Ditto. Nice review. Maybe you've subtly worded it into the impression throughout the listening section but it wasn't clear to me what the sonic improvements are going from the original Invicta to the Mirus - note, I'm not referring to the technical parts of losing the ES9016/headphone amp/out and gaining a 2nd ES9018. But seeing you had both the original Invicta & Mirus side-by-side, how much more was an improvement of having a 2xDACs over just 1?
Also you didn't have a Hugo with you too by any chance to compare?
Thanks! I figured it wasn't the appropriate place to go into too much depth about the differences, seeing as how the original Invicta is not really something available for purchase at this point.
The improvements are hard to nail down to a simple "better soundstage" or "improved detail". It's more like a boost all across the board. Which is a big deal considering how good the original is. Mirus just sounds like a higher performing DAC - not so obvious with a midrange system but with noticeable with a top Stax rig or even a really good LCD-3, HD800, HE-6 setup, or a really high-end speaker-based system. I get better extension, more midrange purity, slightly better imaging.... none of them is a home run but it all adds up to a superior listening experience.
While I still feel the original Invicta is an excellent DAC that competes well with like-priced models from Esoteric, Meitner, etc, the Mirus is a step beyond anything else I've heard in that price range. Is there some $12k DAC out there that sound even better? Maybe, I dunno, not really interested in finding out.
+1 : very very interesting review and I was happy to discover a new blog 'http://headphone.guru"
And... I was just wondering the same questions:
- does having 2xDAC really worth loosing a wonderful built-in balanced headphone AMP
- Will it beat my HUGO by a large marging?
The headphone out is an important feature, and I think people should judge what they might do with it before deciding on which version to go for. If you are strapped for space, or primarily listen with speakers but want to have an excellent headphone amp just in case, the non-Mirus model is the way to go. If you are mainly a headphone guy and want simplicity, it works very well - especially in balanced mode. I could be quite happy living with just that as my only amp.
But if you know your proclivity for trying new stuff, and know you'll be wanting to mess with really high-end headphone amps at some point, then it makes more sense to go with the Mirus version. Lately I keep mine connected to an electrostatic amp via XLR as well as a single-ended triode tube amp via RCA, but I switch other things out as well. As good as the Invicta is in balanced mode it still can't match an Auralic Taurus or Violectric V281 for solid state grunt, and obviously won't sound like a lush tube amp either. So it really depends on your preferences and future plans.
And yes, I do have a Hugo here for those wondering. It's a spectacular sounding device with lots of options and some weird ergonomic issues. I'll be reviewing it at InnerFidelity soon. I love love LOVE the sound of it, and think it competes well with many of the better $2K desktop devices like Benchmark DAC 2..... but the Mirus is one of the few devices out there which I feel outperforms even the Hugo. Some people may balk at this but to me it is fairly obvious given a resolving electrostatic system.
Hugo performs shockingly well especially for its size, but even Hugo fans are willing to admit there will likely be an improvement when Chord eventually releases a desktop version. In my estimation the Mirus already achieves that level of performance right now.
