[loserica]

  That's just pornographic.

 
Yes, I know!

I have to put a curtain?

 

[mako44]

 
If you want to try another cap I suggest Intertechnik Audyn Cap True Copper.

 
Woo thanks for your advice these caps are killers ! I put them in two hours ago I found back mateer/body in the music I was missing as well as space feeling. Piano and voices are really great. If they improve (still more air and trebles) with burning in they have a huge potential. Just a bit dull for the moment but may be it will change with the time.  I'll give more detailed impressions later.

 

[loserica]

   
Woo thanks for your advice these caps are killers ! I put them in two hours ago I found back mateer/body in the music I was missing as well as space feeling. Piano and voices are really great. If they improve (still more air and trebles) with burning in they have a huge potential. Just a bit dull for the moment but may be it will change with the time.  I'll give more detailed impressions later.

If you put quality film capacitors, you will have a very positive effect for this DAC. Enjoy the sound!

 

[mako44]

After several listenings here what I can say about Audyn True copper : what struck me above all is they are rich, with strong bass and a capacity to immerse yourself into the music.
 
More in details I'd say mids are dense full of mateer and body, extremes are extended but well controlled (soft highs and firm bass - much more than mundorf sgio regarding bass), lot of air and good separation of instruments, spatious, with a nice space and atmosphere feeling on live recordings. Precision and dynamics are good too. Not the more neutral caps though, they make me think to Jupiter HT but in better.
 
The sum of all these qualities give you the sensation to be shrouded into the music, they're quite foot tapping.
 
Jupiter VT are sweeter, I'd say a bit more musical (very subjective concept) because easier to listen to but simplify more the message, mundorf sgio are colder, more tiring and from what I remember a bit rougher (I didn't like them a lot on my system).
 
 
I just installed vcap cutf on input and c12, let's start for a long long burning in time !

 

[loserica]

  After several listenings here what I can say about Audyn True copper : what struck me above all is they are rich, with strong bass and a capacity to immerse yourself into the music.
 
I just installed vcap cutf on input and c12, let's start for a long long burning in time !

What about CuTF? what were your first impressions?

 
The same feeling I have it about S-Cap, compared with Auricap: that capacity to immerse yourself into the music. On the first 50-100 hours of burning, I perceive some roughness in the sound, which is normal. Everything should be clear up over time.

 

[mako44]

My impressions about cutf on input & c12 : I listened to them 5 mns only just after the change and I didn't hear much, it was a bit like before but not surprising it was the same on output.
 
I let it burn a while and made a new listening after 24 hours and then I immediately heard back a part of the sound of cutf I loved when I put them on ouput. Sweeter than before, cutf removed the dryness of silver mica caps and added some relief to the music. It's now more analogic/natural and slightly more rich than with silver mica.
 
However the change is less radical than changing a cap on c11, I mean audyn true copper cap on c11 completely transformed the sound of my system, as well as jupiter vintage vt (in a different way), the impact of cutf on input and c12 was less important when I listened after 24 hours. May be because the changes on c11 were with completely different caps (mundorf sgio -> jupiter vt -> audyn true copper). Important though and I love it I wouldn't go back, for the moment I would compare it to shinkoh tantalum résistors upgrade : more refined, more natural but not as dramatic as output for example. And they still have to burn in.
 
 
Regarding audyn true copper I like them too : they brought lot of richness in music without real defaults. Even if opened it's not the clearest or neutral ones (I mean you can go further in opening with clarity mr or even mundorf sgio for example), I didn't try but think cutf should be slightly more fluent & refined, but it's a nice compromise between details and warmth. I may try your Rike cap too later to compare and see if a more neutral cap fits well too but for the moment I want to go on with them a bit.

 

[mako44]

I'm listening to my previous amp for 2 days, primare I30, and now havana is highly upgraded I clearly understand I hear limitations of my current amp. Even if it's better than Primare, more natural, precise, real with great timbers air and so on, it brings dryness sometimes and a kind of dark character sound, something sterile or slightly harsh especially on some recordings. It's a bit like if a component was broken -but it's not the case-, problem seems to be mainly on low mids.
 
