rocdoc
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2008
- Posts
- 182
- Likes
- 16
Hi everyone,
I have a system that I am overall pleased with, with a couple of gripes that make me want to tweak/upgrade. I have the (V1) Zen Dac which I pair with my (new version) Sundara, with a balanced cable from Hart. All quite good, but I struggle keeping the volume workable above the infamous channel imbalance. For a lot of recordings I have to trade off between listening too loud (damaging my hearing is a nonstarter obviously), taking a channel imbalance (defeats the point of having a nice system), or turning off the "powermatch", which results in a much flatter and less dynamic sound. After a few months of getting annoyed with this, I dusted off my old FiiO QOGIR amp, and now use the Zen Dac as dac only, to the QOGIR, and to the phones (unbalanced). I gained what seems like a fuller sound with quiet background, with the ability to listen at the right volume without losing a channel (this is big, of course), but I think I lost some of the detail and bass response.
So, I was thinking of the best next step. I know that the V2 Zen Dac uses the same amp section, so it will be just as bad on the imbalance issue. I looked at other Dac/amp combos, but maybe the best way to go is upgrading the amp, and the L50 looked like an attractive option. Any experience with this? It would also allow me to go balanced out again. And I confess that if I like it I appreciate the option of maybe also, in the future, swapping the Zen Dac for the Topping D50.
Grateful for your advice or experience.
I have a system that I am overall pleased with, with a couple of gripes that make me want to tweak/upgrade. I have the (V1) Zen Dac which I pair with my (new version) Sundara, with a balanced cable from Hart. All quite good, but I struggle keeping the volume workable above the infamous channel imbalance. For a lot of recordings I have to trade off between listening too loud (damaging my hearing is a nonstarter obviously), taking a channel imbalance (defeats the point of having a nice system), or turning off the "powermatch", which results in a much flatter and less dynamic sound. After a few months of getting annoyed with this, I dusted off my old FiiO QOGIR amp, and now use the Zen Dac as dac only, to the QOGIR, and to the phones (unbalanced). I gained what seems like a fuller sound with quiet background, with the ability to listen at the right volume without losing a channel (this is big, of course), but I think I lost some of the detail and bass response.
So, I was thinking of the best next step. I know that the V2 Zen Dac uses the same amp section, so it will be just as bad on the imbalance issue. I looked at other Dac/amp combos, but maybe the best way to go is upgrading the amp, and the L50 looked like an attractive option. Any experience with this? It would also allow me to go balanced out again. And I confess that if I like it I appreciate the option of maybe also, in the future, swapping the Zen Dac for the Topping D50.
Grateful for your advice or experience.