[rei_yano]

Hi havent been here for a while ever since I got my allesandros and 0404 I have been enjoying myself with this awesome combo. Now I have been noticing this whole pico dac/amp thingy and I am very interested in how tiny this thing is. I mean its amazing. I have been looking for something a bit more portable to go alongside my ipod or cd player while on the go.

anyways to the question:
is the dac in the pico comparable to the dac inside the 0404 usb? or is it better? worse?? Im still interested in it for the amp itself but if I could replace the 0404 for normal listening sessions on my pc then I would be able to put this brick away (only bringing it out for recording and midi). however if the dac in the 0404 still kicks the picos ass then I should probably just look for a really nice and tiny amp without the dac.

thanks guys! you guys helped me make the best 500 dollar decision in the past and I know I can always depend on you guys for the best advice on audio equipment.

 

[Icarium]

Pico DAC is significantly better. I've been using the EMU 0404 usb as a work source for nearly a year now. It's a good value in its price range but its not even close to being as resolving as the Pico. I'd put the Pico as at least two notches up from it in tier.

 

[rei_yano]

awesome. sounds like a good buy. how would you rate the amp itself compared to other amps in its size range? the thing looks to only be a little bigger than a credit card. very amazing size...

 

[Icarium]

It's definitely top tier but I wouldn't say its the clearly the best portable amp on the market or anything like that (Some people might) as personally I feel there are a variety of options (Mostly DIY like the mini^3/PINT and non-DIY like the other Headamp amp the AE-2) that are at least in the same tier where there are slight nuances in flavor which one person will prefer over another and vice versa etc.

Currently out of everything I own I like the Pico's amp the best. Though the mini^3 may rotate back in after new toy syndrome wears off.

It's certainly better than the EMU 0404 usb's amp which I don't like much at all.