NwAvGuy: ODAC Released

wushuliu · « **Reply #20 on:** 8 Jul 2012, 07:23 pm »

Quote from: adydula on 8 Jul 2012, 06:54 pm

ok so what your saying is to plug this gadget into the ODAC and plug it into the pc and leave it hanging off the pc....then attach your output cable to the amp....from the out on the DAC with a cable.

So the usb cabe length is now gone but depending on where you pc is etc the cable from the output of the dac to the amp may be long or longer...etc

Yep. Note that I do not use headphones, I am using the odac to 2 channel speaker setup.

adydula · « **Reply #21 on:** 8 Jul 2012, 10:34 pm »

Cool,

I will compare this dac to my Music Streamer ii +...the winner will the the 2 ch dac, and the looser will be my listen at the other pc dac....lol.

Alex

jtwrace · « **Reply #22 on:** 10 Jul 2012, 05:44 pm »

Quote from: wushuliu on 8 Jul 2012, 07:23 pm

Yep. Note that I do not use headphones, I am using the odac to 2 channel speaker setup.

What other dacs have you compared it to?

wushuliu · « **Reply #23 on:** 10 Jul 2012, 07:41 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 10 Jul 2012, 05:44 pm

What other dacs have you compared it to?

I've compared directly with the Dragonfly, AMB Y2 DAC w/Hiface 2, and the leopold TDA1543 dac w/Hiface 2.

adydula · « **Reply #24 on:** 10 Jul 2012, 10:29 pm »

It will be an interesting comparison for me....the HRT MSii + is an asynchronous dac...the ODAC is not an asynchronous dac.....also with the ODAC there is no S/PDIF at all involved. Its all USB.

The design of the ODAC is to be tranparent and disappear and not add or detract to the sound...this to me is a great design goal...its been measured and details of these measurements are on NWavguy's site...and he has done some comparisons with his $1600 Benchmark DAC1. According to his listening tests both are both audibly transparent. Not wanting to buy into any koolaid, spending a $100 USB Dac to test for myself is a no brainer...and we all like toys!!! (dont we!!??!!)...

I like the design goal of using the least amount of 'stuff' , circuitry etc...to get the job done "well"...if the ODAC performs as well as the O2 Amp...this is going to be sweet for sure...especially for the price....the measurements really look good. lets see how it "doesnt" sound!!

And even if it does 'sound'..at least the specs are there and published to the world not alot of manufacturers air their dirty laundry...if you get my 'drift'....

Alex

jtwrace · « **Reply #25 on:** 10 Jul 2012, 11:28 pm »

Quote from: wushuliu on 10 Jul 2012, 07:41 pm

I've compared directly with the Dragonfly, AMB Y2 DAC w/Hiface 2, and the leopold TDA1543 dac w/Hiface 2.

Do you feel that you like it best or is it still on par with the Dragonfly as long as you use the small adapter? I'd like to hear one of these. The measurements really are great.

wushuliu · « **Reply #26 on:** 11 Jul 2012, 03:29 am »

Quote from: jtwrace on 10 Jul 2012, 11:28 pm

Do you feel that you like it best or is it still on par with the Dragonfly as long as you use the small adapter? I'd like to hear one of these. The measurements really are great.

No, the Y2/Hiface 2 combo is preferred due to the openness and depth. As for the DF, it sounds close enough to the tweaked odac to be a matter of taste. To me the odac just doesn't have much depth or dimensionality, that's where it falls flat so to speak. But it is a sin of omission and only evident when i compare back and forth. In all other respects it's very, very impressive.

adydula · « **Reply #27 on:** 11 Jul 2012, 03:17 pm »

To compare you really need to do USB to USB etc....adding other stuff or conversions or adapters etc. muddies the water...as we all know...

I will compare USB to USB. Same source, same PC, same WASPI etc...try to keep things as the same as humanly possible, I will also ask some friends over to help do some 'blind' switching out and see if i can hear any differences without any biased emotions creeping in.....its hard..

Alex

wushuliu · « **Reply #28 on:** 11 Jul 2012, 03:52 pm »

Quote from: adydula on 11 Jul 2012, 03:17 pm

To compare you really need to do USB to USB etc....adding other stuff or conversions or adapters etc. muddies the water...as we all know...

I will compare USB to USB. Same source, same PC, same WASPI etc...try to keep things as the same as humanly possible, I will also ask some friends over to help do some 'blind' switching out and see if i can hear any differences without any biased emotions creeping in.....its hard..

Alex

I am completely confident in my comparisons. I'm not sure what biased emotions mean and why they would 'creep' in. You are not a replicant. Just have fun and trust yourself.

JohnR · « **Reply #29 on:** 11 Jul 2012, 04:00 pm »

Well, I think it's quite possible that any comparison involving one of NwAvGuy's designs has "expectation bias" built in - one way or the other - due to the rather interesting "press". I'm thinking I'll get an O2 - it should be interesting, as in theory, it's completely neutral. See, there I go, setting myself up...

wushuliu · « **Reply #30 on:** 11 Jul 2012, 04:41 pm »

Quote from: JohnR on 11 Jul 2012, 04:00 pm

Well, I think it's quite possible that any comparison involving one of NwAvGuy's designs has "expectation bias" built in - one way or the other - due to the rather interesting "press". I'm thinking I'll get an O2 - it should be interesting, as in theory, it's completely neutral. See, there I go, setting myself up...

