[Viper2005]

Spending more time with the balanced output, there is a slight but definite difference between the SE and BAL outputs.  The SE seems warmer, and the treble slightly more laid back.  Hard to describe, but the BAL seems more accurate (less veil?).  I seem to get more bass out of the SE but the BAL is a little less bass but more impactful.

 

[project86]

I agree. I still can't tell if the SE is really warmer, or if it's just a byproduct of the top end being somewhat less clear. Sometimes that tilt will make me think about it from the wrong perspective. But so far I like the SE output and really like the BAL output. 
 
I need to try HD800 from the SE jack because it seems like that may actually benefit from it. We'll see.
 
Have you tried IEMs yet? I haven't had a chance. 

 

[mrcasey]

  I agree. I still can't tell if the SE is really warmer, or if it's just a byproduct of the top end being somewhat less clear. Sometimes that tilt will make me think about it from the wrong perspective. But so far I like the SE output and really like the BAL output. 
 
I need to try HD800 from the SE jack because it seems like that may actually benefit from it. We'll see.
 
Have you tried IEMs yet? I haven't had a chance. 

 
encouraging so far

 

[mrcasey]

My A28 arrived yesterday and is awaiting pickup at Grant Fidelity's shop.  I expect to be finished this project and home Tuesday.  Balanced cable for LCD3 and some new XLR's already waiting at home.  Can't wait....

 

[dermott]

For those of you that have the DA8, would you say the A28 is a marked improvement over the DAC's internal amp? For $150 more, is the Mjolnir better or just different (paired with the DA8 feeding LCD2)?

 

[project86]

  For those of you that have the DA8, would you say the A28 is a marked improvement over the DAC's internal amp? For $150 more, is the Mjolnir better or just different (paired with the DA8 feeding LCD2)?

 
Preliminary thoughts: yes, the A28 is worth it compared to the DA8 integrated amp - chiefly if one uses a fully balanced setup.
 
So far I'd say A28 is at least on par with Mjolnir. Maybe better. But I need to get another Mjolnir here for more comparisons.

 

[dermott]

   
Preliminary thoughts: yes, the A28 is worth it compared to the DA8 integrated amp - chiefly if one uses a fully balanced setup.
 
So far I'd say A28 is at least on par with Mjolnir. Maybe better. But I need to get another Mjolnir here for more comparisons.

Sounds good. Will you be doing a full review of the A28?

 

[project86]

Yep. Not sure how long it will take, as I have a lot of things in the works. But I'll continue to grab listening time whenever I can.

 

[dermott]

Yep. Not sure how long it will take, as I have a lot of things in the works. But I'll continue to grab listening time whenever I can.

That's great. There are a lot of us that very much enjoy your reviews. Much of what you have said about various gear is what lead me to the DA8 in the first place.

 

[mrcasey]

Well...I have had the A28 out of the box and plugged in for an hour.  I am driving my LCD3's through the balanced output.  So far I am very impressed.  The match with the Audeze's is incredible.  The A28 seems to be doing a lot of good for these headphones.  Running direct off the DA8 (Pure DAC, no digital volume), balanced and with the extra power the amp has really makes the LCD's sing.  The sound is very open and the highs seem more prominent.  Bass does not appear to be adversely affected. I will let things run for a day or two and then do some serious listening.

 

[mrcasey]

I will try the A28 with my Heir 8.A IEMs later this evening.  

 

[mrcasey]

The setup:
 

 

[mrcasey]

Although the input in the above photo reads 44.1khz, I have only been listening to DSD so far.  In particular the Music from Blue Coast Records and dsdfile.com.  Either direct to DSD recordings or direct to DSD from analog masters.  Amazing stuff if you like the genre of music these sites offer.  No chance to try the IEMs yet, I can bear to pull out the LCD 3's.

 

[solblack]

I like the Yulong team they are putting out affordable products.
I need a balance headphone amp, i have the D100 MKII.
I will be looking out for reviews on the A28.

 

[project86]

Spent a bit of time with the A28 yesterday, fed by a BMC PureDAC since my DA8 is in the other room (too lazy to move it at the time). A few highlights:
 
Alpha Dogs sounded GREAT from balanced 4-pin XLR. Very dynamic, punchy, lots of authority, but not overdone. It's very nicely balanced and I'd still call it neutral for the most part. Plenty of headroom. Very impressive so far. 
 
I added an adapter to get single-ended termination and had mixed results. The "high" jack did reasonably well, but the "low" jack was too quiet for some music. Even when it wasn't too quiet it seemed a little thin. I need to ask Yulong what the "low" and "high" jacks actually refer to. Is it output impedance? Gain? Current? I don't know. I have the D100 mkII connected in this system, so I tried the integrated headphone jacks and in comparison, it was not as clear and definitely not as punchy. A28 is a significant upgrade for D100 users. Though of course D200 is coming soon, but the general idea remains the same. We'll have to see how much of a difference it makes compared to DA8 - I suspect it will still be rather sizable, but I'll find out as soon as I can.
 
Switched to HE-500 and LCD-2. Again, very impressive. Running both in balanced mode, and got too lazy to switch to single ended. The A28 was in a dead heat with the built-in balanced amp of the BMC PureDAC - which is quite an accomplishment, as that's one of the best integrated amps I've ever heard. A28 had a bit more low end definition, while PureDAC was slightly more open. But they were very comparable. 
 
Tried HE-6 and in balanced mode I think it is very respectable. Much better than the Firestone Bobby and NuForce HAP100, since neither of those are all that great with HE-6. If you like HE-6 and wanted to run it without spending a huge amount on amplification, this seems like a good way to go. Only in balanced mode though. Honestly, if you aren't using balanced mode you aren't getting the full value of this amp.
 
A possible exception is with IEMs. I tried the Westone ES5 in SE mode and from the "high" jack it was decent. A bit of background hiss, but not terrible. Volume got really loud around 9 o'clock. Then I switched to the "low" jack - wow, much better! Silent background and much better volume control range... I got up to maybe 12 o'clock for normal listening. I'll have to explore this option further but initial impressions are positive.