[coralsquare]

  I have a possible situation with my hdvd800 as amp only.
 
I use this as an amp daily leaving it on mostly. I have found or think it sounds better warmed up for a while, now this could be plecibo who knows .
 
but owning a hugo and now a ifi dsd micro I have found an new oddity.  both dacs when used to drive the amp input sound bad. with the hugo it takes off the top end a bit . loosing the air around the music . with the ifi its much worse its dulling and warmes it up to much. the hdvd800 is a very neutral amp I think and this is gret with any dac I have ever tried . except the two above . what can it be . I use simple rca interconnects and have trtied a few just to see. I am thinking its about output to input imp being bad for the input of the hdvd800 . what can I do ?? 
 
the hd800 sounds better with the ifi direct so much better that I cannot use the setup. it does not make the hugo bad but does loose the air.
 
help any ideas ??  I am going to try a preamp in between them but I do not own one . and the only one I do own is very old a david halfler old . showing my age here I built it when I was a kid .   help ???
 
al

Hi al,
 
I followed your advise on using AP+PP on the HDVD800 and the sound is much improved. I am also considering to get a hugo if it can further enhance the SQ. Now you mentioned that the HDVD800 doesn't match well with hugo have worried me a bit. Can you elaborate how does it sound using hugo with HDVD800 compare to HDVD800 with AP+PP? Does it sound worse to use a better DAC such as hugo with the HDVD800?
 
If you do have any update on using HDVD800 with hugo, please share with us! Thanks.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I am glad you heard the improvement with the AP1/PP. The hugo is much better dcs with PCM and dsd than the one inside the hdvd800. The situation I am Having with the hugo is not bad really it's something I have come to notice.
The pairing with the micro is bad . The hugo is a little Brite but his goes away with the hdvd800. So,it's not bad.
No worries feel good if you choose to buy the hugo. If you have the ap1/pp it to helps things with the Hugo currawang likes it . Is the ap1/pp yup have the standard or the SE version ??

 

[coralsquare]

My AP/PP is the SE version. One of the reason I'm looking at hugo is the hdvd800 dac doesn't support high res PCM and DSD via SPDIF. The amp section of the hdvd800 is excellent to drive the HD800 and thus, a hugo hdvd800 combo in theory may work well together. Do you find switching RCA cables help to fix your issue with this combination? 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

No cables did really change anything. Really the Hugo is fine with the hdvd800. I would buy one and see for yourself. It's takes the shine off the top a little but when you listen for a little while this goes away and what is leftmost very nice. Remeber doing and A/B is always a big change but letting things settle our brain evens things out .

Al

 

[stevendjm]

Hi all, I have been looking at this dac/amp for several days. Currently I have an AK240 and plan to connect it with toslink on hdvd800. Not sure if any owners has tried the optical input of hdvd800. How does it sound compared to other inputs? Also, considering the not-so-strong dac part of hdvd800, I am not sure whether this would be a downgrade from the original AK240 dac quality?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I have the hdvd800 I had the ak240 for a while.
Returned it. The optical input works to 24/192
So no DSD. But PCM is on par or better than the Ak 240. As Ak is sabre
Not sure what's in the hdvd800 but it does not have the sabre house sound.
Not saying sabre is bad. It just has a sound I do not care for.
I have a hdp r10 I can test tonight for you. But the amp inside the hdbd800 is very good
With most headphones.
Al

 

[stevendjm]

Hi Al, AK240 has dual Cirrus Logic CS4398 dac chip, not Sabre I think.. Hdvd800 has PCM1792 as far as I know, and yes R10 adopts an sabre ES9810 chip. Obviously amp inside hdvd800 is great, but I am just worried about its dac part.
If you could run a small test between R10 rca to hdvd800 versus. R10 toslink to hdvd800, and share the result, that would definitely be great. This result could somehow show the dac capability of hdvd800. Thank you!