Ha, yeah that only took two sentences. Sheesh!

adydula · « **Reply #31 on:** 11 Jul 2012, 06:49 pm »

For the bucks what have u really got to loose...yup this guy has burnt some bridges and upset some apple carts, but i like the design philosophy and the measurements are good. The OS amp I bought has far exceeded my expectations....so i hope the dac does as well..

What i was getting at about bias etc...when "I" buy something its usually after 9,999 hours of researching and heck after wasting all that time I want it to sound good or better that what i have etc...I think I can convince myself of my purchase and it indeed it sounds better....

This time around I decided to be more objective...and do some AB testing etc..

With my Lyr Amp which i like a lot, compared to the O2 Amp I am finding that the O2 Amp is much clearer etc...and I dont like that...why because it costs more!! lol...

So all that time researching, reading,rolling tubes only to find this "objective' device outperform my 'favorite' in specs but more importantly in sound quality is un-settling...how can something so small and inexpensive be so good!!!

Aint technology grand!!

Alex

adydula · « **Reply #32 on:** 31 Jul 2012, 08:23 pm »

The ODAC has shipped!!! Just a few days away from testing!!!

Alex

jtwrace · « **Reply #33 on:** 31 Jul 2012, 10:29 pm »

Quote from: adydula on 31 Jul 2012, 08:23 pm

The ODAC has shipped!!! Just a few days away from testing!!!

Alex

I'im very much looking forward to your opinion. Please be sure to let us know all the details.

adydula · « **Reply #34 on:** 2 Aug 2012, 10:56 pm »

Well its here!!

I will report later on the sound and comparison to my HRT MSii+...

Your looking at $144 (amp) +$99 (Odac) and $20 for cables and a connector for the Odac
audio out......

This was all obtained via JDSLabs.

Alex

charmerci · « **Reply #35 on:** 3 Aug 2012, 02:04 am »

I received mine today also.

I've hooked it up to my Windows/JRiver computer output. From there it goes (through a 3.5mm jack>RCA converter into my Denon receiver.

I've only listened to it briefly but it does seem to be pretty decent - albeit my system isn't that great. I'll definitely write more when I get a better set of speakers later this month - and probably sooner than that.

adydula · « **Reply #36 on:** 3 Aug 2012, 02:33 am »

Yes I have had it running for a few hours and listening to my Grados and LCD2's...and a little back and forth with the HRT MSii+.

I use JRiver as well. Win 7 Pro and have several pc's with it loaded on so I can listen to the cans in different locations.

Listening to Perfect from Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill....WOW....

I am going to build a second O2 amp and will package the Odac in an enclosure from X-Box enclosure. I will put RCA connectors on the back so I can install it into the 2 ch system via the VanAlstine preamp.

Will do a more thorough review after I have listened more over a wider variety of material...so far my first impression is....this is really something special...the combination for the price is unmatched as far as I can see..

Alex

adydula · « **Reply #37 on:** 4 Aug 2012, 01:13 am »

Well so far after many changes between the HRT MSii+ for $350 and the ODAC for $99....I can not discernably tell a difference between the two...at times I think I can and it gets lost in the switching etc...

I am getting really fast selecting between the dacs in Win7..playback etc...and playing 20 sec or so of the same track listening of certain detail or quality or musicality of a drum beat...or cymbals etc...

They both are good and would be happy with either one so far.

The combination of the O2 amp and the Odac is approx $250 +/- will run on pure DC has virtually indiscernable THD, IM and other measurements that put them outside of our human ear transducers....so you get to hear what your source sounds like and what your cans sound like.

Its like having a miniature reference amp and dac....for a very affordable price.

Gosh the with really good source material the quality of sound is indeed breathtaking..my Grados never sounded so good the LCD2's sound marvelous as well but the 2 are very much different.

So we will put the ODAC in a box and try it with my 2 ch system next and do the same comparisons....

Probably will get the same results, ie both dacs being really good.

From a headphone perspective I would highly recommend this combination for anyone that is looking for an affordable reference system to play computer music in their cans....really stellar.

Later
Alex

adydula · « **Reply #38 on:** 16 Aug 2012, 01:21 am »

Here is the ODAC in a case with RCA outs and the mini jack up front....just completed this one...

Works very well, and I will now try it in the 2 ch rig....

Next project is to build an AC only desktop with the O2 amp and ODAC in the same box..

Alex

charmerci · « **Reply #39 on:** 16 Aug 2012, 01:40 am »

Quote from: adydula on 16 Aug 2012, 01:21 am

Here is the ODAC in a case with RCA outs and the mini jack up front....just completed this one...

Works very well, and I will now try it in the 2 ch rig....

Next project is to build an AC only desktop with the O2 amp and ODAC in the same box..

Alex

Alex,

That looks great.

(But wasn't there something on the JDS Labs site that showed how to attached the DAC to the amp into one small package?)