[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apocalypsee /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see, interesting read. I never could have thought that the triple opamp design is just for LPF, no wonder I feel weird why the datasheet have two design for its analog filter. One thing for sure is I would never bought another HD2 ever again although I never stop anyone to buy it, it just don't get the synergy with my system. I haven't have time to bought STX today sadly, I'll update if I bought it. Still using old SB Live! 5.1 SB0100 with kX driver and OS-CON caps with LT1364 opamp on rear Phillips DAC since my Elite Pro suddently went bust. I just hope STX would sounds great with my system. Note that I don't use headphones too much, 90% of the time I use speakers.

yes, the stock HD2 has nasty caps...I'm not surprised that it'd be overly bright w/ some low end opamps on an ATX PSU.

anyway, give the STX a few days to put the "new toy" syndrome out of the way, and give us your honest thoughts if you like...that will change from the usual "AHMAGAD IT4S AWESUM", as most of the ppl who say that are using $200 headphones and have no clue what a good external DAC on a discrete linear PSU would sound like...put 3 burson's on the STX and we might start talking

there's always something better in audio, the question is how much you're willing to spend to make your inner upgraditis little whining voice shut it for good

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apocalypsee /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see, interesting read. I never could have thought that the triple opamp design is just for LPF, no wonder I feel weird why the datasheet have two design for its analog filter. One thing for sure is I would never bought another HD2 ever again although I never stop anyone to buy it, it just don't get the synergy with my system. I haven't have time to bought STX today sadly, I'll update if I bought it. Still using old SB Live! 5.1 SB0100 with kX driver and OS-CON caps with LT1364 opamp on rear Phillips DAC since my Elite Pro suddently went bust. I just hope STX would sounds great with my system. Note that I don't use headphones too much, 90% of the time I use speakers.

Many that are using the STX's around here have them modded out with higher grade opamps. If you find the synergy a bit off with your system, you can change the opamps and tune it more to your personal taste and gear.
Make sure you set the can amp properly if your using that.

 

[sagatman]

P Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif In many cases they are redundant also as they are used on input sections also. I haven't seen too many using OPA2107SM modules. Nice!

The guy who sold 2107SM to me suggested that this OPAMP is lively, cheerful and suitable for orchestral music . Also the 2107SM can roll off the analytic sound of LME49720. I find the combination of LME49720 and 2107SM sounds more elegant and sensitive than stock OPAMP's exagerated-bassy-sound. I have connected Etymotic 4P directly to the line output and headphone output to compare the LME49720+2107SM and LME49720+TI6120A2. Comparing to headphone output the line output seems more lively and humanity, especially the fast dynamic in symphony. I think that is the character of 2107SM.

So the line input sections also use the capacity that can degrade the recording quality? If so can I do the same bypass trick, is it safe? Because I use the line input to record SACD. Can someone kindly point out the specific capacity to bypass? Maybe I should re-record all of my SACD ...

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sagatman /img/forum/go_quote.gif P The guy who sold 2107SM to me suggested that this OPAMP is lively, cheerful and suitable for orchestral music and symphony. Also the 2107SM can roll off the analytic sound of LME49720. I find the combination of LME49720 and 2107SM sounds more elegant and sensitive than stock OPAMP's exagerated-bassy-sound. I have connected Etymotic 4P directly to the line output and headphone output to compare the LME49720+2107SM and LME49720+TI6120A2. Comparing to headphone output the line output seems more lively and humanity, especially the orchestral music. I think that is the character of 2107SM. So the line input sections also use the capacity that can degrade the recording quality? If so can I do the same bypass trick, is it safe? Because I use the line input to record SACD. Can someone kindly point out the specific capacity to bypass? Maybe I should re-record all of my SACD ...

Not safe at all for doing this to the line in as there is about 2.5 volts on the ADC side of those caps & while metalized film caps would normally work great here they are too prone to pick up interferance due to all the EMI noise inside the computer. I have done direct source to playback of the recording made by the line in & they do remarkably well. No real audible difference detected.

I used 24 bit/192KHz sampling on Sound Forge pro 10 to make the line in recording from my modded SCD222es SACD player. Recordings were quite transparent.

Mods on that player are metalized film coupling caps & reworked filtering as mentioned earlier in this thread. Sound is astoundingly good for such a low grade DAC section with these mods. This player with these mods proves that you don't need high spec DACS to get really good sound. Can there be improvements by going to a properly implimented high spec DAC? Sure, but in many cases you would not hear the difference. Only in really complex music would the high spec DAC clearly kick the DAC in this player in the back side as there would be less conjestion in these cases. Simple music no problem. IEMs though are not recomended on this player as the noise od the DAC itself is quite high relative to the STX card.

