[elbrickodaviso]

I went with the Zhaolu D2 due to that great sale price, and the fact that I can have it Oritek modded later

Thanks for fleshing out this topic everyone.

 

[manhattanproj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-cee /img/forum/go_quote.gif it's also not very polite to assume that everyone who doesn't own a 7510 is vain and purchases based on looks/cost and is simply a trend whore, not very constructive nor useful. this just screams of outright fanboyism or some other alternative motives.

enough said.

posts like those by herandu make ACTUAL consumers suspect of some viral marketing. but i'm sure they do it with more grace, you wouldn't even notice they are hyping the product. but fanboys in any forums are bad. kinda like those harley fanboys that trashes on honda, suzuki, and all jap made bikes. yikes.

 

[d-cee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turn&cough /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... I'm at the point now where I'd like to upgrade but then I read comments that make it sound like this is as good as it's gonna get unless I'm willing to spend $2000. If this is true there's a huge gap to fill in the DAC market.

sadly it looks like comments have affected your purchasing decisions, which is a real shame because I can assure you that there are many other fine DACs in the <$2000 price range that will out perform the 7510

if you have the funds, and maybe are able to trial a product I say go for it, it's sad that there will be new users who will read such comments and take them as fact and will be deterred from buying anything else in fear of not hearing improvements.

this is why i believe products should be evaluated on their quality and performance and design rather than what they sell for, and it is because of this throwing dollar figures around is useless and very counter-productive.

 

[donthuang]

I believe well design important than big caps & expensive OPA

 

[Herandu]

These days I hang around a different forum where Mr. Beresford himself answers questions and carries out mod ideas with existing customers. I get at least a far better sense of what the DAC is capable of, instead of minor chatter.
I mentioned long time ago that the MKIV and MKV appear to enjoy a better performance when used with a regulated 13.5V. On the other forum others have also been trying that and in the last few days a lot of people have gone out to buy a 13.5 or 13.8V power supply! They finally found out that what I have pointed out as a head-fi exclusive is absolutely true.

I suspect that the changes to the TC-7510 some people considered to be not so good turns out to be changes that require a slightly higher voltage.
My test results and views are based on my use of a 13.5V power supply. The sound is way ahead of anything else. My apologies to those with the 12V adapter who obviously must have been wondering what the hell I am on about when I described certain detail. I was listening to a better sound with the higher voltage.

 

[d-cee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif These days I hang around a different forum where Mr. Beresford himself answers questions and carries out mod ideas with existing customers. I get at least a far better sense of what the DAC is capable of, instead of minor chatter.

eh... so head-fi's just minor chatter. no worries, we'll all continue minor chattering and enjoying it

but on a side, somehow i believe just limiting yourself to beresford forums has the adverse effect and prohibits you from seeing how this DAC stacks up in the real world, in effect giving you a far lesser sense of what the DAC is capable of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I mentioned long time ago that the MKIV and MKV appear to enjoy a better performance when used with a regulated 13.5V. On the other forum others have also been trying that and in the last few days a lot of people have gone out to buy a 13.5 or 13.8V power supply! They finally found out that what I have pointed out as a head-fi exclusive is absolutely true. I suspect that the changes to the TC-7510 some people considered to be not so good turns out to be changes that require a slightly higher voltage. My test results and views are based on my use of a 13.5V power supply. The sound is way ahead of anything else. My apologies to those with the 12V adapter who obviously must have been wondering what the hell I am on about when I described certain detail. I was listening to a better sound with the higher voltage.

but what exactly are your test results, ie what has your 13.5v 7510 been tested against for you to have such a view that it is "way ahead of anything else"

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by manhattanproj /img/forum/go_quote.gif enough said. posts like those by herandu make ACTUAL consumers suspect of some viral marketing. but i'm sure they do it with more grace, you wouldn't even notice they are hyping the product. but fanboys in any forums are bad. kinda like those harley fanboys that trashes on honda, suzuki, and all jap made bikes. yikes.

[emphasis above added] You really don't wanna go there, do you?

 

[randerson3024]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elbrickodaviso /img/forum/go_quote.gif I took an interest in the Zhaolu 2.5a but quickly became overwhelmed by all the upgrades, and the people saying it sounds bad without any mods. Any suggestions for a DAC that doesn't require any DIY to sound great, or even some help understanding this Zhaolu business would be very greatly appreciated. My cans are K701s, so anything considered 'warm' is ideal. edit: My current sources are an iPod lineout and an X-fi Xtreme Music...so please make sure suggestions are much better sounding than these things!

