[charlesyu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonl /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it is not better than DAC-1, I will make sure you get not only full refund of the HDP purchase price, but the shipping as well

It will be hard for me to tell as I have not heard the Benchmark DAC-1 before. I've been thinking about purchasing a high-res DAC, i.e. 96kHz/24 bits or above, for a while now. Don't get me wrong, the Icon I have now is perfectly fine for me, but I have some higher-res music with me and I want to listen to them at the highest possible resolution.

Anywhere I look seems to praise the DAC-1. I've been waiting for the HDP since I saw it on the Nuforce website last year. I am happy with the my Icon so I trust the brand. However, without much reviews and opinions, it is really hard to make a purchasing decision.

 

[jasonl]

Only if you can get assurance of 100% refund from some Benchmark dealer, then you can compare the two. I already did all I could

.
I think AustinHorn mentioned about DAC-1 HDR ($1895) and Icon HDP ($449) on another post that he likes HDP's headphone amp over DAC-1 HDR. But he also mentioned DAC-1 USB is better.

I read another post where someone automatically assume Icon HDP will not perform as well as a much more expensive DAC. Perhaps we should have put HDP in a fancy box and triple the price.

 

[AustinHorn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonl /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it is not better than DAC-1, I will make sure you get not only full refund of the HDP purchase price, but the shipping as well

Wow, Jason is very very confident. I have both, & my DAC1 HDR model has been modded with several upgrades, about $1000 to be exact, & I can say as a PC to headphone DAC/Amp, Jason may be right. But as a pure dac to run in a high end speaker system to bridge from a high-end SACD/CD player to amps to speakers, I don't think so. But those are very different animals. The Benchmark DAC1, with the possible exception of the newer USB model, isn't targeted at the PC/Mac music market. It is first & foremost a Studio dac & with the HDR model targeted at the high end separates market. I admit there is overlap but I certainly see the HDP as solely targeted at the PC/Mac end of things & at that it really does it's job.

I went through 11 dac & dac/amp combos in the last 6 months trying to find something that gave me the sound I was getting from my DAC1/Doge/LDV combo. I has been only with the HDP that I moved my HDR back where it belonged (in my stereo system) & put my LDV down with my udac & my netbook downstairs. I love the HDP & if I was going to buy a dac/amp combo for use with my PC/Mac, I'd buy the HDP & use the other $500 to get some great cables to improve the sound even further (and also buy the new power supply for the HDP hat Jason is coming out with).

So IMHO, better than the Benchmark Dac1, regardless of models, I don't know, but as the link between your headphones & your computer, Yeah I could agree to that, especially for the money & from a value standpoint .

Jason you better tell your sales staff of your offer. You may get a lot of takers just to try out the HDP. The thing is the joke may be on them 'cause I doubt many will send the HDP back. I think it is that good. But is the HDP BETTER than a DAC1, I don't know. Is it a better deal - NO DOUBT!

 

[AustinHorn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Only if you can get assurance of 100% refund from some Benchmark dealer, then you can compare the two. I already did all I could . I think AustinHorn mentioned about DAC-1 HDR ($1895) and Icon HDP ($449) on another post that he likes HDP's headphone amp over DAC-1 HDR. But he also mentioned DAC-1 USB is better. I read another post where someone automatically assume Icon HDP will not perform as well as a much more expensive DAC. Perhaps we should have put HDP in a fancy box and triple the price.

No I think I said that I prefer listening to the HDP as a ss headphone amp to my HDR. I think my HDR, especially now that I had it modded, is a big step up from my old usb DAC1. I do prefer my DAC1, used as a dac only feeding my Doge 6810 tube amp by a little bit over the HDR. But to be fair that is a $1700+ HDR with $995 worth of upgrades done by Reflection Audio. So my comparison is not even with the stock DAC1. And a lot of those mods are in the DAC section!

As I said above, I'd be very shocked if the HDP sounds close to this DAC1 in my stereo system, but heck I will give it a try If I can figure out the cabling which shouldn't be a problem (BNC to coax & RCA out is my guess). If it even comes close, Benchmark & Reflection Audio will owe me an explanation & maybe some refunds!

