[warp08]

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Guys, I finally ordered a Boomslang after searching for a portable balance Dac unsucessfully.  I reread this thread (Toucan and Boomslang Balanced Review Thread--all 18 pages of it) and I cannot find a single review on the Boomslang.  Most of the comments are on the Toucan.  Can anyone help in giving some idea with regard to the Boomslang's ability and how good it is compare to other Dac?  Thanks.

That's because it is the only one available at this point, so it is impossible to do a comparative review on it at this time except to say it's "nice."  Really nice, regardless of price.  My only disappointment with it--if you can call it that for what it costs--that the USB interface chipset limits the sampling rate to 16/44, even though the DAC chipset itself is 24/96 capable.  Still it pairs very well with the Toucan (no surprise there) and I even plan to use it with the SR71 thru a custom interconnect built by Whiplash Audio in transportable configuration.
 
I found the sound remarkably neutral and detailed, again with the above limitations when used with my iTunes library playing lossless files.
 
I'm sure the next version will play high-res content as well, I seem to recall somebody mentioning that earlier.  But I think it's very hard to go wrong with this combo or even just the DB2 itself for the price.  Balanced audio never came this cheap before.

 

[Jalo]

Warp08, thanks for chipping in.  Yes, I purchased the Boomslang to be use with my Solo and SR71B.  I called Ray yesterday and he said as soon as he is done getting the SR71b out the door he will be working on the balance DAC.  I have Moon audio to make me a Hirose to SR71B adaptor.  But whiplash stuff is very nice.  My connection from solo to Boomsang will be through spdif coax so I could go up to 24/96.  Thanks.

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Warp08, thanks for chipping in.  Yes, I purchased the Boomslang to be use with my Solo and SR71B.  I called Ray yesterday and he said as soon as he is done getting the SR71b out the door he will be working on the balance DAC.  I have Moon audio to make me a Hirose to SR71B adaptor.  But whiplash stuff is very nice.  My connection from solo to Boomsang will be through spdif coax so I could go up to 24/96.  Thanks.

I'm sure Drew will do a nice job for you; he did beautiful work on reterminating my HE60s.  FYI, regardless of the output sampling rate produced by the Solo transport, the Boomslang will downconvert it to 16/44.  That sad, the SPDIF input is the preferred one to use producing the best sound quality.

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Good to see others have joined the Toucan club! I don't own one yet, but plan to get the PB2 when it comes out in a few months.
 
@Warp08, I find I get the best sound from my M-audio SuperDAC 2496 when I run coaxial to it from my QLS QA350. I am looking forward to trying this combo with the PB2. I will have to get an adapter from Ibasso or somewhere else to go from the M-Audio's balanced 2X3 pin XLR to the hirose of the Ibasso.

 

[Xan7hos]

Thanks for the comments in regards to the Boomslang. Between that, the Matrix Mini-I and the Emotiva XDA-1 I'm thinking I'll opt for the XDA-1 as I was mainly looking for a budget friendly balanced DAC regardless of dimension

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Good to see others have joined the Toucan club! I don't own one yet, but plan to get the PB2 when it comes out in a few months.
 
@Warp08, I find I get the best sound from my M-audio SuperDAC 2496 when I run coaxial to it from my QLS QA350. I am looking forward to trying this combo with the PB2. I will have to get an adapter from Ibasso or somewhere else to go from the M-Audio's balanced 2X3 pin XLR to the hirose of the Ibasso.

I'm not familiar with the M-Audio SuperDAC, but I blew my budget big time on an Antelope Audio Zodiac+ recently.  That and the Sonic Diverter is one heckuva combo for both computer-based and SACD source.  But that's a different league altogether and is not battery-powered either.
 
I will hook it up to the RSA SR71B, because the Zodiac is a great DAC, but built-in headphone amp is single-ended only.  These darn interconnects are kiling me price-wise, but Whiplash does beautiful work on the dual-XLR3 to Hirose balanced connectors using the Cryo'd Cryo-Parts rhodium plated carbon fiber XLR bits, that are probably on par with the premium Furutech equivalents.  You can order them with any cable, doesn't have to be TWag and then it's cheaper.
 

 

[novacav]

hey guys, some interesting info. until today i've been using the toucan with a pico dac, which has sounded great. i just got the boomslang today, but am not getting my phones reterminated for a few days. anyways my point is, the pico sounds noticably better in single ended than the boomslang... to the point where i almost want to just stick with the pico. anyone have any comments about these two dacs/ how much of a difference it'll be once i'm hearing balanced?
 
EDIT: it's also worth noting that with the pico i'm using a qables silvercab interconnect but with the boomslang i'm using the balanced copper interconnect from ibasso. that could be a large part of it as well
 
EDIT 2: turns out there was something wrong with my usb connection! as it works now i'd say the two dacs sound very different, boomslang definitely seems more neutral and accurate, but i think the pico has slightly better highs as well as maybe being a bit more "fun." I'll post again once i listen more as well as compare a bit once i get my phones terminated for balanced.

