[d-cee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's all I can comment on... I heard the fully modded Zhalou, in moderately quiet conditions, and it is better than Micro DAC per say, but is not all that amazing.

what mods did it have performed on it?

Another vote for OMZ (Ori Modded Zhaolu) very smooth sounding. i can't personally attest to it but many - including Ori himself - say that the sound is like vinyl. He also has a number of upgrades available so maybe contact Ori and discuss the options - he's a top class dude to deal with and very knowledgeable !!! Also it will be at the lower end of your budget and is said to be a real giant killer, shooting way above its price point =)

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-cee /img/forum/go_quote.gif what mods did it have performed on it?

It was Ori's Zhalou -_- (He was hanging out next to my table at the meet alot, brought his own Zhalou and a rather curious little tube amplifier he designed.). Very interesting guy to talk to.

It was a very smooth sounding DAC, very neutral, but I find it lacked an element in its sound that I heard from higher end sources, hard to describe in words, but speed/bite would be approaching that.

It is a matter of taste I guess, but I am not a big fan of Zhalous. For reference, I was listening to it using W5000 and hd650 out of Feel HP200SE and Singlepower MPX "Toaster".
(Mind you, w5000 benefits from alot of the same things as sa5000).

 

[Patu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1. Airyness/larger soundstage (not necessarily "accurate" soundstage, but a large, airy soundstage) 2. POWER in the bass department (I realize that you can't change the SA5000s into the DT770s, but I'd like to add a bit more emphasis to the bass) 3. DETAILED, but NOT BRIGHT! This will be used with the SA5000, after all. I'm looking for something on the warm side of "neutral"; I think as long as it doesn't add to the SA5000's brightness/treble fatigue, it should be fine.

Exactly what DA100 does. You can read my earlier descriptions about it if you don't believe me.

 

[drews]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm looking for either a DAC or a CDP in the $500 to $1000 range (please try to keep it south of $1000 ) to pair well with my M^3/SA5000 combo (M^3 has AD8620 at the moment; I plan to put in OPA627s). This is what I'm looki

I'm running an Apogee Mini-DAC to a Xin SuperMacro4 - after trying many opamps (including the OPA627 and 8610s) I found the OPA227 (on Class A adapters) to be the perfect match with my SA5Ks - you might want to try those (they're inexpensive I believe). I thought the 627s were too dull and the 8610s too bright in my setup.

Drew

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I would also like to add, that having heard the "OMZ" in a couple of systems, it is the last source that I'd team with an SA5000. It made an HE90/ES1 system sound bright and harsh. From what I could hear, it took the most prominent flaw of the stock Zhaolu (tendency toward harshness) and magnified it. Ugh.

 

[lan]

I would say Stello's are one of my favorite stock DACs. They're powerful sounding and non fatiguing. I think it would be good with SA5000.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would also like to add, that having heard the "OMZ" in a couple of systems, it is the last source that I'd team with an SA5000. It made an HE90/ES1 system sound bright and harsh. From what I could hear, it took the most prominent flaw of the stock Zhaolu (tendency toward harshness) and magnified it. Ugh.

Ironically enough, the brightness is the problem of the Cirrus chip -_-

 

[cotdt]

OMZ is bright? i didn't get that impression with the headphones i've used with it... but i heard version 2.5 which may be different.

 

[lan]

Let's not forget everybody has different hearing. What is bright to one is not to another.

The only thing I can note about the Zhaolu's is that they used different parts so they will have sample variance.

re: the cirrus logic chips, if you tweak the sound right, it shouldn't be bright. anything still goes with tweaks.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would also like to add, that having heard the "OMZ" in a couple of systems, it is the last source that I'd team with an SA5000. It made an HE90/ES1 system sound bright and harsh. From what I could hear, it took the most prominent flaw of the stock Zhaolu (tendency toward harshness) and magnified it. Ugh.

If the OMZ does magnify the brightness of the stock Zhaolu, then I definitely want to stay away from the OMZ. I had a stock D2C and found it horrendously bright with the SA5000

 

[lcp12345]

My setup to SA5K are
0404(OPAMP AD8066)>DA10(AES)>M3(L/R AD843, Gnd AD847)>SA5K

i would say the overall performance is more full than before.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcp12345 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My setup to SA5K are 0404(OPAMP AD8066)>DA10(AES)>M3(L/R AD843, Gnd AD847)>SA5K i would say the overall performance is more full than before.

What other sources have you tried with the SA5000?

Any feelings on the Ack! dAck! 2.0?

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drews /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm running an Apogee Mini-DAC to a Xin SuperMacro4 - after trying many opamps (including the OPA627 and 8610s) I found the OPA227 (on Class A adapters) to be the perfect match with my SA5Ks - you might want to try those (they're inexpensive I believe). I thought the 627s were too dull and the 8610s too bright in my setup. Drew

How are you liking the Apogee Mini-DAC?

I'm currently looking at the Apogee and the Ack! dAck! 2.0.

 

[DJShadow]

Um I hope Azure doesn't mind this semi-thread hijack, but my proposed set-up is a Cambridge Audio 640c and preferably a Gilmore Lite. Any thoughts on this combo? I haven't contemplated getting a DAC.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJShadow /img/forum/go_quote.gif Um I hope Azure doesn't mind this semi-thread hijack, but my proposed set-up is a Cambridge Audio 640c and preferably a Gilmore Lite. Any thoughts on this combo? I haven't contemplated getting a DAC.

Wouldn't that set up sound really bright and fatiguing with the SA5000?