 

[germanium]

Apocalypsee, You get the essense card yet??

 

[germanium]

Anyone else tried D.C. coupling the line out yet??

 

[Psyside]

Sorry to bump this old thread, but is it safe to use the line out for Headphones? im using HD595, and as well not really satisfiled with the sound quallity coming from the HP out.
 
Maybe i need time to get used to this card, i just bought it 1 day ago, installed it 2 hours ago, and im really tired, maybe this is limiting factor in my judgment of the SQ from HP out.

 

[stv014]

Quote:

Sorry to bump this old thread, but is it safe to use the line out for Headphones? im using HD595, and as well not really satisfiled with the sound quallity coming from the HP out.

 
It is safe, and the lower Xonar cards (D1/DX, D2/D2X) only have a line out and no headphone amplifier. But it has quite high impedance (~100 Ohm), and Sennheiser HD5xx headphones are very reliant on electrical damping, so the sound may not be very good if you try to use the line out to drive the HD595. Obviously, it is also limited to a few mW of power.
 

 

[Psyside]

Quote:

 
It is safe, and the lower Xonar cards (D1/DX, D2/D2X) only have a line out and no headphone amplifier. But it has quite high impedance (~100 Ohm), and Sennheiser HD5xx headphones are very reliant on electrical damping, so the sound may not be very good if you try to use the line out to drive the HD595. Obviously, it is also limited to a few mW of power.
 

Thanks for the fast response. I'm sorry bud but im really tired to read trough this thread, can you in short make a conclusion from this thread, what is the best option for me? maybe try the left/right outputs of the card? how do they compare to the line out? but if i do that, do i have to use the minijack which come with the card in order to get stereo sound to my HD595? is that option even possible? sorry i just started to get into this audio stuff.

 

[stv014]

If you want to try the line output for driving the headphones, then you need an adapter (2 male RCA connectors to female jack). Technically, this should be a downgrade because of the poor damping, but maybe you like the sound that way. By the way, what is the exact problem with the sound when using the headphone output ?
 

 

[Psyside]

Quote:

If you want to try the line output for driving the headphones, then you need an adapter (2 male RCA connectors to female jack). Technically, this should be a downgrade because of the poor damping, but maybe you like the sound that way. By the way, what is the exact problem with the sound when using the headphone output ?
 

 Is it possible to use the left/right outputs then maybe? with the (included mini jack)
 
Generally im not completely happy with the improvements, its not huge differece like i was expecting, but on another note, my monitors A3x does sound quite better...so its really strange.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

 Is it possible to use the left/right outputs then maybe? with the (included mini jack)
 
Generally im not completely happy with the improvements, its not huge differece like i was expecting, but on another note, my monitors A3x does sound quite better...so its really strange.

Yes I found more difference with my modded M-Audio BX5's than through headphone. Note that the headphones use a seperat amp on this card that is unaffected by the coupling of the RCA jacks so you won't hear any difference with the heaphones out the headphone jack. Also I found that other improvements that affect both the buffer & the heaphone amp may not agree with both especiallyif it moves the sound signature too much in one direction. Sound signatures that work well on my speaker do not always work well with all my heaphones. It may work well with some but not others.
 
It is both posable & will work well with for example the Etymotic Research ER4P or Shure's top single balanced armature earphone.

 

[Psyside]

Thanks buddy, nice to hear someone agree.
 
BTW, i dont really understand, can i just plug my headphones into the left/right ports with the included mini jack?  as far as i understand, the left/right outputs should offer better quallity?

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Thanks buddy, nice to hear someone agree.
 
BTW, i dont really understand, can i just plug my headphones into the left/right ports with the included mini jack?  as far as i understand, the left/right outputs should offer better quallity?

Yes will work well with ones I listed however that is certainly not true for all. You may not get sufficient volume if you do this to earphones not designed for high output impedances. Output impedance is around 100ohms so depending on your phone you could lose anywhere from 2-10 db max level. That is a power factor of up to 10 at 10db loss.a 6db loss is equivolent to a power factor of 4 & 3db is equivolent to a power factor of 2.
 

 

[Psyside]

I got HD595, so 100 ohms is plenty
 
Thanks again!