[polaron-Fi]

I was wondering how could I give my contribution to this forum.
So I can send my Essencio Plus to Project86, to a review.
Project86, are you interested? Please send me a message if you are.
(I live in France. Delivery wouldn't be a problem...)

 

[realmassy]

I can't think of any usb/spdif converters with volume control. That should be your preamp or dac's job. The Izmo M1 has a volume control but that's for the headphone out, I guess.

 

[project86]

Quote:

Hello!
 
I will receive soon the monoblocks from North Star, as well as a Pass Aleph power.
Both powers have XLR inputs.
With the intention to avoid a pre amp, I Will have a North Star Essencio Plus...
 
I wonder if I should instead... buy a yulong or Metrum Octave dac and add a usb/spdif converter.
 
So my question is what converter? It is important that this usb/spdif converter has a vomume control. I thought about the Izmo M1. Other suggestions?
 
Needless to say that my priority source is a computer.
 
Thanks a lot for you help.

 
Welcome to HeadFi! That sounds like a nice system. Doing volume control in the digital domain, rather than using a separate preamp, can sound really great, and save money too.
 
The North Star Essensio Plus does have volume control. That should work great. The Yulong D18 and Metrum Octave do not. I've never seen a USB-SPDIF converter with volume control. The Izmo M1 has volume only for the headphone output, and it does not apply to the SPDIF output. So that won't work.
 
You'd have to get a preamp back in your system to use the Yulong or Metrum DACs. At that point it might be best to stick with the North Star.
 
Quote:

I was wondering how could I give my contribution to this forum.
So I can send my Essencio Plus to Project86, to a review.
Project86, are you interested? Please send me a message if you are.
(I live in France. Delivery wouldn't be a problem...)

 
I'll send you a PM. 

 

[polaron-Fi]

Thank you realmassy!
That's good to know.

 

[polaron-Fi]

Sounds good to me project86, it makes sense. Thanks!

 

[realmassy]

I'm interested to know your impressions about the Essensio, I've been close to buy it but I haven't found many reviews.

 

[Sonic77]

I'm glad to see so many people happy with the D18, it is a wonderful dac, and I really enjoy it. The M2Tech Hi Face 2 took the D18 to the next level in my opinion.

 

[polaron-Fi]

Well realmassy, I will post an article about  the Essencio Plus after burning it. I may receive it by the second or third week of next month. Then I will have to burn and ear it. So It must be posted in the end of September...

 

[colour97]

got my D18 and give me surprise when i paired it with 300B tube amp.
 
My d18 balanced to master 6 as pre amp and rca to 300b tube amp as power amp,
 
i will prefer with tube amp . this gives more meat, more air, darker.
 
one more thing i noticed is the direction of the coaxial cable.
 
when i plugged it at wrong direction, it does discount the sound quality. but after correction and
made it to right direction, this shows the real value of d18 as other users impression.

 

[Lazyboy_sg]

Quote:

got my D18 and give me surprise when i paired it with 300B tube amp.
 
My d18 balanced to master 6 as pre amp and rca to 300b tube amp as power amp,
 
i will prefer with tube amp . this gives more meat, more air, darker.
 
one more thing i noticed is the direction of the coaxial cable.
 
when i plugged it at wrong direction, it does discount the sound quality. but after correction and
made it to right direction, this shows the real value of d18 as other users impression.

Which Amp are you using?

 

[colour97]

head amp / pre amp: audio-gd master 6
tube amp: yaoin 300c 

 

[palikrovol]

Hi everyone,
 
I am planning to replace the Soundcard internal DAC ("Xonar Essence ST") with an external DAC, trying to improve the sound quality.
 
My setup (now) is:
Line out (analogue RCA) from the sound card to Lehmann Black Cube Linear with the HD800.
Digital line out spdif from sound card to teac A-H01 speakers amplifier/DAC with Audioengine P4.
 
In the future I will connect the digital line out of sound card to DAC, DAC to Lehmann and Lehmann line out to a new speakers amplifier with new loudspeakers (maybe "Dali Mentor Menuette").
The speakers system is another story
 
My first thought was the Benchmark DAC1, but reading a lot over here, has changed my mind to the "Yulong Sabre D18" or "Violectric V800".
 
Is it worth the change from the Xonar Essence ST internal DAC?
Will it be worth changing the sound card digital out with a Hiface2?
 
My musical preferences are overall Metal (heavy, black, melodic death, ...) and instrumental (some classic, Mike oldfield, instrumental rock, ...).
Do you think my equipment (lehmann + HD800) will pair well with any of those DACs?
 