 

[warp08]

Quote:

hey guys, some interesting info. until today i've been using the toucan with a pico dac, which has sounded great. i just got the boomslang today, but am not getting my phones reterminated for a few days. anyways my point is, the pico sounds noticably better in single ended than the boomslang... to the point where i almost want to just stick with the pico. anyone have any comments about these two dacs/ how much of a difference it'll be once i'm hearing balanced?
 
EDIT: it's also worth noting that with the pico i'm using a qables silvercab interconnect but with the boomslang i'm using the balanced copper interconnect from ibasso. that could be a large part of it as well
 
EDIT 2: turns out there was something wrong with my usb connection! as it works now i'd say the two dacs sound very different, boomslang definitely seems more neutral and accurate, but i think the pico has slightly better highs as well as maybe being a bit more "fun." I'll post again once i listen more as well as compare a bit once i get my phones terminated for balanced.

Just as a side comment to your impressions (and totally disregarding the design differences in the two DACs you mention), copper-based ICs, even the silver-plated coppers have a warmer overall sound signature than silver ones.  This is a general statement as I have not heard the Qables Silvercab IC, but I do have the iBasso Hirose IC as well as a corresponding TWag version from Whiplash.  Switching the two changes the sound signature of the iBasso PB1/DB2 combo in a noticeable fashion.  The iBasso has a more analog-like bass-rendering, but the TWag has more sparkle, detail and far better treble extension.  Pricewise, the iBasso interconnect is much cheaper.

 

[novacav]

Very interesting about the difference between the stock and the TWag Hirose interconnects, that description is basically exactly how I feel about the difference between the Pico and Boomslang right now so I guess it's fair to say that it's mostly the interconnect creating the difference. HOWEVER, to try and check this, I used a random cable I found that came with some Bose speaker in place of the Qables Silvercab, and the Pico still sounded a lot more detailed than the Boomslang! Is it possible that the Pico is simply that much more of a detailed/clean dac? I suppose it's possible that this Bose cable was silver as well but I would've have expected that.
 
I want to try out the Whiplash TWag that you mentioned warp08, but then again if it's the dac itself making most of the difference then perhaps I ought to hold off and see how things sound balanced first.

 

[paulybatz]

I am just a fan of balanced, I know that I love the HD650s now and no longer need to search for a set of open cans!

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Quote:

I am just a fan of balanced, I know that I love the HD650s now and no longer need to search for a set of open cans!

What you do need is the balanced TWag cable for the HD650s!

 
 
Wait. What? It costs more than the HD650 and almost double the Toucan?

 *Takes back suggestion hurriedly*
 
Warp08 did a review on the TWag cables for the HD600 and 650. He says it takes them closer to something much more revealing, and calls the Twagged 650 an "HD725." I really want to hear a TWagged HDxx, as I felt the HD6xxs were a little boring when I tried them. 
 
Again, just a suggestion. I don't want to spend your money for you.

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Here is the review: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/503989/review-the-duel-of-the-x-es-the-whiplash-twag-reference-x-cables-for-sennheiser-hd650-hd800
 
I am sure the HD650s sound really good out of the Toucan. That said, I thought you might find this interesting. 
 
@Warp08,
 
Maybe you can try out the Ibasso balanced cable and tell us what you think. You could compare it to your other Sennheiser cables. That would be very informative.

 

[paulybatz]

I think the ibasso cable is the sennheiser cable retermed with the hirose, which is what I had a DIYr do for me...think it is great...the TWAG is simply out of my range, Id rather manipulate amps than HP cables...though I highly suggest silver cable is definitely my preference for ICs

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Yeah, the TWag is insanely priced. For that money you could get a very good amp. Did you check out the review? it is interesting nonetheless. I am looking forward to the PB2.

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Here is the review: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/503989/review-the-duel-of-the-x-es-the-whiplash-twag-reference-x-cables-for-sennheiser-hd650-hd800
 
I am sure the HD650s sound really good out of the Toucan. That said, I thought you might find this interesting. 
 
@Warp08,
 
Maybe you can try out the Ibasso balanced cable and tell us what you think. You could compare it to your other Sennheiser cables. That would be very informative.

I will do that at the earliest opportunity, I haven't been feeling well these past weeks.  As far as the HD650s are concerned, I have sold them (as well as the HD800s) and kept only the HD600s.  They sound awesome balanced out of the PB1/DB1 combo, and I prefer them over the HD650s, which are too colored at the low end for me in this configuration (all TWag ICs).  I know that most people prefer the HD650s because the enhanced bass helps to compensate for source and IC deficiencies.  But recabled with TWag, they are extremely balanced, without lacking in any area of the audible spectrum.  I've been using them as a baseline reference cans ever since they've been fully burned in.