[diamondears]

Thanks 

Try it first, very cheap anyway. Then go up the price ladder once the "itch" comes. That way you don't gamble on pricier gears, unless of course you were able to critically listen to them and you think you like them before you buy. Even then, still a bit of gamble because there might be better or equal gears much lesser price. You can always sell your current gear once you itch for another gear.

 

[thecrow]

I'd go with the old advice I was given and that is choose your headphone - the one that sings for you.

Then use the Odac and O2 (with relevant EQing) which you already have which are fair value at their price points and get to know your headphone better. This will also help you decide what different/extra/specific qualities, if anything, you are looking for in your next purchase of an amp and dac to match with your headphone

If you do a little mix and matching with what you already have you may even find that you may just want to change the dac or just the amp.

I feel that the ODAC and O2 are great starting points before outlaying more. Great reference points. Great way to sus out your headphones better.

 

[lerad]

I'd go with the old advice I was given and that is choose your headphone - the one that sings for you.

Then use the Odac and O2 (with relevant EQing) which you already have which are fair value at their price points and get to know your headphone better. This will also help you decide what different/extra/specific qualities, if anything, you are looking for in your next purchase of an amp and dac to match with your headphone

If you do a little mix and matching with what you already have you may even find that you may just want to change the dac or just the amp.

I feel that the ODAC and O2 are great starting points before outlaying more. Great reference points. Great way to sus out your headphones better.

 

I'd go with the old advice I was given and that is choose your headphone - the one that sings for you.

Then use the Odac and O2 (with relevant EQing) which you already have which are fair value at their price points and get to know your headphone better. This will also help you decide what different/extra/specific qualities, if anything, you are looking for in your next purchase of an amp and dac to match with your headphone

If you do a little mix and matching with what you already have you may even find that you may just want to change the dac or just the amp.

I feel that the ODAC and O2 are great starting points before outlaying more. Great reference points. Great way to sus out your headphones better.

 
 

Try it first, very cheap anyway. Then go up the price ladder once the "itch" comes. That way you don't gamble on pricier gears, unless of course you were able to critically listen to them and you think you like them before you buy. Even then, still a bit of gamble because there might be better or equal gears much lesser price. You can always sell your current gear once you itch for another gear.

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[dazzerfong]

   
 
 
Thanks for the input guys!

One more thing: if you like your headphone as-is, the O2/ODAC is perfect for the job. If you're not, that's when other things like tube amps come rolling in (pun intended). Even then, keeping the O2/ODAC around even if you've got superior gear is decent as it's an excellent reference combo.

 

[lerad]

  One more thing: if you like your headphone as-is, the O2/ODAC is perfect for the job. If you're not, that's when other things like tube amps come rolling in (pun intended). Even then, keeping the O2/ODAC around even if you've got superior gear is decent as it's an excellent reference combo.

yes that was im thinking also. maybe nextweek ill purchase hd650. this hobby isn't cheap

. thanks guys! Good day..cheers!

 

[dazzerfong]

  yes that was im thinking also. maybe nextweek ill purchase hd650. this hobby isn't cheap

. thanks guys! Good day..cheers!

It's relatively cheap compared to a lot of hobbies if you're careful. If not, well, I hope you're loaded.

 

[diamondears]

It's relatively cheap compared to a lot of hobbies if you're careful. If not, well, I hope you're loaded.

What I learned from experience even when I'm still into speakers (before I got into HPs) is this---get all upstream gears as transparent and neutral as you can...if one of them isn't, meaning it's tweaking or coloring the recording, you'll eventually play a recording that will sound funky or not good, which in turn will make you look for other gears especially the downstream gear---speakers or HPs...and you won't be satisfied because, again, you'll eventually hear a recording that's seem to be bad...and on and on and on...and the itch won't go away...all the while it's the fault of the upstream gear. My honest 2 cents.

 

[MrMateoHead]

Does anyone have a guide to THD / S/N ratio?
 
In pondering the O2 versus other amps I've owned, I've started to question how much THD is tolerable or what S/N ratio is "ideal". I have a Class D car amp that sounds great, but has audible "hiss" at near-full volume with a silent source. Of course, that could relate to my deck, but lets just say I know that the amp is the main culprit.
 
My Yamaha Receiver still sounds great after all these years, but at "reference" volume ("O dB" on the dial from -96dB to start), it has audible hiss. Source is ODAC, so I know it is the amp. I am sure paying bigger bucks next time might get me an amp that is black through more of the power range.
 
Then there is the always black O2.
 
The "hiss" is never an issue for the first two amps, considering normal playback volumes and listening environments. But the O2 has certainly trained me to desire that added level of blackness, as I swear it adds some benefit to the perceived "transparency" of my speakers. I'd like to upgrade my receiver next year probably and am looking at Sabre DAC models from Pioneer (love the Class D amps would love to try one), and the ever-popular Sony models which are supposedly now awesome again (I owned one once and didn't like the sound much at all).

 

[KeithEmo]

Note that the 0DAC uses a Sabre DAC chip - so has a little of the characteristic Sabre "flavor" - it tends to "illuminate details very brightly" or "sound a tiny bit etched", even though it isn't bright sounding overall. (I tend to think of it as sounding rather like the original DragonFly - although a little bit better.)
 
