[sujitsky]

Mine might be on the market in a month ... trades for hap-s1 accepted

 

[znil78]

Question for anyone with a hap-s1, is there a short pause when activating/deactivating DSEE with your unit? Would really app reciate any response.

Sent from my SD4930UR using Tapatalk

 

[Neogeo333]

Got a UDA-1 like some members here when it was 200.00.  This thing as a dac is decent.  Played all the dsd.flac,mp3,wav files I threw at it with no problems.  Downloaded latest drivers for Win8.1 from Sony website.  Easy installation.  Im planing to use it in a bedroom system.  Have it right now in my main comparing it to my Eximus DP-1.  Its 3x the price but its the only dac i have at the moment.   No chance here, the DP-1 is miles above in sound and musicality.  Only time the UDA1 came close was playing DSD files.  But it still falls behind the DP-1.   On the amp side of things this thing is horrible.  Using my Fostex T50 on both its clearly the winner again is the DP-1.  The UDA1 just cant compete here.  It sounds inferior to it.  Using the speaker tabs helped a little on the T50 but still not there.  Driving high efficient speakers like my Coral Beta 8 it again fail short.  Worst amp ever that I have listened with my Beta 8.  Even my OTL amp using 6336 tubes designed to drive 16ohm speakers (Beta 8 are 8ohm) it was more musical then the UDA1.  It may sound louder but definitely noisy and bright and no soundstage.  As of now its playing nicely with a Dynaco clone ST120 from Bob Latino.   My conclusion is as a dac that plays all the formats for 200.00 its pretty good.  As a amp please look elsewhere.   

 

[ns6490]

  Got a UDA-1 like some members here when it was 200.00.  This thing as a dac is decent.  Played all the dsd.flac,mp3,wav files I threw at it with no problems.  Downloaded latest drivers for Win8.1 from Sony website.  Easy installation.  Im planing to use it in a bedroom system.  Have it right now in my main comparing it to my Eximus DP-1.  Its 3x the price but its the only dac i have at the moment.   No chance here, the DP-1 is miles above in sound and musicality.  Only time the UDA1 came close was playing DSD files.  But it still falls behind the DP-1.   On the amp side of things this thing is horrible.  Using my Fostex T50 on both its clearly the winner again is the DP-1.  The UDA1 just cant compete here.  It sounds inferior to it.  Using the speaker tabs helped a little on the T50 but still not there.  Driving high efficient speakers like my Coral Beta 8 it again fail short.  Worst amp ever that I have listened with my Beta 8.  Even my OTL amp using 6336 tubes designed to drive 16ohm speakers (Beta 8 are 8ohm) it was more musical then the UDA1.  It may sound louder but definitely noisy and bright and no soundstage.  As of now its playing nicely with a Dynaco clone ST120 from Bob Latino.   My conclusion is as a dac that plays all the formats for 200.00 its pretty good.  As a amp please look elsewhere.   

 
Expectation bias.

 

[Neogeo333]

I say it like it is.   So if anyone shelling out retail price for this thing better get a Schiit setup or look elsewhere.   For 200 or less is decent.   

 

[ns6490]

  I say it like it is.   

 
Are you sure you don't have cognitive biases? You'd be the first person in history.

 

[Neogeo333]

Maybe I do but I'm bias because in my opinion the uda1 is a inferior amp and a decent dac for 200? Didn't know I had to shower all products here with positive things to say. Some products are good for the money some don't. Just happens to be that the uda1 is one of them.

 

[ns6490]

Didn't know I had to shower all products here with positive things to say.

 
Quite the opposite! I would say a more serious problem on HeadFi is the universal hype machine that slathers uncritical praise on nearly every newly released product. It's good for the site owner, and it's good for the hundreds of manufacturers who have sniffed the dollars in the waters and jumped head in. Can you blame them for the explosion of the headphone market in the past decade?  
 
But it's not so good for the high school kid who's scrimping dollar bills for the upgrade that the internet chorus has assured will bring sonic improvements to transport him from the land of dusky, audio twilights into the unblinking sun of sonic orgasm. So I wish that there would be more skepticism here.
 
