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jnrich

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  1. I've been a happy user of the ULN-2 now for about two years, in exactly the application misterharrison is looking for (digitizing vinyl recordings). I'll say this unit serves my purposes perfectly, and I was lucky enough to grab it second-hand from another "inmate" here who traded up to the LIO-8. I've never heard the LIO-8 first-hand, and all indications say it's better than the ULN-2, but I find the converters and mic preamps on the ULN-2 are excellent. In my world, I'd almost have to think that anything "better" would probably be overkill. Barry works with master tapes and first generation digital recordings, and I have no doubt that the differences can easily be discerned there. Extracting information from vinyl may be a bit different, as one might actually be limited by the medium itself, as well as all the variables involved in getting the signal to the Metric Halo unit in the first place (cartridge, tonearm, wiring, 'table, isolation, etc, etc, etc). I will agree with Barry that you should try Metric Halo's built-in digital RIAA correction. I have found it to be excellent, and much of the cost of an external phono stage is getting that part right, or within certain tolerances using passive components. Digitally, it can be done exactly, and you don't need to worry about changes over time in the electrical components. The only issue is proper cartridge loading, but as Barry said, the folks at MH can help with this. That said, my two low output MC carts sound just fine going directly into the ULN-2. Either way, you can't go wrong with Metric Halo. If you have the bucks and want the very best, go for the ULN-8 or LIO-8 with the mic pres. But the ULN-2 is no slouch...
  2. You are right; I checked the MH site, and the input impedance is 3.3 kohms, not 33 kohms. My bad.... I'm running my Shelter 901 into a Klyne pre right now at 500 ohms and really like the sound.
  3. Yep, Firewire transfers signals both ways. One thing I forgot to mention that you should know about, and that's proper loading of your cartridge. If you go directly into the Orpheus, your cart will be seeing the input impedance of that device. That may or may not be ok, depending upon what type of cart you are using. I have found that both low output MC carts I have (Shelter 901 and Zu Audio modded Denon 103) work fine directly into my Metric Halo ULN-2, whose input impedance is 33 kohm (I believe...). Such cartridges are relatively insensitive to input impedance, but a MM cart needs to see 47 kohm on the input. Believe me, I tried running such a cart directly into the Metric Halo, and it sounded horrible. One option I have thought of is using something like the Hagerman Piccolo to get the correct input impedance for your cart, and then run the output of the Piccolo directly to the Orpheus. I have a friend who has the Piccolo, and I'm thinking of trying this myself; at least you can then experiment with different loadings without being at the mercy of the input impedance of the recording device.
  4. OK, I'll take a stab at this, as I use a similar setup (Metric Halo ULN-2) to listen to and record vinyl. First, to get the info out of the grooves, you need two things: analog gain and an RIAA correction. You can do both of these things using your Orpheus. Here's the signal path, as I understand it: 1. Low level analog signal from phono goes into the analog inputs on your Orpheus. 2. Dial in desired analog gain from the mic preamps on Orpheus. 3. Analog signal is converted to digital via Orpheus' internal analog to digital converter (ADC). 4. Digital signal is routed via firewire to computer for processing. Here, my Metric Halo has a software package called MIO that handles routing of digital signals and subsequent processing. I use this utility to apply the RIAA correction in the digital domain. If the Orpheus doesn't have this ability, you will need software such as Pure Vinyl to apply the digital RIAA correction; you can also use this software to set up the acquisition parameters for digitizing your vinyl and storing your files. If you are digitizing, then the data are dumped to a hard drive for storage. 5. If you are listening to your vinyl, then the processed digital file is routed back (again via firewire) to the Orpheus where the internal digital to analog converter (DAC) does its thing, whereupon the analog signal is routed to your preamplifer on on from there in the normal way. You could also use the S/PDIF out on the Orpheus to route the digital signal to an external DAC of your choice, though I hear that the internal DAC on the Orpheus is excellent. This sort of takes care of questions 1 and 2. As far as using a cd player, I'd skip that altogether and rip my disks to the computer work from playlists, again using Orpheus as your DAC. Hope this helps!
