[tjdub]

Get a multibit dac and you can hear the difference, it's not Suttle

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Gotta agree. I feel like the chinese dacs are especially worthwhile if your budget is below a bifrost as the cheaper schiit dacs are kind of underwhelming compared to the smsl and topping stuff.

I'm a Schiithead but on a lark recently I bought a ZeroZone NOS DAC off AliExpress. I paid $150 for the DAC. This model has two AD1865R chips in it to handle the digital to analog conversion. Customer service was excellent and the DHL Express service was fast. The packing job was excellent and the DAC arrived in perfect condition. I was floored when I unpacked the DAC and examined the build quality and felt the heft to this thing. The fit and finish of the aluminum case is as good as any piece of Schiit gear that I've owned and the one Topping D50s DAC that I owned. I popped the top on it the workmanship looks great. I'm not an electronic do it yourself person so I can't tell by looking at resistors or capacitors the quality of those components. So far so good. Plugged it in and powered it up and chose my Asgard 3 amp to try it out with first. HOLY SCHIIT! My Asgard 3 never sounded so big and had such a spacious sound before with my beloved Modi multibit or Modius.
I have no idea the reliability factor on this DAC but so far I'm enjoying it immensely. I just bought it really just as an experiment to see what a $150 Chinese DAC would be like and it's been the best $150 so far that I've spent in audio over the last 50 years. I'm not going to sell my budget Schiit DACs but this DAC built in China has far exceeded my expectations.

 

[szore]

I'm a Schiithead but on a lark recently I bought a ZeroZone NOS DAC off AliExpress. I paid $150 for the DAC. This model has two AD1865R chips in it to handle the digital to analog conversion. Customer service was excellent and the DHL Express service was fast. The packing job was excellent and the DAC arrived in perfect condition. I was floored when I unpacked the DAC and examined the build quality and felt the heft to this thing. The fit and finish of the aluminum case is as good as any piece of Schiit gear that I've owned and the one Topping D50s DAC that I owned. I popped the top on it the workmanship looks great. I'm not an electronic do it yourself person so I can't tell by looking at resistors or capacitors the quality of those components. So far so good. Plugged it in and powered it up and chose my Asgard 3 amp to try it out with first. HOLY SCHIIT! My Asgard 3 never sounded so big and had such a spacious sound before with my beloved Modi multibit or Modius.
I have no idea the reliability factor on this DAC but so far I'm enjoying it immensely. I just bought it really just as an experiment to see what a $150 Chinese DAC would be like and it's been the best $150 so far that I've spent in audio over the last 50 years. I'm not going to sell my budget Schiit DACs but this DAC built in China has far exceeded my expectations.

Wow! Great story!

 

[threegr]

Sterile and clinical? Where did you hear that?

I've had Topping A30 Pro, which is their mid-range amp, highly regarded on the "other forum". Also I've listened to amp section of SMSL C200. Chinese amps sound dead and boring to me, especially when compared to the Schiit amps. Lot of Topping/SMSL reviews mention "uncolored sound, which doesn't have a character of its own" so I guess that must be that. But let's not argue on that, you either love that kind of sound or you don't. Their DACs are fine and Schiit amps bring them to life.

 

[szore]

I've had Topping A30 Pro, which is their mid-range amp, highly regarded on the "other forum". Also I've listened to amp section of SMSL C200. Chinese amps sound dead and boring to me, especially when compared to the Schiit amps. Lot of Topping/SMSL reviews mention "uncolored sound, which doesn't have a character of its own" so I guess that must be that. But let's not argue on that, you either love that kind of sound or you don't. Their DACs are fine and Schiit amps bring them to life.

lol, ok, ok, no arguing!

 

[tincanear]

Hey guys, I'm hoping someone here with experience can lend me some suggestion support. I am looking to upgrade my DAC/Amp from an all-in-one DX7S (Topping) to either a Bifrost (latest edition) with a Jotunheim 2 or a D90 + A90D Topping stack. If anyone here has had experience with both setups, can you please talk about how they differed and what/why you preferred one over the other?

I'm also open to trying a hybrid like Bifrost+A90D but now sure how well they would work/sound together in terms of synergy.

FWIW, I absolutely love my DX7S but it lacks power for things like a HE6SE or LCD-4 which is what has me looking for upgrades. Need something with more power for harder to drive headphones.

