[USAudio]

twister6 Quote:

 Also, I found a decision to use outdated mini-usb connector instead of a more common micro-usb connector to be a bit odd.

 
I noticed the new Meridian Explorer2 also uses the Mini-USB connector:  http://www.ttvjaudio.com/Meridian_Explorer2_Dac_and_Headphone_Amplifier_p/mer0000014.htm
 
Not sure what it would be, but maybe there is some design advantage to using Mini-USB if you have the room ... 

 

[Hevimees]

  I bought a Fulla Schiit late December last year that has broken down. Now it is barely able to keep a signal for longer than 5 minutes. 
 
When it first arrived it was extremely touchy, even the smallest pressure on its outer shell would cause the USB signal to drop. Now it just drops even when I'm not touching it. It is so bad it is barely useable.
At first I thought this was just how they're supposed to be. But 3 months later, I have a feeling I actually had a faulty device. Is it too late for me to send it back? Living in Australia, the postage really kills so I didn't bother at first.

Did you ever get this problem solved?
 
I had similar issues with an Epiphany Acoustics E-DAC. Sometimes the device was never found by the computer, and often it would drop out suddenly. After I switched the regular USB cable to one with a ferrite all the problems were gone. It was always found and never dropped out on it's own.

 

[infinitesnow]

Hello,
I have the opportunity to get this or the udac-3 for almost the same price (I have to buy schiit products from a European importer). How do they compare?

Thank you

 

[landroni]

  I’m sure some of you are probably thinking this review started on a high note and went downhill a bit.  Well, you are in for a big surprise because once I plugged FULLA into my laptop and connected my currently favorite ATH-MSR7 cans – I ended up having one of those “Susan Boyle” moments with a very pleasant surprise!

Did you ever get the chance to compare Fulla with Cozoy Astrapi or Aegis? I am getting more and more sold on Schiit's packing oodles of value for the price in their products, and owning an Astrapi I'm still somewhat lukewarm to it when it comes to the amp stage (as well as the USB interference hissing) whereas Aegis is in the strange-pricing land for such a small device. So I'm contemplating swapping the Astrapi for a Fulla...
 
How does Fulla compare with these two when it comes to SQ?

 

[twister6]

 

  I’m sure some of you are probably thinking this review started on a high note and went downhill a bit.  Well, you are in for a big surprise because once I plugged FULLA into my laptop and connected my currently favorite ATH-MSR7 cans – I ended up having one of those “Susan Boyle” moments with a very pleasant surprise!

Did you ever get the chance to compare Fulla with Cozoy Astrapi or Aegis? I am getting more and more sold on Schiit's packing oodles of value for the price in their products, and owning an Astrapi I'm still somewhat lukewarm to it when it comes to the amp stage (as well as the USB interference hissing) whereas Aegis is in the strange-pricing land for such a small device. So I'm contemplating swapping the Astrapi for a Fulla...
 
How does Fulla compare with these two when it comes to SQ?

 
I have a lot of comparisons within those reviews.  Just check out the Index of my Reviews on Head-fi and scroll down to usb-dac section.

 

[landroni]

 

 
I have a lot of comparisons within those reviews.  Just check out the Index of my Reviews on Head-fi and scroll down to usb-dac section.

 
Got it, thank you. In the comments for the Dragonfly review you mention that "I have one more usb dac to review, coming up soon, and planning to wrap it up with a comparison between DragonFly, FULLA, E10k, Astrapi, and dSp."

 
Did this comparison end up in the Aegis review (where all are briefly mentioned), or is there a separate comparison review that you published (couldn't find any)?
 
PS I suspect the comparison ended up here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/hrt-dsp-headphone-digital-sound-processor/reviews/12849

 

 

[twister6]

 

 

 
I have a lot of comparisons within those reviews.  Just check out the Index of my Reviews on Head-fi and scroll down to usb-dac section.

 
Got it, thank you. In the comments for the Dragonfly review you mention that "I have one more usb dac to review, coming up soon, and planning to wrap it up with a comparison between DragonFly, FULLA, E10k, Astrapi, and dSp."

 
Did this comparison end up in the Aegis review (where all are briefly mentioned), or is there a separate comparison review that you published (couldn't find any)?
 
PS I suspect the comparison ended up here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/hrt-dsp-headphone-digital-sound-processor/reviews/12849

 

 
Sorry bud, I have too many reviews, can't keep track of it.  I know, it's a lot of searching and reading, but it's somewhere in there

 

[RockStar2005]

twister6, 
 
I see that you too, like me, have the Oppo HA-2. 
 
