brokenthumb
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Posts
- 722
- Likes
- 62
Quick phone camera shots of current Head-Fi station.
Quick phone camera shots of current Head-Fi station.
armaegis - I'm really not qualified to give impressions of the mPRE as
a DAC... I haven't heard enough of em to give a real comparison. It
replaced a Schiit Modi, which I enjoyed very much. I swapped an integrated
for separates as well as the DAC so I'm not really able to pick out how the
DAC alone has changed the sound. I guess I could fire up the Modi into
the mPRE and compare them that way. Hopefully I can find time to do
that soon and report back.
I will say that from my research, the general consensus was that the DAC
in the mPRE is good... but not great. Surprisingly its implementation uses
USB BUS power and can benefit from something like the iFi usbpower.
I figured it would be a more than adequate replacement for the Schiit I was
using, and leaves an upgrade path open for something better in the future.
I like the balanced, dual mono preamp design and really the DAC
and headphone amps are just convenient bonuses. Hope that helps!
Quick phone camera shots of current Head-Fi station.
Nice! Do you play assetto corsa?
Oh yeah! Assetto Corsa and Gran Turismo 6 at the moment.
That's actually rather disappointing to hear that the dac is usb powered. I'd hoped with everything else going on in there, they would have been able to isolate some proper power for the dac rather than it being like an add-on component.
I'd look forward to any comparison with the Modi when you get a chance (and am actually quite curious which would sound better). Would have been nice if you had a Wyrd in there.
That's actually rather disappointing to hear that the dac is usb powered. I'd hoped with everything else going on in there, they would have been able to isolate some proper power for the dac rather than it being like an add-on component.
I'd look forward to any comparison with the Modi when you get a chance (and am actually quite curious which would sound better). Would have been nice if you had a Wyrd in there.
I was looking for a centerpiece for the next 5-10 years .. I almost LIKE that its not the perfect DAC - I can throw all kinds of new gear AT the mPRE and feel good that its going to pass the dutchie to the left. Its black... AND it has a remote!!
I really can't believe the sound coming out of the same speakers
I sit on this folding chair, which I can put away in the corner of the room when not in use:
While listening to this - no browsing, no nothing, just listening (I think everyone who had a speaker system that didn't use the PC as a source does that):
[snip]
While listening to this - no browsing, no nothing, just listening (I think everyone who had a speaker system that didn't use the PC as a source does that):
Underneath the side table, components are stacked on wooden spools, with Blu-tack gripping the rubber feet above each spool and self-adhesive felt discs attached to the underside of each spool to prevent scratching - they act as stilts to improve cooling. The Metrum Acoustics Octave MkII is in the middle, with the NuForce HA-200 on top.
Sweet idea on the wooden spools w/ blu-tack!
Roger that! I've come to really dislike using a laptop or PC as my source - they are too distracting - I just don't have the self-control to leave them alone when I'm trying to enjoy music.
And a laptop is a clumsy thing to deal with when you're trying to relax in recliner, for example. I much prefer using either my FiiO X5 for ripped or downloaded recordings -or- my iPad 3 for Tidal streaming, rubber-banded to the heavy marble slab of a re-purposed cheese slicer, for ballast.
On the side-table next to my recliner:
Mike, curious...how do you have the iPad 3 connected to the Pure? Do you have a lightning-to-30pin converter, or what?