Tiny DAC, Big Sound, Evolved – Stoner Acoustics UD100 / UD110 / UD120

[head-hi]

 

 

 

[money4me247]

hey are there any specific audio drivers for the ud110v2 that makes it sound better? thanks

 

[head-hi]

  hey are there any specific audio drivers for the ud110v2 that makes it sound better? thanks

My Windows 7 and 8 machines find the driver automatically and I've not tried any others. JRiver MC shows it as UD110v2 in 3 flavors: [WASAPI], [Kernel Streaming], and [Direct Sound]. I use WASAPI.

 

[zachgraz]

You can try Asio4All too, but I think it does not work on Windows 8

 

[diaBoliQu3]

Damn, my UD100 having issue with foobar at Windows 8. Sad..
 
Edit: It's my resampler DSP set up to 96000 *facepalm. Either downsampling to 48000 or disable the DSP. Now I enjoy the sound that I missed for a long time.

 

[shyamelge]

  I'm really liking the DAC and think it's a great buy. I also have the Dragonfly v1.2 and HiFimeDIY non-async. All three are excellent DACs for the money and work flawlessly with Windows 7/8, all getting their drivers loaded automatically. 

 
If sound quality (not price) is the only criteria, how would you rate these 4 DACs? 
 
thanks 

 

[head-hi]

   
If sound quality (not price) is the only criteria, how would you rate these 4 DACs? 
 
thanks 

I would say they're very close when amped. The Dragonfly v1.0 would not be in the running, but the v1.2 makes it more pleasurable and non-fatiguing. Unamped, I like the Dragonfly v1.2, but always listen with these amped. Like I said before, the biggest difference (for all 3 DACs) came with the addition of the USB isolation-power supply combo.

 

[shyamelge]

Is Dragonfly v1.0 no match to the rest? Is there such a considerable difference in sound quality between old and new versions? Since I am contemplating buying Dragonfly in the near future, your feedback will help. 

 

[head-hi]

  Is Dragonfly v1.0 no match to the rest? Is there such a considerable difference in sound quality between old and new versions? Since I am contemplating buying Dragonfly in the near future, your feedback will help. 

Yes, there's a noticeable difference and reasons why Audioquest did the update. The v1.0 is no match to the rest, IMO. I would not buy the v1.0. Spend the extra $50 and get the v1.2, or the UD110 and USB kit.

 

[bcpk]

Tested the UD100 as the direct source for a pair of AD700s, it powered them very nicely without any further amplification.

 

[fabifri]

Due to the frustration with the DacMagic XS (http://www.head-fi.org/t/688297/cambridge-audio-dacmagic-xs/15#post_10179649) i ordered an UD110v2. Ordering process was really cool so far. Excellent contact and quick processing through facebook. UD110v2 is now on the way. 24/96-Limitation (maybe due to USB 1.0 Async, but there is no datasheet or information on the Saviaudio-Products...) is a nobrainer for me.
 
Can anyone tell me the performance while operation IEM (such as Westone 4R, UM2) directly from the 3.5-Port? The iBasso D7 did not well and the DacMagic XS did not well either. I have a Breeze-Audio 50$-Thing form Ebay (CM6631 USB2-async, CS4398, OPA2134) - and this 50$-thing does it right - it buffers the D/A-Converter with an opamp)
 
I think the UD110v2 does not use a buffer after the TI-D/A-Converter. The Datasheet from TI reads 1000 oms as minimum impedance on the analog output. I guess the cards are stacked against me again...
 
kind regards
Fabian

 

[palermo]

finally got mine, 

 
unfortunately my 24bit collection unsupported on foobar with wasapi. UD110v2 only run in 16bit mode, or leave it with DS mode. I am not really happy with DS mode, since volume mixer is still active. 


 
try to use Aimp3 player, no problem at all. Wasapi is activated, format output 96kHz at 32bit and bypass the volume mixer.
But, I hope someone can tell me what does 32 bit floating mean? Is it kind of simulation or upsample processing by software? 

 

 

[fabifri]

 UD110v2 only run in 16bit mode, or leave it with DS mode.

 
This looks strange, because i think, that the SaviAudio should run driver-less in USB Audio Class 1.0-Mode (like the JSD Labs C5D) and provide up to 24bit/96kHz, also through DirectSound. Maybe there is some misconfiguration/problem with the operating system. I don't know how long it takes, till i get mine, but i will give it a try.
 

 But, I hope someone can tell me what does 32 bit floating mean? Is it kind of simulation or upsample processing by software?

 
It has nothing to do with simulation or upsampling. It simply states, that the data/numbers are processed with/as "floatingpoint"-operations/calculation. As just nearly every processor nowadays does this, it's normally not even displayed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_point)
 
Can you tell me maybe anything about IEM-Performance of the UD110v2? I think i will not use it for direct headphone drive, as the output-impedance is probably too high, as it's a line-out at the UD110v2...
 
kind regards
Fabian

 

[palermo]

   
This looks strange, because i think, that the SaviAudio should run driver-less in USB Audio Class 1.0-Mode (like the JSD Labs C5D) and provide up to 24bit/96kHz, also through DirectSound. Maybe there is some misconfiguration/problem with the operating system. I don't know how long it takes, till i get mine, but i will give it a try.
 

Yes it does work to play 24bit with DirectSound mode. But I'm not sure it run 24 bit natively, since there is no 24 bit mode in the Windows sound properties.

Quote:

  It has nothing to do with simulation or upsampling. It simply states, that the data/numbers are processed with/as "floatingpoint"-operations/calculation. As just nearly every processor nowadays does this, it's normally not even displayed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_point)
 
Can you tell me maybe anything about IEM-Performance of the UD110v2? I think i will not use it for direct headphone drive, as the output-impedance is probably too high, as it's a line-out at the UD110v2...
 
kind regards
Fabian

Thanks for your information. Sorry, forget to give my impression. 
I love how the way this UD110 sounds even direct plug in both pfe132 and HD555. It give warm tone with good detail retrieval. Soundstage wise, just a little bit narrow, fortunately the midrange was not as forward as I found on hifimediy Sabre es9023. Sweet vocal is the best part I could get, although I loose some bass control here. It's ok, I am very enjoy long listening with max 80% Aimp3 volume setting. Different story if it pair to O2 amp.    

 

[fabifri]

Originally Posted by palermo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Yes it does work to play 24bit with DirectSound mode. But I'm not sure it run 24 bit natively, since there is no 24 bit mode in the Windows sound properties.

So you do not know what Windows does internally. It's possible that the Sound-Subsystem thinks that the soundcard is not capable of 24-bit, so it converts everything to 16-bit? I also don't know...
 

 Different story if it pair to O2 amp.   

 
Thanks for the impression. I got mine UD110v2 today, and hooked it up to a O2-alike Headphone-Amp - a simple design with an LM4562 opamp - sounds super great. I'm using SoX-Upsampling in Foobar, which upsamples to 96kHz and the doing ASIO4All-Output with 24-Bit/96kHz. A real ASIO-driver would be a nice to have...
 

 
This is what Stoner Acoustics send to me, for propper 24-Bit operation. Bit they did not say anything about the DirectSound/WASAPI/Windows Sound Panel-Issue:
    
 
The ASIO4all-Settings are working good, the WASAPI gives the following error:

 
And in the Windows-Audio-Panel there is only 16-Bit to select:

(sorry for the German dialogue...)
 
Maybe we can sort it out together, or maybe someone has an Idea.
 
kind regards
Fabian