[KenW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's very hard for me to answer that in a way that doesn't sound a little bloated. We use a very, very, very good DAC in there. In a way you might as well consider our gear a very good $1500 DAC with a free headphone amp. Just because the option doesn't cost you a fortune, don't think it isn't a killer DAC.

Tyll, you're making this very hard to resist. I'd love to give it a run against the Stello for a comparison. Shoot, if it were close, I could see myself owning this amp. So flexible....kind of a swiss army knife of amps/dacs if you will. I keep hoping someone will get their hands on both and post some impressions.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's very hard for me to answer that in a way that doesn't sound a little bloated. We use a very, very, very good DAC in there. In a way you might as well consider our gear a very good $1500 DAC with a free headphone amp. Just because the option doesn't cost you a fortune, don't think it isn't a killer DAC.

Tyll,

Have you guys considered making it an option to bypass the amp and just use the DAC?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenW /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tyll, you're making this very hard to resist.

I agree 100%.

 

[carlosgp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you guys considered making it an option to bypass the amp and just use the DAC?

This would be a very good idea and a decisive feature for many people - like me.

 

[KenW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tyll, Have you guys considered making it an option to bypass the amp and just use the DAC?.

Actually, I was thinking along the same lines but in reverse. I was thinking of bypassing the dac while at home with my Stello and then putting the Desktop dac back into service when the unit was pulling office duty. Then again, as I said, if the dac on this little guy can hang with the Stello/Lavry of the world, it would make it a no brainer and likely make it the next addition to my setup. Surely someone has heard both.

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you guys considered making it an option to bypass the amp and just use the DAC?

If you consider how tightly packed the front and back panels of the desktop line already are you'll quickly understand one of the reasons why headroom doesn't do this.

In the end I suggest that folks let their ears be the judge and listen to one of their amp/dac combos using it as a preamp, which would essentially turn it into a DAC. I don't think you'll find that having the headphone module in the signal chain degrades performance, it's actually probably a heck of a line driver.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenW Actually, I was thinking along the same lines but in reverse. I was thinking of bypassing the dac while at home with my Stello and then putting the Desktop dac back into service when the unit was pulling office duty.

Ken, there are analog inputs on the back that allow you to do this. You don't have to use the internal DAC with either the single-ended or balanced desktop.

Single Ended w/ two analog inputs

Balanced w/ one single ended and one balanced analog input

 

[KenW]

Thanks n_maher. I think Jamey also pointed that out. Guess I'm trying to keep from making the Stello a redundant piece of equipment and/or trying to talk myself out of buying this.

I don't think I'll be able to put my mind at ease unless I simply take the plunge and compare the Desktop's dac against my Stello. Kind of a loser leave town deal.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you consider how tightly packed the front and back panels of the desktop line already are you'll quickly understand one of the reasons why headroom doesn't do this.

I'll admit there's a lot of stuff jammed into that enclosure

, but it would be great if an unbalanced output (RCA) were shoehorned in there somewhere.

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll admit there's a lot of stuff jammed into that enclosure , but it would be great if an unbalanced output (RCA) were shoehorned in there somewhere.

X2.
I would like to be able to loop through to other amps.

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kees /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2. I would like to be able to loop through to other amps.

With the upcoming release of the two new micro DAC's I think it's highly unlikely you'll ever see this feature on a HeadRoom amp. In addition to the panel space issues I already mentioned bear in mind that HeadRoom doesn't like to air-wire anything if they can help it to keep production costs down (save labor) and to keep things more reliable. I order to add an intermediate output (between the DAC and amp sections) you're talking about reworking the entire layout of the amp so that the new jacks could be board mounted. I just can't see there being enough motivation to do this when it's not really Headroom's intention to be a source for other amps.

That's my take on it anyway.

Nate

 

[nkoulban]

BTW, The tip on setting resampling to 48K in my previous post also sends any tape hiss on old recordings to the back / de-empahsises it.

Out of curiosity I auditioned a Lavry DA10 working balanced through the Desktop balanced to see how the internal DAC compares... guess what... it sounds virtually the same. The Lavry is a killer DAC for sure and it manages to sound a bit more open and airy and maybe a fraction more detail... that's it in this application. Hardly worth spending $1K to get very incremental benefits.

The more I listen to the Headroom Balanced Desktop the more respect I have for it.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkoulban /img/forum/go_quote.gif Out of curiosity I auditioned a Lavry DA10 working balanced through the Desktop balanced to see how the internal DAC compares... guess what... it sounds virtually the same. The Lavry is a killer DAC for sure and it manages to sound a bit more open and airy and maybe a fraction more detail... that's it in this application. Hardly worth spending $1K to get very incremental benefits.

That's very interesting to hear, and frankly, may be a clincher for me.

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkoulban /img/forum/go_quote.gif Out of curiosity I auditioned a Lavry DA10 working balanced through the Desktop balanced to see how the internal DAC compares... guess what... it sounds virtually the same. The Lavry is a killer DAC for sure and it manages to sound a bit more open and airy and maybe a fraction more detail... that's it in this application. Hardly worth spending $1K to get very incremental benefits.

May I suggest that this may be another example of hearing a piece of equipment for a very short time such as the Lavry DA10 and comparing it with what you have become familiar with. The differences become more apparent once you learn the higher side of the equation, say about two weeks worth, then come back to the lower side of the equation and compare the difference. This is not to say that the Desktop DAC is not very, very good. I am more talking about the comparison approach. This type of comparison I have done myself and it is something that I have observed about my own impressions and things that I have acquired over the last few years. Sometimes the differences just don't seem as apparent as they do when you have acclimated one's self to the higher side of the equation and then go back.

This is one reason since acquiring my ATH-A900LTD and raving about them and then having my ATH-W5000s for a while; then doing the comparisons has humbled me a bit in what I think differences are from quick first impressions. Going up seems to be baby steps to me; while coming down, distances to me seem much further with regard to equipment qualities.

Another example is the headamp in the DA10. When I got it I thought that this was it. A good enough amp. So an opportunity to acquire the AT-HA5000 came by. I got it. Now I can easily tell the difference between the two when at first I thought that they very close to each other with the HA5000 having a small lead.

Another reason why my future might actually have even higher end equipment than I have now.

 

[EliasGwinn]

Tyll,

What advantages does balanced headphones offer vs. the typical configuration? Also, how are these advantages achieved?

Thanks,
Elias

 

[Cobaltz]

Someone asked for a tip on using the system with a computer. This could run 4 pages but I will tell you the easiest way to do it without an explanation. It is what I ended up doing after I verified a few issues.

Create a new user for Windows. Under that user launch msconfig and stop every program that starts on boot, including the ones not needed in services.

When you want to hear a few songs just do so.

When you want to hear several hours of music boot to the created user above.

This will stop everything that can interfere with the music. The top problems on MY COMPUTER were USB devises pinging the computer, like modems or scanners. Also virus and other assorted net programs are a smaller problem.

The created user allows for pure music playback. It is good in normal computer configurations but I do not want good I want great.

 

[Cobaltz]

I forgot the above requires dual ntuser accounts. It will be easier for most to just stop the running programs and turn your broadband modem off.