[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanalasta /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you reviewed the DAC on the Corda Meier 2Move/3Move?

Yes - UPDATED 2/22 REVIEW 13 USB DAC amp - Predator, Pico, 2/3MOVE, D10 D3 D2 Viper/Boa D1, Lyrix, MicroAmp, Vivid V1, Nuforce, XM5 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

The 2MOVE/3MOVE DAC is more detailed and spacious than the Headstage DAC (or the D1 via USB). The D1 via optical is a noticeable upgrade to the USB DAC of the D1 or Headstage as well, and at least as good or possibly better as a DAC than the 2/3MOVE DAC.

Also, the 2/3MOVE amp section is more powerful, with stronger bass, and more intimate and rich mids. The Headstage needs the bass boost on to compete with the punch of the 3MOVE except that it will run out of power with high impedance phones sooner. As an amp only, the Headstage is still not quite as forward sounding as the Headsix or 3MOVE, so that is a consideration if you want a little more distant point of view to the performance (as I said before, the Headstage and Headsix soundstage got closer to each other with burn-in but there was still a slight difference in the end).

Also, the volume knob on my 3MOVE also has less channel imbalance at very low volume levels than the Headstage. Plus, the crossfeed seems to have a little more of an effect with the 3MOVE than with the Headstage and I like it a little better. So, you get a lot for the extra $90 moving up to the 3MOVE (based on the last price I checked with the Headstage at $169). I think the Headstage performs on about the level of the Headsix, and adds a USB DAC that the headsix doesn't have, and the latest price was about the same making it a good deal for the price.

 

[Tanalasta]

Thanks for your quick reply.

I've recently purchased the 3Move and listen to it mostly via DAC as I do not have a dedicated LOD. However, I'm still trying to decide whether to turn the cross-feed on and would like to hear your opinions on it. I find the soundstage and clarity to be better with the crossfeed on (especially with vocals) but the mids to be slightly rolled off in comparison and not quite as liquid sounding with the crossfeed off. After listening to a few classical pieces (1812 overture, miserei mei etc...) I actually preferred it off.

Paired with Shure SE530.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanalasta /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for your quick reply. I've recently purchased the 3Move and listen to it mostly via DAC as I do not have a dedicated LOD. However, I'm still trying to decide whether to turn the cross-feed on and would like to hear your opinions on it. I find the soundstage and clarity to be better with the crossfeed on (especially with vocals) but the mids to be slightly rolled off in comparison and not quite as liquid sounding with the crossfeed off. After listening to a few classical pieces (1812 overture, miserei mei etc...) I actually preferred it off. Paired with Shure SE530.

The answer is simple - enjoy it with the crossfeed set to whatever sounds best to you. I usually listen to it with the crossfeed off, unless I have a recording with a wide split between some instruments on the left and some on the right. Skylab says he listens with the crossfeed on much of the time, we all have different tastes.

 

[thoppa]

Hi,

I just got a Headphonia USB DAC cable that uses a WM8740 DAC chip, which was Wolfson's top of the line DAC chip until recently. The receiver is Ti PCM2706 and the output is AD8656.

It doesn't support kernel streaming (or at least I can't get it to work....) so I'm using asio4all with my laptop. I'm using a Mini3 as the amp and recabled HD650.

It gets quite warm in use. It doesn't carry any audible noise into the Mini3 from the laptop.

Sound wise, it wasn't a pleasant surprise at first but after only a few hours it was improving. After a few days it became clear it is very good value for money and generally a good sound but with 3 main weaknesses.

There is a bass rolloff with a Mini3. The output couples via 1uF ceramic caps and 10K shunt resistors. The Mini3 has a 10K input volume so that gives a 5K impedance with 1uF caps. So the bass roll off is a -3db @ 30Hz high pass filter (if I've done my sums right). It only really affects things like the Mini3 - for most other things with input impedance of 47k-100K there's no real roll-off.

There is some slight loss of high end detail. I couldn't explain this because it certainly isn't the chips. It had to be something to do with the output caps or low pass filter around the AD8656 I guessed.

