[jnorris]

Hello I would like to take one of this amp after reading some reviews, to use with beyer dt1990.
Could you suggest me a good dac to pair with it? (I will plug the dac do my pc).

And the psu supplied with this amp is good enough?

Thanks!

I'm using the SMSL SU-8 with the RNHP and it sounds great. The SMSL has balanced outputs that can connect to the RNHP's balanced inputs, as well as regular RCA (unbalanced) that can be plugged into a preamp and on to an amplifier and speakers. Both balanced and unbalanced are active at the same time. The RNHP always wakes up to the balanced inputs so using them means you don't have to manually select the unbalanced to listen. Also, the turn on/turn off transient on the RNHP is pretty bad, so remember to disconnect your headphones before turning it on or off.

 

[PaganDL]

Hi @WilliamBlake,

First, welcome to the forum, apologies to your wallet in advance.

Good choice on RNHP, it is one of my main reference head amps.
As to what DAC which has good synergy, this will depend on your budget but I can suggest the following in no particular order :

Lexicon Alpha
Any Focusrite Scarlett Series.

Feel free to ask more.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[jnorris]

Unless you're recording the above mentioned DACs would be far more than you need, and neither would be as good as a standalone DAC. If the cost or availability of the SMSL SU-8 is of concern I would recommend the Schiit Modi 3, a very well reviewed DAC that is available from Schiit for $100 or through Amazon for $120. You could also look into the AudioQuest Dragonfly Black at $100, or the Dragonfly Red at $200. There is also a Dragonfly Cobalt for $300, but that's getting a little too pricey for what it is.

 

[PaganDL]

Unless you're recording the above mentioned DACs would be far more than you need, and neither would be as good as a standalone DAC. If the cost or availability of the SMSL SU-8 is of concern I would recommend the Schiit Modi 3, a very well reviewed DAC that is available from Schiit for $100 or through Amazon for $120. You could also look into the AudioQuest Dragonfly Black at $100, or the Dragonfly Red at $200. There is also a Dragonfly Cobalt for $300, but that's getting a little too pricey for what it is.

@jnorris,

Have you actually used the DACs I mentioned?

Recording functionality aside, Lexicon Alpha is $50 USD & considering how old the interface is, mine is still going strong & sounds a whole hell lot better subjectively than any Schitt or Dragonfly but that's just me.

Let @WilliamBlake decide for themselves & most of all, if possible, demo.

 

[jnorris]

I own the Focusrite, the Dragonfly Red, the SMSL SU-8 and the Schiit Modi Multibit, amongst others. The Focusrite is by far the least desirable of the lot (I don't want to say worst, because that would imply that it's bad, which it is not). The Lexicon Alpha is long discontinued and tops out at 48KHz/24 which puts it well below the specs for the others mentioned, regardless of your subjective opinion. My comments were meant solely to point out that there are other options that are more purpose-built and, objectively, superior for the OP's needs than the recording interfaces you mentioned.

 

[WilliamBlake]

Thanks for the answers, I own a dragonfly red, but I use it when I go outside with my smartphone, so I'd prefer something to put on a desk, I take look at the other models, anyway my budget is about 300 - 400 €

 

[RestonDR]

Hi everyone ...

Got the RNHP with an ODAC, i'm well satisfied ..
i was asking myself : would it be a significant upgrade to move from the ODAC to a balanced DAC like the SMSL SU-8 ? ( @jnorris )

Changing the DAC itself seems to be an upgrade but i want to know if the entire chain would benefits from this upgrade .. what about the balanced inputs on the RNHP ?
is there a quality difference between the balanced and the unbalanced inputs or would it be pointless to upgrade ?

thank you

 

[jnorris]

I didn't notice a big difference when switching from unbalanced to balanced. After all the balanced hype I expected more. I would have switched back, but I had invested in the cables and there were other perks to using the balanced outputs.

 

[RestonDR]

Top notch, thank you very much ...
the sound is crystal clear but the ODAC is the first and only dac i've ever had ...
so there's always this doubt ...

Thank you !!

 

[jnorris]

Top notch, thank you very much ...
the sound is crystal clear but the ODAC is the first and only dac i've ever had ...
so there's always this doubt ...

Thank you !!

Differences between DACs are rarely night-and-day, and sometimes comes down to a perception rather than a definite difference. Your ODAC is pretty old, though, and probably could use an update since it's only good up to 96/24. Its DAC chip is the ESS9023, the same one as in the Dragonfly Red. In comparing the Dragonfly with the SMSL SU-8, I found the latter to have better dynamics and a fuller, more detailed low end, and better overall transparency. Again, however, these are not night-and-day and it took some in-depth A/B testing to determine what I was hearing. If you can get the SMSL for $200 or less I would go for it - I paid $212 for mine direct from Shenzenaudio in China.

 

[RestonDR]

totally agree ...
plus, i usually rip my own cds ( 44/16 FLACs ), and don't use HiRes files ...
so for now it appears to me as a heavy investment for shading results ...
that's why i asked ... now i know ... just keep the idea in a corner of my mind and one day with the good occasion ...

thank you for sharing the experience

 

[BobG55]

Great little amp.

 

[SupperTime]

This amp or the thx amps around the same price?

 

[Nostoi]

This amp or the thx amps around the same price?

I tried several of the THX amps in comparison to the Neve. The former were over-hyped, poorly made, and lackluster in their sound quality. The Rupert Neve is a solid amp. No hype, just clean and detailed presentation .

 

[SupperTime]

I tried several of the THX amps in comparison to the Neve. The former were over-hyped, poorly made, and lackluster in their sound quality. The Rupert Neve is a solid amp. No hype, just clean and detailed presentation .

I like that, does it have great resolution, detail and imaging?
I'll be pairing it with the rme adi-2 dac