[ellevoid]

Thank you very much. Actually I'm leaning toward the Invicta Mirus but dealer here try to convince me that QB9 is better for the money. 
So it would be nice if anyone has experience on both DACs.

 

[bmichels]

- Ok, Ok, the Mirus is "SUPPOSED" to be better than the Invicta, but... Is the improvement really noticeable by " normal Human ears" ? ( super uber S/N ratio is not very usefull in real life ?).

Loosing the headphone out feature needs to be justified by a REAL noticeable SQ improvement !

- Had someone tested the Invicta or Mirus with an headphone TUBE Amp ( like my Eddie Curent 445) ? Good synergie ?

 

[twsmith]

- Ok, Ok, the Mirus is "SUPPOSED" to be better than the Invicta, but... Is the improvement really noticeable by " normal Human ears" ? ( super uber S/N ratio is not very usefull in real life ?).

Loosing the headphone out feature needs to be justified by a REAL noticeable SQ improvement !
 

 
Having owned the "first generation" version of the Invicta almost from the get-go, I've often asked the same question.  I mainly use the Invicta to feed a separate amp (currently a Questyle CMA800R), so I've often wondered what would be gained by moving to the Mirus version.  Granted the specs (esp S/N ratio) are a little better in the Mirus, and apparently there have been PCB improvements as well, it would be difficult for me to justify an "upgrade" to an already incredibly good dac, which may or may not yield an easily audible improvement, especially when taking into account all of the other variables - amp, phones, and especially the source material - all of which will probably contribute more to overall SQ  than the dac itself.  The original Invicta was designed at the outset to be a very high performance dac, and it's worth mentioning that the basic dac chip set (ES9018) and overall circuit design have been retained in the 2nd generation Invicta/Mirus.   An additional factor to consider is the company's outstanding policy of providing continuous hardware/software updates, which enable even the first generation units to function optimally and competitively with the 2nd generation versions.  
 
My recommendations (based on personal experience) are: if you already own a 1st or 2nd gen Invicta (with headphone amp), it would probably not be worth upgrading to the Mirus, even if you only plan to use an external amp; however if you plan to purchase a Resonessence model with the intent of only using an external dac, then go for the Mirus -- no point in having the headphone module that you don't use, and you would still have the satisfaction of having THE best Resonessence dac, even the audible improvement may be difficult to hear.   If you have even the remotest inclination to use both an internal HP amp and external amp, then get the Invicta model.   I could see where this might be the case -- you use the dac "on location" for professional reasons or you want to have a "just in case" backup HP amp.

 

[bmichels]

  ... you use the dac "on location" for professional reasons or you want to have a "just in case" backup HP amp.

Thanks you for your recommendation.
 
And you are right, I will use an external Tube AMP at home, but I find it very convenient to be able to use the internal Headphone Amp when I take the DAC for a WK (using then the internal SD reader).

 

[project86]

  Thank you very much. Actually I'm leaning toward the Invicta Mirus but dealer here try to convince me that QB9 is better for the money. 
So it would be nice if anyone has experience on both DACs.

 
 
"Better for the money" is always a loaded statement. There is a good argument to be made that a less expensive but still good device (Benchmark DAC 2, BMC PureDAC, Anedio D2, etc etc) offers more value than more expensive models which offer a relatively small improvement compared to the cost increase.
 
But where to draw the line? Concero is very good already, Concero HD better still, and those cost less than the QB-9. Are they better for the money? For some people, yes, they are a better choice. For others, not as much.
 
Personally I only recommend Invicta for people who want an all out, best of the best DAC. It only makes sense to do so if your other gear is up to the challenge. I'd much rather someone grab a Concero HD and have money left over for a top level headphone or maybe a Stax rig or whatever.... as compared to stretching for an Invicta and then not being able to afford equally good amps and headphones/speakers. 
 
 

- Ok, Ok, the Mirus is "SUPPOSED" to be better than the Invicta, but... Is the improvement really noticeable by " normal Human ears" ? ( super uber S/N ratio is not very usefull in real life ?).

Loosing the headphone out feature needs to be justified by a REAL noticeable SQ improvement !

- Had someone tested the Invicta or Mirus with an headphone TUBE Amp ( like my Eddie Curent 445) ? Good synergie ?

 
I had the original along with the Mirus for a few months, and I do think the difference was noticeable/worthwhile. It's more than just the SNR and other numbers. It's palpable. 
 
I used them with an Analog Design Labs Svetlana SET amp, and an Icon Audio HP8 mkII (also single ended triode). And a bunch of great solid state amps too.
 

   
Having owned the "first generation" version of the Invicta almost from the get-go, I've often asked the same question.  I mainly use the Invicta to feed a separate amp (currently a Questyle CMA800R), so I've often wondered what would be gained by moving to the Mirus version.  Granted the specs (esp S/N ratio) are a little better in the Mirus, and apparently there have been PCB improvements as well, it would be difficult for me to justify an "upgrade" to an already incredibly good dac, which may or may not yield an easily audible improvement, especially when taking into account all of the other variables - amp, phones, and especially the source material - all of which will probably contribute more to overall SQ  than the dac itself.  The original Invicta was designed at the outset to be a very high performance dac, and it's worth mentioning that the basic dac chip set (ES9018) and overall circuit design have been retained in the 2nd generation Invicta/Mirus.   An additional factor to consider is the company's outstanding policy of providing continuous hardware/software updates, which enable even the first generation units to function optimally and competitively with the 2nd generation versions.  
 
