[harrinj]

Quote:

I'm really curious about it. If it carries the same dac capabilities of the DAC-100 just minus the extra inputs, it would be a very good value. The noise specs seem even better on paper. Best of both worlds would be if it had the same dac capabilities as the DAC-100 and the amp of the HAP-100. 

that's what I get from it. the same as DAC-100 except the UDH-100 just has the USB input, but like I said there is nothing NOTHING on it anywhere no reviews or anything just this thread and an nuforce announcement that's been posted on a bunch of random websites in google search.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Well, so far the DAC-100 with HAP-100 has become my primary bedroom listening rig.  I haven't used my Stello DA100 and Woo WA6 since last year...
 
(see what I did there?)
 
I'm really pleased with this - I mostly feed my Macbook Pro USB into the DAC-100 and feed the DAC into the HAP-100.  And I have the RSA SR-71b connected to the HAP-100's loop-out for when I listen with IEM (and very low impedance headphones).  I mostly use the DAC-100 alone with my HD800, and use the HAP-100 when I use my LCD-2, LA7000 or HE-500.  
 
When I don't want to use the Macbook as source I use a Nuforce iDo via coax out to feed the DAC-100 digital audio, and this works really well with my iPad mini and iPad 4 as the source.

 

[kazsud]

I'm loading a flac from sacd rip now to my iPad 5 to see how it sounds. I only wish there was a iPad w/ 128gb :/
The iPhone 5 doesn't like the Dac-100 via lightning to usb

 

[runswithaliens]

Quote:

Well, so far the DAC-100 with HAP-100 has become my primary bedroom listening rig.  I haven't used my Stello DA100 and Woo WA6 since last year...
 
(see what I did there?)
 
I'm really pleased with this - I mostly feed my Macbook Pro USB into the DAC-100 and feed the DAC into the HAP-100.  And I have the RSA SR-71b connected to the HAP-100's loop-out for when I listen with IEM (and very low impedance headphones).  I mostly use the DAC-100 alone with my HD800, and use the HAP-100 when I use my LCD-2, LA7000 or HE-500.  
 
When I don't want to use the Macbook as source I use a Nuforce iDo via coax out to feed the DAC-100 digital audio, and this works really well with my iPad mini and iPad 4 as the source.

 
Thanks for the continued updates.  Would be curious to know why you run the HD800s out of the DAC-100 rather than the HAP-100 as you do with your other headphones?
 
I am looking for a complete new setup Amp/Dac/Pre-amp. So am considering whether it would be best to get the HAP-100 and then a separate $500 ish DAC so that I get the extra power of the HAP-100 as well as the analog inputs.  vs. the all in one of the DAC-100. 
 
Has anyone had a chance to compare the DAC-100 to the new OPPO BDP-105 as a DAC and Headphone amp?

 

[Armaegis]

I've posted up my initial review: http://www.head-fi.org/t/645068/review-nuforce-dac-100
 
Not quite finished; I still have some notes to add.

 

[runswithaliens]

Thanks for the informative review Armaegis!
 
I just discovered an odd discrepancy between NuForce's recommended headphone specs for the DAC-100.  On the website it says:
 
Recommended Headphone Impedance:   120-600 Ohm
 
Meanwhile in the Manual for the DAC-100 available on their website it lists these specs:
 
Headphone Specifications:
Recommended Headphone Impedance: 32-300 Ohm
Output: 3.7Vrms, 0.5W @ 300-600 Ohm
Pure Class "A" operation
 
 
Design change, marketing change, or is one of them a misprint?

 

[Armaegis]

I imagine it's a misprint. The rest of the literature and my emails with them all specify high impedance.
 
I did try a number of low impedance (non ortho) headphones, but the noise floor was too high for most of them. 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the continued updates.  Would be curious to know why you run the HD800s out of the DAC-100 rather than the HAP-100 as you do with your other headphones?
 
I am looking for a complete new setup Amp/Dac/Pre-amp. So am considering whether it would be best to get the HAP-100 and then a separate $500 ish DAC so that I get the extra power of the HAP-100 as well as the analog inputs.  vs. the all in one of the DAC-100. 
 
Has anyone had a chance to compare the DAC-100 to the new OPPO BDP-105 as a DAC and Headphone amp?

 
That's a good question.
 
If you must have analog inputs, and can't afford the DAC-100 + HAP-100, then the obvious choice is the HAP-100 with a less expensive DAC.  You could use an HDP or DACmini as digital source, and save $300-750 vs the DAC-100/HAP-100 combo.  The DACmini is a little better than the HDP, unless you have the linear regulated PSU for the HDP.  Neither the HDP nor DACmini is optimal for driving the HD800, but feeding them into the HAP-100 works pretty well.  

 

[Armaegis]

So I just recently acquired an HDP thinking to myself that this would make a decent downgrade as I've been seriously considering simplifying my toy collection. I was fully expecting to hook it up and think to myself that it'd be close enough. 
 
Except now that I've been A/B'ing between them, I find myself thinking "dammit, the DAC-100 is better..."
 
Curse you head-fi! for blurring the lines between "good enough" and "just a little bit more"... 

 

[jackskelly]

Does anyone here know anything about the NuForce DAC-9? It's the one DAC that NuForce has listed on their website above the DAC-100. It seems rather similar to the DAC-100; It does have a few extras, like an XLR input and balanced output. Why wouldn't this be on Amazon if the DAC-100 is? Where would you buy it from?

 

[jackskelly]

I found one place you can buy it online:
 
http://estore.nuforce.com/categories/High-End-Amp/
 
Looking around Head-Fi, I found some stuff on it, it seems intriguing, but I think I'll just stick with the DAC-100 for now. I don't need balanced inputs or outputs yet, I'll probably try out another company when it comes time for that.

 

[runswithaliens]

You missed the "This product is available for pre-order only" right below the Add To Cart button. Although according to the NuForce website "Note: DAC-9 192K is the upgraded version of DAC-9, shipping April 9, 2012. The USB Audio has been upgraded to 192kHz/24bit sampling rate."
 

 

[runswithaliens]

Quote:

 
I did try a number of low impedance (non ortho) headphones, but the noise floor was too high for most of them. 

 
Well that's a deal breaker for me since I don't want to be limited in future headphone choices. However, reports are that the HAP-100 is better in that regard it seems.  Also for me personally, all the talk about "smooth" and "analog" in the Yulong Sabre D18 thread has me nearly sold on that being the ideal DAC for me anyway, so the HAP-100 might be a good pair with that. Maybe Project86 will be able to comment on that very combination in his upcoming review?

 

[Armaegis]

The HAP-100 is quite silent. Nuforce still recommens high impedance headphones, but I found the HAP-100 played nicer as long as the source was silent as well.

 

[project86]

Quote:

 
Well that's a deal breaker for me since I don't want to be limited in future headphone choices. However, reports are that the HAP-100 is better in that regard it seems.  Also for me personally, all the talk about "smooth" and "analog" in the Yulong Sabre D18 thread has me nearly sold on that being the ideal DAC for me anyway, so the HAP-100 might be a good pair with that. Maybe Project86 will be able to comment on that very combination in his upcoming review?

 
I will, but it will be a while as I don't even have the DAC-100 or HAP-100 yet (but I do have the DDA-100 which is awesome for the price).