[Elder]

Quote:

Anyone else reporting these static issues? I was just about ready to buy one but it doesn't seem like an isolated incident anymore and that's putting me off...

So far I had none of the reported problems. The only issue that scarred me just after setting up my desktop gear with the DA8 was a very faint noise from the HP amp that was independent of the volume control. Then I figured the noise was caused by a DECT wireless telephone set cradle (the transceiver base) that I put on top of the DAC. I put the phone set away from the DA8 and the problem was solved. DECT phones, like cellphones, are very strong EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) and RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) sources. It looks like, despite the very thick aluminum case that should act as an EMI/RFI shield, the DA8 is sensitive to interference. Aluminum is a good electrical shield but not a good magnetic shield. May be the noise was conducted by magnetic fields from the phone cradle.
 
Slingshot80, try to move the DA8 to a different position to see if it affects the problem. May be other devices close to it are inducting interference.

 

[slingshot80]

Yes, I will move it around and switch the cables.
 
Another way to test it to hook it up to my HT system. I will have download the drivers to my laptop. The file has a weird extension such as RAS or RAZ? When I downloaded it on my music server, it downloaded all this crap and it took a long time to get rid of it. Any suggestions for a site that will just give me the extension?
 
Also has anyone one compared this with Windows 7 vs Windows 8? I have read that Windows 8 sounds better.
 
Anyway, I am impressed with the sound.

 

[project86]

It's just a regular .RAR file, or at least the one on this page is. Maybe your download got corrupted or something strange? 

 

[SoupRKnowva]

This has probably been discussed already...is the volume control on this bad boy for the pre amp outputs on the back use the digital volume control built into the dac chip or is it an analog volume control?

Ive been trying to find a new dac, and i figure i will probably just end up with another Anedio D2, but I was trying to see what other options were out there as far as dacs with built in digital volume control were concerned in this price range.

 

[Elder]

Today I wrote an e-mail to Yulong asking them to clarify what type of volume control is used in the DA8.
Looking at the block diagram in the product detail page at the Yulong web site my best guess is that the volume control is the one built into the DAC chip.
Let us allow Yulong to confirm or not this by answering my query.

 

[Elder]

I've just received the Yulong reply for my question about the volume control. It is indeed the ES9018 internal volume control.

 

[customNuts]

Quote:

I received my DA8 five days ago. It is still burning in so I suppose its sound is still changing but it is already quite good right out of the box. I have an Audio-gd NFB-15.1 and I think it is very good too but it is warmer and a little dark. I think the DA8 more detailed and neutral with better high frequency extension.
I have an Oppo BDP95 and yesterday I compared it with the DA8. I connected the Oppo's digital outputs (both coax and optical) to the DA8. I connected both Oppo's and DA8's outputs to my integrated amplifier. I made a few A-B comparisons and noticed not much difference between the Oppo and DA8. This was somewhat disappointing as I expected the DA8 to be much better than the Oppo considering that the Oppo is marketed in US by $1000 and the DA8 is $1300 direct from China and the Oppo is a Blu-ray player with a very high end video section. May be it is still to soon to judge the DA8 that needs more running time to improve its sound.
I made the comparison on speakers only because I don't have a dedicated HP amp to connect to the Oppo.
My integrated amplifier is from a local maker (Breeze Audio - Brazil) based on Ice Power modules with a single ended tubed preamp. Speakers are Neat Motive 3.
My cans are Beyer DT-990 Pro.
 
Brunk, you also have the Oppo BDP-95. How do you compare it to the DA8?

I bought the newer Oppo 105 which I sold to buy the DA8. The oppo was the more expensive product btw - at least in Aus $1500 vs $1300.
I found the oppo to be absolutely stellar value. As a Balanced DAC only, it would be worth the money. The fact that you get all the hi-end video/transport functions makes it pretty special. 
Without having them side by side, I would place the DA8 as the better performing DAC. Not by a huge margin at all but definitely noticible imo. It has a touch more refinement & musicality. If you also need the video/transport functions, the 105 is a killer product. If you only need the dac/pre/head amp - the yulong is king imo. I used headphones, internal & additional balanced amps to evaluate. 
p.s. there was wicked synergy with the 105 & Yulong A18 amp. Lots of fun.