My recommendations (based on personal experience) are: if you already own a 1st or 2nd gen Invicta (with headphone amp), it would probably not be worth upgrading to the Mirus, even if you only plan to use an external amp; however if you plan to purchase a Resonessence model with the intent of only using an external dac, then go for the Mirus -- no point in having the headphone module that you don't use, and you would still have the satisfaction of having THE best Resonessence dac, even the audible improvement may be difficult to hear.   If you have even the remotest inclination to use both an internal HP amp and external amp, then get the Invicta model.   I could see where this might be the case -- you use the dac "on location" for professional reasons or you want to have a "just in case" backup HP amp.

 
I agree with this. 

 

[ellevoid]

Thank you very much John, it's very clear.
 
Actually I already ordered Violectric V281 to use with my HE-6 and HD800 and ordered another Customised C.A.P.S. to replace my MacBook. 
 
So DAC is my next target for upgrading.
 
I'm also considering a second hand EMMLabs DAC2X, Playback Designs MPD-5, MSB Platinum or MSB Analog DAC. 

 

[Topspin70]

I'm loving my HP so much I decided my next upgrade has to be the Invicta. I know it costs nearly 6 times more but I can't imagine moving to another 'house' sound. These guys really nail it for me. Anyone compared the HP to Invicta? Really keen to know how much improvement in SQ I can expect.

 

[project86]

I'm loving my HP so much I decided my next upgrade has to be the Invicta. I know it costs nearly 6 times more but I can't imagine moving to another 'house' sound. These guys really nail it for me. Anyone compared the HP to Invicta? Really keen to know how much improvement in SQ I can expect.

 
The Invicta (non-Mirus version) should be a rather large step up from the HP. As you said, same house sound, but far greater resolution, extension, realism, etc. Plus Invicta has significantly more drive for more difficult headphones, to say nothing of running it in balanced mode for even more juice.
 
Will it be an improvement consistent with the price increase? Probably not. That's not how high end audio works, unfortunately, and the HP is already a very good starting point anyway. Is it worth the upgrade? I can't answer that for anyone but myself.

 

[Topspin70]

The Invicta (non-Mirus version) should be a rather large step up from the HP. As you said, same house sound, but far greater resolution, extension, realism, etc. Plus Invicta has significantly more drive for more difficult headphones, to say nothing of running it in balanced mode for even more juice.

Will it be an improvement consistent with the price increase? Probably not. That's not how high end audio works, unfortunately, and the HP is already a very good starting point anyway. Is it worth the upgrade? I can't answer that for anyone but myself.

Sounds very much like how I hoped it would be. A 'bigger' version of that HP sound. Especially that dark clean space around voices and that depth I like so much. I'm using a LCD 3 and as you pointed out that extra power will be so sweet. No I don't expect 6 times better performance but that play direct from SD is certainly giving me some added justification beyond just better SQ. How is that BTW? Like to hear some views on that before giving up the idea of getting a server transport.

 

[project86]

SD playback is a nice bonus in my view. Not sure I would really want it is my one and only playback method though. I have well over 3TB of music to sift through and even with 128GB or 256GB SD cards, that's a lot of swapping.

What I end up doing is using a few 64GB cards loaded with my reference tracks, especially DSD and DXD albums. The smaller size SD means I don't have as much scrolling to do to reach every file on the card. Then I keep my actual library on a stand alone Aurender server.

As for sonics, I do think the SD playback is among the very best there is. Native USB, though excellent, doesn't quite match it. It's right up there with my Aurender server feeding an Audiophilleo 1 with
PurePower. So in that respect the SD playback is a smashing success.

 

[Sonic77]

SD playback is a nice bonus in my view. Not sure I would really want it is my one and only playback method though. I have well over 3TB of music to sift through and even with 128GB or 256GB SD cards, that's a lot of swapping.

What I end up doing is using a few 64GB cards loaded with my reference tracks, especially DSD and DXD albums. The smaller size SD means I don't have as much scrolling to do to reach every file on the card. Then I keep my actual library on a stand alone Aurender server.

As for sonics, I do think the SD playback is among the very best there is. Native USB, though excellent, doesn't quite match it. It's right up there with my Aurender server feeding an Audiophilleo 1 with
PurePower. So in that respect the SD playback is a smashing success.

I finally updated my software to the 6 2 4 upgrade, and am listening to some DSD files using SD playback, very, very nice!

 

[Topspin70]

I finally updated my software to the 6 2 4 upgrade, and am listening to some DSD files using SD playback, very, very nice!

Thanks guys,

SD sounds like the way to go for me. I only just started building my music files so I think I can squeeze what I wanna hear on the card.

So no problem playing DSD? Both 64 and 128? Some reviews I read about DACs mention inputs (USB or coaxial?) that limit file types like up to certain resolution for PCM files. Nice to know that's not the case here.

 

[project86]

Thanks guys,

SD sounds like the way to go for me. I only just started building my music files so I think I can squeeze what I wanna hear on the card.

So no problem playing DSD? Both 64 and 128? Some reviews I read about DACs mention inputs (USB or coaxial?) that limit file types like up to certain resolution for PCM files. Nice to know that's not the case here.

 
 
No issues with DSD64 or DSD128 or DXD. I keep a few SD cards just for that stuff, because when I evaluate other DACs or music servers they do often have trouble with some or all of that material. Invicta plays it back just as easily as if it was redbook. No lag, nothing, just instant music. 

 

[Lindskog]

Is i possible to plug an external harddrive direct to the invictas USB input and play from it just like an SD-card?

 

[project86]

  Is i possible to plug an external harddrive direct to the invictas USB input and play from it just like an SD-card?

 
 
Not at the moment. I imagine the Resonessence team could enable this if demand was there. It's an interesting idea, but probably best for people who connect a monitor to their system. Browsing through a 128GB SD card is tricky enough on the OLED display - a 2TB hard drive would take ages.