 

[zenpunk]

I am very interested in this DAC/Amp but was shocked to find out it cost 500 Euros in Europe compared to 449USD (=330EURO) in the US. I understand those are made in the US but the difference is huge. It will be cheaper for me to buy it from Amazon.com (including import tax). But could I get it serviced by Nuforce Europe if something goes wrong?
Before finding out about the HDP I had plans to purchase a Matrix Mini DAC + Matrix M-Stage HP. I wonders which will sound best?

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read another post where someone automatically assume Icon HDP will not perform as well as a much more expensive DAC. Perhaps we should have put HDP in a fancy box and triple the price.

Nah, all you need is more pictures of pretty girls with the HDP.

 

[djbnh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaegis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nah, all you need is more pictures of pretty girls with the HDP.

Or more reviews with different equipment highlighting strengths and shortcomings. Keep those reviews / comments coming, please!

 

[mamba315]

Just placed my order for an HDP. I will keep my uDac downstairs for my laptop and use the HDP upstairs with my Mac Mini. Ordered a Belkin Gold USB cable to connect the Mac & HDP.

Will use mostly the HDP as a DAC for my speakers (Audioengine A5's) until I get a pair of full-size phones. I really want the Beyer T1's but another option is to settle for a Sennheiser HD600 and save a little cash.

There doesn't seem to be anyone that owns both the Beyer T1's and HDP yet. A few people (at this very early stage) think the T1's pairs better with tube amps. On the other hand, the HDP doesn't appear to have any major flaws that would prevent it from driving the T1 pretty well. Might not get that last 5% but the price and space savings make it tempting anyways.

 

[RobLikesBrunch]

Just got mine in the mail. Extremely fast shipping--ordered it last Friday, and it arrived here (in Switzerland) today. It was $25 standard priority international (Amazon estimated it'd come in April).

So far so good!

Edit: works in Linux perfectly. Plug it in, select your source (under GNOME, at least). No restart required.

 

[charlesyu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinHorn /img/forum/go_quote.gif No I think I said that I prefer listening to the HDP as a ss headphone amp to my HDR. I think my HDR, especially now that I had it modded, is a big step up from my old usb DAC1. I do prefer my DAC1, used as a dac only feeding my Doge 6810 tube amp by a little bit over the HDR. But to be fair that is a $1700+ HDR with $995 worth of upgrades done by Reflection Audio. So my comparison is not even with the stock DAC1. And a lot of those mods are in the DAC section! As I said above, I'd be very shocked if the HDP sounds close to this DAC1 in my stereo system, but heck I will give it a try If I can figure out the cabling which shouldn't be a problem (BNC to coax & RCA out is my guess). If it even comes close, Benchmark & Reflection Audio will owe me an explanation & maybe some refunds!

I can't wait for your test. The thing I am most interested in is does the performance justify the higher price.

 

[K_19]

Well, the HDP is at my house.

I love MacGroup for their lightning fast shipping. Granted, they're only in Ottawa (I'm in Toronto), but considering I only ordered around 4:00 PM yesterday to have it received 12:00 noon today, it's still pretty impressive in my book! (got similar speed shipping for my uDAC from them)

Can't wait to get home from work and play around with it. Hopefully I'll have some initial thoughts and comparisons by the end of the day.

 

[RobLikesBrunch]

I'm no proper audiophile, my audiophile lexicon is non-existent, and I have little experience with different equipment. So with that in mind, combined with my inability to write nor read extended paragraphs about music equipment out of reasons of boredom/disinterest, I'll try to give a brief (but completely unenlightening) review:

Well, first. It sounds rather good. I migrated from my ASUS Xonar STX (that's all I used for the set-up). I'm using the HDP with my Grado SR325is, as I did with the Xonar. I didn't buy the HDP to take a step up the ladder of audiophila, but rather because I'm going to college and needed a USB-based DAC for my laptop. I only used the USB connection, with Linux, using Rhythmbox. I did, however, use the dial to switch between the different inputs and exclaime in delight at the wonderful changing LED colors. Eeeeehhh!