 

[Elder]

Quote:

I bought the newer Oppo 105 which I sold to buy the DA8. The oppo was the more expensive product btw - at least in Aus $1500 vs $1300.
I found the oppo to be absolutely stellar value. As a Balanced DAC only, it would be worth the money. The fact that you get all the hi-end video/transport functions makes it pretty special. 
Without having them side by side, I would place the DA8 as the better performing DAC. Not by a huge margin at all but definitely noticible imo. It has a touch more refinement & musicality. If you also need the video/transport functions, the 105 is a killer product. If you only need the dac/pre/head amp - the yulong is king imo. I used headphones, internal & additional balanced amps to evaluate. 
p.s. there was wicked synergy with the 105 & Yulong A18 amp. Lots of fun.

The Oppo sound is very good indeed. I use the BDP95 to play music from an HD connected to its USB port and, sometimes, by streaming from my desktop computer. I use the Media Control app in an Android phone and in a tablet, too. My only complaint is that it does not play gapless. The 105 has the same problem, as far as I know, but it has the USB port to use it as a DAC.
I love the Oppo sound and its amazing picture quality.
I have to do a new comparison session later, with the DA8 properly burnt in.
It seems to me that its sound has already improved but it still has less than 100 hours of playing time.

 

[jaffar]

Quote:

 
Yep, I just got an adapter made - CablePro Freedom series 4-pin XLR to dual 3-pin XLR, so I can run any of my balanced headphones from the DA-8 rear jacks. Actually I got the adapter for the Firestone Audio Tobby balanced amp, which also uses the dual 3-pin style, but the timing is perfect for the DA-8 as well.

 
Any info on driving balanced phones from DA8 XLR outs, particularly with HD800?
 
Thanks for your comments.

 

[project86]

Quote:

 
Any info on driving balanced phones from DA8 XLR outs, particularly with HD800?
 
Thanks for your comments.

 
Yes - I've been using it a lot. And for HD800, I actually prefer it to the headphone jack on front. Not as much for some other headphones, but HD800 is a good match.
 
My review should be up this week, just need to finish a few little details.

 

[Esprit]

Quote:

I've just received the Yulong reply for my question about the volume control. It is indeed the ES9018 internal volume control.

No analog volume?

 

[Esprit]

Quote:

My review should be up this week, just need to finish a few little details.

 

[brunk]

Quote:

I'm with you 

 The analog tuning team at Yulong Audio have done an outstanding job with this one.

 

[Elder]

Quote:

No analog volume?

Nope! But this is not bad as long the resolution of your music is 16 to 24 bits and the DAC's is 32. Actually digital volume control can be better than analog because it removes the influence of the analog volume components, in other words, a shorter path from the DAC to the output.
 
Check this out http://www.esstech.com/PDF/digital-vs-analog-volume-control.pdf
 
I don't know how the digital volume control works for DSD. I suppose it is OK too.
 
For those using the DA8 as pure DAC, this is not a concern at all. For those with medium to low sensitivity headphones connected to the DA8 amp, this is not a concern neither. For those using high sensitivity IEM, may be it is not so good if you have to use volume control set to -40 or lower. It will also depend on how quiet is the integrated amp with IEM's.

 

[Clemmaster]

Quote:

Nope! But this is not bad as long the resolution of your music is 16 to 24 bits and the DAC's is 32. Actually digital volume control can be better than analog because it removes the influence of the analog volume components, in other words, a shorter path from the DAC to the output.
 
Check this out http://www.esstech.com/PDF/digital-vs-analog-volume-control.pdf
 
I don't know how the digital volume control works for DSD. I suppose it is OK too.
 
For those using the DA8 as pure DAC, this is not a concern at all. For those with medium to low sensitivity headphones connected to the DA8 amp, this is not a concern neither. For those using high sensitivity IEM, may be it is not so good if you have to use volume control set to -40 or lower. It will also depend on how quiet is the integrated amp with IEM's.

 
No DAC is truely 32-bits. The vast majority is having a hard time reaching 24 full bits of DNR.
So yeah, technically, the DAC chip is capable of 32bits resolution, but in practice, 8 (and often more, ~10-12) are below the internal noise level of the DAC and, as such, are not practically usable for audio reproduction.
 
Note: I'm not saying 32bits DAC chip are useless, they offer other advantages (e.g. filtering/interpolation). Even regarding digital volume control, having more bits is generally a good thing (e.g. dithering "precision").
Note 2: I'm not saying one needs >24bits for adequate volume control.
 
Edit: in the whitepaper, they say the internal noise floor of their DAC is -135dB, that's the lowest available as of today. Yet, it's "only" 22~23 usable bits (out of 32).