I was wondering, have you (or could you?) do a quick A/B comparison of the two and post about it here? I absolutely LOVE my HA-2, so I probably won't give it up unless you hear a REAL difference in quality (I prefer a neutral/natural sound signature myself). But I sometimes recommend gear to random people (who don't always wanna pay $299 for the HA-2), both on here and with people I know. So it would be helpful to know if this device is as great as you and most people say it is! 
 
Also, I've tried out the Cozoy Astrapi, which is around the same price and even smaller. Have you? If so, how was that compared to the Fulla? I have a feeling from what I'm reading that the Fulla sounds better (or at least louder) because of the separate analog volume pot and "gain stage" as well. 
 
Thanks!

 

[twister6]

  twister6, 
 
I see that you too, like me, have the Oppo HA-2. 
 
I was wondering, have you (or could you?) do a quick A/B comparison of the two and post about it here? I absolutely LOVE my HA-2, so I probably won't give it up unless you hear a REAL difference in quality (I prefer a neutral/natural sound signature myself). But I sometimes recommend gear to random people (who don't always wanna pay $299 for the HA-2), both on here and with people I know. So it would be helpful to know if this device is as great as you and most people say it is! 
 
Also, I've tried out the Cozoy Astrapi, which is around the same price and even smaller. Have you? If so, how was that compared to the Fulla? I have a feeling from what I'm reading that the Fulla sounds better (or at least louder) because of the separate analog volume pot and "gain stage" as well. 
 
Thanks!

 
I have way too much review gear stored away, will take me awhile to get to FULLA.  Just recently had it out when I worked on Micro iDSD review.  Sorry, if you look through my reviews HERE, I had comparison after reviews of different usb dacs.
 
Astrapi is a toy in comparison.  By memory of HA2 vs FULLA, HA2 will be smoother and more organic, while FULLA will be brighter and more aggressive/faster.  Both are good, but they will sound different depending on pair up with different headphones.  One thing to keep in mind, HA2 is a swiss army knife that works with a smartphone, laptop, as an amp, has it's own battery, and can charge other devices.  FULLA is for a portable use with your laptop only, draws too much power to be used with a smartphone.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[RockStar2005]

   
I have way too much review gear stored away, will take me awhile to get to FULLA.  Just recently had it out when I worked on Micro iDSD review.  Sorry, if you look through my reviews HERE, I had comparison after reviews of different usb dacs.
 
Astrapi is a toy in comparison.  By memory of HA2 vs FULLA, HA2 will be smoother and more organic, while FULLA will be brighter and more aggressive/faster.  Both are good, but they will sound different depending on pair up with different headphones.  One thing to keep in mind, HA2 is a swiss army knife that works with a smartphone, laptop, as an amp, has it's own battery, and can charge other devices.  FULLA is for a portable use with your laptop only, draws too much power to be used with a smartphone.
 
Hope this helps.

 
Hey twister6, 
 
Ok don't worry about it then. Your second paragraph was helpful enough. At least I know for sure the Fulla is better than the Astrapi. lol It sounds like for someone seeking a more neutral/natural sound, the HA-2 is the stronger of the two. 
 
I just ordered it (Fulla) anyway to try it out, just for shehts & giggles. lol So maybe I'll post my own review afterwards? 
 
I e-mailed Schiit about the Fulla's compatibility with Android smartphones (as well as if the Poweramp app will work with it), and a technician responded by saying: 
 
If the Android phone you have supports USB Audio devices then the Fulla should work. Some phones require extra power from a powered USB hub to power the Fulla.
 
Poweramp should work if the phone supports USB audio.
 
On the Fulla product page, it also says: 
 
Total Convenience
Just plug Fulla into virtually any computer’s USB port and you’ll be enjoying great tunes instantly. No drivers, no fiddly software, no confusing volume buttons—on either Mac or PC. It also works (with some caveats) on Linux, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. Plug it in, attach your headphones, and turn it up. Done!
 
Maybe the newer phones will offer more power? I have the brand new Galaxy S7 currently, though not keeping it for long. I want to go back to Sony phones, and their new Xperia X Performance will be what I will get once it's released in June.
 
In other news, I also asked why they went with a Mini-USB port instead of the now more common Micro-USB. The same tech's response was: 
 
USB mini is a bit more robust which we decided was a logical durability tradeoff.
 
By robust I guess he meant it was thicker than Micro-USB? Anyway, I figure I'd share that here too in case anyone was wondering. 

 

[RockStar2005]

   
I have way too much review gear stored away, will take me awhile to get to FULLA.  Just recently had it out when I worked on Micro iDSD review.  Sorry, if you look through my reviews HERE, I had comparison after reviews of different usb dacs.
 