If you can convert to TOSLINK, RCA, or fiber, you can find older models by Theta, Forte, MSB, etc on Audiogon. These might work surprisingly well. If you can only go USB or out the output jack, I'm afraid I can't offer any advice, as I don't use computers (or iPods, or any other compressed format) as a source. The Benchmark is around $750 used, and would accept all inputs, and it includes a nice internal headphone amp, providing you can up the price a little.

 

[elbrickodaviso]

I got my Zhaolu D2 today and it kills my iPod's sound without any mods, not even the cap bypass mods. When I send this to Oritek later this summer, it's going to be mind blowing, I just know it

chaintech av-710 > zhaolu d2 > hornet > k701

Weirdest setup ever....lovin' it for now

 

[ecclesand]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elbrickodaviso /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got my Zhaolu D2 today and it kills my iPod's sound without any mods, not even the cap bypass mods. When I send this to Oritek later this summer, it's going to be mind blowing, I just know it chaintech av-710 > zhaolu d2 > hornet > k701 Weirdest setup ever....lovin' it for now

Congrats! Glad to see you're up and running! Try rolling the opamps from the stock OPA2604 to the LM4562. You can get 3 of them for $10 via National Semiconductor's Sample program...

 

[D1g1talV3n0m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif These days I hang around a different forum where Mr. Beresford himself answers questions and carries out mod ideas with existing customers. I get at least a far better sense of what the DAC is capable of, instead of minor chatter. I mentioned long time ago that the MKIV and MKV appear to enjoy a better performance when used with a regulated 13.5V. On the other forum others have also been trying that and in the last few days a lot of people have gone out to buy a 13.5 or 13.8V power supply! They finally found out that what I have pointed out as a head-fi exclusive is absolutely true. I suspect that the changes to the TC-7510 some people considered to be not so good turns out to be changes that require a slightly higher voltage. My test results and views are based on my use of a 13.5V power supply. The sound is way ahead of anything else. My apologies to those with the 12V adapter who obviously must have been wondering what the hell I am on about when I described certain detail. I was listening to a better sound with the higher voltage.

You still have not answered the question people are asking you. What OTHER DAC's have you used?

Quit running around the subject unless of course that is that you yourself have NO other experience with DAC's aside from the Beresford.

 

[Turn&cough]

If a 13.5V PS is required to make the Beresford sing seems to me that it should ship with the DAC or at least be offered as an option when ordering. For those of us who are out of the loop specifics would be nice (brand, model, source, price, etc)?

 

[feifan]

To those who are targeting Herandu instead of the topic:

Please keep in mind that the OP is asking for opinions ("What's a good DAC in the 300 dollar price range that doesn't require DIY?"), and Herandu has offered his. If you happen to not agree with him, you have the option to state your opinions, too.

If you don't appreciate Herandu's writing style or enthusiasm for the Beresford, that's your prerogative. But, IMHO, this isn't the place to attack either enthusiasm or style. Again, the OP is asking for opinions re inexpensive DACs, and we're all free to plug in our own two pennies.

I'm a proud owner of the Beresford DAC, and my purchase and enjoyment of it has been influenced by Herandu as well as others. I appreciate his enthusiasm and considerable knowledge and experience in this area. He's a gentleman through and through, and his only motivation is to help others in Head-Fi.

So, returning to the topic -- I would also recommend the Beresford DAC, based on personal experience with the DAC in my HR Desktops. (I've never owned or tried other stand-alone DACs.) Teamed with equally inexpensive tube or SS amps, it's excellent, coming quite close to the HRDs. It's also great without a separate amp -- using the built-in amp and HP out.

 

[Turn&cough]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feifan /img/forum/go_quote.gif To those who are targeting Herandu instead of the topic: Please keep in mind that the OP is asking for opinions ("What's a good DAC in the 300 dollar price range that doesn't require DIY?"), and Herandu has offered his.

I'm not questioning his integrity. However, he stated that the Beresford he's been describing has a 13.5V PS. While this is not really DIY it is nonetheless a mod on the original design. Being a novice at this I would just like to know, as I'm sure the OP would, specifically what PS to get.

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turn&cough /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not questioning his integrity. However, he stated that the Beresford he's been describing has a 13.5V PS. While this is not really DIY it is nonetheless a mod on the original design. Being a novice at this I would just like to know, as I'm sure the OP would, specifically what PS to get.

Hi, T&C. My apologies. I didn't mean you. Your comments are perfectly legit and don't target Herandu's character. I was referring to some of the earlier ones.