[Happy Camper]

It would be a chore to have to download every idea they put out for Hilo. I have no demanding needs other than listening to music and they got that down. Maybe an audio package of quality EQ and DSP functions would be cool........crossfade, soundstage width, etc.

 

[aphinity]

Quote:

It would be a chore to have to download every idea they put out for Hilo. I have no demanding needs other than listening to music and they got that down. Maybe an audio package of quality EQ and DSP functions would be cool........crossfade, soundstage width, etc.

Happy Camper, do you drive monitors with your Hilo?  If so, does it sound good to you?  What cables do you use to connect?

 

[Happy Camper]

I'm using Emotiva XLRs from the line out to my hp amps. I did feed some active speakers with the monitor out and sounds just fine. But the best sound is the XLR outs. To use the monitor outs, a couple bucks for a couple TRS to RCA adapters is what I used. You can also get XLR to RCA. The RCAs used were Nordost Red Dawns.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Depending on set up wouldn't it make more sense to run TRS to XLR instead of RCA? Then run XLR to a balanced HP amp.

 

[CDWMcInSpots]

Quote:

Depending on set up wouldn't it make more sense to run TRS to XLR instead of RCA? Then run XLR to a balanced HP amp.

 
I use one set of TRS <-> XLR and one set of XLR <-> XLR to feed XLR inputs on two different headphone amplifiers as described earlier in the thread. Both sets are from Schulz-Kabel.

 

[Happy Camper]

Depending on set up wouldn't it make more sense to run TRS to XLR instead of RCA? Then run XLR to a balanced HP amp.

The balanced line out uses the two DACs. The monitor only uses one. Best sound would be from the line out.

 

[CDWMcInSpots]

Quote:

Quote:

Depending on set up wouldn't it make more sense to run TRS to XLR instead of RCA? Then run XLR to a balanced HP amp.

The balanced line out uses the two DACs. The monitor only uses one. Best sound would be from the line out.

 
On the other side the monitor out (TRS) has analog (and digital) volume control while the line out (XLR) only has digital volume control. If you don't have a decent volume control somewhere else in the chain including the monitor loud speakers, the TRS monitor out may very well be the best option anyway, even if it only uses one good DAC chip instead of two.
 
MorbidToaster is asking you why you go from balanced TRS or XLR to unbalanced RCA instead of to balanced XLR. The question is relevant for both monitor and line out, but you didn't answer it.

 

[Happy Camper]

On the other side the monitor out (TRS) has analog (and digital) volume control while the line out (XLR) only has digital volume control. If you don't have a decent volume control somewhere else in the chain including the monitor loud speakers, the TRS monitor out may very well be the best option anyway, even if it only uses one good DAC chip instead of two.

MorbidToaster is asking you why you go from balanced TRS or XLR to unbalanced RCA instead of to balanced XLR. The question is relevant for both monitor and line out, but you didn't answer it.

ok, thank you.

 

[aphinity]

Quote:

 
On the other side the monitor out (TRS) has analog (and digital) volume control while the line out (XLR) only has digital volume control. If you don't have a decent volume control somewhere else in the chain including the monitor loud speakers, the TRS monitor out may very well be the best option anyway, even if it only uses one good DAC chip instead of two.
 
MorbidToaster is asking you why you go from balanced TRS or XLR to unbalanced RCA instead of to balanced XLR. The question is relevant for both monitor and line out, but you didn't answer it.

 
i have the dynaudio volume box for my monitors so i'd likely go xlr -> xlr to connect the monitors to the DAC. especially since i do 90%+ of my listening on my dynaudios, i'd configure the higher audio fidelity to the monitors... 
 
 

Lynx Hilo vs BMC PureDAC vs Benchmark Media DAC2 HGC look to be the frontrunners right now...

 

[Wfojas]

I've been following this thread with great interest and I had a few questions;
1. Has anyone tried comparing how its DSD performance was compared to its PCM performance?
2. I missed this next one I think, but how is the sound through the headphone amp, versus the line out vs (I guess) the monitor out? It seems like the monitor out is preferred due to the analog volume control?
3. Has anyone tried DSD taken from SACDs, and how they sound on the Hilo? I would guess that there should be no difference, but SQ is probably more mastering dependent more than anything else. Kind of like polishing a turd for stuff that sounded bad initially.
 
Thats all, and thanks for all the insight.

 

[CDWMcInSpots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wfojas /img/forum/go_quote.gif
[...]
2. I missed this next one I think, but how is the sound through the headphone amp, versus the line out vs (I guess) the monitor out? It seems like the monitor out is preferred due to the analog volume control?
[...]

 
The line out (XLR) has two DAC chips, but only digital volume control. It's mainly a fixed level line output meant as the Hilo's main output.
 
The headphone out (1 x TRS) and monitor out (2 x TRS) have one DAC chip each, and both analog and digital volume control. They're both meant as monitor outputs working in parallell with the main line out during recording etc. They're designed for listening purposes.
 
The digital volume controls aren't meant to be used for normal listening, but instead for reducing the signal level when you combine several digital signals into one as described in the manual.
 
The headphone out is (very) good as I've described in one of the two Lynx Hilo threads.

 

[Wfojas]

Quote:

The headphone out is (very) good as I've described in one of the two Lynx Hilo threads.

Thanks for the reply, CDWMchInSpots. I was looking to compare the sound with the Teac UD-501 which I had been burning in the last three weeks for DSD, and was hoping there was some way to go balanced with the Hilo, as I feel the HD-800 comes to its own when driven balanced. I will see if I can arrange to hear the Hilo side by side with the Teac, and write back what I hear. Valenroy had previously noted that the Teac sounds as good as the Mytek 192 DSD dac for DSD Playback, though the amp in the Teac is better, and unfortunately, both only do single ended for the headphone amp.

 

[Happy Camper]

The digital volume control also limits the output of the signal to the point that you can't overdrive a high wattage amp. With no boost (0db) I can max the digital volume and not be too loud. That saves inadvertent mistakes .

I love this thing's versatility. A digital/analog Swiss army knife.

 

[burnspbesq]

Quote:

I've been following this thread with great interest and I had a few questions;
1. Has anyone tried comparing how its DSD performance was compared to its PCM performance?

 
Thats all, and thanks for all the insight.

I have two recordings where I have both a DSD download and a hi-res PCM download (both were originally issued as hybrid SACDs): (1) the San Francisco Symphony recording of Mahler Symphony No. 1 and (2) an album of works by Britten, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich for solo cello or cello and piano, played by Pieter Wispelwey and Dejan Lazic.
 
In each case, I prefer the DSD, but it's hard to tell how much of that preference is attributable to the hardware vs. the software.

 

[burnspbesq]

Quote:

I will see if I can arrange to hear the Hilo side by side with the Teac, and write back what I hear.

Sounds like we need to arrange another Sunday afternoon at my office.

 
PM me and we'll figure out scheduling.