[mma02]

Hi everyone,

has anybody had the chance to check out the new Zhaolu D3
and can post his impressions of it?

i was thinking of buying one and i was wondering how is it compare
to the older modded versions of the zhaolu.

this new version is supposed to be similar to a heavy modded Zhaolu 2.5,
one of the modes made of the 2.5 was to bypass the headphone amp
section and the D3 model comes already without it.
did they put the head amp's money elsewhere?

p.s - been a passive member up until now when i finely registered,
and i love this place..
good threads and harmony here.

 

[mma02]

bump

 

[mma02]

bump

 

[mma02]

wazzup guys?
how come no one is replying?
nobody got the new d3?

 

[minivan]

i dont think bypass the headphone is the major mod for the old one, the major mod are the ori mod zhaolu and the zapfilter zhaulo where the opamp output stage are replaced by analog output stage.
i never heard of the old stock zhaolu so i dont know how the new d3 is compare to the old one. my guessing is, they should be about the same. one of the major upgrade of the d3 over the old ones, is the tg-link input, something similar to i2s to remove jitters, i a/b spdif input vs tg-link , tg-link seem to have better clarity then the spdif. u need to buy a tg-link pci card to utilized that feature.
also please do a search , there should be a few impressions of the d3.

 

[musicmind]

not too many folks have posted D3 impressions, so good luck finding them. Perhaps Ori can help you more, since he is the Zhaolu expert. AFAIK, he prefers to mod the D2.5 version.

 

[mma02]

hi minivan and thanks for your relp,
i have searched for all info about the d3 and there was a few
reviews but no one compared it to the old modded version,
this is my main issue as i want to buy one and i don't know what
is the best for me,
the omz costs more the double the d3 version and it's not an
option for me, so the options are -
1) 2.5 and get into the diy business
2) the D3 version.

after a lot of investigation, this forum is the best zhaolu source
on the web, and there are just a few posts regarding the D3
model, i wonder why

so - what say you?

 

[minivan]

some review here:
Lite DAC-AH/Zhaolu DACs
i think the review above only with the spdif input, since he did not mention any thing about the tg-link, which i think sound better because of less jitter.
i have the omz, it sound totally different to my tg-link enabled d3, so comparison is pointless.
i think the d3 is good only when u want to go the route of pc-hifi because of the tg-link feature, otherwise u can just get the old one , plus there are lots of info about modding on the old 1 in compare to the d3.

 

[mma02]

Thanks a lot guys,

i guess i'll wait and see if anyone else will post a review.

and also a shoutout for ori - wazzup ori? can you
help me with this one?

 

[kkqewl]

Just picked up a D3 and it's not working for me on any inputs except the optical input ?

I hooked up and older Pioneere CD player I use as a transport and also a new DVD player but I am unable to get any sound out of the unit unless I hook up via the optical cable. Pressing the front buttons to select the proper input does not seem to do anything only the red light above the optical select button stays on at all time. Any body have any ideas what is going on ?

By the way I have never been a big fan of optical links for CD / DAC hook up beforev but I am quite suprised at the sound I get through this configuration.
Too bad I can't get the digital inputs to work so I can hear what that sound like.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Fastest way to reach Ori is to just email him, or send him a PM from here, but email works best for me: oritekaudio@gmail.com
Website: (don't let the crappy page fool you...)
He hasn't modded the D3, and is down to the last few available 2.5A's. In fact, last time we chatted, he had one left, and was trying to get the last 14 from China. Time and labor-wise, he probably won't be doing any more DACs

I guess that's good for we lucky few that have an OMZ (around 100 or so, world wide), but really sucks for people looking for one these days. The OMZ is a phenomenal performer in the sub-$3K range...at $529.

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkqewl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just picked up a D3 and it's not working for me on any inputs except the optical input ? I hooked up and older Pioneere CD player I use as a transport and also a new DVD player but I am unable to get any sound out of the unit unless I hook up via the optical cable. Pressing the front buttons to select the proper input does not seem to do anything only the red light above the optical select button stays on at all time. Any body have any ideas what is going on ?

That's quite a shocker. I hope it is merely a misunderstanding with the operating instructions. I was never a fan of the 2.5 with its renowned faults and less than satisfactory manufacturing quality. The D3 promised to be so much better with the bugs ironed out. Have you tried contacting the factory to see if it is a fault or a operational issue?

 

[fran]

Just curious - what were the renowned faults and poor workmanship in the 2.5? I only ask because I have one and it has worked AOK since the day I got it. Just wondering what the life is like on one of these.

Fran

 

[guitarplayer]

Press and hold the input button you wish to select for a couple of seconds, it will switch.

Peace,

Lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkqewl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just picked up a D3 and it's not working for me on any inputs except the optical input ? I hooked up and older Pioneere CD player I use as a transport and also a new DVD player but I am unable to get any sound out of the unit unless I hook up via the optical cable. Pressing the front buttons to select the proper input does not seem to do anything only the red light above the optical select button stays on at all time. Any body have any ideas what is going on ? By the way I have never been a big fan of optical links for CD / DAC hook up beforev but I am quite suprised at the sound I get through this configuration. Too bad I can't get the digital inputs to work so I can hear what that sound like.

 

[guitarplayer]

I've had a modded one (mods by me) on 24 hours a day for almost 18 months, no problems here.

Peace,

Lee

Quote:

Originally Posted by fran /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just curious - what were the renowned faults and poor workmanship in the 2.5? I only ask because I have one and it has worked AOK since the day I got it. Just wondering what the life is like on one of these. Fran