[spook76]

So I just got my rsa to AK adapter finished and got to try it balanced on the JH Layla and it still sounds rolled off up top just like single ended. It sounds amazing except for the lack of highs. My iPhone doesn't sound as good but it definitely has better range and extension up top.

Is it just me or am I going crazy?

I assume you are using your Layla? If so, do you have a balanced terminated cable Kobiconn or TRRS?

 

[Jazic]

I terminated an adapter myself.

And yes, I was using the Layla with the AK plug.

 

[spook76]

And if I remember, you are using the USB input into the Intruder. Not that I am discounting anything you hear but I have never read the Intruder rolls off my certainly does not. My advice to to private message JAmato here at HeadFi. He is the resident expert on RSA amps failing that contact Ray Samuels he is great to chat with.

p.s. Another possiblity is you inadvertently crossed the wires when reterminating your cable. Please do not take this as any impingement of your talents but an aftermarket cable maker (not my current cable maker Ted Allen his cables are peerless) once did that with one of my cables and I totally lost the the high end.

 

[Jazic]

And if I remember, you are using the USB input into the Intruder. Not that I am discounting anything you hear but I have never read the Intruder rolls off my certainly does not. My advice to to private message JAmato here at HeadFi. He is the resident expert on RSA amps failing that contact Ray Samuels he is great to chat with.

p.s. Another possiblity is you inadvertently crossed the wires when reterminating your cable. Please do not take this as any impingement of your talents but an aftermarket cable maker (not my current cable maker Ted Allen his cables are peerless) once did that with one of my cables and I totally lost the the high end.

 
I checked every single line and there is no crosstalk or crossconnection. It's not just balanced but the rolled off highs seem to happen with 3.5 stereo single ended as well. 
 
I'm getting the rolled off highs with the Intruder with USB coming from PC playing Tidal in the highest quality (16/44.1). I get the same sound sig with SE and Balanced coming from the Intruder. The Balanced does clearly sound much better without a doubt but it sounds like it's missing sparkle.
 
When I use my phone's headphone out (Samsung S4 with V4A and Tidal (16/44.1) it sounds fine. No rolled off highs.
 
If I use USB OTG out to the Intruder with the SE or Balanced output I still get the rolled off highs.
 
If I go Optical/USB to my Uberfrost/Lyr 2, I get the highest quality and clearest sound. 
 
There is a clearly audible and much better difference in sound with the Intruder than my other two comparing sources but I don't have any roll off with them, just the Intruder. 
 
I could very easily add some sparkle with my phone via V4A and take advantage of improved highs with balanced on the intruder but that is putting a bandaid on the problem and doesn't solve my PC USB issue which has no option for EQ. 
 
I'll take your advice spook76 and message JAmato and see if this is a common issue or just isolated to me. 
 
Thanks for all the input guys!
 
 
EDIT: One thing I have no tried yet is to use SE input from one of these sources to make sure it's not simply the DAC on the intruder causing the issue. I'll test it now and get re-edit with my changes.
 
EDIT 2: Just finished testing and it doesn't appear to be the dac. I went out from my Uberfrost into the SE input on the Intruder and it has the same effect. 
 
EDIT 3: I have an E18 and tested it via USB on my PC and it sounds perfect. I don't think it's my gear. So far my S4, E18, Lyr 2 sound correct but the Intruder both SE and Bal sound rolled off on the high end. 

 

[jamato8]

I am listening to Tidal now, some classical with good acoustical interplay. I am not getting rolled off highs. If the Intruder does this no matter how you hook it up I would send it into Ray and have him look it over. 

 

[Jazic]

  I am listening to Tidal now, some classical with good acoustical interplay. I am not getting rolled off highs. If the Intruder does this no matter how you hook it up I would send it into Ray and have him look it over. 

 
It could just be my gear's on the brighter side?
 
I read that the FiiO E18 is a warmer amp as is the Samsung S4 DAC/Amp headphone out. The Lyr 2 with Amperex 7308 tubes give it more sparkle than stock but I recognize this and take that into consideration. Even taking the Lyr into account if I use the Pre-Amp out into the Intruder I still get the same effect of being dark sounding. 

 

[LFC_SL]

Extension and overall tonality are two different things. Having "treble sparkle" does not equate to brightness

 

[yuerakuten]

Does someone know if it can be connect edto an ipad using the camera connection kit or something like that? Thanks.

 

[adobotj]

Does someone know if it can be connect edto an ipad using the camera connection kit or something like that? Thanks.

Spook76 has done that already. Here's that thread on this same thread also.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/632916/the-intruder-by-rsa-balanced-dac-amp-update-available-for-even-better-sound-just-pay-shipping/600

 

[adobotj]

For those who use HD800 on their intruders (on balanced mode), what gain setting do you use? Low, mid, or high?

 

[Occy]

I'm having some issues connecting my Sony ZX2 to my RSA Intruder DAC/Amp. I bought the legit Sony WMC-NWH10 cable which arrived today and I've connected it up and I'm not getting an output to my DAC (or the DAC isn't recognising it) Anyone have any ideas? 
 
Pic for attention.

 

[adobotj]

I'm having some issues connecting my Sony ZX2 to my RSA Intruder DAC/Amp. I bought the legit Sony WMC-NWH10 cable which arrived today and I've connected it up and I'm not getting an output to my DAC (or the DAC isn't recognising it) Anyone have any ideas? 

Pic for attention.

I don't have a sony but 2 things came to mind.
1. Set the input to usb at the rear end of the intruder
2. Check connection on the intruder end. Sometimes it's loose.

 

[Occy]

I don't have a sony but 2 things came to mind.
1. Set the input to usb at the rear end of the intruder
2. Check connection on the intruder end. Sometimes it's loose.

I had my Intruder plugged into my laptop and playing music this morning. Then I unplugged it from my laptop, and plugged it into the WMC-NWH10 cable into my ZX2, then turned the ZX2 on, hit play, and nothing... 
I plugged a 2nd pair of IEM's into the headphone port and I'm getting music. Something isn't switching in the ZX2 between analog and digital outputs. So either the ZX2 isn't recognising the RSA Intruder, or vise versa. Unforunately I don't have any other external DAC's to test so I can't work out which is causing the issue.

I've tried it with the default Sony media player, as well as Poweramp music app. There's also nothing in the Sony manuals that I can find about using the digital output.

I've got a feeling it might be a driver issue, with neither device being able to talk to each other.
 

 

[b0ssMax]

I had my Intruder plugged into my laptop and playing music this morning. Then I unplugged it from my laptop, and plugged it into the WMC-NWH10 cable into my ZX2, then turned the ZX2 on, hit play, and nothing... 

I plugged a 2nd pair of IEM's into the headphone port and I'm getting music. Something isn't switching in the ZX2 between analog and digital outputs. So either the ZX2 isn't recognising the RSA Intruder, or vise versa. Unforunately I don't have any other external DAC's to test so I can't work out which is causing the issue.


I've tried it with the default Sony media player, as well as Poweramp music app. There's also nothing in the Sony manuals that I can find about using the digital output.


I've got a feeling it might be a driver issue, with neither device being able to talk to each other.

 

Tried this out yesterday. Didn't work. However my zx2 worked with my alo cdm via the otg. Though the cdm can't be recognized by my note4, I remember the intruder being recognized by the note4.

 

[unclejr]

Sorry if I missed it, but I've only seen a few references to the DAC upgrade. First, is it right to assume that all new units are pre-upgraded? And second, what exactly is the upgrade? It sounds like the DAC manufacturer was changed to Burr Brown maybe? Does it do 24-bit/96 kHz? Does it play more nicely with iOS?