[Viper2005]

I listened to these last weekend at Armaegis' with my Yulong DA8 + 2x HA200 in balanced monoblock configuration with my HD800s. They sounded great! Voicing was similar to my v200 but was more dynamic and had more punch.

 

[punit]

How would you compare them against Yulong A28?

Thanks

 

[kazsud]

I listened to these last weekend at Armaegis' with my Yulong DA8 + 2x HA200 in balanced monoblock configuration with my HD800s. They sounded great! Voicing was similar to my v200 but was more dynamic and had more punch.

 


How much better was it than on the Hap-100?

 

[Armaegis]

I didn't have the HAP-100 on the table at the time, but going from induction...
 
comparing the headphone outs only in very brief notes:
HAP-100 = DAC-100 (roughly, with tiny tiny differences in flavour)
HAP-100 >= Wadia121 (wadia more power, HAP-100 better tone)
 
HA-200 >> Wadia121 (no contest)
 
Main listening with the HA-200*2 was done with an HD800 and HE-6. Differences in tone were much more apparent with the HD800.
 
 
My only gripe with the monos right now is that there is no accurate way to match both amplifiers, so we wind up just leaving it at max and controlling level through the dac. On the plus side, even maxxed out there is no noise whatsoever. The gain isn't that high though, so if you're trying to push the HE-6 you'll want a dac with a high level output (I'd say at least 2V balanced output).

 

[grizzlybeast]

I have another question. I am going to return the nuforce Icon DAC because I will have a better DAC coming and wanted to use the balanced end of this. 
 
If I got an adapter made with two ¼” MALE TRS Balanced to balanced xlr would that work? 
 
The DAC I will be using is for professional recording and such but its outs are TRS balanced Female left and right. 

 

[Armaegis]

That works. In fact, my current setup is an Echo2 pro audio dac feeding balanced TRS into the XLR inputs of the HA-200's.
 

 
You'll need a TRS to XLR(m) cable. I made my own seen in the pic there. Not nearly as fancy as the XLR(f) to XLR(m) cables I made earlier, but it gets the job done.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

I guess this will work for now as I can upgrade later.
 
but wait I dont need two ha200's?
 
why do you have two of them?

 

[Armaegis]

That arrangement you have in the pictures... DO NOT use that. You'd have a very high change of breaking your dac, and possibly damaging the amp. That arrangement will short out the outputs of your dac.
 
A "balanced" headphone amp is 4 active channels: L+, L-. R+, R-
 
A single HA-200 only has 2 channels. If you feed it RCA, then you're giving in L+ and R+ (it might be negative, but let's keep it simple) and you plug your headphone into the TRS jack
If you feed it balanced, then you're giving it either L+/L- or R+/R-... not both. You need a second HA-200 to amplify both left and right. Then you'll need to make an adapter to go from the dual XLR3 outputs into whatever your headphone is terminated into (usually XLR4). This is the cable I made...
 

 
Two XLR3(m) as three strand braids, joined together into a 6strand brand and terminated into XLR4(f). I could have just done a twisted pair at the XLR3 ends but I wanted a nicer braid pattern, so I kept the ground wire and connected them at the barrels.

 

[punit]

Armaegis, Will the unit at the bottom run HOT if you drive it for long (as you have the vents covered) ?

 

[Armaegis]

I've actually taken temperature readings with a laser reader after leaving the units running for a couple day. The top unit sits around 65°C, the bottom unit maybe 70°C plus or minus five degrees, so it's not a huge difference (149 and 158°F respectively). Not hot enough to burn you, but it's uncomfortable to leave your hand on there. Of course, to measure the bottom one I have to lift the top box which creates a sudden airflow, but it shouldn't change the reading that much.

 

[punit]

Did your units come fitted with XLR outputs on the front, as the pics on the Nuforce site do not have an XLR output ?

 

[grizzlybeast]

okay thanks a lot... so while i am at it and since I can't get any help from nuforce..
can this short out the icon DAC?

I was wondering if the cable was making it short out.

---

I guess I thought that since they sold the nuforce like that you wouldnt have to buy two. excuse my ignorance here.
 
is there a way to use its balanced out with just one?
 
in advance I really thank you for all of your help even if this is the inappropriate thread to do it on.

 

[Armaegis]

  Did your units come fitted with XLR outputs on the front, as the pics on the Nuforce site do not have an XLR output ?

 
Yes they do. It's a round sliding cap on the front that covers it... (good thing I uploaded a bunch of pics earlier today)
 

 

 

[Armaegis]

  okay thanks a lot... so while i am at it and since I can't get any help from nuforce..
can this short out the icon DAC?
 
I was wondering if the cable was making it short out.

---

I guess I thought that since they sold the nuforce like that you wouldnt have to buy two. excuse my ignorance here.
 
is there a way to use its balanced out with just one?
 
in advance I really thank you for all of your help even if this is the inappropriate thread to do it on.

 
No, that should be fine. It looks like you're using a regular mini stereo TRS into the RCA. In this case, your TRS is tip=left, ring=right, sleeve=ground.
 
In a balanced connection (which is where the confusion arises), Tip= positive , Ring= negative , and Sleeve = ground.
For stereo in balanced, you need two balanced connections: one for left, and one for right.

 

[grizzlybeast]

   
No, that should be fine. It looks like you're using a regular mini stereo TRS into the RCA. In this case, your TRS is tip=left, ring=right, sleeve=ground.
 
In a balanced connection (which is where the confusion arises), Tip= positive , Ring= negative , and Sleeve = ground.
For stereo in balanced, you need two balanced connections: one for left, and one for right.

oh okay... then so I was right in contacting them for to replace it. 
 
 
cant thank you enough!