There is some edginess to what should be a very smooth sounding dac.

So the other day I cut open a small part of the shrink wrap to reveal the output caps and resistors. I replaced the 10K with 120K (just what I had lying around), and the 1uF with 33uF 16V Blackgate N.

The Mini3 roll off has gone, there is just the right amount of detail and some, but not all, of the edginess has been smoothed away.

I'd definitely recommend this little dac considering the price. I believe Robert will modify it for you if you ask him.

cheers

EDIT : I feel I should clarify that these comments are based on comparing it to the other usb/PC dacs I own - a y2 upsampling dac with a Teralink x2, an Asus ST and an Onkyo SE-200pci, both of which are PCI and have been modified and a Musiland MD-10 which has been completely transformed through mods. Considering this dac cable costs a small fraction of the others, it is a real bargain. Personally, if I was only to going to have one dac, then it'd be the y2.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoppa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, I just got a Headphonia USB DAC cable that uses a WM8740 DAC chip, which was Wolfson's top of the line DAC chip until recently. The receiver is Ti PCM2706 and the output is AD8656. It doesn't support kernel streaming (or at least I can't get it to work....) so I'm using asio4all with my laptop. I'm using a Mini3 as the amp and recabled HD650. It gets quite warm in use. It doesn't carry any audible noise into the Mini3 from the laptop. Sound wise, it wasn't a pleasant surprise at first but after only a few hours it was improving. After a few weeks it became clear it is very good value for money and generally a good sound but with 3 main weaknesses. There is a bass rolloff. The output couples via 1uF ceramic caps and 10K shunt resistors. The Mini3 has a 10K input volume so that gives a 5K impedance with 1uF caps. So the bass roll off is a -3db @ 30Hz high pass filter (if I've done my sums right). There is some loss of high end detail. I couldn't explain this because it certainly isn't the chips. It had to be something to do with the output caps or low pass filter around the AD8656 I guessed. There is some edginess to what should be a very smooth sounding dac. So the other day I cut open a small part of the shrink wrap to reveal the output caps and resistors. I replaced the 10K with 120K (just what I had lying around), and the 1uF with 33uF 16V Blackgate N. The roll off has gone, there is just the right amount of detail and some, but not all, of the edginess has been smoothed away. I'd definitely recommend this little dac considering the price. I believe Robert will modify it for you if you ask him. cheers

Thanks! I will pass this on to Robert and see if any of these changes should be made to my new DAC cable before it ships soon. I've already tasked him with the job of upgrading the RCA output cables.

 

[thoppa]

Cool !

I'll be interested to hear what he recommends !

Here's my homemade Mini3 with the dac cable. I wish I could remove the last bit of graininess/edginess but tbh for the money, I really am very pleased.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoppa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cool ! I'll be interested to hear what he recommends ! Here's my homemade Mini3 with the dac cable. I wish I could remove the last bit of graininess/edginess but tbh for the money, I really am very pleased.

Robert says, "In regards to Blackgate caps...they don't fit on the board (the board is even smaller than the Blackgate caps). I may include them in a future DAC-stick.."

He also implied that he has to be able to stay within the price point where these will sell readily, and that he may offer a more expensive version later with wire and other upgrades. I don't think he'd be interested in customizing the DAC-cable for under $100.

The fact that he's offering the WM8740 in the DAC-cable for $20 more than the original version that I have from 2 years ago is a big bonus in my eyes. I still use the original DAC cable to this day to feed my Audio Engine A2 speakers on my desktop.

 

[thoppa]

Hi,

Yeah, as you see in the photo, they are pretty much oversized, their voltage rating is too high which is a waste really, and they cost about us$6 each.....

It would be better to use something smaller with a lower voltage like 6.3V so they could be smaller and I guess the lowest value should be 4.7uF with the current 10k output resistors and using a Mini3.

BGs are hard to find too so maybe Nichicon Muse ES .....

