[adydula]

Spent the last few months building my PC music aka Home Theater PC and learned a lot about this area of audio / video and listening to Keith Dont Go right now as I type from inside of JRIVER media center....listening to bit perfect audio via a pair of LCD 2's and Grado 325's...really awsome.

The amp I amp using to drive the LCD's in this environment is a AVA Insight  + ....vs my Schitt Lyr. The Dac is a HRT MSii+.

So whats the next adventure, well I have been reading alot and I am going to spend the vast sum of $144 for the Objective Headphone amp and another $99 for the Objective DAC....just to see how it compares to what I have...but gosh what I am listening to right now is really clost to perfect as I have heard...for cans..

This amp will run on batteries for the start to see how it sounds etc...the dac just came out and is already sold out of the first run.

The design comes from someone called NWavguy,  he has a blog and seems to have lots of measurements etc...its a DIY project for a little less as well....but the time to order and build is a pain to me at this time...so instant gratification...

Will post my findings later this month (July) when I get the amp and the new dac...

All the best
Alex
 

[JohnR]

Weill be interesting to hear what you hear! There's a bit of discussion on the DAC in Cheap and Cheerful.

[dB Cooper]

I am aware of the O2 but am waiting for the desktop only version; he hasn't updated anything about that one in awhile. Supposed to have an upgraded power supply amongst other tweaks. The O2 is a little bulkier than I want a portable to be. I don't listen as "critically" on the go as at home so I will probably get one of the little fiios for that. Think I want the DAC and amp in separate boxes too.

[adydula]

I spoke to JDSlabs and they have no idea on when the desktop verion will be forth coming...the details of what the desktop amp will or will not be is pretty much discussed on NWavguys blog...Having the 1/4 full size jack would be nice and the RCA's but I can mod that if I desire etc....just dont want to wait forever for really non sonic jacks etc...this is really a test for me to compare to what I have etc and want to really see what an amp with very low measured impeadance will sound like...

Also will be able to see how playing on batteries, ie pure dc will be compared to the ac adapter and no batteries....

There have been a few used sold already...some of the comments for selling were its too 'clean' I like mine 'warmer' not so objective but that kind of sums it up...


Alex

[Noseyears]

Been looking at this objective combo for some days, it looks like a nice companion for people who want nice fidelity for few bucks. The comparison should be interesting.

There are some early impressions at HF as well.

[adydula]

Ok its here...

First impresion, "hey this is Sooooo Small!!" lol

Holy Crap Batman...this amp is a real GEM. Been listening for 3 hrs with Audeze LCD2's and Grado 325i's...

One word 'Superb'...well maybe another 'Excellent'...

Its really hard to imagine that this little amp can drive my LCD's to very high levels on pure batteries!!

The main reason I bought this as stated before is can anything this inexpensive and small be any good....well it is. You can AB this with many if not all amps and I would bet you would be fooled or hard to guess which one was playing etc...its that good.

Its very neutral and does not get in the way of the music....really shines compared to my Lyr which I really like alot....its more well 'clear' and very, very articulate....

Crap the bass, sounstage, imaging its all there and its more dependant on your headphones, the amp doesnt get in the way..

Feeding it with an asynchronous DAC the HRT Music Streamer ii +.
I will try the O2 Dac at the end of the month, they are all sold out...

The price of admission here is really superb...its a giant killer of an amp for sure....

I dont sell these or make any money on these!!! Yes my opinion may change over time but in this hobby where high dollar stuff is touted as the way to go... its extremely refreshing to see such high quality stuff for such a comparitively low price.

The neat thing is I can take the dac and amp and go from one pc to another in the house or at work and have world class sound on batteries...

Its supposed to play 7-8 hrs on the 2 re-chargeable batteries and run with an AC to AC adapter not AC to DC....if running on the Adapter it charges the batteries whie playing....there is no charging light or any indication of where the battery charge level is, when they run low it shuts down..

No turn on thump, a small turn off thump...not any real issue.

Listening to Dire Straights Live Album Alchemy...while I type...'Superb' ..I like that word! 