I'm sure Mundorf and clarity mr highlighted these limitations that's why it was not pleasant on my system.
 
Compared to it Primare I30 sounds clearly hifi but is more luminous and less harsh/sterile.
 
I saw my amp is made of sonic craft sonicap and rubycon caps on power supply I wonder if I would be abble to remove these defaults just by swapping these caps with better ones (but without losing its qualities).

 

[loserica]

Hello guys,
 
I compared Havana with DAC7 (Audio Research). It is capable of higher resolution that better highlights micro-details, it shows music with better extension, articulation of instruments, superior speed and timing (better imaging also).
I noticed that there is a wealth of information on the low, medium and low-treble frequencies, where Havana is slightly poor in comparison. On the classical music instruments sound more natural with DAC7, I think they are a little closer to how it sound in the reality.
The sound texture, tonality, well.. have been played roughly similar on both converters, I can say I like both. Yet, DAC7 it sounds more coherent, more homogeneous and a slightly more natural compared with Havana, instruments and the human voices seems more believable and played with more authority.
The differences aren't big, but noticeable between the two converters.
(PS: whether Havana hadn't been upgraded in extreme way, it wouldn't have no chance,.. this is clear as daylight

)
 
.even though I said before that Audio Research DAC7 has a more natural tonality and that plays information in a more comprehensive manner compared with Havana (in my system), I still love Havana. I could be happy with any of these, since both converters are capable of refinement and musicality.

At upper-high frequencies I liked maybe more Havana, even if treble were not as detailed compared with DAC7 (I hope I'm not wrong..) , it were all present, reliable and showed clear and with delicacy.

 

[loserica]

 
I put Havana on sale here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/690772/mhdt-lab-havana-changed-in-a-very-extreme-way

 

[jkorten]

Wouldn't you think a $3500 DAC should sound better than a $1000 DAC (previous generation too)?
 
You should compare to their current top of the line (Pagoda) and let's be real, compare to competition up to 2X the price, but 3X?
 
I think compared to other $1300 DACs the Pagoda is a bargain.

 

[rosgr63]

X2
One has to compare DACs/gear in the same price range.

 

[kimchee411]

Nothing wrong with comparing gear in different price ranges. I often appreciate such comparisons now as it puts impressions of the cheaper piece into perspective. All too often reviews shower the item with praise, but it is implicitly within the context of its price range. That said I think especially with the highly modded Havana the comparison is valid. I prefer my Havanas to the $4k PWD MkII and even the $5k Berkeley Alpha I and II that I owned. Now I'm curious about the Arc DAC7! Other DACs I've had certainly can do some "audiophile" things better -- finest details, spaciousness, speed, big dynamics -- but texture, timbre, well-articulated harmonics, and toe tapping musicality is where it counts in my book and this little guy does it for me.

 

[che15]

Does any one know of someone who would install caps and replace wires in my balanced Havana , for a fee of course? As well as a new better DAC chip

 

[jkorten]

I would say put your money on the Pagoda first. The amount you'd spend on the Havana will still leave you with a 16 bit playback system in the end.

 

[loserica]

  Wouldn't you think a $3500 DAC should sound better than a $1000 DAC (previous generation too)?
You should compare to their current top of the line (Pagoda) and let's be real, compare to competition up to 2X the price, but 3X?
I think compared to other $1300 DACs the Pagoda is a bargain.

Havana was upgraded with very good components (V-Cap CuTF, Black Gate, Rike S-Cap, WBT conectors,  etc..). Compared with the stock version it was hilarious

I wanted to evaluate how it sounds a highly modified dac and I tell you frankly, Havana not embarrassed in front of Dac7. On my setup I prefer DAC7 instead Havana, but I decided pretty hard becouse Havana has a relaxed tone, a slightly dark presentation. It has something special in its tonality, indeed.