[Yikes]

I just ordered a Music Hall DAC 25.2 and I think I'm going to order a Compass and do a comparison. On paper it looks like the DAC 25.2 is the better DAC and the Compass the better Headphone Amp. It'll be an interesting comparison. Maybe I'll throw in a Cambridge Audio DacMagic for the DAC comparison.

I'm primarily looking for a balanced DAC to use with the Phoenix that I'm planning on ordering. I know the Compass isn't balanced, I'm getting it as a gift for a friend.

 

[Mystere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baird GoW /img/forum/go_quote.gif SORRY for sounding like a complete ass BUT... DID YOU REALLY JUST ASK THAT? From that I interpreted 2 different things your may be asking... both are ridiculous. First if your saying you want a better signal to the speakers from the PC and you use a MINI to RCA it will only get amplified defeating the purpose of a DAC. Second was that you wanted to know if using mini instead of optical/usb/coaxial was fine. if this second one is correct then you obviously don't know what a dac is and you should have done research before you bought it. I'll give you a hint 1/8" plug is analog while optical/usb/coaxial are all digital.

Thanks Mr. Grumpy Beard! I was just asking if anyone was using their pc speakers with their compass and how they were doing it. If the dac out goes to an external dac then no I wouldn't plug it in there - sorry to make that mistake. Thanks for the hint. I kept chopping the ends off my 1/8" plugs and wondering why I could never see the 1's and 0's. Who ever said I bought it? Your post has taught me what a true DAC is.

Digital
Angry
Content

 

[Baird GoW]

lol it sounded like you bought it sorry i just erased it even though its been quoted 3 times.

 

[doping panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chum_2000_uk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why dont you drop him a quick e-mail to ask. We'd noticed he'd taken them off the page just after the DHL problems, so maybe it was because of this. If you dont ask you dont get though

I got a reply from Kingwa about this. He is selling the power cable for the normal price now instead of the special introductory price. I assume this applies to the HDAMs and the Canare coaxial cable as well. The reason for it though doesn't seem to be the DHL problems, but the entry of the Compass into the Chinese market. Kingwa stated that in the Chinese market he doesn't need to put a promo price on the cable because a lot of users favor it. Well, I hope this settles some issues. I decided to not buy a Sun HDAM since I don't believe it'll be right for me and I am still undecided as to whether or not I should get the power cable instead of some pads for my AKGs or a recable. I do know that I'll be placing my Compass order tomorrow morning though and I'm going to be really excited to get it.

 

[Iyonesco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joewatch /img/forum/go_quote.gif OPA info here. Prices about 1/2 way down. Earth $22.50, Moon $25, Sun V2 $30 I e-mailed to confirm the price, but you could calculate it yourself, just add 4% for paypal fees. I'm sure audio-gd will let you know if you owe more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong You should email Audio-gd first with your order and request a total first, before paying with Paypal. Make sure you confirm in the Paypal message who you are and what you emailed about so they don't get confused.

Thanks a lot for the replies. I'll email to confirm the price just to be sure. I think I'll get all three OPAs and try them myself since I can't really tell which one I'd like most from the reviews.

 

[warrant]

Da chip is ad1852,same to zero? how about the bass

 

[idunno]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Instead of switching the Earth -Moon and Sun modules, would it be possible to make a Compass with all 3 built in and just a switch so you can choose. In my opinion this might be a good idea, as I am of the impression that most people buy all the OPAs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chum_2000_uk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm no expert, but that would add more circuitry and potential for noise. I think you generally want to keep the circuits as small as possible

Yes, it would potentially harm sound quality. Also, it is drastically complicated by the potential to use IC's instead of the HDAM's... There are many more choices than the three Audio-gd offers, so building a Compass with only those three would be somewhat limiting.

I can definitely see the value in being able to do quick comparisons between the HDAM's, and I'm sure that someone could hack together a diy a/b/c dip socket/switch thingie... but I'm not going to, over concerns about sound quality.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mystere /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks Mr. Grumpy Beard! I was just asking if anyone was using their pc speakers with their compass and how they were doing it. If the dac out goes to an external dac then no I wouldn't plug it in there - sorry to make that mistake. Thanks for the hint. I kept chopping the ends off my 1/8" plugs and wondering why I could never see the 1's and 0's. Who ever said I bought it? Your post has taught me what a true DAC is. Digital Angry Content

Not sure you have the deal here.

DAC out is to send to a device that is amplified and has it's own Vol. Control. The level out is fixed.

Preamp out is for devices that are amplified but do not have a Vol control. For them you use the Vol Control on the Compass.

I'm thinkin' from waht you said here is that your PC spkrs are probably amplified and have a mini jack. You would need an RCA Male to Mini female Y cable.

The DAC out and Pre outs are Analog.

Like So


.

 

[Skibumef]

I received my Compass earlier today. I ordered on March 31st, it was shipped via DHL to the US on Sunday, so pretty darn fast. Box, packing materials, and unit were in perfect condition. Compass is working perfectly, so for those who were still hesitant, order away!

Here are my very LIMITED impressions from the brief time I have spent listening with it:
definite, clear improvement over my Headroom Total Bithead. For those with a portable set-up like the Bithead, you will definitely notice the change. I can finally hear the difference between different quality versions of the same song, whereas with the Bithead my 24/96 rip of the SACD "Freewheeling Bob Dylan" sounded no different than the iTunes downloaded version. This has been a common occurrence as I've updated my library with better masters or rips of my favorite albums. I was starting to doubt my ability to hear sonic detail. I was beginning to accept that lossless, HQ music was bogus. I was very sad. Now I am very happy. I can hear what makes those 24/96/SACD/HQ vinyl rips sound so much better. Unfortunately I can also hear what makes other songs sound so crappy.

