Timothy Hoang

Something I made for my USB-to-SPDIF converter.

Like what i say with everything, take it with a grain of salt. You choose what information you want to filter, it's totally up to you. If they're not theoretical statements then i don't know what is. Obviously there is no definite word here when it comes to idiosyncratic listening. These various designs are audible otherwise there wouldn't be so many different implementations. There are many forms of audibility in which you're speaking of, though you have to agree that there many types of sound characteristics (warm/cold/neutral) here in which i'm addressing to. I'm not pointing toward recommendations of lowest THD amps or upgrading power cables here which falls into that "if all of this is audible category" of yours. This is a comparison level such as one similar to comparing operational amplifiers (OP-AMPS) for tonal balance. I agree with you regarding the use of separate units. Extra cable runs, sometimes too long, along with purchases of unshielded RCA or XLR will add to that noise pickup (trust me, i've seen plenty). In general, both all-in-one and separate unit routes have wrinkles. Life isn't perfect. Go with the gut feeling. That way you'll feel at least some form of happiness. P.S. I like your Dali Mentor 2 setup.

To conclude things, there are plenty of balanced and single ended units available today in both all-in-one and separate units. Plenty of choices to pick from, better if you can visit a nearby shop to audition them first (keep the pull trigger far away). You also have an option of not being the average consumer and going into the DIY realm to make your moneys worth but at the same time it can lead to many unforeseen complications (circuitry, learning disability, etc). Sorry for the double post. P.S. I also forgot to recommend the Schiit Bifrost as a cheaper alternative to the Gungnir along with the Cambridge Audio DACMagic Plus.

If headphone out is important to you, then you're looking for an "all-in-one" unit with an amplifier circuit attached. The Musical Fidelity M1 DAC is more "DAC" as it only does Digital to Analog conversion. If you're a purist who's out for the best sound quality, then you'll usually find it with two separate units. All-in-one units have good synergy equaling to great sound quality due to the builder being in control to implement it in a way where coloration and such is at a minimal, whereas with two separate units become more of a search for synergy. For example, If you were to have a bright DAC and a bright AMP then the two will not synegize well into a neutral tone thus giving you excessive high frequency sound. This is why audio hobby is subjective and the reason you should "LISTEN" for yourself to see if it fits you as a unique individual before you run off and purchase something off of impulse. All-in-ones are great, however like with all great things, there comes cons such as added noise due to multiple transformers, not having enough room to get the best out each separate unit, shared ground, not high enough output current for power hungry headphones, heat issues, etc.

Exactly. Lots of good "jack of all trades" units coming out nowadays, hard to pick from. These questions will have more answers on Head-Fi, though there are plenty of bias answers on there as well so take everything with a ocean of salt.

Burson Conductor is also another good all-in-one combo.

For under $500, a used Schiit Gungnir without USB input, but that's only if you initially planned to use Coax. Otherwise Audiolab M-DAC, Music Hall Audio DAC25.3, or used Musical Fidelity M1 DAC.

Those large Omega stands have given me some problems in the past with certain headphones. They're large and tend to push down the cushion on headphones. sometimes irreversible damage due to heat factors and prolonged intervals. Low profile ones i recommend:

Seems like we are all in favor of Class-A amplifiers. Looking forward to see how well it does with the LCD-3 and HD800 especially. "ssedtohavs" is right, knowing Schiit's history it's practically designed for planar magnetic's, but i'll have to say mainly Audeze as I haven't found HiFiMan to sound as good with their gear. Maybe it can even hold it's weight against end game solid state amplifiers like the GS-X and Beta 22. Can't go too wrong with high end amps nowadays as they've pretty much all transitioned to powering orthodynamics, just as how the Auralic Taurus was.

I'll look into it. Thanks. Appreciate the feedback.

I've seen him cover Bruno Mars's "When I Was Your Man" and i must say, his vocal control is crazy! (good).

Just like with what everybody pointed out so far, please ditch the Toslink. Since the Red Wine Audio Isabellina HPA has BNC and so does the EVO, i recommend that connection.

Yulong D8 Bel Canto REF DAC 2.5 Matrix X-Sabre Anedio D2

I am driving them with my X-Sabre DAC and GS-X MKII (DACT) Headphone Amplifier. It can also be driven with the cheaper units like Schiit Gungnir/Mjolnir, however does not sound as musical nor transparent than the $2000+ ones, however, closer to subtle difference. They also sounded good on a Aualic Vega + Taurus MKII combo. Have also tried them with Schiit Asgard 2, LYR, and ASUS Essence One in which they sounded just good, but not great. Waiting right now for the Schiit Ragnarok beta to finish so i can order one. It should sound great with the LCD-3 considering their amps are pretty much made for planner magnetic headphones.

An "audiophile" cable shouldn't fix this issue as with digital interconnects, the shorter the better for signal wave reflections. Perhaps the extra detail is giving you too much thus taking away from your musical enjoyment.