Also.. open to using my DX7S as a DAC and just buying an amp.. A90D or Jotunheim 2.. not sure if that would be more practical or if it would be better to buy the proper "partner DAC" to run with the respective counterpart amps. All thoughts are welcome!

My $0.04:

CHOOSE THE HEADPHONES FIRST.

choice of the headphones will dictate whether the DX7S will have ample power or not. Tonal match of headphone/amp pairing to your listening preferences is another factor to consider.

LCD-4 is 200 ohms and 97dB, so the DX7S using the 4-pin balanced out should have plenty of voltage / power.
LCD-4Z is ~15 ohms, DX7S spec output power rating at 32 ohms only so it might struggle with LCD-4Z.

HE6SE (50 ohms, 83dB) is 25x less efficient than LCD-4, needs several watts to sound its best based on user forum reviews. DX7S will be underpowered for this task

Jotunheim 2 works nicely with planars. Plenty of power, dynamics, frequency extension, plus 4 voicings using different gain and se / bal output combinations.

If you must have remote control (volume, source selection, muting) consider the Lyr3+. Fusion architecture allows it to run in solid-state mode WITHOUT the 6SN7 tube, too. rated 4W / 50 ohms, so should drive HE6SE too

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...bable-start-up.701900/page-6444#post-17061207


my rig: ~16 ohm medium-efficiency (90dB+) planars, Jot2 (bal XLR 4pin out), Bifrost Multibit (OG, non BF2, non BF2/64)

 

[jbhatnagar00]

Will the Jotunheim 2 synergize well with Focal headphones? Elegia, Clear, etc

 

[cobrabucket]

Will the Jotunheim 2 synergize well with Focal headphones? Elegia, Clear, etc

Yep!

 

[adydula]

Will the Jotunheim 2 synergize well with Focal headphones? Elegia, Clear, etc

For sure...

 

[Smoothstereo]

Yep!

Nice headphone system(s). How does the Gustard R26 compare to the Gumby? Is one clearly better than the other or just different flavors?

 

[stevehecht]

I'm about to pull the trigger on the Jot2 w/Delta Sigma DAC module included. I literally don't have any extra space for an exterior DAC...except for the FiiO E10K I've been using with my desktop HPs. I'm about to return the new Vali2++ I just purchased (in favor of the Jot2) because an audiophile friend warned me that using the single 3.5mm output from the line out of the E10K dac to the RCA input of the Vali 2++ would diminish the SQ of the setup, being more likely to introduce noise/distortion. What do folks think about that? Just for the heck of it, when I get the Jot2 installed I want to compare the ESS9028 dac card with the exterior E10K dac connected by the Y-adaptor to the RCA input of the Jot2. Do you think there will be an appreciable difference between the two setups, and if so, which would have a better SQ? (Theoretically speaking.)

 

[Neweymatt]

I'm about to pull the trigger on the Jot2 w/Delta Sigma DAC module included. I literally don't have any extra space for an exterior DAC...except for the FiiO E10K I've been using with my desktop HPs. I'm about to return the new Vali2++ I just purchased (in favor of the Jot2) because an audiophile friend warned me that using the single 3.5mm output from the line out of the E10K dac to the RCA input of the Vali 2++ would diminish the SQ of the setup, being more likely to introduce noise/distortion. What do folks think about that? Just for the heck of it, when I get the Jot2 installed I want to compare the ESS9028 dac card with the exterior E10K dac connected by the Y-adaptor to the RCA input of the Jot2. Do you think there will be an appreciable difference between the two setups, and if so, which would have a better SQ? (Theoretically speaking.)

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you're friend means by the Vali2++ introducing noise/distortion, other than what you typically expect from a tube amp. As long as your E10k line out is delivering standard 2Vrms from the 3.5mm out to the RCA input of the Vali, I would think that should be a pretty nice little rig. My DAPs work quite well like this on the odd occasion I set them up this way with either the Vali, Asgard3 or Jot2. How do you yourself find the sound, and what headphones are you using?

As far as the Jot2, well, you're going to get a different beast entirely, especially from its balanced out. The in-built ESS DAC is definitely convenient, but again, you should be able to use the E10k line out just fine with it as an alternative I reckon.