My one complaint? I sort of miss the crossfeed from the Bithead. I have been shocked to hear how different some songs sound without it (for example, the distorted guitar opening of The Beatles' Revolution, which is hard panned to one ear). It kind of hurts.

I will add more in-depth impressions when I feel capable. They will be a whole lot easier to read than this was, I promise.

 

[edselfordfong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecclesand /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry to rain on the parade, but has any of my fellow baggers heard from Audio-gd as to when their replacement Compass will ship?

Quote:

Originally Posted by driftingbunnies /img/forum/go_quote.gif this weekend is when cherry said it will ship.

Here's my situation. I don't know what to do. Bear with me here.

As a bagger, I rejected the delivery, per Peete's advice. Then, at the end of the week, Cherry emailed me to call DHL and get them to redeliver. So, I did that.

However, they couldn't redeliver for a few days. In the mean time, I left town for a month. I didn't want to redirect the Compass to where I'd be, so I arranged for it to be delivered to my mother's roommate in LA. (I'm new in town and have no friends.) The compass (actually two of them) are at that lady's house, unopened.

Now, it should be noted that this lady is a very nice person, but totally incompetent. I had brought over my wireless router and set it up for her. When she recently changed ISPs, my mother found my router in the trash. So, I really don't trust her to help me with the compass parts at all.

This morning, Cherry told me that she would ship the Compass to my current location (yay!), and asked me to check to see if the upgrade cable and the OPAs are working. I said, I can't, they're in LA, but if you want I can just check them when I get back to LA. In a month.

Now, I guess it wasn't totally clear how long it would be, but she now wants to wait to send me the compass until I get back to LA in a month and can check the OPAs. Realistically, keeping in mind all the variables, I won't see the Compass until May 29 or June 2. (Not enough time for Can Jam, which I wanted to be fully primed for.) I ordered on March 14.

What do you people think I should tell her? Should I insist that they send it earlier, without the additional OPAs? with the OPAs? The power cable? Should I stick it out? I suspect that my power cable will not have been damaged, but I have no idea how vulnerable the OPAs were in the bag. Is it reasonable to tell them to take a chance and assume the OPAs are fine, but if they're not to ship me some replacements? Maybe I should volunteer to pay the shipping in that event, since that would be another package when they've already bent over backwards for us? I'm a patient guy, but it's going to hurt if I don't see it until memorial day. I really did want to get familiar with it before Can Jam.

Sorry for the long post. Complicated situation, and I'd love suggestions.

 

[sandchak]

Well if I was in your position, which really is a difficult one. I think I would opt for the option where the Compass is shipped once I am back to the regular address. Reasons:

1) because in any case I will not be able to listen or burn in the Compass before I reach home (LA).

2) I can ask Audio GD if they can burn in the Compass for me till they ship, in this way I would have a Compass that has already seen some burn in - although in this case I will miss out experiencing the effect of burning in first hand.

3) In this way, both Audio GD and I, wont have to wait/worry to know the state of the Compass shipped.

About the power cable, its pretty strong to endure mishandling and I am quite sure it is in a working condition, but I doubt the same about the OPAMPS, as they look pretty fragile.

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandchak /img/forum/go_quote.gif About the power cable, its pretty strong to endure mishandling and I am quite sure it is in a working condition, but I doubt the same about the OPAMPS, as they look pretty fragile.

I believe there were reports from some of the "baggers" that OPA's arrived completely smashed. So indeed, best not to trust that those are still intact.

 

[arcer63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioPhewl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone else noticed the "Compass effect"? Often, I sit here, immersed in music during the evening. Midnight comes along... "Just one more track". 1am... 2am... 3am... and I'm still here, telling myself "Just the one more track"... I dread to think how many times I've been - forcefully - kept from my bed by that blasted Kingwa! We all think he's a god - we're wrong. He's the devil, selling superb-quality gear designed to make us fulfil our own desires rather than listen to rational thought. ~Phewl.

You think that's bad? While I am waiting for my Compass to arrive in the mail I am doing that same thing with this thread.

"Just one more page..." And then its 3:00 am. I sure hope it doesnt get much worse, I get only three hours of sleep before my Tuesdays and Thursdays as it stands.

 

[Thundernuts]

I've fixed my remote control problem with some gaffer tape, a rubber band, 9 volt battery, slow speed electric motor, belt drive pulley wheel, 4 metre extension cord and a centre off toggle switch! so glad i don't need to sell it anymore... (all components available from Jaycar electronics)

i only use the compass as a DAC and pre-amp, so lack of remote control was very annoying.

One word to describe this unit as a pre-amp would be CLEAR

... perhaps too clear, maybe even DRY. There's certainly NO mellow TUBEY goodness anywhere in sight.

I haven't been able to determine whether the dryness of the sound comes from the DAC or headphone amp section, but Kingwa's philosophy points to a very neutral 'pure' signal, so i will assume it is inherant in both.

I'm using the Moon OPAMP on the Soft-2 setting, anything else i've found so dry it's too fatiguing.

As a Pre-amp, it is disconcerting how loud the volume level can go without any distortion. Sometimes i don't realise how loud the sound is because it's so clear, i can never hear any distortion... the only way i can tell it is too loud is when i start to get a headache.

That's the only problem with this unit... IT WILL BUTCHER POORLY RECORDED MATERIAL.

Well recorded music will sound very 'hi-fi' - dynamic and crystal clear, but you will hear every mistake in anything less than the best recorded music.

 

[Olev]

LOL that is cool engineering!