[Crookshank]

nervemind...

 

[kite7]

I'm on desktop, there is never anytime my cpu is under heavy load while I have a web browser and player in the background.

 

[TheDuke990]

Quote:

Originally Posted by woof37 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My thoughts as well. You should install ASIO4ALL and increase the buffer size. If your system has high CPU utilization, you won't get great performance out of a USB DAC.

I use WASAPI but the idea with the buffer size sounds good. I will try it. Thx

 

[kite7]

I'd also like to mention that even though the HDP and uDac aren't really the same, I've had zero problems with the uDac. It never crackled or cut off at random times, even though it may be once or twice a day.

 

[bcwang]

I haven't had any cut off or crackle with my HDP, though my friend has had buzzing noise with his uDac that got resolved by unplugging and re-plugging. It might be related to the particular USB port on the particular computer he was using.

Have you tried feeding spdif inputs to see if there still exists an issue with the cut-offs? Maybe try a different media player and use a different output method. (asio, kernel streaming, WASAPI)

On one of my computers, using winamp through WASAPI, if i pause...when I go to resume, it plays a few seconds, stutters, then stops. Stopping and playing again just give a few seconds, then it just stops. I haven't figured out the problem, but restarting winamp fixes it. In my other machine winamp cuts off the last 3 seconds of every song, can't figure that one out either.

 

[SleazyC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looking at the gear in your sig line, I think the HDP would work well for you until you can get a tube amp to feed it into. It's warm sounding but at the same time crisp and present in the highs, so there is more treble than your uDAC, but it works well as a DAC feeding my Woo WA6.

I should preface this response by saying that I have never actually owned or heard a tube amp but it seemed like the next logical step for me when looking at amps. I also won't deny that there is also some visual appeal to the tube amp that I don't find in solid states. I also haven't updated my signature but I do have some ESW10JPN's that I should be receiving tomorrow so the second reply in your post ended up also covering me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict If you are a tube lover who wants a romantic tube flavor over accuracy, then you might like something like the HiFiMan EF2 DAC/Amp a little more if you have Grados or HD800 or AKG-K701. Iif you have something like HD600, HE-5, Denons, ATH-ESW10 or ATH-A900 then the HDP will still make a tube lover happy. I like tubes and SS personally, and HDP sounds razer accurate with HD800 and HF-2, but maybe not what someone who only likes tubes would like (i.e. WA6) when combined with the wrong headphone.

So I guess it boils down to me going ahead and buying a HDP and being content with that for a couple months and then going for something like a WA6 or pickup a WA6 and feed it through my uDAC for the time being (is this blasphemous?). I eventually would end up buying a more beefy dedicated DAC to power whatever tube amp I end up with but the more I think about it I'm not sure I will have an amazing amount of space to dedicate at the office (this will be an office rig). Given that the HDP is $449 and a WA6 will run me $620+ (probably would get the Sophia) I am starting to lean towards HDP/SS amp due to price and size constraints but damn do those tube amps look sexy.

 

[woof37]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleazyC /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I guess it boils down to me going ahead and buying a HDP and being content with that for a couple months and then going for something like a WA6 or pickup a WA6 and feed it through my uDAC for the time being (is this blasphemous?). I eventually would end up buying a more beefy dedicated DAC to power whatever tube amp I end up with but the more I think about it I'm not sure I will have an amazing amount of space to dedicate at the office (this will be an office rig). Given that the HDP is $449 and a WA6 will run me $620+ (probably would get the Sophia) I am starting to lean towards HDP/SS amp due to price and size constraints but damn do those tube amps look sexy.

If you know you're going to upgrade in a short amount of time, why not save $$$ in the long run, i.e. no loss from selling the HDP, and get the Woo now?

You ought to email Jack @ WA and ask him what amp would pair well with those ESW10JPNs you have. I am no tube expert, but every time I talked WA6 with someone, including Jack, they told me to go for the SE version instead. Just food for thought.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by woof37 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you know you're going to upgrade in a short amount of time, why not save $$$ in the long run, i.e. no loss from selling the HDP, and get the Woo now? You ought to email Jack @ WA and ask him what amp would pair well with those ESW10JPNs you have. I am no tube expert, but every time I talked WA6 with someone, including Jack, they told me to go for the SE version instead. Just food for thought.

The only thing I could ask for from my WA6 that it doesn't give me is a wider and deeper soundstage, which the balanced WA22 and EC ZDT offer (spent 2 weeks comparing the three last summer). But even though I bought the ZDT last summer to replace the WA6, the WA6 has been so good that I can't part with it and it's in my bedroom rig. It sounds good with everything except ATH-W5000, ATH-W11R, and CD-3000, which I don't like any of those three very much with any amp. The ESW10 work very well with it. The HDP comes in only slightly below the WA6, but it's got a great DAC built-in and I enjoy using the HDP to feed the WA6. For an office rig the HDP makes more sense, and I would get the WA6 for home and feed the uDAC into it.

 

[alont]

I just got my HDP!

After listening to a couple of songs already, all I have to say is HOLY **** (pardon the french )
After living my entire life in a world of mediocre headsets and onboard sound cards, these past two weeks have been a real eye opener to me

 

[kite7]

Agreed, the HDP took things to another level beyond what my Musiland 02US and Arietta could do. While I really do like the sound, I'm still looking for a solution to the random crackling and cut off.

By the way HA, were you able to test the HDP with another power supply? How did it sound?

 

[alont]

After letting it burn in for about 2 hours, I already notice a pretty big difference. The hiss that was quite prominent beyond 2 o'clock or so has now nearly completely disappeared, and the tonal equality has improved, with the highs slightly less sibilant and the lows and mids a bit more pronounced.

I don't seem to be having the problem kite7 is reporting... if it helps I'm using Foobar+Wasabi with a buffer length of 1000 ms

 

[kite7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alont /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't seem to be having the problem kite7 is reporting... if it helps I'm using Foobar+Wasabi with a buffer length of 1000 ms

Same here but I found the problem developed after a week of using the HDP, I didn't find anything wrong with it right away. It will even happen on DirectSound

 

[SleazyC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only thing I could ask for from my WA6 that it doesn't give me is a wider and deeper soundstage, which the balanced WA22 and EC ZDT offer (spent 2 weeks comparing the three last summer). But even though I bought the ZDT last summer to replace the WA6, the WA6 has been so good that I can't part with it and it's in my bedroom rig. It sounds good with everything except ATH-W5000, ATH-W11R, and CD-3000, which I don't like any of those three very much with any amp. The ESW10 work very well with it. The HDP comes in only slightly below the WA6, but it's got a great DAC built-in and I enjoy using the HDP to feed the WA6. For an office rig the HDP makes more sense, and I would get the WA6 for home and feed the uDAC into it.

I really appreciate all the guidance you've been giving me concerning an amp + the ESW10's. Last question, have you heard any other amp in your collection (or that you have reviewed) that sounds better with the ESW10's within the same price range of the HDP (i.e $500-$700 range)? I think I am going to go with the HDP but I just wanted to see your thoughts regarding any other amps in this range as it sounds like the ESW10's sound good out of many amps.

 

[charlesyu]

I currently own the nuForce Icon and am very interested in the HDP.

I just have one question for all Icon product owners out there. Has anyone figure out a way to hold the Icon in place? They are small and very light, so they move around a lot. Is tape the only way to go?

 

[alont]

Hmm I don't know I'm doing just fine with the rubber stand it came with. I just hold it down when I plug/unplug the headphones.

By the way, something funny I've noticed just now - they put the side of the case upside down