Astrapi is a toy in comparison.  By memory of HA2 vs FULLA, HA2 will be smoother and more organic, while FULLA will be brighter and more aggressive/faster.  Both are good, but they will sound different depending on pair up with different headphones.  One thing to keep in mind, HA2 is a swiss army knife that works with a smartphone, laptop, as an amp, has it's own battery, and can charge other devices.  FULLA is for a portable use with your laptop only, draws too much power to be used with a smartphone.
 
Hope this helps.

 
Hey twister, 
 
The Fulla came in today. But it wasn't getting enough power. I e-mailed Schiit's tech ppl and yeah they said if doesn't work then you need a USB 2.0 hub then. This is nuts. They should really make it more clear to people instead of just saying it's compatible with Android. How is it convenient to connect this in between my smartphone and headphones if I need a SECOND device just to power it? Anyway, it's going back and I will no longer recommend it to anyone who isn't using a PC as their main source. 
 
Thanks for your info. Thought maybe a newer phone (S7) would do the job, but I guess not. 

 

[twister6]

 

   
I have way too much review gear stored away, will take me awhile to get to FULLA.  Just recently had it out when I worked on Micro iDSD review.  Sorry, if you look through my reviews HERE, I had comparison after reviews of different usb dacs.
 
Astrapi is a toy in comparison.  By memory of HA2 vs FULLA, HA2 will be smoother and more organic, while FULLA will be brighter and more aggressive/faster.  Both are good, but they will sound different depending on pair up with different headphones.  One thing to keep in mind, HA2 is a swiss army knife that works with a smartphone, laptop, as an amp, has it's own battery, and can charge other devices.  FULLA is for a portable use with your laptop only, draws too much power to be used with a smartphone.
 
Hope this helps.

 
Hey twister, 
 
The Fulla came in today. But it wasn't getting enough power. I e-mailed Schiit's tech ppl and yeah they said if doesn't work then you need a USB 2.0 hub then. This is nuts. They should really make it more clear to people instead of just saying it's compatible with Android. How is it convenient to connect this in between my smartphone and headphones if I need a SECOND device just to power it? Anyway, it's going back and I will no longer recommend it to anyone who isn't using a PC as their main source. 
 
Thanks for your info. Thought maybe a newer phone (S7) would do the job, but I guess not. 

 
and not just a hub but an additional external battery.  And even if newer phones doesn't cap how much current they can supply to external USB OTG devices or whatever the set limit is, your phone battery is not going to last for too long with this extra drain   FULLA is great as usb DAC/amp connected to your laptop/PC/MAC, but not to smartphone.

 

[RockStar2005]

   
and not just a hub but an additional external battery.  And even if newer phones doesn't cap how much current they can supply to external USB OTG devices or whatever the set limit is, your phone battery is not going to last for too long with this extra drain   FULLA is great as usb DAC/amp connected to your laptop/PC/MAC, but not to smartphone.

 
So a HUB & External battery? lol WOW. Wow. Even if I could get that as a SINGLE device, that's still beyond ridiculous. 
 
Yes exactly. Better off getting the FiiO E10K or else spend more and get the HA-2. I'd even take the Astrapi over it simply b/c at least that's STILL better than using your phone's amp/DAC. lol

 

[west0ne]

   
So a HUB & External battery? lol WOW. Wow. Even if I could get that as a SINGLE device, that's still beyond ridiculous. 
 
Yes exactly. Better off getting the FiiO E10K or else spend more and get the HA-2. I'd even take the Astrapi over it simply b/c at least that's STILL better than using your phone's amp/DAC. lol

For devices that draw too much power for the USB OTG on my phone I have found that a USB OTG Y-cable does the job, the power end can be connected to a wall charger or battery, obviously the battery would need to put out enough current for the device you're using. It works but not particular 'pocketable' for a portable device. For phone use I'm liking the look of the new Audioquest Dragonfly  Black/Red as it gives a single USB connected device and the power requirement is low enough for phone use, also cheaper/smaller than the HA2. Anything without it's own battery is going to have some additional drain on the phone's battery though.

 

[RockStar2005]

  For devices that draw too much power for the USB OTG on my phone I have found that a USB OTG Y-cable does the job, the power end can be connected to a wall charger or battery, obviously the battery would need to put out enough current for the device you're using. It works but not particular 'pocketable' for a portable device. For phone use I'm liking the look of the new Audioquest Dragonfly  Black/Red as it gives a single USB connected device and the power requirement is low enough for phone use, also cheaper/smaller than the HA2. Anything without it's own battery is going to have some additional drain on the phone's battery though.

 
Yeah that's true. Interesting.
 
I've heard good thing about the Dragonfly. Now what if say I bought the Version 1.2 Dragonfly and an OTG USB-to-Micro USB adapter. Would that work properly??
 
Also, it says the Dragonfly has a "64-position analog volume control", but I don't see it? Where is it?