Zhaolu CS4398 option vs MicroDac

[El Condor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose Yeah, I think I'm going for version 2.5 (since I don't plan on going balanced any time soon). Thinking that one will be better on my phones too (Senns and a k501). I think I am done deciding on which DAC to get.....it's now on to obsessing about what options to put on the Zhaolu!!!! Let me know how the microDAC turns out Uzziah

I'm also thinking of getting the Zhaolu D2.5C after reading a few threads and doing some research. It looks like many enjoy the way it sounds. I'll probably be doing the discrete amp upgrade too since I don't have anything that compares.

What options are you talking about for the Zhaolu? Are you talking about the different DAC chips + discrete amp?

 

[Davesrose]

You said the first lead had fallen through but you were still on the hunt for one. Deciding on another DAC?? With your determination, I know you'll find another MicroDAC soon

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah i can't i'm not getting it; see above

 

[Davesrose]

Well if you go through the Hong Kong distributer (Eddie Woo), I've heard he'll do all sorts of customizations to the unit before shiping if you want. Some head-fiers have given him week long e-mail exchanges seeing what can be done. His website lists what free upgrades he does to his units. Haven't looked into what can be done yet.....Actually just picked up a scad player to go with the future Zhaolu (right now seeing if there's a way to ever get the sacd piped through the Zhaolu though).

http://diykits.com.hk/

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Condor What options are you talking about for the Zhaolu? Are you talking about the different DAC chips + discrete amp?

 

[El Condor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose Well if you go through the Hong Kong distributer (Eddie Woo), I've heard he'll do all sorts of customizations to the unit before shiping if you want. Some head-fiers have given him week long e-mail exchanges seeing what can be done. His website lists what free upgrades he does to his units. Haven't looked into what can be done yet.....Actually just picked up a scad player to go with the future Zhaolu (right now seeing if there's a way to ever get the sacd piped through the Zhaolu though). http://diykits.com.hk/

Ahhh! I guess I'm not knowledgeable just yet to have him set things up the way I'd like since I don't know what I like

. I guess I'll just start with the default settings. Hmmm SACD. Do you get resolution similar to DVD-A? DVD-A usually go up to 24bit/96Khz, sometimes 24bit/88.2Khz. what's the SACD like?

 

[slwiser]

My vote goes to the Headroom MicroDac. If you need it at work and at home just get an extra power supply. Don't use batteries unless you just need a three, maybe four hours of music 'cause that is all you will get.

 

[Davesrose]

SACD is like DVD-A.....24 bit/frequency range that goes from 2HZ-100KHZ. Lots of SACDs are also multichannel. The bummer I found out was that both SACD and DVD-A don't allow digital out for non CDs!!!! Crazy protection scheme!!! So my SACD player has analogue multichannel out. For my headphone amp, I can plug it in the L/R RCAs....then you can specify 2 channel only. I've tried redbook CDs (regular audio CDs), and the quality was just like my older Sony cdp (no bass, OK detail). CDs sound so much better through another DAC.

But I hear this unit is pretty good for SACDs. I wanna see if there's a difference between a DAC throu regular CD, vs a good SACD on the player. I just gotta get some SACDs now!!!

Decided on SACD because there's more titles out on SACD vs DVD-A. I dunno if either format will last because of this copy protection stuff!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Condor Ahhh! I guess I'm not knowledgeable just yet to have him set things up the way I'd like since I don't know what I like . I guess I'll just start with the default settings. Hmmm SACD. Do you get resolution similar to DVD-A? DVD-A usually go up to 24bit/96Khz, sometimes 24bit/88.2Khz. what's the SACD like?

 

[El Condor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose SACD is like DVD-A.....24 bit/frequency range that goes from 2HZ-100KHZ. Lots of SACDs are also multichannel.

Yeah, I figured it would be the same. I looked at that stuff a while back and opted for DVD-A for a technical reason which I now forgot. Plus it was convenient because I had a DVD playing and the Audigy 2 ZS to route them through. DVD-A are also usually multi channel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose The bummer I found out was that both SACD and DVD-A don't allow digital out for non CDs!!!! Crazy protection scheme!!!

Hmmmm, I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say for "non CD's". Did you just mean that SACD and DVD-A don't allow for digital out (This seems like a silly limitation if it's the case)?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose So my SACD player has analogue multichannel out. For my headphone amp, I can plug it in the L/R RCAs....then you can specify 2 channel only. I've tried redbook CDs (regular audio CDs), and the quality was just like my older Sony cdp (no bass, OK detail). CDs sound so much better through another DAC. But I hear this unit is pretty good for SACDs. I wanna see if there's a difference between a DAC throu regular CD, vs a good SACD on the player. I just gotta get some SACDs now!!!

Hehe, well have fun with that. Don't forget, Blu-Ray is out now. There is bound to be some new audio format following that will have ultra high resolution.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Condor Hmmmm, I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say for "non CD's". Did you just mean that SACD and DVD-A don't allow for digital out (This seems like a silly limitation if it's the case)?

Yep, bingo....you can't get SACD digital out....have to rely on the player's DAC

Though for DVD-A, you can actually find ways to use a regular PC's DVD drive to decode DVD-A.....assume that means you can get digital out that way. But there are so few DVD-A titles out


Quote:

Originally Posted by El Condor Hehe, well have fun with that. Don't forget, Blu-Ray is out now. There is bound to be some new audio format following that will have ultra high resolution.

Well since Blu-Ray is Sony, wonder if Sony's Blu-Ray players support SACD (which is also Sony).

 

[El Condor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose Yep, bingo....you can't get SACD digital out....have to rely on the player's DAC Though for DVD-A, you can actually find ways to use a regular PC's DVD drive to decode DVD-A.....assume that means you can get digital out that way. But there are so few DVD-A titles out

Thats what my setup allows me to do. I have a regular DVD player and my Audigy 2 ZS allows me to play DVD-A since it supports 24bit/96Khz. I guess I'll have to try outputting digital. I don't see why It wouldn't work, but then again...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose Well since Blu-Ray is Sony, wonder if Sony's Blu-Ray players support SACD (which is also Sony).

Those technologies are all somewhat similar. Blu-Ray is an improvement on the DVD technology and SACD is just a diffent way to encode the data on regular CD's (regular CD's are encoded using PCM whereas SACD's are encoded using DSD (Direct Stream Digital)). It basically boils down to being able to decode the information with the appropriate scheme. The laser frequency used to read/write the disks are different for CD/SACD, DVD and Blu-Ray, but otherwise, the technology is nearly identical. I'm almost certain that Blu-Ray players will be CD compatible also (they will be DVD compatible. 3 different laser frequencies in the same player). The rest is just decoding the information.

 

[Davesrose]

Yeah, I read somewhere that the SACD layer is similar in size as a DVD....since higher definition discs are backwards compatible with DVDs, the same should be true for SACD (whether the pit sizes are slightly different then DVD). But Toshiba might want to come out with HD-DVD-Audio