Or for something that will fit on the board, but still ceramic, which are just 30 cents each :

Kemet 0805 4.7uF/6.3V X5R 10% C0805C475K9PAC7800,100pcs on eBay (end time 26-Mar-10 12:53:07 GMT)

The card is a real bargain - the pcm2706 and wm8740 both cost about US$7 each and the ad8656 is US$3. The reg is US$2 I think, plus there's the xo etc. So the parts alone cost around US$30. US$60 incl shipping is great value.

Anyway, I really like this little dac - very impressed for the size and cost. It isn't perfect but for the money it is very very good.

So please post your impressions of the two. I'd love to know how the old and the new compare....

cheers

 

[thoppa]

Hi,

I've just switched drivers from asio4all to the Ploytech usb asio driver. Unfortunately the latter is not freeware but it has boosted the sound quality and this dac sounds really really good now ! I'm very happy !

Here are some more photos showing the hot glue and rhubarb and custard candy dac I have now....the original is far better looking but hey ho...

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

It's cute enough.

I was going to post "I wonder why PC people have to download or buy better USB drivers when the Mac OSX comes with great drivers out of the box." But then I remembered a $395 Amarra mini software that is supposed to improve the Mac digital out with iTunes. One of these days I might try Amarra mini when it costs half that much or less. But it still seems a stock Mac OSX USB driver is better than Windoze most of the time.

 

[Hellenback]

I've been using the Headstage dac cable since the first one was offered. I don't do any DIY (yet) so have used them stock and consider them one of the best values for computer audio out there. I hear the newer Wolfson line-dac to have a considerably higher db output than the first one in my (very basic) set-up. I used to use the older one with a base model Lyrix (won on eBay for $53) as a pre-amp into a Perreaux SXH1 with very good results driving HD650s/Cardas. I now use the Wolfson line-dac (with no need/desire to boost the signal) into either the Perreaux or more often the new Headstage Arrow HE.
I am very happy with the sound I get from4 desktop (XP3)-> foobar-> asio4all-> (Wolfson) Headstage line dac-> Arrow HE-> HD650s w.Cardas. Someone came by with an Alien DAC and preferred the new line-dac to to the Alien in his own set-up. (I think the Alien used the same chip as the first line-dac.) I'm aware there's much higher SQ out there but I certainly haven't heard better for the cost. This set-up will tide me over with much listening pleasure until I can afford a bigger better dac/desktop combination. I have been pondering DIY as I do stained glass work which requires some accurate (though different) soldering skill.

 

[wuwhere]

After burning in my Headstage USB DAC cable for over 50hrs and through my RSA Tomahawk and ER4P APS re-cabled, I find the bass very adequate and on par with my iBasso D10 modded with Blackgate Caps with topkit. I don't find it grainy at all. With my Headamp Pico, the midrange is just too forward for my taste but still I would not describe it as grainy.

 

[Hellenback]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuwhere /img/forum/go_quote.gif After burning in my Headstage USB DAC cable for over 50hrs and through my RSA Tomahawk and ER4P APS re-cabled, I find the bass very adequate and on par with my iBasso D10 modded with Blackgate Caps with topkit. I don't find it grainy at all. With my Headamp Pico, the midrange is just too forward for my taste but still I would not describe it as grainy.

x2 with the Arrow but I guess they would be a good combo as they were developed together by the same manufacturer.

 

[wuwhere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellenback /img/forum/go_quote.gif x2 with the Arrow but I guess they would be a good combo as they were developed together by the same manufacturer.

I'm impatiently waiting for my Headstage Arrow 12HE

. The USB DAC cable and Tomahawk has synergy, smooth and laid back but very listenable. Bass is tight and punchy if its in the music.

 

[Hellenback]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuwhere /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm impatiently waiting for my Headstage Arrow 12HE . The USB DAC cable and Tomahawk has synergy, smooth and laid back but very listenable. Bass is tight and punchy if its in the music.

I mentioned in a previous post that another member came by my place with a Tomahawk and his Alien DAC. I felt the Arrow sounded better with the line-dac so I look forward to your impressions. (He left very impressed with both and said the line-dac would be his next purchase.)