Vote: DACMini Vs. HA-160D
Nov 24, 2010 at 12:02 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 40
myinitialsaredac

myinitialsaredac

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Hi guys,
 
I am pairing down my system into one box and two cables. I will be using usb from my computer as the source and plan to get a Cardas Clear USB as my conveyer (whether or not a USB cable makes a difference should not be discussed in this thread). I have narrowed down my choices to two products:
 
Burson HA-160D @ 1095 
Centrance DACMini CX @ 795
 
I have heard many great comments regarding the Burson 160 and equally many comments about the DACPort amp and dac implementation. I am currently leaning towards the DACMini because it seems to have a better usb implementation. The amplifier in it should be somewhat similar to the DACPort but better due to the more robust power supply. 
 
These will be used with my Cardas HD600's and (when I get them) D7000's. I listen to a wide variety of music comprised of folk, jazz, (when I can find well recorded) hip hop, and some classical.
 
I am still undecided. 
 
Cast your vote and feel free to provide a reason in the thread!
 
Dave
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 8:37 AM Post #5 of 40
Funny you should ask this, as I was wondering the same thing.
 
I have a Burson HA160D due to me next week (on loan from local HiFi dealer), for audition and review  . .. . as he is a good friend of mine (and he has not heard it himself), he has kindly offered to lend it to me for a few weeks for appraisal and review . . . YAY!!!!   :)
 
I have HD650's and will stay in touch as to how the combo works (I have had HD600's before, and I am very familiar with their sound).
 
regards,
 
SImon
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 9:11 AM Post #6 of 40
You might get more votes if you put this in the "Dedicated Source Components" forum
wink_face.gif

 
Nov 27, 2010 at 2:36 PM Post #7 of 40


Quote:
bfwiat said:
Funny you should ask this, as I was wondering the same thing.
 
I have a Burson HA160D due to me next week (on loan from local HiFi dealer), for audition and review  . .. . as he is a good friend of mine (and he has not heard it himself), he has kindly offered to lend it to me for a few weeks for appraisal and review . . . YAY!!!!   :)
 
I have HD650's and will stay in touch as to how the combo works (I have had HD600's before, and I am very familiar with their sound).
 
regards,
 
SImon
Click to expand...

I look forward to your impressions,
 
Dave
 
 
Nov 30, 2010 at 8:03 PM Post #8 of 40
I have the DACmini & have been testing it for the last week & I couldn't be happier with it. I find that my HD 650s with an SAA Eq cable is a perfect match for it. I've. Never heard my Senn. sound better & I have an Audio-GD Phoenix & can run them balanced. Since I love them on the Phoenix in balanced mode I was shocked to hear them sound 99% as good on a barely broken in mini. As for the dac, it has exactly the same wonderful dac as my DACport, only with a lot more input & output options. Honestly, I think it is a steal at it's intro price.

I have not heard the new Burson combo amp, but I have heard their amp & I thought it was one of the best solid state amps I've ever heard. Also based on the review i read on the 160D in 6 Moons. The dac seems to be great too. I'd be interested in it myself if I wasn't so happy with the DACmini.

I spent the last weekend comparing it to my wonderful Nuforce HDP & after many hours of comparison it became clear to me that although both play way above their pay grade, I do prefer the mini's more tube like sound to the more sterile sounding HDP especially on my HD 650s & K702s. I plan to spend the rest of the week trying out my IEMs & testing it as a dac to drive my tube amps & then in am only mode driven by my other dacs!

Given the excellent reviews on all the Burson gear & my own experience now with the DACmini & the DACport., I think you'd be very happy with either. Me, I'd buy the mini.& use the $$$ difference to get some nice cables &/or maybe an M2Tech HiFace USB to SPIDF converter to connect to the mini's coax connector so you'd get the best possible sound possible. Good luck!

 
Jul 14, 2011 at 4:20 AM Post #11 of 40
Anybody who have heard both DAC/Amps note the differences of these two?
 
Jul 14, 2011 at 7:27 AM Post #12 of 40


Quote:
joonbug said:
Anybody who have heard both DAC/Amps note the differences of these two?
Click to expand...


The question seems to get asked on a fairly regular basis and until recently there hasn't seemed to be anyone who had both to compare. Headphonia just did a review and comparison of the DACport and DACmini with a few other products one of which being the 160D.
 
http://www.headfonia.com/centrance-dacmini-and-dacport/
 
Jul 14, 2011 at 8:28 AM Post #13 of 40


Quote:
elnero said:
The question seems to get asked on a fairly regular basis and until recently there hasn't seemed to be anyone who had both to compare. Headphonia just did a review and comparison of the DACport and DACmini with a few other products one of which being the 160D.
 
http://www.headfonia.com/centrance-dacmini-and-dacport/
Click to expand...


I'm a newbie to head-fi/headfonia terminology so help me out here. So according to the above link, the Burnson is warmer and more articulated (dunno how that works), while the DACmini is more neutral, a tad bit less colored, more anemic? (I can't drive, so I don't get the white car analogy, sorry  
tongue.gif
) elnero, I see you have a DACmini and a pair of LCD2s. Have you also used the LCD2s for the HA-160D? 
 
Also I was more curious of how the DAC/Amp package would sound, not just the DACs themselves. Do you know of any links to some comparisons?
 
sorry for asking noob questions 
JoonBug
 
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 3:10 AM Post #14 of 40
I am interested in peoples comparisons of the burson and the centrance also. I think my Burson loaner should be here tomorrow and i have hd600s and 650s here to try them out with so a mini vs burson comparison would make me know more about how the mini sounds since I'll have something to relate it to.
 
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