[elira]

yep...unless he's already using the RCA outs on the R2R-1 for something else?

It was easier to connect it to the Jotunheim pre outs.

 

[dBel84]

I've been using it consistently for over a week now. It's definitely colored for an amp and would probably not measure so well on the bench (just a guess).

You may have missed my above link but here are the measurements . It is incredible, probably what a true high end amp should look like, very little noise floor. Flat frequency response and near perfect square waves.
.. dB

 

[smallcaps]

You may have missed my above link but here are the measurements . It is incredible, probably what a true high end amp should look like, very little noise floor. Flat frequency response and near perfect square waves.
.. dB

Thanks for the pointer and apologies for missing it. Sometimes I find myself blasting through threads and have trouble retaining everything!

The measurements are great and thank you for sharing them. Looking forward to seeing how the LS fairs on the ASR bench to compare data. So far from the measurements taken, the LS looks to be a winner. Wonder how the Platinum is going to hold up and excited to hear it.

 

[Goatsandmonkeys]

Sorry if this is a total noob question but does this amp color the sound to the pre amp output or does it purely eork as a volume knob? I’m thinking of wiring a DAC to this and sending the orevout to a power amp for my living room. I’d have both headphones and speakers. Would something like that work?

 

[Astonish]

Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.

After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.

 

[sahmen]

Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.

After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.

Could it also be related to the double amping and its complications? Maybe?

 

[smallcaps]

Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.

After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.

Might be an issue of line out mode vs pre-amp mode...

 

[Astonish]

Might be an issue of line out mode vs pre-amp mode...

I meant a problem with the monoprice amp/dac combos port just to clarify. Since it was the same problem with numerous amps and that was the constant factor.

edit: grabbed an sdac to go with it

 

[Jthompson300]

I have a sneaky feeling you might be hearing your LCDX's for the first time. I like them but they have a peak frequency in the highs




Combine that with an amp that is essentially flat across the frequency response and you begin to hear things as they truly are.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/monoprice-cavalli-liquid-spark-technical-measurements.890981/

These are the measurements for the spark, pretty amazing for a discrete amp at any cost,

This is the double edged sword of accurate gear, crappy recordings are unbearably obvious and any quirk in a piece of gear is highlighted. I like the Lcdx, but prefer it modded.

Have been listening to the spark for a few weeks and it has not ceased to amaze me what it can do.

.. dB

Oddly enough this was my response to Monoprice when they contacted me regarding my post here. The double edge sword is worse because I am using an Astell & Kern Kann to the Spark to my LCD-XC, all very competent gear and very direct but as I told the rep from Monoprice not all plays well with the XC and it is very easy to see what will and won’t be a good pair with it. When using my Mac and Audirvana or Amarra through my Oppo HA-2 the treble is no issue at all.

I hope that no one misunderstood my post and that it was taken for what it was which was my opinion of the Spark and the Audeze LCD-XC. In the end I can still say that I am happy with the Spark and XC for all of the positives and more than anything I am now looking for a different DAP. The issue in my link is not the Spark, in fact someone wanted to buy my IFi Ican micro SE that I am selling on this website to use with their XC and I told them not to buy my IFi and buy the Spark. Honestly until I bite the bullet and get the McIntosh headphone amp($4,000) I am going to stick with the Spark.

 

[muckyfingers]

Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.

After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.

Boom! Called it.

Seriously, glad you figured it out. Sometimes trying to get rid of any sort audio “gremlins” can drive you up the wall.

 

[maakheru]

I returned mine after a few days. Even after burning in for about 50 hours, it still sounded like pillows were preventing the music from coming through. Absolutely no treble at all, it even made my ultrasone 780s sound dark. After reading the positive reviews, I am now convinced mine was defective. But I don't want to have to order again and possibly return again on my dime.

 

[Jthompson300]

So another set of cans that the spark and my Kann might not work with is the Focal Elegia. The treble is still a touch too high. Now it could very well be my AK Kann but when running balanced out to the Elegia and in high gain direct from the Kann I don’t have the treble bothering my ears, in fact I prefer direct from the Kann.

With my XC I could say well the Kann nor the Oppo-HA2 could really drive them direct (even with my Dragon balanced cable from moon audio running direct from the Kann) but with the Focal Elegia I don’t have those reservations.

I see the graphs and the measurements but I still feel like the spark is treble heavy. I can understand that I am using garbage in with Rebecca Pidgeon Spanish Harlem at DSD 5.6 but I never had had this problem before using that song as a semi benchmark.

Is anyone else feeling like the treble is taking center stage with the spark?

 

[all thumbs]

Pretty sure my Spark has a short. I'm getting a full volume distortion hum unless it is sitting exactly right with the power chord seeming to be the bad connection. I'll be contacting them tomorrow or Tuesday about a replacement.

Edit to add that I love that I'm a new Head-fier based on post count but a member since 2011.

 

[tim0chan]

Pretty sure my Spark has a short. I'm getting a full volume distortion hum unless it is sitting exactly right with the power chord seeming to be the bad connection. I'll be contacting them tomorrow or Tuesday about a replacement.

Edit to add that I love that I'm a new Head-fier based on post count but a member since 2011.

you dont post enough, thats why

 

[all thumbs]

you dont post enough, thats why

I post exactly the right amount for me. I'm aware of why, I just think it's funny.

I'll try to let everyone know the results of my customer service call once I make it