[MayUseAny]

Guys do you wanna setup Riviera tube exchange? I would love to try some tesla’s and mullards and I could let somebody try my G73?

 

[hifixman]

Guys do you wanna setup Riviera tube exchange? I would love to try some tesla’s and mullards and I could let somebody try my G73?

I already placed the order of G73 from Vietnam unfortunately after some amazing recommendations here.

So many valuable tips and recommendations here.

 

[eskamobob1]

I would be down for a tube exchange as well.

 

[eskamobob1]

@Cortazar Ive been debating doing the exact same thing you are tbh.... Too bad I cant seem to get Meither -> AIC -> sus out of my head so now my dumb butt is trying to figure out to justify AIC and a TOTL enegizer

 

[fredfung28]

Hi, may I know if anyone tried the Sr1a with the TI-1a on the AIC10? I am quite curious if this works great or not.
Cause I dont think HS1a/b is working with AIC10, tried once.

 

[eskamobob1]

Hi, may I know if anyone tried the Sr1a with the TI-1a on the AIC10? I am quite curious if this works great or not.
Cause I dont think HS1a/b is working with AIC10, tried once.

It worked beautifully!

 

[fredfung28]

It worked beautifully!

Will it work better with hs1b/a and a speaker amp?
So you think it is well driven after using the TI1-a?

 

[eskamobob1]

Will it work better with hs1b/a and a speaker amp?
So you think it is well driven after using the TI1-a?

Aic -> new transformer box is a clear step above hsa-1b. It closer in performance to the new raal tube amp. I think its still a step ahead of it but it's not a blow out like it is with the hsa-1b

 

[jlbrach]

Hi, may I know if anyone tried the Sr1a with the TI-1a on the AIC10? I am quite curious if this works great or not.
Cause I dont think HS1a/b is working with AIC10, tried once.

I assume the aic10 will work great with the Tl box..I am using it with my amps and enjoying it...not sure why one would use one amp with another as you described it

 

[fredfung28]

let me try out the TI box if possible, thanks!

 

[hifixman]

another TOTL dacs shootout for Riviera

 

[MayUseAny]

another TOTL dacs shootout for Riviera

TELL US NOW

 

[hifixman]

TELL US NOW

TOTL dacs are like TOTL cables they are tuned to please certain kind of taste and people, and diminishing return is crazy!

Personally speaking, I am impressed with the most affordable one in this bunch which is Esoteric N05XD, which has the best height and width. Yet, it has a house sound as many TOTL dacs in that you know you are listening via the dac. The streaming part is meh which doesn’t allow upsamping even it is developed by LUMIN and can be controlled by LUMIN APP. The Headphone output is also just ok, it is not bad but neither good. Dac is definitely the forte of N05XD, which is their new discrete dac. It is might be one of my favorite digital sound as so detailed, layered and nuanced. It is definitely not detailed in a way of Mytek Empire or Rockna Wavedream where all the details are forcing into your ears, but the detailed are represented in a nuanced way. I’m told by other owners that it will be a huge change adding another clock, which would be another amount of investment. Plus I believe it will sound better with better source which adds to the cost. But man in terms of price to performance ratio, it is no brainer as the best digital dac.

Therefore I would really love to buy 01XD which doubled the cost but it has doubled number of discrete chips each channel plus better clock which seems to be the same clock as the flagship. 01XD is my favorite Dac at Chicago Axpona 2022 btw.

X1 is typical LUMIN sound, the streamer part of X1 is clearly better than Esoteric 05XD. X1 is also tighter and more dynamic, yet the deal breaker for me is that it sounds flat like Rockna Wavedream and Matrix X with lack of depth and height.

Metiner Dac 3 definitely has the most analogue sounding in these dac yet compared to TOTL R2R as my reference Mojo Mystique, it still sounds digital. It reminds me of M2 but am upgraded version.

 

[kawhia]

My riviera has arrived and is playing wonderfully!

 

[MayUseAny]

TOTL dacs are like TOTL cables they are tuned to please certain kind of taste and people, and diminishing return is crazy!

Personally speaking, I am impressed with the most affordable one in this bunch which is Esoteric N05XD, which has the best height and width. Yet, it has a house sound as many TOTL dacs in that you know you are listening via the dac. The streaming part is meh which doesn’t allow upsamping even it is developed by LUMIN and can be controlled by LUMIN APP. The Headphone output is also just ok, it is not bad but neither good. Dac is definitely the forte of N05XD, which is their new discrete dac. It is might be one of my favorite digital sound as so detailed, layered and nuanced. It is definitely not detailed in a way of Mytek Empire or Rockna Wavedream where all the details are forcing into your ears, but the detailed are represented in a nuanced way. I’m told by other owners that it will be a huge change adding another clock, which would be another amount of investment. Plus I believe it will sound better with better source which adds to the cost. But man in terms of price to performance ratio, it is no brainer as the best digital dac.

Therefore I would really love to buy 01XD which doubled the cost but it has doubled number of discrete chips each channel plus better clock which seems to be the same clock as the flagship. 01XD is my favorite Dac at Chicago Axpona 2022 btw.

X1 is typical LUMIN sound, the streamer part of X1 is clearly better than Esoteric 05XD. X1 is also tighter and more dynamic, yet the deal breaker for me is that it sounds flat like Rockna Wavedream and Matrix X with lack of depth and height.

Metiner Dac 3 definitely has the most analogue sounding in these dac yet compared to TOTL R2R as my reference Mojo Mystique, it still sounds digital. It reminds me of M2 but am upgraded version.

I just received my Grimm MU1 and use it with Dave. I would love to compare this pair to any other dacs as it sounds superb. I really wonder if anything can sound more analog.

But its good you put all of these on my list to try!