[potterma]

 

Spoiler: Brunks DA8 dislikes....

Hah! Really though, Gary should check it out. Instead of telling you how great it is (which it is), I'll give you my biggest gripes about it, which are admittedly small. First, the display is always lit, I would like to see it automatically disable after a minute or two. The ESS9018 has a 'sharp' filter that just has too much pre/post ringing on the impulse response in order to bring you a flat 20hz-20khz response, therefore It's pretty much on the 'slow' filter 99% of the time. That is a gripe on the chip itself, not the DA8. That's pretty much it lol besides a wishlist of customized filters (instead of standard built-in) and a remote. Can't have it all i suppose. I should post this in the DA8 thread too...

 

One more off topic question... Brunk, that auto-dim feature not working or doesn't dim enough for you?
 
... so, tell us more about that F5!  Any changes to the sound after putting a few hours on her?  Have you put a 'scope on the outputs when listening to the HE-6 to find out how much power you are putting into them?

 

[zilch0md]

 

Spoiler: My reply to Gary (don't want to de-rail thread)

That's a good question on the chinese-origin DACs. You could do the second-hand market here and most likely minimize your losses if you're careful with the purchase price. The problem is that your funds are not so easily liquidated if that's an issue for you. Of the ones you did mention, Anedio D2 seems like a good fit for you. You'll be paying for needless features with the Hilo. BDA-2 is overpriced IMO, and I feel confident it is equal or worse than the DA8.
 
DACs I would put on your list if it were me: DA8, X-Sabre, DC-1, upcoming Light Harmonics gear, BMC PureDAC, used Master-series Audio-GD (already stateside) and the Metrum Octave mkII (already stateside). Good luck!

 
+1 on the suggestion to trial the Metrum Octave mkII

 

[brunk]

  One more off topic question... Brunk, that auto-dim feature not working or doesn't dim enough for you?
 
... so, tell us more about that F5!  Any changes to the sound after putting a few hours on her?  Have you put a 'scope on the outputs when listening to the HE-6 to find out how much power you are putting into them?

The auto-dim feature works fine, it has a perfect auto-dim timing, but I have a pet peeve with all-things-illumination at night in my listening room. I put electrical tape over all but most essential LEDs, and even disable them on my music PC. For me, when I'm listening at night, I like to minimize any unnecessary visual stimuli as it provides a much greater connection of ears-to-brain since there is little else going on with my other senses. I don't have a scientific explanation for this, but it really works for me as the eyes are dominant to the ears. Try it sometime! It's a different experience from just 'closing your eyes'.
 
More info about the F5 - I think it perhaps has made an improvement over the hours, but I don't know if that's my brain who's doing the changing lol. There is a beyond doubt noticeable difference when it's warming up though. She sounds great though...dat fidelity! I haven't put a scope on it because I don't have one! I have been finding several uses for one over the past month though. I never thought I would say this, but I want an o-scope for Christmas! I guess that means the tweaker/geek in me has advanced to a whole new level lol.

 

[zilch0md]

Brunk,
 
Quote:

  [snip]
 
For me, when I'm listening at night, I like to minimize any unnecessary visual stimuli as it provides a much greater connection of ears-to-brain since there is little else going on with my other senses. I don't have a scientific explanation for this, but it really works for me as the eyes are dominant to the ears. Try it sometime! It's a different experience from just 'closing your eyes'.
 
[snip]

 
Given the positive impact had with just closing my eyes (especially vs. the alternative of staring at a laptop screen - even if not reading), I have no doubt you are onto something here, brunk.  
 

 
Mike

 

[brunk]

   
Given the positive impact had with just closing my eyes (especially vs. the alternative of staring at a laptop screen - even if not reading), I have no doubt you are onto something here, brunk.  
 

 
Mike

Yep! Plus, I don't know about you, but if I close my eyes for a significant period of time, I get sleepy! 

 

[potterma]

  ... snip ...
I haven't put a scope on it because I don't have one! I have been finding several uses for one over the past month though. I never thought I would say this, but I want an o-scope for Christmas! I guess that means the tweaker/geek in me has advanced to a whole new level lol.

Keep your eye on used digital scopes on the 'bay.... You find some good deals every once in a while

 

[zilch0md]

  Yep! Plus, I don't know about you, but if I close my eyes for a significant period of time, I get sleepy! 

 
Haha!  Maybe you could close your eyes with a subwoofer strapped to your chest!  

 

[brunk]

  Keep your eye on used digital scopes on the 'bay.... You find some good deals every once in a while

 
Thanks, will do. Would you mind PM'ing me with some good recommendations under $400?

   
Haha!  Maybe you could close your eyes with a subwoofer strapped to your chest!  

Lol, now THAT would keep you awake for sure, can't help but wonder what that would do to your organs lmao.

 

[zilch0md]

Here you go, brunk!
 
LOL
 
Fortunately for you, the lights can be turned off with these backpack subwoofers!
 

 
http://www.41hz.com/forums/showthread.php?2710-AMP6-Basic-backpack-stereo-units
 
Mike

 

[brunk]

  Here you go, brunk!
 
LOL
 
Fortunately for you, the lights can be turned off with these backpack subwoofers!
 
 
http://www.41hz.com/forums/showthread.php?2710-AMP6-Basic-backpack-stereo-units
 
Mike

What the....?!?! Please tell me this is volume-limited, since it's clearly marketed towards adolescents. 

 

[zilch0md]

Hey watch it!  Those things run on 24VDC battery power - which automatically makes them totally legit in my book!  
 
Not!  

 
LOL

 

[brunk]

  Hey watch it!  Those things run on 24VDC battery power - which automatically makes them totally legit in my book!  
 
Not!  

 
LOL

Lol

 

[Gary in MD]

Folks:
 
As promised, I have started a new thread in the dedicated sources forum regarding my plans for a DAC comparison test next month.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/689783/december-2013-mid-level-dac-comparison
 
We will now cease and desist from discussing it here, where the focus is supposed to be on speaker amps.  Except for the Millenia MG-3, because that bores some people.
 
See you in the sources forum?

 

[Chris J]

Your amp already has a ground. It's internal. It's unfortunate that the term "ground" came to be used as a rod stuck in the dirt has absolutely no relevance at all to the proper grounding of audio equipment.


Canare 4S6 should do well.

se

Don't confuse a groungding wire with a bonding wire.
It's all there in the Code books.
The audio industry chooses to ignore it.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Don't confuse a groungding wire with a bonding wire.
It's all there in the Code books.
The audio industry chooses to ignore it.

I'm not.

And it gets even more confusing. In the NEC, "bond" refers to an actual earth connection, "ground" as the fault return path (the "third pin" being the most common example), and then you have the component's internal reference ground which has nothing inherently to do with either of the previous two.

se