I have read this entire thread and will now read the V800 thread.
If I remember correctly, I have read the v800 is overall better then the D18.
Is there a big difference between those two for an only one DAC system?
I cannot afford to have two DACs depending on the recording I will listen to, so I need to choose only one of those.
 
Thank you very much
Bets Regards

 

[WiR3D]

Quote:

Hi everyone,
 
I am planning to replace the Soundcard internal DAC ("Xonar Essence ST") with an external DAC, trying to improve the sound quality.
 
My setup (now) is:
Line out (analogue RCA) from the sound card to Lehmann Black Cube Linear with the HD800.
Digital line out spdif from sound card to teac A-H01 speakers amplifier/DAC with Audioengine P4.
 
In the future I will connect the digital line out of sound card to DAC, DAC to Lehmann and Lehmann line out to a new speakers amplifier with new loudspeakers (maybe "Dali Mentor Menuette").
The speakers system is another story
 
My first thought was the Benchmark DAC1, but reading a lot over here, has changed my mind to the "Yulong Sabre D18" or "Violectric V800".
 
Is it worth the change from the Xonar Essence ST internal DAC?
Will it be worth changing the sound card digital out with a Hiface2?
 
My musical preferences are overall Metal (heavy, black, melodic death, ...) and instrumental (some classic, Mike oldfield, instrumental rock, ...).
Do you think my equipment (lehmann + HD800) will pair well with any of those DACs?
 
I have read this entire thread and will now read the V800 thread.
If I remember correctly, I have read the v800 is overall better then the D18.
Is there a big difference between those two for an only one DAC system?
I cannot afford to have two DACs depending on the recording I will listen to, so I need to choose only one of those.
 
Thank you very much
Bets Regards

Worth it is a relative term, if you want a more natural tone then yes, IMHO the Asus colours the sound.  The Yulong is said to be very vinyl in its representation from what I read (I do not own it) if your after then then it could be the right dac, if not then maybe the benchmark, you will haveto read. As for overall clarity, the step up will be small but still a step up. And I don't expect much difference in using the ST as a digital source and the hiface - if any difference.

 

[palikrovol]

Quote:

Worth it is a relative term, if you want a more natural tone then yes, IMHO the Asus colours the sound.  The Yulong is said to be very vinyl in its representation from what I read (I do not own it) if your after then then it could be the right dac, if not then maybe the benchmark, you will haveto read. As for overall clarity, the step up will be small but still a step up. And I don't expect much difference in using the ST as a digital source and the hiface - if any difference.

Thank you for the information WiR3D,
and BTW, thanks also to P86 for the great reviews
 
My other option is the V800, i have read that it is superior to the bechmark DAC1 and to this Yulong. I will ask in the V800 review thread, to see what people think about the upgrade from the Xonar.
 
I have been thinking to change my configuration to this (if i get the V800):
* xonar spid out to DAC
* DAC from XLR to Lehmann (xlr-rca cable)
* DAC from RCA to speakers amplifier.
 
This way i use the DAC as pre-amp.
I think that my first thought (xonar-dac-lehmann-speakers amp) will go through many gadgets and deteriorate the signal. Also, i think, one pre-amp is enough and have read the one in V800 is a good one. My speakers configuration will be a nearfield one.
 
Regards

 

[Chodi]

Quote:

Thank you for the information WiR3D,
and BTW, thanks also to P86 for the great reviews
 
My other option is the V800, i have read that it is superior to the bechmark DAC1 and to this Yulong. I will ask in the V800 review thread, to see what people think about the upgrade from the Xonar.
 
I have been thinking to change my configuration to this (if i get the V800):
* xonar spid out to DAC
* DAC from XLR to Lehmann (xlr-rca cable)
* DAC from RCA to speakers amplifier.
 
This way i use the DAC as pre-amp.
I think that my first thought (xonar-dac-lehmann-speakers amp) will go through many gadgets and deteriorate the signal. Also, i think, one pre-amp is enough and have read the one in V800 is a good one. My speakers configuration will be a nearfield one.
 
Regards

I own the Xonar and the D18. I do not use the Xonar for anything other than movies. If you are wondering, I have owned the Xonar for a long time and bought it mainly for gaming. There is no comparison between the Xonar and the D18. They are on two completely different levels. The D18 is worlds above the Xonar as a dac for stereo playback. Do not place too much on the comments about the D18 sounding very analog. Those comments are meant as a complement.