Me. I had both the Monica 2 and Monica 3, and preferred the Monica 2. Synergy may account for this, as the Monica 3 seemed almost too powerful for my amp when compared to the Monica 2. The Monica 2, to me, sounded more organic and relaxed than anything else I've heard so far. It was a true joy to listen to, if way too finicky to use long-term.
And as John said, I don't necessarily think the Monica 3 was a step backwards. I just preferred the Monica 2.
Also, I have a friend who at some point claimed to prefer the HD600 to the HD650. I don't have an opinion on this as I've never had the opportunity to compare both with the same source. It also would probably not be appropriate for me to name the person. He's not a member here.
The D12 has good synergy with the HF2s. Less muddy and the highs a little more extended. I haven't owned a D10 but I'm elated at the battery life this thing's got.
Me. I had both the Monica 2 and Monica 3, and preferred the Monica 2. Synergy may account for this, as the Monica 3 seemed almost too powerful for my amp when compared to the Monica 2. The Monica 2, to me, sounded more organic and relaxed than anything else I've heard so far. It was a true joy to listen to, if way too finicky to use long-term.
And as John said, I don't necessarily think the Monica 3 was a step backwards. I just preferred the Monica 2.
Also, I have a friend who at some point claimed to prefer the HD600 to the HD650. I don't have an opinion on this as I've never had the opportunity to compare both with the same source. It also would probably not be appropriate for me to name the person. He's not a member here.
This is the wrong thread for this anyway and it is something I read a while back and I remember the comments but no longer exactly where. What stuck out to me what that they preferred the older model, Big deal. What, I am going to lie about something like that? What possible benefit would that be to anything? Please, I have used the Monica I and II and was the one the suggested to Yeo to use the Black Gates in the Super E configuration. I have corresponded with Yeo, off and on for a number of years. It is what it is. And it isn't like I said other manufactures had better unit, this was a comparison of a product from the same company. To me that is a compliment besides I am sure there are those who prefer the III. I am not going to address it any more in this thread.
Correction: I should have stated that I read this on a couple of boards. And saying a sound of a previous dac is preferred is not a step backward for the current model, it is a statement of sound preference. Some prefer the HD600 to the HD650 and the 650 is supposed to be the more current of the two.
Just received my D12 in the mail, works great with the Denon 7000's, I like how they included the fiber optic cable adapter that connects it to the Macbook Pros.
Yes, including the fiber optic is a nice accessory. So many companies are holding back on everything they give you, which makes the hunt for the needed connectors frustrating.
I just got a TopKit from HiFlight. Now to run it through the paces.
I ordered one of these, its coming in the post!
Now, just a few questions:
What exactly is in the package? Does it come with a 3.5mm to RCA cable?
How well does this work with IEMs? ie any noise (-i know you can change gain that should address this...)
I notice a lot of people commenting on the RF interference. Is there anyway to improve this? If i machine another aluminium housing to go around this would this improve RF shielding?
Otherwise I'll just keep it as far as possible away from my laptop when i have the wireless on, and away from my phone.
I ordered one of these, its coming in the post!
Now, just a few questions:
What exactly is in the package? Does it come with a 3.5mm to RCA cable?
How well does this work with IEMs? ie any noise (-i know you can change gain that should address this...)
I notice a lot of people commenting on the RF interference. Is there anyway to improve this? If i machine another aluminium housing to go around this would this improve RF shielding?
Otherwise I'll just keep it as far as possible away from my laptop when i have the wireless on, and away from my phone.
No, it doesn't come with a 3.5mm to RCA, but has an optical and short mini-mini.
It works very well with all of my IEMs, and I have yet to hear any noise or hiss.
I have heard no RF interference even when near my wireless modem. Most of the RF complaints seem to be with folks using a phone as source. I think iBasso has improved the RF shielding and is no longer using the ADA4841-2 opamp, which is very susceptible to RF.
To quote the D12 product page.
"- Comes with power adapter, leather pouch, optical cable, USB cable, 3.5 to 3.5 interconnect, rubber feet, OPAMP rolling kit, and warranty card."
My Blackberry can't be within four feet of the device, whereas my iPhone has to be right next to it to create RFI. Of course the Blackberry Bold interferes with virtually every amp or radio it gets near. The thing is a toaster...
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LoveAndHonor, this might be slightly unrelated to thread topic but how portable do you find your Ipods with the D12 and Pro 900s are? I am looking to eventually get a similar setup, and i have almost saved up enough for the Pro 900s. After that I think I will try to get the Ibasso Toucan and glean the benefits of balanced circuitry. I am very excited by you descriptions of the Pro 900s sound!
I was going to write a lengthy description of how portable the D12 is... However, I think pictures will do a much better job.
I paired the D12 with both the iPod Classic and Touch (both of them are protected in hard cases). Judge by yourself.
-iPod Classic-
-iPod Touch-
As you can see, there is a significant difference in portability between the two combos. For a daily use, I'd recommend using the iPod touch + D12 rather than the Classic + D12. However, I still haven't used this combo outside. This is because I think the sound quality is much better with the Classic (I compared both of them using the LOD). Moreover I would have to carry a bag around because I would be worried about dropping it or damaging it. On top of that, I rarely sit through an entire album these days and I'm always switching between songs. That means I'd have to reach my Classic + D12 inside the bag almost every 4-5 minutes. Doesn't seem too practical, right? But if I had to go on trips, etc... then I definitely recommend this combo.
All of this is just my opinion and maybe the latest generations of iPod Touch are much better sounding. Mine is from the 2nd Generation (supposedly built with a Wolfson chip and not a Cirrus chip like other iPods) but for daily use, I think you're better off with an iPod touch. Although I don't know how big the Toucan is...
I'll mod my Pro900s soon. If the sound quality happens to increase noticeably, I'll report it here.
Thanks for the pics and description, LoveAndHonor. I actually just bought the Sony MDR SA5000 headphones, which there is a deal on. They sound like extremely interesting headphones, as they are supposed to be crazily detailed and transparent, many people saying they are maybe too detailed and err in being cold, but I will judge for myself. There is consensus, however, that they improve when they are balanced. Thus my Toucan getting plans are reinforced. I still want the Pro 900s, but they will have to wait.
The Toucan and Boomslang are 22mm shorter than the Anaconda, so pairing it with the Classic or Touch will make the IC stick out less.
I just tried out the Classic (6th gen) + D12 + ATH-ES7 combo on a 1 hour plane ride this morning. Since the ES7 is poor in isolation vs. engine noise, the D12 needed a high-gain level of 11:00 to sound acceptable to my ears. The Classic has a silicone protector around it and fits perfectly above the D12, like LoveAndHonor's picture a few posts above this one. The only thing I need now is an ultra-low-profile LOD.
The D12's amp is clean and doesn't distort. I have yet to test it with a fellow member's LCD-2, but I expect it to be unable to power the Audeze properly. The Toucan is better suited for that function.
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