kite7
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Posts
- 2,036
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Once in a while I like to do a reality check with my DAC compared to something else because sometimes I generally accept expensive gear being better without really testing. However, I am always willing to save money.
Today I chose to compare my $449 Nuforce HDP's DAC against my Zune HD + Dock, feeding in to the HDP and using the HDP's headphone amplifier driving my K701. Using the HDP's source selection knob, I kept switching between USB input and analog input which is from the Zune to do A/B. I find it hard to differentiate the two, I tried picking out details. They are both just as detailed; whatever I hear on the HDP, I also hear from the Zune. The tone of the instruments sound exactly alike. From what I know , the Zune uses the Wolfson WM8352, while the HDP's DAC chip is unknown but is the same as the one they use in their $1000+ CD player.
If I were to plug the K701 straight to the Zune dock, it sounds worse but with the Zune dock fed to the HDP's amp I cannot tell any differences against the HDP's DAC.
If I were to be blindfolded, I think I would fail telling the two apart.
Is the Zune HD and the line out from the dock really that good? Anyone else compare the line out of the dock against something more expensive? Further more I'm using a cheap thin 3.5mm cable to connect the dock to the HDP, so technically I gave the Zune a disadvantage to begin with (if you believe in cables that is) . I think it could be that the HDP's amp isn't revealing enough of the source, I don't have another amp to try right now.
This is the dock I am using, the official one from Microsoft for the Zune HD
Today I chose to compare my $449 Nuforce HDP's DAC against my Zune HD + Dock, feeding in to the HDP and using the HDP's headphone amplifier driving my K701. Using the HDP's source selection knob, I kept switching between USB input and analog input which is from the Zune to do A/B. I find it hard to differentiate the two, I tried picking out details. They are both just as detailed; whatever I hear on the HDP, I also hear from the Zune. The tone of the instruments sound exactly alike. From what I know , the Zune uses the Wolfson WM8352, while the HDP's DAC chip is unknown but is the same as the one they use in their $1000+ CD player.
If I were to plug the K701 straight to the Zune dock, it sounds worse but with the Zune dock fed to the HDP's amp I cannot tell any differences against the HDP's DAC.
If I were to be blindfolded, I think I would fail telling the two apart.
Is the Zune HD and the line out from the dock really that good? Anyone else compare the line out of the dock against something more expensive? Further more I'm using a cheap thin 3.5mm cable to connect the dock to the HDP, so technically I gave the Zune a disadvantage to begin with (if you believe in cables that is) . I think it could be that the HDP's amp isn't revealing enough of the source, I don't have another amp to try right now.
This is the dock I am using, the official one from Microsoft for the Zune HD
