classicalguy
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 9, 2004
- Posts
- 536
- Likes
- 13
My DAC arrived today, and I thought I would post some thoughts about it's operation.
The unit is a lot smaller than I expected. I thought it would be the size of a receiver, but it's much smaller. On the front panel is an on-off switch on the left. On the right are up-and down volume buttons, and a source selector switch. The source selector selects between the four digital inputs: USB, Toslink, AES or RCA Co-Ax.
It has a mini-headphone and dual RCA outputs on the back. I have the dual-RCA plugged into my T-Amp Gen 2, and have tried the headphone out with my Koss KSC-75s. I have not yet tried my high-impedence Senn HD-580s.
The headphone output and the RCA output play at the same time. Headphones do not mute the RCA outputs. Moreover, the RCA output is controled by the volume buttons on the front. There does not appear to be a way to get line out - the outputs all go through the pre-amp stage. I've turned the t-amp all the way up, and control volume with the DIYEDEN.
The USB input uses the TI/BURR Brown 2704 dac chip, which only allows 16 bit and up to 48hz data. I tried upsampling through USB with Foobar, and it doesn't work past 48hz. It does operate at 44.1 properly, but I see no way to upsample through the USB connection.
The other digital inputs will apparently take up to 24 bit 192hz data straight to the Cirrus Logic CS4398 dac. I have a digital output on my computer card, and some day when I'm feeling like getting into the back of my computer (not easy in my setup), I might try comparing the computer's digital output with the USB connection and testing upsampling.
Tha manual is entirely in Mandarin, so I can't understand anything it says. But there are no other controls apparent on the device.
It has a nice digital readout that tells you the volume level and the sampling rate of the data. It switches between the two pieces of information about every 5 seconds.
I get some minor thumping through the speakers when I change inputs - maybe all dacs do that. This is my first outboard dac.
Build quality from the outside looks beautiful. If feels like a heavy, quality piece of equipment. Connectors are all very nice and solid. I'm not competent with electronics, so I could not and have not tried to evaluate the work inside the case.
Sound quality seems very nice. Very clean, clear, well defined. I listened to Glenn Gould play the early beethoven sonatas, and his humming was as clear as I've heard it! The unit is dead quiet. I don't really have anything to compare it to other than my old xitel pro hi-fi link. The DIYEDEN is clearly much better than the xitel in every way. Well, I have an m-audio transit downstairs that might be worth comparing at some point.
The only things that disappoint me so far are (1) it would be nice to have the headphone jack on the front rather than the back (I knew this when I ordered it), and (2) there is no way to defeat the pre-amp for line-out dac. It really works best as a digital preamp/dac.
I would like someday to compare the sound with the Zero and maybe the cheaper SVDAC06, both of which use the AD1852 dac chip rather than the more expensive CS4398. While the CS4398 has better specs, some people apparently prefer (on the Zahlou at least) the AD1852, and it's about $35 cheaper to buy the SVDAC06. Until someone compares them both side by side, it's hard to say how they compare. The zero has the headphone jack on the front and can defeat the pre-amp output for line out, which are nice features. It's cheaper too. More than that I cannot say.
I'd be interested in the opinions of others. If anyone has questions, let me know.
The unit is a lot smaller than I expected. I thought it would be the size of a receiver, but it's much smaller. On the front panel is an on-off switch on the left. On the right are up-and down volume buttons, and a source selector switch. The source selector selects between the four digital inputs: USB, Toslink, AES or RCA Co-Ax.
It has a mini-headphone and dual RCA outputs on the back. I have the dual-RCA plugged into my T-Amp Gen 2, and have tried the headphone out with my Koss KSC-75s. I have not yet tried my high-impedence Senn HD-580s.
The headphone output and the RCA output play at the same time. Headphones do not mute the RCA outputs. Moreover, the RCA output is controled by the volume buttons on the front. There does not appear to be a way to get line out - the outputs all go through the pre-amp stage. I've turned the t-amp all the way up, and control volume with the DIYEDEN.
The USB input uses the TI/BURR Brown 2704 dac chip, which only allows 16 bit and up to 48hz data. I tried upsampling through USB with Foobar, and it doesn't work past 48hz. It does operate at 44.1 properly, but I see no way to upsample through the USB connection.
The other digital inputs will apparently take up to 24 bit 192hz data straight to the Cirrus Logic CS4398 dac. I have a digital output on my computer card, and some day when I'm feeling like getting into the back of my computer (not easy in my setup), I might try comparing the computer's digital output with the USB connection and testing upsampling.
Tha manual is entirely in Mandarin, so I can't understand anything it says. But there are no other controls apparent on the device.
It has a nice digital readout that tells you the volume level and the sampling rate of the data. It switches between the two pieces of information about every 5 seconds.
I get some minor thumping through the speakers when I change inputs - maybe all dacs do that. This is my first outboard dac.
Build quality from the outside looks beautiful. If feels like a heavy, quality piece of equipment. Connectors are all very nice and solid. I'm not competent with electronics, so I could not and have not tried to evaluate the work inside the case.
Sound quality seems very nice. Very clean, clear, well defined. I listened to Glenn Gould play the early beethoven sonatas, and his humming was as clear as I've heard it! The unit is dead quiet. I don't really have anything to compare it to other than my old xitel pro hi-fi link. The DIYEDEN is clearly much better than the xitel in every way. Well, I have an m-audio transit downstairs that might be worth comparing at some point.
The only things that disappoint me so far are (1) it would be nice to have the headphone jack on the front rather than the back (I knew this when I ordered it), and (2) there is no way to defeat the pre-amp for line-out dac. It really works best as a digital preamp/dac.
I would like someday to compare the sound with the Zero and maybe the cheaper SVDAC06, both of which use the AD1852 dac chip rather than the more expensive CS4398. While the CS4398 has better specs, some people apparently prefer (on the Zahlou at least) the AD1852, and it's about $35 cheaper to buy the SVDAC06. Until someone compares them both side by side, it's hard to say how they compare. The zero has the headphone jack on the front and can defeat the pre-amp output for line out, which are nice features. It's cheaper too. More than that I cannot say.
I'd be interested in the opinions of others. If anyone has questions, let me know.
