[Cya|\|]

Quote:

I received, with my Sparrow, a 24/96 USB module to try. I pulled the Fun out of my speaker rig to compare it to the original with headphones, and while the difference wasn't large, the 24/96 module seems to be a tad smoother/less harsh.  I think the overall AD1852/DIR9001/Earth combo is, overall, a bit harsh at this level with bright cans.  I understand why now many manufacturers of low-end gear tend to make their amps and the like a bit rolled-off, such as by using the WM8740 and/or through the design of the output stage, as it masks this.  I haven't played with the "soft" setting jumpers in the Fun this time, but if they behave like they did in the Compass, engaging them gives quite subtle results that might be worth trying if harshness is a problem.  I recall Zanth saying, about the Compass, that he enjoyed using it at work with the most rolled-off soft setting, as it was very relaxing to listen with.

Isn't the 24/96 module the default one? By the way, could u do a comparison between the sparrow and the fun with earth opamp? I'd really like to know if the fun with upgraded opamp is better than the sparrow.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Isn't the 24/96 module the default one? By the way, could u do a comparison between the sparrow and the fun with earth opamp? I'd really like to know if the fun with upgraded opamp is better than the sparrow.

It's the default now.  IIRC Kingwa said somewhere the Fun with Earth and Sparrow (A) were the same, different only in features.  I'm a little reluctant to try and split hairs over optical and USB and other small things with which there is very likely a lot of variance and doesn't matter so much with entry-level gear.  What I'm most interested in doing is comparing the Sparrow or Fun to the on-board sound of my MacBook Pro with the headphones I was using and music I was listening to before I discovered Head-fi.  I want to think about what I would have felt had I bought one from scratch.

 

[superchan]

audio gd added a new D/A module : [size=x-small]DA8740 Modules :[/size]
[size=x-small]Uses the Wolfson Hi-End grade chips WM8740. Supports up to 192KHz/24Bit D/A conversion. Sounds quite neutral but slight smooth,the detail and dynamic had recur.[/size]
 
 
anyone is going to try this  out ??

 

[Currawong]

The 8740 was available from the beginning. I think he removed, at one stage, all the modules that people weren't interested in. The 8740 a tad smoother than the AD1852 ("glass" vs. "wood" was the description that comes to my mind the first time I tried it) but I think a little inferior overall, though maybe a better match with lower-end gear for these reasons.

 

[rhythmic_impulse]

The FUN webpage has been updated. The new default module for DAC is the WM8741 which according to Kingwa, sounds  richer and analog than the AD1852 but detailed as well.  It won't be a drect drop replacement module though since an upgrade will involve soldering a wire from the WM8741 module to the DIR9001 module for power requirements. Kingwa said the wire is already soldered on the WM8741 so upgrades will only involve attaching the wire to the DIR9001. He will provide a pic to show how this is done.

 

[Cya|\|]

Quote:

The FUN webpage has been updated. The new default module for DAC is the WM8741 which according to Kingwa, sounds  richer and analog than the AD1852 but detailed as well.  It won't be a drect drop replacement module though since an upgrade will involve soldering a wire from the WM8741 module to the DIR9001 module for power requirements. Kingwa said the wire is already soldered on the WM8741 so upgrades will only involve attaching the wire to the DIR9001. He will provide a pic to show how this is done.

What do you mean with "sounds analog than the ad1852"?

 

[rhythmic_impulse]

I'm not so sure by what Kingwa is saying but this is his reply to my email:
 

 The WM8741 price is USD30 but since its power supply is different, so want >> to solder one wire to suit its power request in the old FUN. >> The WM8741 sound slight rich than AD1852 and slight analog but detail.

 
I assume it must be something about the WM8471 being not harsh as compared to the AD1852. Some of us, including myself, have previously found the AD1852 combination to be rather harsh with bright sounding cans. I am hoping that the newer module is natural sounding. I have ordered one unit so hopefully I can provide some impressions later.

 

[Cya|\|]

ok, so i guess the ad1852 is still the best choice for non bright cans (like hd650 or audeze lcd 2).

 

[Currawong]

The difference wont be much.  The 8741 is Wolfson's top-of-the-line DAC, whereas the 8740 is the cheap one used in a lot of low-end gear.  The ideal DAC sounds more natural and less digital, though that's difficult in low-end gear without making the sound more coloured usually.

 

[muad]

Is anyone planning on trying the new dac module? I think I'm gonna pick one up. I'm just gonna ask kingwa some questions first. Does anyone have a link to the installation instructions?

 

[fourwed]

I am new to DAC and wanna ask some silly questions about the FUN.
 

• I hate background noise when using a headphone amp, does FUN has this problem?
• I am still very confuse about the bit and Hz specifications. If I buy FUN now, it will have DIR9001 and WM8741, which is 24/96 and 32/192. Does it mean that the signal will be passed in the DIR in 24/96 and then upsample to 32/192 in the DAC?
• Is the bit and Hz only exist in Digital source? which means that after the DAC did its job to convert into analog signal, we cannot describe it in bit and Hz as it is become analog?
• Does the TE7022, 24/96Hz USB input support ASIO?

 
Please advise. Thank you.

 

[Cya|\|]

The wolfson 8741 can support from 16 to 32 bit. In the audio gd products it stops at 24 bit.
In my opinion, 32 bit is useless unless you wanna use some digital effects, like digital attenuator. And the audio gd fun and sparrow have a high quality analog potentiometer.

 

[Currawong]

fourwed: You really need to learn entirely about how analogue to digital and digital to analogue conversion works in detail. I'm sorry I can't, off the top of my head, suggest where to begin reading.  For now, I would only concern yourself with your first question.  To answer that, we need to know what headphones you have.  Usually, however, you might expect, with no music playing, a little hiss if you turn the volume all the way up.  With music playing, you won't encounter any hiss at normal listening levels with all but unusual headphones.

 

[Cya|\|]

Btw currawong, i'm looking forward to your opinion of the lcd 2 with the fun. As i'll definitly by buying the sparrow for them, as that's the best amp/dac i can afford.

 

[bobxxxbob]

Quote:

Is anyone planning on trying the new dac module? I think I'm gonna pick one up. I'm just gonna ask kingwa some questions first. Does anyone have a link to the installation instruct
 
here is a picture kingwa sent me  that shows where you need to solder the wire when installing the new module.