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I will do it tonight. Toslink isisylu better than coax. I guess it's the electrical isolation. When intried the hdp r 10 with coax to my Hugo or DSD micro it's not good but optical is fine for all if them.
Even rob watts of Hugo recommends optical.
What ever the ak240 has it's not for me especially for the price. But looks and features it's worth every dime.
With CIEMS. It's ok but with headphones like the hd800 it shows where it is.
I wanted it as a transport for my Hugo and micro. My iphone 5 is better or at least dead even
And I have an extra 64 gig one so that and my HDR 10 is my rig on the go.
I'll
Post tonight I promise
Al

 

[stevendjm]

I will do it tonight. Toslink isisylu better than coax. I guess it's the electrical isolation. When intried the hdp r 10 with coax to my Hugo or DSD micro it's not good but optical is fine for all if them.
Even rob watts of Hugo recommends optical.
What ever the ak240 has it's not for me especially for the price. But looks and features it's worth every dime.
With CIEMS. It's ok but with headphones like the hd800 it shows where it is.
I wanted it as a transport for my Hugo and micro. My iphone 5 is better or at least dead even
And I have an extra 64 gig one so that and my HDR 10 is my rig on the go.
I'll
Post tonight I promise
Al

Really appreciate your help Al!
Yes I believe as a transport R10 can definitely do its job. AK240 is a simply too expensive to be a transport, not that worthwhile... even AK100 can deliver the job.
Glad to know that you also possess a Chord Hugo. It is really hard to find someone who own both hdvd800 and hugo. Actually I am still quite uncertain to get a hdvd800 or hugo to pair with 240 (optical). I just opened a thread today for this. http://www.head-fi.org/t/732948/getting-a-hugo-or-hdvd800
Since you own both, could you please share some thoughts, if I can only afford one for now, which one to get? 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Ok here is a picture

 

[ALRAINBOW]

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Ok so what's the deal. Well buy the hdvd800. My only complaints are it only goes to 24/96. PCM but at that resolution to 24/192 I cannot tell any difrence . Maybe some super hero can but not me with headphones anyway. The other complaint is it's a little thin but nothing bad in fact being so gives it amazing deatils and sound stage. I could say buy it in a heart beat. The Hugo and micro both are better sounding to me with this transport shown. But. This is with there internal amps. So all in all feel good and enjoy I am willing to bet the ak240 is a better transport too. Hope this helps
Al

 

[stevendjm]

Thanks Al for your test. Really appreciate!
So are you suggesting that using R10 as transport, hugo sounds better than hdvd800, even with hugo's internal amp? Is my understanding correct? I am really surprised by this result actually. If this is the case, obviously I should pick hugo rather than hdvd800.
By the way, did you have a chance to test R10 rca to hdvd800 and R10 toslink to hdvd800, see any difference?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

No I did not do RCA coax. I am sure it would be bad. I have tried it in the past. And yes hugo alone is better.
But it should be the strong pint of the hdvd800 is the amp no the DAC. The hugo as a combo is better it's thinker
More realistic in instrument sound . But for that matter so is the 500 dsd micro. If I was buying one now it would be the micro.
That I can as well. Strictly as an amp the hdvd800 is fine. As adac combo it's fine but the other two combo,s do beat it .

The ifi dsd micro is a little more rich in note,s. And for me more musically acciurate. And in dsd it's no comparrison.
At pcm the results vary some red book is better on the micro some hinrez pcm better on the hugo.
Al

 

[coralsquare]

  Thanks Al for your test. Really appreciate!
So are you suggesting that using R10 as transport, hugo sounds better than hdvd800, even with hugo's internal amp? Is my understanding correct? I am really surprised by this result actually. If this is the case, obviously I should pick hugo rather than hdvd800.
By the way, did you have a chance to test R10 rca to hdvd800 and R10 toslink to hdvd800, see any difference?

 
HDVD800 is more a balanced mode amp. It runs exceptionally well with the HD800 in balanced mode. It will be a waste to get HDVD800 if not running in balanced. 
 
Hugo/iDSD micro are single ended. If comparing them as a combo device and using single ended alone, it's not suprised the HDVD800 do not out perform hugo as the hugo certainly has a better DAC. 
 
If you want to use AK240 with HDVD800, you may consider getting a balanced XLR cable such as AK PEF11 with HDVD800. I believe AK is also running this combo for their demonstration.