That's not at all an indictment of how it sounds - I rather like it - just don't assume you're starting with a dead-neutral sounding source.

 

[diamondears]

Note that the 0DAC uses a Sabre DAC chip - so has a little of the characteristic Sabre "flavor" - it tends to "illuminate details very brightly" or "sound a tiny bit etched", even though it isn't bright sounding overall. (I tend to think of it as sounding rather like the original DragonFly - although a little bit better.)

That's not at all an indictment of how it sounds - I rather like it - just don't assume you're starting with a dead-neutral sounding source.

I don't think Sabre equals not-neutral. The Audiolab is Sabre but ain't bright at all. In fact 3 of its 7 digital filters I find on the warm side.

 

[JacobLee89]

I like to believe that we still don't know what "true neutral" sounds like in this crazy world of audio.
 
What if humidity and altitude were contributing factors as well? We wouldn't even get to the bottom of this if that were the case!

 

[castleofargh]

  I like to believe that we still don't know what "true neutral" sounds like in this crazy world of audio.
 
What if humidity and altitude were contributing factors as well? We wouldn't even get to the bottom of this if that were the case!

we could record everything at sea levels, and listen to music only at sea level to get a standard. but what about climate change? when the sea will have risen 1m, do we all move up or not? ^_^

 

[KeithEmo]

I have to disagree with you there.
 
Right now I own a Wyred4Sound DAC2 (Sabre), an Audiolab (Sabre), an Emotiva DC-1 (Analog Devices), and several other smaller Sabre and non-Sabre DACs, and I just sold a Benchmark DAC1 Pre. I have always found that the ones that use the Sabre chip have a distinct sound. It's not that the ones that use the Sabre are technically brighter; the Sabre chip itself is admirably flat, and there are plenty of DACs that use the Sabre chip that are downright dark, but there's still a certain "flavor" that always seems to go with the Sabre chip. (The closest way I can describe it is like the audible equivalent of the unsharp mask sharpening used by Photoshop. It seems to make treble frequencies "stand out" from the rest of the frequency spectrum without actually boosting the high frequencies; it gives the impression of making more detail audible.) Both the Wyred4Sound and the AudioLab have selectable filters, and the effect is there with all the choices (although it's more obvious with some choices than with others). I simply don't imagine anyone saying that any of those filters on the AudioLab, or on the Wyred4Sound, end up sounding like a Benchmark, or an Emo DC-1 (both of which are in fact rather neutral).
  Back when the Sabre DACs were first being introduced, ESS made a major point of stating in their literature that they'd voiced their DACs based on responses from user "listening tests" rather than specifically doing their best to make their DACs simply neutral - and this seems to fit with my experiences.
 
I would agree, though, that some units that use the Sabre DACs are closer to neutral than others - but I don't think I've heard a Sabre DAc yet that I would characterize as 'totally neutral".
 
Quote:

I don't think Sabre equals not-neutral. The Audiolab is Sabre but ain't bright at all. In fact 3 of its 7 digital filters I find on the warm side.

 

[MrMateoHead]

Indeed every time I switch back from the ODAC to my other sources, I get a sense of "relief" when the Sabre is back on. I think the term "etching" the sound is the most correct statement. The ODAC/Sabre manages to sound a little "brighter" or "harder" than my other DACs, with a sense that depth and detail has been improved. It feels "hi res". I would compare it to turning on what I call the "harshilizer" effect of many stereos I play with - you know, that feature that "restores detail" to your "lossy files". The exception is that with the Sabre you gain the sense that detail and dynamics have improved with the added harshness.
 
While my Realtek sounds very good and detailed etc., it does usually also seem a little "softer". Could be placebo, could be difference in source voltage, whatever, but it seems there and the ODAC is the most satisfying overall experience for me at the moment.

 

[AlanU]

Am I one of the few here that uses a Grant fidelity B-283 mk2 tube processor/buffer with Black treasure CV181-z /6sn7 tubes??
 
I'll have to say that the Burson Da160 dac and Tube buffer makes the objective amp an incredible experience.
 
The note decay and "tube" sound  provides and incredible intimate sound for female vocals while it manipulates the source not the amplification of the 02 amp. I prefer manipulating the source in most cases so that I do not concern myself of "lack of power" due to low wattage tubes.
 
To put things into perspective I can easily enjoy my 02 amp with tube buffer  equally as much as using my newly acquired Burson Virtuoso with the same tube buffer. I can truthfully question myself why I'd spend so much more for the Burson Virtuoso. 
 
With my HD 650 or HD800's I think the 02 amp is incredible even if it was repackaged into a larger frame/body and more cosmetically pleasing for $500+ dollars. I would imagine much more expensive amps would be more appealing due to physical presentation (on your desktop). Ownership of a more expensive amp would give the owner a mental "impression" that since it more expensive it will be "substantially better".... probably more of an emotional preference based on validating spending extra beans $$$$
 
I do find my Burson to be a fine amp but I give equal kudo's for the 02 amp to do a stellar job in clean amplification.