[Yahoe]

Just got my D18/A18 combo delivered.
I'm looking for some XLR interconnects recommendations for this combo, as well as XLR to single or XLR cables for my HD650, please

 

[brunk]

Quote:

Just got my D18/A18 combo delivered.
I'm looking for some XLR interconnects recommendations for this combo, as well as XLR to single or XLR cables for my HD650, please

Redco Audio Design Your Own cable. Excellent pricing as well. I recommend Mogami.

 

[project86]

Quote:

Redco Audio Design Your Own cable. Excellent pricing as well. I recommend Mogami.

 
Nice. I haven't seen that before. 
 
I usually recommend the Monoprice Premier XLR for a good budget cable. Really cheap for a pair, and surprisingly high quality. If you wanted to go higher end, the Signal Cable Analog Two comes in XLR termination for $59 and could easily pass for a more expensive boutique cable.

 

[Yahoe]

Nice. I haven't seen that before. 

I usually recommend the Monoprice Premier XLR for a good budget cable. Really cheap for a pair, and surprisingly high quality. If you wanted to go higher end, the Signal Cable Analog Two comes in XLR termination for $59 and could easily pass for a more expensive boutique cable.

Thanks to your both, indeed the Redco Audio Design your cable might be a good place to start, now which cable plug to choose?

 

[brunk]

Quote:

Thanks to your both, indeed the Redco Audio Design your cable might be a good place to start, now which cable plug to choose?

Mogami W2549 for XLR or Mogami W3080 for AES/EBU.
Neutrik NC3MX-B Gold XLR-Male connector
Neutrik NC3FX-B Gold XLR-Female connector
 
This is pretty much the defacto standard in the studio recording industry. If it's good enough for cutting edge studios, its good enough for me
 
P.S. Those monoprice cables have really cheap connectors, which also makes the cabling suspect as well. Spend the little extra and have something of high quality that will last you a lifetime. You can never go wrong with Mogami/Neutrik. Pretty much every hifi piece of equipment uses Neutrik connectors too, from amps to headphones.

 

[mrcasey]

I get my cables made here:
 
http://www.takefiveaudio.com/mall/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=219&cat=XLR+Interconnect
 
Mogami and Neutrik components.
 
I also use their AES/EBU:
 
http://www.takefiveaudio.com/mall/shopexd.asp?id=1123
 
Sounds great to me.
 
Custom lengths, cryo treated or not, burn in or not.  All up to you.

 

[brunk]

Quote:

 
Mogami and Neutrik components.
 

Yep, you just cant beat 'em. Red Co Audio is half the price of that takefveaudio place however.

 

[project86]

Quote:

P.S. Those monoprice cables have really cheap connectors, which also makes the cabling suspect as well. Spend the little extra and have something of high quality that will last you a lifetime. You can never go wrong with Mogami/Neutrik. Pretty much every hifi piece of equipment uses Neutrik connectors too, from amps to headphones.

 
Have you actually checked out the Monoprice cables? Because they seem sturdy enough. Good strain relief, 16AWG SPC wire, nice and flexible. For $5 it's obviously not using Switchcraft or Neutrik but it seems decent enough. 

 

[mrcasey]

Quote:

Yep, you just cant beat 'em. Red Co Audio is half the price of that takefveaudio place however.

 
I will check out Red Co.  I need to factor in shipping and duty since I live in Canada, hence the current preference of Take 5.

 

[brunk]

Quote:

 
Have you actually checked out the Monoprice cables? Because they seem sturdy enough. Good strain relief, 16AWG SPC wire, nice and flexible. For $5 it's obviously not using Switchcraft or Neutrik but it seems decent enough. 

Yeah I own a few pairs, both RCA and XLR and the connectors are just crap compared to Neutrik. They are either too loose or too tight and the locking mechanism is subpar. Neutrik is a perfect fit every time and is built like a tank. Certainly worth the extra few bucks. Mogami wire is also higher quality materials than monoprice wire.

 

[project86]

Quote:

Yeah I own a few pairs, both RCA and XLR and the connectors are just crap compared to Neutrik. They are either too loose or too tight and the locking mechanism is subpar. Neutrik is a perfect fit every time and is built like a tank. Certainly worth the extra few bucks. Mogami wire is also higher quality materials than monoprice wire.

 
Interesting. Mine have been used and abused - repeated plugging/unplugging numerous times over the past year or so, with no issues. Apparently the low price comes from lower quality control, and maybe I just happened to get a good set. I guess I should stop recommending them. 

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

Just wanted to chime in after a couple of months of using the D18, which I got as a simple, no-nonsense DAC solution: no settings to fiddle with, no need for USB. It does just that, and does it excellently well. It sounds neutral and uncolored to me, and if some people think it's (too) analytical, that fine by me anyway; I'm using the balanced output to my beloved tube amp and -it- provides any "coloration" that I'd like, my choice. The source shouldn't.
 
Interestingly, even though the V RMS on the balanced out is slightly lower than the previous DAC I used with my setup, the signal output is actually stronger (i.e. I keep the amp's volume level lower, everything else being equal)
 
Also, they really mean it when they say in the description that the source needs to provide a rock-solid digital stream, I had a number of issues with my (expensive) iPod/Pad/Phone dock which could be rectified on my other DAC by ratcheting up the the jitter correction, but no such leniency on the D18 :/ I ended up using a different dock and it's been all good since.
 
As far as XLR cables go, I ended up ZAES silver ones (Neutrik connectors etc.) even though I'm not into the whole cable thing, mostly because I found it very hard to find really short ones (~1")? (Other than ordering custom ones which would have been even more costly) And because they were so short, the cost was actually not too bad for what they are. Anyway, nobody should be able to say that the interconnects are holding back the performance of my setup

 

[project86]

Thanks for the impressions!
 
An interesting development that I've learned about - some people contacted me advising their more recent order of the D18/A18 combo came with matching blue LEDs on both units. Early A18s seemed to have green around the power button. I heard from several people who said blue, so I figured Yulong had replaced the A18 and everything would be blue from now on. But today someone tells me their recent order has both amp and DAC with green power LEDs..... so my theory is shot. 

 

[mrcasey]

Quote:

Thanks for the impressions!
 
An interesting development that I've learned about - some people contacted me advising their more recent order of the D18/A18 combo came with matching blue LEDs on both units. Early A18s seemed to have green around the power button. I heard from several people who said blue, so I figured Yulong had replaced the A18 and everything would be blue from now on. But today someone tells me their recent order has both amp and DAC with green power LEDs..... so my theory is shot. 

 
I have recently seen the all black A18/D18 combo with both green LEDs.  Looks like it could go either way.  My set has differing LEDs, blue on DAC, green on Amp.  I have considered trying to order 1 blue light so they will match.  I have not got around to finding out id this is an option.

 

[project86]

Quote:

 
I have recently seen the all black A18/D18 combo with both green LEDs.  Looks like it could go either way.  My set has differing LEDs, blue on DAC, green on Amp.  I have considered trying to order 1 blue light so they will match.  I have not got around to finding out id this is an option.

 
I forgot to ask the fellow who has both green lights, if his units are silver or black. Maybe there is some difference based on color?