[PuffyElvis]

I own a Keces 151 and I must say, I'm very happy with it. Like everyone else whose purchased this DAC, I was blown away by it's performance compared to my computer's sound card. In both cases I had a Starving Student Millet Hybrid amp powering my headphones. The difference was immediately noticeable, without any fancy a/b setup and with every hp I tried (hd650, rs1, gs1000, hp-dx1000)

So... like your typical audiophile (-holic?), I'm looking for the next bump in performance. I'm thinking of going with the 131.1 with the EMU1212m, but I have a few questions...

1) It looks like the EMU1212m comes with a primary PCI card and a daughter card. Since the primary card contains the coaxial output, do I even need to install the daughter card?

2) Any recommendations for a digital coaxial cable? Since the signal is not just 0's and 1's but also contains timing information does the quality/conductor or the cable make a big difference?

3) Have you experimented with different power cords? Does this make a big difference with a DAC as contrasted with a tube amp, where the quality of the power supply is so critical?

4) How would you characterize the performance boost of the upgraded RCA jacks? $90 is a lot to spend on a pair of jacks for simply subtle tuning (my subjective opinion...)

5) Any analog cable recommendations? Something that you might find has great synergy with the 131.1?

Ok, I know that's a lot of questions, most of which might be outside your experience but who better than the manufacturer might know the answer, right?

Thank you in advance!

BTW, I also got my DAC in record time to Chicago... 3-4 days I think...

 

[dunski]

Wow. So here is the story:
Tuesday 11/11 at about 3PM I contacted David about placing an order... He replied within minutes. I forwarded him my paypal address so he could send me an invoice. I sent him the payment Tuesday evening. Today is 11/14 - THREE days later, and I'm sitting and listening to my new Keces 151. Best customer service I've ever experienced. My DAC made its way from Taiwan to NY in THREE DAYS in perfect condition.

 

[Maniac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by theeviljesus /img/forum/go_quote.gif @Maniac: Thanks for the quick answer, really appreciate that "not-yet-a-costumer"-support you "offer" on Head-Fi The DA-152 would definitely make things easier (no need to connect different parts) - I hope for some reviews comparing to stand-alone amps with separate DAC since I have no experience with either solution. I'll also search on more general topics concerning hybrid (?) vs stand-alone Since money is *not really* the main issue (if I can convince my greedy wallet that the investement is worth it... ) , a pricier setup with the 131 is also possible. Decisions, decisions... Recently I've stumbled upon "balanced setups". Since my US 750 isn't balanced that's not yet a questions but still I'm interested wheter there are special requirements on the DAC involved (sorry if that's too much OT). And would the Keces be capable of those? Thanks again!

Currently all KECES products uses single ended signals (RCA cables) for interconnects, balanced output is not an option yet.


Thanks.

David

 

[Maniac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuffyElvis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I own a Keces 151 and I must say, I'm very happy with it. Like everyone else whose purchased this DAC, I was blown away by it's performance compared to my computer's sound card. In both cases I had a Starving Student Millet Hybrid amp powering my headphones. The difference was immediately noticeable, without any fancy a/b setup and with every hp I tried (hd650, rs1, gs1000, hp-dx1000) So... like your typical audiophile (-holic?), I'm looking for the next bump in performance. I'm thinking of going with the 131.1 with the EMU1212m, but I have a few questions...

Alright.

Quote:

1) It looks like the EMU1212m comes with a primary PCI card and a daughter card. Since the primary card contains the coaxial output, do I even need to install the daughter card?

I've not tried it myself, but I've heard people running EMU1212M's digital card without the analog section. And since you only use the digital section, it should be a good idea to try it out without the analog section installed.

Quote:

2) Any recommendations for a digital coaxial cable? Since the signal is not just 0's and 1's but also contains timing information does the quality/conductor or the cable make a big difference?

IMHO, digital cable made from belden's 75 ohm coax are a pretty good choice that doesn't cost a lot, Canare 75 ohm connector also appears to be a fairly nice choice.

Quote:

3) Have you experimented with different power cords? Does this make a big difference with a DAC as contrasted with a tube amp, where the quality of the power supply is so critical?

It is quite important there as well. Tho I'd suggest upgrading the wall sockets in your home if you have not done it yet, and then upgrade the cable will have the most effect.

Quote:

4) How would you characterize the performance boost of the upgraded RCA jacks? $90 is a lot to spend on a pair of jacks for simply subtle tuning (my subjective opinion...)

It is not upgrading the RCA jacks, it is upgrading the IEC power inlet. It is a option that can upgrade and magnify the effect of higher quality power cables.

Quote:

5) Any analog cable recommendations? Something that you might find has great synergy with the 131.1?

So far I don't have any good suggestions as of yet, but IeGO will have some signal cable available soon.

Quote:

Ok, I know that's a lot of questions, most of which might be outside your experience but who better than the manufacturer might know the answer, right? Thank you in advance! BTW, I also got my DAC in record time to Chicago... 3-4 days I think...