End of the day it's what sounds good to your ears, and the ergonomics of your desk setup that matters.

 

[tincanear]

I'm about to pull the trigger on the Jot2 w/Delta Sigma DAC module included. I literally don't have any extra space for an exterior DAC...except for the FiiO E10K I've been using with my desktop HPs. I'm about to return the new Vali2++ I just purchased (in favor of the Jot2) because an audiophile friend warned me that using the single 3.5mm output from the line out of the E10K dac to the RCA input of the Vali 2++ would diminish the SQ of the setup, being more likely to introduce noise/distortion. What do folks think about that? Just for the heck of it, when I get the Jot2 installed I want to compare the ESS9028 dac card with the exterior E10K dac connected by the Y-adaptor to the RCA input of the Jot2. Do you think there will be an appreciable difference between the two setups, and if so, which would have a better SQ? (Theoretically speaking.)

AFAIK, the Jot2's 4-pin XLR output is true balanced (both + and - phases are active) so using an adapter convert to 1/4" TRS SE-wired headphones IS NOT recommended (as this would short the left and right negative phase outputs together). some headphone cables (those constructed with electrically separable left and right "ground"/ negative wires) may be modified for 4-pin balanced XLR.

generally OK to use a TRS to dual RCA adapter cable with the RCA shields connected together.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you're friend means by the Vali2++ introducing noise/distortion, other than what you typically expect from a tube amp. As long as your E10k line out is delivering standard 2Vrms from the 3.5mm out to the RCA input of the Vali, I would think that should be a pretty nice little rig. My DAPs work quite well like this on the odd occasion I set them up this way with either the Vali, Asgard3 or Jot2. How do you yourself find the sound, and what headphones are you using?

As far as the Jot2, well, you're going to get a different beast entirely, especially from its balanced out. The in-built ESS DAC is definitely convenient, but again, you should be able to use the E10k line out just fine with it as an alternative I reckon.

End of the day it's what sounds good to your ears, and the ergonomics of your desk setup that matters.

+1

from Fiio E10K (non -tc version) specs page, its rated 200mW into 32 ohms. this translates to about 2.5vrms so that should be adequate.

 

[stevehecht]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you're friend means by the Vali2++ introducing noise/distortion, other than what you typically expect from a tube amp. As long as your E10k line out is delivering standard 2Vrms from the 3.5mm out to the RCA input of the Vali, I would think that should be a pretty nice little rig. My DAPs work quite well like this on the odd occasion I set them up this way with either the Vali, Asgard3 or Jot2. How do you yourself find the sound, and what headphones are you using?

As far as the Jot2, well, you're going to get a different beast entirely, especially from its balanced out. The in-built ESS DAC is definitely convenient, but again, you should be able to use the E10k line out just fine with it as an alternative I reckon.

End of the day it's what sounds good to your ears, and the ergonomics of your desk setup that matters.

Thanks for the input! I'm using a wide range of HPs with this desktop rig...ZMF Aeolus, LCD3 (pre-fazor), HD6xx, Sundara, ATH-D900. My desktop spatial environment is very limited, which is why I got the built-in dac card with the Jot. I just don't have space to use the Vali2++ for a dac with the Jot2, so back it goes. I have yet to set up the Jot but I'll report back when I do.

The Nordost Odin 2 knock-offs that cdacosta reports about from AliExpress (page 66, #2476; see also #2488) look intriguing to me and I may well go ahead and try out the power and USB cables.

 

[szore]

I'm about to pull the trigger on the Jot2 w/Delta Sigma DAC module included. I literally don't have any extra space for an exterior DAC...except for the FiiO E10K I've been using with my desktop HPs. I'm about to return the new Vali2++ I just purchased (in favor of the Jot2) because an audiophile friend warned me that using the single 3.5mm output from the line out of the E10K dac to the RCA input of the Vali 2++ would diminish the SQ of the setup, being more likely to introduce noise/distortion. What do folks think about that? Just for the heck of it, when I get the Jot2 installed I want to compare the ESS9028 dac card with the exterior E10K dac connected by the Y-adaptor to the RCA input of the Jot2. Do you think there will be an appreciable difference between the two setups, and if so, which would have a better SQ? (Theoretically speaking.)

I have heard that before that you should not use line out....but I have no experience with it...