BURNART
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So Onyx is warmer in your opinion?
USB-C to 3.5mm adapters (DAC) - Let's find the best
Onyx is not warm nor bright or clinical or whatever.
It is reference tuning and dead flat with great amount of evolvement.
Kindly have a look
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/thx-onyx-portable-dac-amplifier.25116/review/26135/
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Yeah not warmer. Just better sounding to my taste.
Still looking for the best and you are on low budget?
Then the Period Audio Rhodium is an excellent choice for the price just be sure to use it with sensitive iems.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/periodic-audio-rh.24947/review/26168/
I really liked it.
Then the Period Audio Rhodium is an excellent choice for the price just be sure to use it with sensitive iems.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/periodic-audio-rh.24947/review/26168/
I really liked it.
Agreed, Rhodium is terrific. Limited in driving power, but I found it shockingly good sounding for something so minimal. Paired with the Nickel amp it opens up a lot.
Oh , the Nickel is super , I am preparing a separate review.
Both products are very cleverly engineered.
Thanks for this. Any more details on how it compares to the ztella zorloo, which is the best small form DAC that I've tried?
Except for the extra power - grip - drive , they are very close.
Ztella is a touch more detailed and clean , with a bit of more precise positioning.
But the Rhodium sounds more organic , compared together the Ztella is "bright".
BTW I prefer the iBasso DC03 - DC04 to the Ztella.
Thanks! I didn't get on with the DC03. Sounded flat to me. Preferred the brightness of the Ztella, though it sounds kind of 'squeezed' compared to the higher end DACs (Cobalt, S1, W2), but then, you get what you pay for...
You can find measurements of the Rhodium here
I have already found them but I tend to listen than read measurements.
Works best for me but it might not for you.
Feel free to skip.
And I certainly didn't pair it with my Sennheiser HD650 as this guy did....
If you like the Ztella then I think that you should definitely try the Onyx.
If you had skipped to the end, you will find the comments and measurements from the designer. Quite informative. I have not commented either way. Just a link to measurements from an independent source and the designer/manufacturer.
Sorry I haven't skipped to the end.
I had direct communication with the manufacturer while writing this review.
@digititus
I would like to thank you for pointing me to the manufacturer response.
It is another proof of how vague , wrong and deliberately controlled is the ASR website.
Quoting from the manufacturers answer where he proves with detailed measurements the following
"
So, to sum up, Rhodium:
- can output 1 Vrms into a 32 Ohm load
- will generate 3 mW into a 300 Ohm load, and 30+ mW into a 32 Ohm load
- will have < 0.008% THD @ 1 kHz @ 30 mW output (1Vrms into 32 Ohms)
- has even better performance at typical 1 mW output listening levels
- was designed so that tradeoffs benefitted typical listening levels rather than rarely-used full output levels
- is not optimal for high impedance, large/inefficient cans
- is extremely portable
Oh, lastly: we use the ALC5686, not the 4050 as shown in a previous picture. It's a bigger package (6mm x 6.5mm) but with finer pitched pins. We also have a higher tolerance oscillator, and selected every cap in the system with an eye towards superior performance in the small package, but when tradeoffs arose we chose to give priority to typical listening levels (-25 dBFS to -10 dBFS) rather than full/max output (0 dBFS).
I hope this is instructive; for anyone wanting additional tests or information about our APx setup, please feel free to ask.
Dan Wiggins
Periodic Audio Inc."
And as always silence from Mr. ASR
I would like to thank you for pointing me to the manufacturer response.
It is another proof of how vague , wrong and deliberately controlled is the ASR website.
Quoting from the manufacturers answer where he proves with detailed measurements the following
"
So, to sum up, Rhodium:
- can output 1 Vrms into a 32 Ohm load
- will generate 3 mW into a 300 Ohm load, and 30+ mW into a 32 Ohm load
- will have < 0.008% THD @ 1 kHz @ 30 mW output (1Vrms into 32 Ohms)
- has even better performance at typical 1 mW output listening levels
- was designed so that tradeoffs benefitted typical listening levels rather than rarely-used full output levels
- is not optimal for high impedance, large/inefficient cans
- is extremely portable
Oh, lastly: we use the ALC5686, not the 4050 as shown in a previous picture. It's a bigger package (6mm x 6.5mm) but with finer pitched pins. We also have a higher tolerance oscillator, and selected every cap in the system with an eye towards superior performance in the small package, but when tradeoffs arose we chose to give priority to typical listening levels (-25 dBFS to -10 dBFS) rather than full/max output (0 dBFS).
I hope this is instructive; for anyone wanting additional tests or information about our APx setup, please feel free to ask.
Dan Wiggins
Periodic Audio Inc."
And as always silence from Mr. ASR
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