Ok back to some more critical listening....
I will report back on the sound quality in more detailed compared to my LYR and other Preamp head section...

All the best
Still Smiling!!
Alex
 

[adydula]

So fat I see. no difference in listening with the battery or with the AC. To AC adapter ..

Alex 

[eclein]

So all the stuff I'm reading about this little baby seems to be true huh, very cool, any pics of it that show size comparison to anything else?
Is there a link for folks to where its purchased from exactly?
 The itch is getting me again too.......uh ohhh....LOL

[dwk]

I recently got the ODAC/O2 combo and was a bit confused by the review at first - I had to go look at the O2 to realize that it does include batteries. In the combo unit, there are no batteries - presumably the ODAC board takes up the space originally allocated for them.

I've only done some very brief preliminary listening, but playing 320k Ogg via USB into Senn HD280s sounded surprisingly good - far better than the old audio-gd sparrow I last used on the 280s. 

I'm eventually planning to use the O2/ODAC with some T50rp that I have, but I'm now waffling between modding them myself and just getting the Mad Dog mod. This will be for a work system, hence the need for closed cans.  If the modded T50rps are as good as the buzz indicates, this should be a very nice setup.

[adydula]

eclien,

I got my O2 Amp from John at JDS Labs:
http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=O2Full

This comes with (2) rechargeable batteries, the AC to AC charger is extra.

http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/o2-headphone-amp.html

There are several AC to AC adapters that will work, they are listed in the instructions which you can see listed in the pdf file on the JDS site under whats included.

Yes the OS/ODAC combo doesnt come with batteries.

This being a DIY amp you could have batteries and the ODAC if you want to do that...

I wanted instant gratification and choose the amp with the batteries and ordered the ODAC seperately without a box, just the board and will enclose it myself if needed in my application...

Gosh for $144 and another $10 for an AC adapter this is a no brainer....I have not listened to my 2 ch setup in 3 weeks, last night I did and for the first time ever after this session I was wanting to go back to listen to the headphones because they are so clear and precise with this amp....the bass is so controlled and excellent...yes the 2 ch setup is awesome as far as recreating the soundstage etc...but the cans are exciting as well now.

Size:
Its a very small device.....and at first you will say, WTF over, but its a headphone amp..and drives my LCD2's and Grado 352i's to painfully loud levels at the default gain settings....simply amazing...






All the best
Alex

[adydula]

Listening to Eva Cassidy with the LCD2's and the O2 amp...Oh my word this is absolutely a 10 out of a 10...the live performance is just out of this world glorious.

Her voice, and soundstage is marvelous, u can hear the reverberations of the room, the bass playing is so 'right'...

The amp can drive these cans well beyond the pain level and can easily do ear damage as most amps....running on batteries now exclusively.

I cant imagine it getting much better...will look for better source material and maybe the dac, the ODAC will be here in a week or so, it will be very interesting to compare this dac with the HRT ...

Patricia Barber's Live: Fortnight in France...is another really nice live cd...the soundstage, the imaging, the bass is so so nice and accurate, all the little background stuff is easily heard, bongo drums and hand taps...OMG is this good.

BIG SMILE....

Shawn Colvin, Live 88...another wonderful cd....again same overall wonderful reproduction.. her Stranded cut is to die for....guitar is gentle and what a voice...the voice reverberates and you hear the decay of her notes as she sings...melt in your mouth beautiful...

Live with Verve, vol 6. Natalie Cole sing "Tell Me All About It"..
Her voice, the piano and bass...11 out of 10. That Good...did I say the piano is perfect.

BIGGER SMILE!

Sade, Love Delux....No Ordinary Love...Wide, Open, Clear, Clean,Deep soundstage..bass line is tight, drum hits are sharp, very statacco...

This just keeps getting better....

I played the Grados for a day and now am playing with the LCD2's...very different cans for sure...but the amp makes the Grados really go to a much higher level and the LCDs are just a 10 out of a 10 now.

Ok back to the music....

All the best
Alex