Cool

Thanks

 

[theeviljesus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maniac /img/forum/go_quote.gif Currently all KECES products uses single ended signals (RCA cables) for interconnects, balanced output is not an option yet. Thanks. David

Hehe just found a thread about balanced DAC after posting my question

...first search then ask...lesson learned

 

[PuffyElvis]

Thanks for the reply David! I read the product description on eBay again and (of course) your're right- the upgrade option is for the IEC inlet. I got confused because the RCA jacks in the photo look silver- probably just reflecting light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by theeviljesus /img/forum/go_quote.gif The DA-152 would definitely make things easier (no need to connect different parts) - I hope for some reviews comparing to stand-alone amps with separate DAC since I have no experience with either solution. I'll also search on more general topics concerning hybrid (?) vs stand-alone

One of the nice things about separates is that it allows you to tune your system by choosing difference pieces, including interconnects, to tailor the sound to your liking. I just picked up a pair of silver interconnects and they really helped to brighten up my system- it was sounding a bit too warm for my liking. Of course, that could have been because I removed the offending "overly warm" interconnect... The point being, though, is that separates give you more control over the resulting sound.

 

[theeviljesus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuffyElvis /img/forum/go_quote.gif One of the nice things about separates is that it allows you to tune your system by choosing difference pieces, including interconnects, to tailor the sound to your liking. I just picked up a pair of silver interconnects and they really helped to brighten up my system- it was sounding a bit too warm for my liking. Of course, that could have been because I removed the offending "overly warm" interconnect... The point being, though, is that separates give you more control over the resulting sound.

Thanks for your opinon. I opened a thread about that question and it got quite a few answers:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/amp...parate-380745/

don't forget to vote

 

[Maniac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuffyElvis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the reply David! I read the product description on eBay again and (of course) your're right- the upgrade option is for the IEC inlet. I got confused because the RCA jacks in the photo look silver- probably just reflecting light. One of the nice things about separates is that it allows you to tune your system by choosing difference pieces, including interconnects, to tailor the sound to your liking. I just picked up a pair of silver interconnects and they really helped to brighten up my system- it was sounding a bit too warm for my liking. Of course, that could have been because I removed the offending "overly warm" interconnect... The point being, though, is that separates give you more control over the resulting sound.

Well, DA-152 is developed with the idea that a single compact unit is a lot better suited for situations where you have only limited space (like your office or your compute desk) and want better, much better sound than what can be provided otherwise. Since you no longer need an additional headphone amp/pre, you get a lot more room then otherwise. Since by adding a unit, you not only added a box, but the rooms you need for routing RCA cables around is also saved, and that can be quite a saving if you are using stiff RCA cables.

The headphone amp we had built into DA-152 is designed with performance in mind (well, I guess you've heard that often enough from every other manufacturers/dealers), and the performance in our opinion is better than a lot of the stand alone headphone amps on the market.

One of our first customer of DA-152 is using it to drive active speaker in his recording studio, and from what I could tell, he is very happy with the performance so far.

Of course, separate units allow the flexibility of tuning and other advantages, but also adds cost of additional unit, and if you are into quality cables, you will also need to double up on cable costs.



They all offer different advantages and disadvantages, it would be up to the user's need to determine which one fits their need best.


Thanks

David.

 

[gattari]

I have a notebook with an external usb soundcard, the tascam us 144 -24 96 khz
What is the best choice for me the da 151 or the 131 with upgrade ?
Is the tascam 144 digital (with Aes EBU or s/pdif) output good for 131? otherwise is best choice use only the da 151 without the external soundcard?
Thank you for replay

 

[Maniac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gattari /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a notebook with an external usb soundcard, the tascam us 144 -24 96 khz What is the best choice for me the da 151 or the 131 with upgrade ? Is the tascam 144 digital (with Aes EBU or s/pdif) output good for 131? otherwise is best choice use only the da 151 without the external soundcard? Thank you for replay

Hello,

I'm not sure what type of SPDIF connection Tascam's 144 have, but if it is either Coax or Toslink, then it will work fine with 131.1. I recommend going with DA-131.1 if you have the budget, since DA-131.1 have a performance advantage over DA-151.


Thanks

David

 

[supernerd]

I just have a quick question for David or any other Keces owners. With my unit, when the red light is on there is huge amounts of buzzing in my speakers. But this disappears when the red light is off. The problem manifests when the optical cable is not connected, or when my computer is turned off. Normal playback, as far as I can tell, is unaffected. But this does mean that I can't leave the Keces on after I power down the computer.

Is this faulty? Thanks.

 

[hohum]

It's normal, I have the same thing happen if there is no signal to the DAC. Not ideal, but hasn't affected me too much.

 

[Maniac]

Hello, indeed it is normal. The hissing sound is actually generated by the digital receiver chip when it did not have anything to receive. It seems to be something that 8416 does while the older (and less capable) 8414 doesn't seem to do this.


Thanks

David

 

[supernerd]

Ok, cool. Thanks for the explanation hohum and Maniac.

 

[8140david]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maniac /img/forum/go_quote.gif As for checking bit-perfect sound cards, I think put your sound card name into the search function of Head-Fi, you should be able to find out about it.

I don't understand.
Why do you need a bit-perfect sound card with the DA-131?
Why can't you, on vista, send the signal unmodified using wasapi? If you do so, you're not using the internal sound card, are you?
Is it that a sdpif output always relies on the internal sound card?