I'm listening to Love's Forever Changes at the moment. The HDP has a sense of precision and development about it; it separates each instrument out and makes the Xonar feel a bit muddy. Unfortunately, due to the clarity, I'm also hearing a lot of hiss at the beginning of my 60s-70s tracks (due to, what I presume to be, poorer recording equipment). But I presume that's the cost of transparency.

Soundstange, of debatable relevance with Grados, is improved. I have a better idea of the instrumental arrangement in Boards of Canada's '84 Pontiac Dream.

I'm ashamed to say that I have no idea what string instrument is played in the beginning of I Am the Walrus, but I can say that the HDP illustrates it with a fantastic resonating roughness. Like a great big fart (but I assure you, it's good flatulence, not bad).

The DAC/Amp/Pre-amp/Whatever-it-is also seems to shave a bit of the shrillness out of the SR325is, which is always appreciated. Badfinger's When I Say is verging on the edge of inducing an orgasm, so I have to finish it up (out?). It sounds terrific, and for someone who doesn't want to get too involved in the audiophile world/simply doesn't know that much about it, it's great. It gives music increased vitality and makes the listener more involved; it is obtrusive into whatever you're doing and requires your full attention as it shuttles you through euphonious bliss. One little box, works with everything, sounds terrific. Nifty!

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

My HDP is good enough that that I want to move it to my big rig with the ZDT and WES, to use while I wait an hour for the tubes to warm up, or when I don't want to power up the tube amps at all. I will hook it up to my WES analog loop out, but use the USB for when I have my Macbook there so get the most direct connection to the music.

But, until my Amphora returns from a loan to another member, and my Sq Wave XL returns from repairs to the Sigma 22 PSU, I can't get along without the HDP in my bedroom rig. It beats all my other remaining desktop SS amps with full size phones, including the SAC KH1000 amp which is good with K1000, HE-5 and HD600 but not with HD800, HF-2 or IEM.

The WA6's sound during warmup goes through big changes in the first 30 minutes and it can sound darker and less spacious when cold, but it needs more like 1 or more hour of running to be optimal for hi-end listening. So I need a good SS amp that can be ready to go right away while I wait. If there ever was a downside to tubes, the warmup is the worst of them and everyone with a high-end tube amp should have a nice SS backup amp that warms up more quickly. I just leave the HDP on all the time anyways.

 

[Frenzia]

zenpunk
"I am very interested in this DAC/Amp but was shocked to find out it cost 500 Euros in Europe compared to 449USD (=330EURO) in the US. It will be cheaper for me to buy it from Amazon.com (including import tax). But could I get it serviced by Nuforce Europe if something goes wrong?"
(Sorry don't know how to quote

)

I would also like clarification on this, thanks.

P.S. What headphone would you recommend for the hdp around £250? The headphone market is baffling

I've been looking at the Shure Srh840, the Sennheiser HD600/HD650, the AKG K701/702 and the Denon AH-D2000. Generally listen to all types of music, gaming and dvds will also be used for these phones.

Cheers
Mark

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frenzia /img/forum/go_quote.gif zenpunk "I am very interested in this DAC/Amp but was shocked to find out it cost 500 Euros in Europe compared to 449USD (=330EURO) in the US. It will be cheaper for me to buy it from Amazon.com (including import tax). But could I get it serviced by Nuforce Europe if something goes wrong?" (Sorry don't know how to quote ) I would also like clarification on this, thanks. P.S. What headphone would you recommend for the hdp around £250? The headphone market is baffling I've been looking at the Shure Srh840, the Sennheiser HD600/HD650, the AKG K701/702 and the Denon AH-D2000. Generally listen to all types of music, gaming and dvds will also be used for these phones. Cheers Mark

I would pick the HD600 1st choice for music, but the D2000 might be better for movies and gaming since it has that "subwoofer effect".