But if you are truly stating things as they are, and the reviewer below (do a search for sony) is also truly stating things as they are, how can you both be correct? You say that this amp sounds like doo-doo (which is fine). The other review says it's terrific (also fine). But doesn't someone, or even both of you, have to be off here?
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/head-fi-buying-guide-desktop-amps-dacs
 
As for me, my opinion is that I think the chassis looks nice, and I like the convenience of the remote control and the motorized pot. I also like the option of adding a pair of desktop speakers if I wish. 

 

[Neogeo333]

I agree with certain things you said. Specially the part about when new products are announced here. I don't seem to recall ever any negative or less than stellar description of new products. The hype train is strong here.

I hope the reviewer in the link has nothing financially to do with Sony if not he's clearly on some good drugs that I want to try. For the retail price of it there's a lot better options than this.

I also like the design and looks of it, but I certainly didn't like it amp section. That been said, I'm just gonna leave it here.

 

[faisal2003456]

For the retail price of it there's a lot better options than this.

 
I paid for a $200 dac/amp. All I expect is $200 (maybe $300 since it was on sale) worth of quality. I'm upgrading from a Magni+Modi stack that cost me about the same. While I don't expect a world of improvement; I do welcome the addition of a pre-amp, DSD, and having eveyrthing in one box.

You should be comparing a product like this to Audio-GD's NFB offerings or TEAC's line of all in one boxes. Not an setup that costs 10 times more. Even Denon has an all in one box. I'm skeptical to say that any of those are "a lot" better.

 

[faisal2003456]

Well I had the chance to compare the UDA-1 to the Magni/Modi.

Short and simple. The UDA-1 is worth $200 and so is the Magni/Modi.

The UDA-1 has a more featured DAC and sounds just as good if not better than the Modi (very close). It also includes speaker outs and a usable headphone amp. The USB docking function is also nice.

The Schiit stack sounds better due to the Magni being a much more refined and powerful amp.

They cater towards different buyers. However, I have to agree with Neogeo333. The amp on the UDA-1 is barely usable. No way this thing is worth $800.

 

[RAFA]

Will there be any update for the Sony desktop gear? You know, the portable PH-line has already 3 generations.

 

[cuiter23]

Does anyone know the headphone output power of the HAP S1?
 
I'm planning to go through mini toslink from iMAC --> optical in on HAP S1 --> Asgard 2 amplifier.
 
Just wondering if I still need the Amplifier or will the HAP S1's headphone output power be on par with the Asgard 2.
 
Any help will be appreciated!

 

[pervysage]

  Well I had the chance to compare the UDA-1 to the Magni/Modi.

Short and simple. The UDA-1 is worth $200 and so is the Magni/Modi.

The UDA-1 has a more featured DAC and sounds just as good if not better than the Modi (very close). It also includes speaker outs and a usable headphone amp. The USB docking function is also nice.

The Schiit stack sounds better due to the Magni being a much more refined and powerful amp.

They cater towards different buyers. However, I have to agree with Neogeo333. The amp on the UDA-1 is barely usable. No way this thing is worth $800.

 
The amp on the UDA-1 is barely useable? Hmm.. I wonder why it can run my HD800's pretty darn good then? Not taking shots at anyone but a lot of the time, audio is subjective.... your "bad" or "barely usable" might be the complete opposite of someone else's opinion on the matter.
 
After experiencing the UDA-1 for myself and reading the Head-Fi Buyers Guide review that was done on it, I whole heartedly agree that is an awesome all-in-one setup for a DAC, headphone amp AND speaker amp. 
 
And IMO, the UDA-1 is worth MORE than $200 for everything it can do in a small, nice looking package.

 

[faisal2003456]

   
 

 
Well it is a forum.... I'm just stating my opinion like you are. My sole point of comparison is the Magni as I have never heard any other amps (other than weaker usb ones) and I feel the Magni is superior. Of course it is subjective. That's why a forum exists.

It is a great all-in-one setup, which is why I'm keeping it. The DSEE function surprisingly works, but I sitll wouldn't pay more than $300 tops maybe.