  5. Hi Ron, Should be the first review that pops up on the Stereomojo page... Here's the direct link: http://www.stereomojo.com/Eastern%20Electric%20MiniMax%20DAC%20Review/EasternElectricMiniMaxDACReview.htm Hope that helps! John
  6. Check out the review I contributed to on the EE DAC over at stereomojo.com. I, as well as two other reviewers, found it to be excellent, especially at the asking price of $750. The only drawback is that it needs a good firewire or usb to S/PDIF converter to sound its best with a computer. I found the DAC section to be on par with my Metric Halo ULN-2. Slightly different presentation, but I liked both enough that I bought the EE. I now listen to both DACs regularly and enjoy them equally. I personally prefer the EE's tube output over the op amp output, but not by a very large margin. This is a great option for someone looking to get into the game relatively cheaply. It will do usb, and that would be a great way to start, but it really needs the converter to shine with hi-res material. Happy listening! John
  7. Hello all, I saw the discussion above about using MH products without an external preamplifier and was wondering how to do that myself. Problem is, I am using two sets of outputs on my present preamp to run two separate amps: one for my main speakers and another for a subwoofer. Is it possible to route via MIO the signal so that I can simultaneously run my analog outs and monitor outs on the ULN2? And also control simultaneously the volume for both? I'm supposing I could run each set out to a different amplifier. Or is there an altogether more efficient way of doing this? I don't think I'm ready to give up my preamp altogether, as I sometime need its phono stage, but I'm game to try bypassing it for better sound quality. Thanks, John
  8. Tom, As a ULN-2 owner, I can tell you that the bass reproduction, both in terms of quantity and quality, is no slouch. I haven't heard the LIO-8, but I can tell you that I am very happy with all aspects of the ULN-2. Also, if you are contemplating digitally archiving your vinyl (at 24/96 resolution) at some point, look no further than the ULN-2. Best, John
  9. Hi, Bixby. I have all of the equipment you wish to compare, and I use it frequently. First, if you like the sound of your Benchmark in your system, picking up a Legato will take it to another level in terms of refinement. Of course, you will be limited to 24/44.1 material for it to sound its best. I am, however, very much smitten with the Metric Halo ULN-2. It definitely sounds different from the Benchmark, pretty much as Barry says. It does a great job of getting out of the way of the music. Detail and resolution are there in spades, but never in your face. Definitely the most musical choice, if that's what is important to you. Also, it's got a lot of different capabilities that you may or may not want to use down the road. Good luck!
  10. Try this. When you get a chance, get ahold of a good A/D converter, preferably with a mic preamp, and run the outputs of your turntable in. Record some of your vinyl at a good, high resolution. Then play it back through your Legato/Berkeley combo (you will need to downsample to 16/44.1 for best results with the Legato). I think you will like the amount of "vinyl magic" that you can capture. Just another interesting facet to this interesting and never dull hobby... Oops! Do be sure to do the appropriate RIAA correction first, unless you want to do it digitally later.... I often just take the output from the tape out on my preamp into the D/A.
  11. Hi Kana, All good points. For me, the ULN-2 is an excellent solution, since I use (or hope to use) many of its capabilities, so the one-box option works well for me. I'm not sure I would have bitten if I were looking for a DAC only. As to your last point, this is based on my own experience (as well as my own preferences, which may well be different from yours and others). I have spent many hours with an array of DACs/interfaces in my system including: Benchmark DAC1 usb, and usb Pre Hegel Lavry DA10 and DA11 ART Legato Jolida JD 100 (this one's a cd player...) and maybe one or two more I've forgotten. Most of these are at or a bit below the price point of the ULN-2, and in my system, and to my ears, the only one that competes (from a DAC perspective) is the Lavry/Legato combo. However, it's limited to Redbook resolution. There are others I haven't been able to listen to such as the Wavelength Proton and Havana, just to mention two that came to mind, but I'm pretty happy with what I'm hearing now. Just my 2 cents worth, for what that's worth...
  12. I'm using the XLR Mic inputs; running the phono straight in using RCA to XLR adapters. Kana, I would tend to agree that there is a lot about pro audio gear that will turn the typical audiophile off. However, with the MH gear I think the flexibility coupled with the value (just think about all of the interface and routing options, as well as the free MIO console software) more than makes up for the difference. Yes, there is a learning curve, and the gear isn't quite as convenient and sexy looking (and those damned LEDs...), but for me there is really no turning back.... I'm just glad to have this level of performance at this price point. But hey, I'll admit that I'm the classic cheapskate...
  13. Of course, I just came back from my friend's house, where he was playing an analog rig with a $5000 cartridge. I must say that the sound was astounding, and that it shows the shortcomings of my modest setup. I now wonder how much of that magic the MH gear could capture in a needle drop, or as a digital phono stage, or whether it would finally meet its match. Even so, I'm still pretty impressed by what I am hearing here at home with the ULN-2. I'd like to hear what more people have to say who might be experimenting with MH boxes and vinyl.
  14. Hi Joe, I'm using a Zu Audio modded Denon DL 103 (I think that's right...). I don't recall what the recommended loading is, but it sounds good directly into the ULN-2. My turntable is an older Gyrodec with a Fidelity Research FR-64s arm. I've been listening with the ULN-2 as my phono stage as well; no hint of digititis!
  15. Seems I have been doing these exact comparisons. I wanted to try the digital RIAA with a ULN-2 to compare with my Klyne phono stage. In short, I have found the ULN-2 alone to provide a cleaner, more dynamic presentation; all in all, more favorable. I am now doing all of my needle drops bypassing the Klyne's phono stage and going straight into the ULN-2. I would assume that the LIO-8 is at least as good. I'm using a low output MC cartridge; the loading directly into the ULN-2 seems quite favorable. I recorded two cuts of the same track from a record (one using the Klyne's phono stage into the ULN-2, and the other bypassing the Klyne altogether and using the digital RIAA correction) and took them to a vinylholic I know to see which he preferred. Without knowing which was which, he preferred the recording done with the digital RIAA correction. He was surprised to say the least. Just my experience, but color me impressed!
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