[wazzupi]

Well I have a dt880 and it seems that my x-fi isn't driving it, it just makes some weird noises with certain songs etc. I've had some interest in the zero dac and how do I set it up to connect to an x-fi sound card ?? Do I need to purchase a cable in order to do this ?

 

[manofmathematics]

Adding an amp to the chain will help with properly driving your cans but your quality problem will more than likely still persist.

Speaking from experience, adding a tube amp to your X-Fi will only amplify the quality problems that you are currently experiencing. HOWEVER, this doesn't mean that the sound won't be engaging and pleasant.

I would suggest using the funds to upgrade your source first. The Zero DAC thread would be worth reading through, IMO.

 

[Alpha 1 Omega]

have a look here
Viewing a thread - Little Dot Amplifiers Purchasing Information

 

[skeptic]

The Woo 3 also pairs nicely with the DT880s, especially after you roll the tubes, and you can often find one in the low $300's in the for sale forum.

But I'll echo manofmathmatics and speak from personal experience in suggesting that you will probably want to be considering a new source as well. Entry level dacs are a huge step up from the analog out on the x-fi. I spent about a month with an x-fi --> woo 3 --> 880 setup. The trebles were really harsh, and there was something just not quite right about the speed of the setup. Certain genres of music (rock in particular) sounded congested...and I found myself steering away from this portion of my FLAC collection.

Adding a dac into the stream via the digital out on the x-fi made all the difference to my ears.

 

[wazzupi]

thanks i might just buy that zero DAC it sounds amazing is EBAY the only place to purchase it ?

 

[wazzupi]

but i have a question Does the zero come with the cables to connect it to my x-fi ??? or do i need to purchase something extra ?

 

[skeptic]

Wazzupi - what you're going to need is digital coax cable with a 1/8 mini termination (or converter) at one end to plug into your flexijack on the x-fi.

One option is the belden cable listed in my signature below from bluejeanscable.com. For $5, bluejeanscable will put an impedance matched canare 1/8 mini termination on one end - perfect for the x-fi.

I started a thread on this topic in the computer as source forum if you want to read more: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/fl...r-x-fi-327131/

If you don't want to pay for impedance matched connectors - a regular digital coax cable and a rca to 1/8 mini converter from radioshack will do the job. It just isn't as likely to always pass a bit perfect signal due to the possibility of bits bouncing.

 

[futuro107]

To wazzupi:Maybe you can buy it on: Welcome to Audiophilechina
Good price and service.

 

[futuro107]

To drive your dt880, ZERO DAC is not enough powerful.

 

[apatN]

Meh, my X-FI is crackling like crazy. When I listened to Arcade Fire just 10min. ago it couldn't even produce some notes. Was just one big qqkkrkggg sound.

I'll keep my eyes on this thread though I'm looking at the Keces DACs.

EDIT: I forgot my question (duh!). My X-FI is crackling right now. I think this is in the analogue path, though I'm not sure. Do you think it will still crackle if I'd hook up a DAC to it?

 

[skeptic]

I suppose it depends what is causing your crackling issue...and I'm simply not knowledgeable enough to speculate. But I might be able to suggest a way for you to test it out prior to buying a dac...

Do you (or any of your friends) have a regular HT receiver you could use/borrow to hook up to the digital output on your x-fi? Most anything from the late 90's on will have a coax input and an internal dac that you can pair with the x-fi.

Then you just need an rca cable and a $2 rca to stereo mini converter to plug into your flexijack (or the custom bluejeancable I recommended above).

Oh and make sure to enable the digital output setting in the windows control panel (not just the creative drivers) - this gave me fits when I first tried to hook up my dac.

In XP, it is in control panel -> sounds and audio devices -> volume tab -> click "advanced" button in the "device volume" box -> click options menu -> select "advanced control"...then you should finally see an option to enable digital output.

Hope it works out for you. I've been very happy with my x-fi --> keces 131 setup.

 

[wazzupi]

wait can the zero dac drive my dt880 or not ? because i refuse to pay anymore then 200 dollars for a DAc or amp plz tell me because i might just return them

.

 

[kejar31]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wazzupi /img/forum/go_quote.gif wait can the zero dac drive my dt880 or not ? because i refuse to pay anymore then 200 dollars for a DAc or amp plz tell me because i might just return them .

Yes, without a doubt, the Zero can drive your DT880's.

 

[apatN]

Thanks sceptic. I never made a digital audio cable. So far I only worked with Mogami 2534. What does it take to make a digital cable?

How do you like your X-FI with the Keces?

 

[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apatN /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks sceptic. I never made a digital audio cable. So far I only worked with Mogami 2534. What does it take to make a digital cable? How do you like your X-FI with the Keces?

I'm afraid I've never been much of a diy'er, but my understanding is that you basically want a 75 ohm coax cable with impedance matched connectors (unless you're going balanced digital, in which case 110 ohm is optimal). See: Blue Jeans Cable--What is Impedance, Anyway?

As far as the keces 131 goes, I've been very happy with it. Adding it into the system was not a subtle upgrade. Compared to the x-fi analog, the keces is fast and musical, not at all fatiguing, but details are still ample. Imaging is very good, sound stage moderately large but not huge, and the bottom end is solid and controlled. Out of the box, the trebles seemed a bit muted (particularly in comparison to the x-fi) but they opened up with burn in. I'm definitely a fan.