a bad panel, may be one off with my unit but just asking around.
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