I’ve been using my Mojo for gaming for a while now. I switched to gaming with IEMs a few years ago, so the Mojo didn’t hold me back there. I’ve never been left wanting.
When I used over ears to game I had the Aune X8/X7s stack. That sounded great, had a small footprint, and didn’t cost the earth.
If I was looking for a budget Schiit stack today I would go for Mimir and Asgard X combo.
Yeah i also thought asgard, but its just too large for the space I need. Also a bit overkill considering it is just for gaming.
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a schiit magni unity last night with the mesh dac. Decided to go with the addon dac instead of the stack to just simplify things and keep the cost low. Good price and great size for my desk. Gonna run the hd6xx for now until I figure out what I want specifically for gaming.
I don’t know if you can find one used, but my “work desktop stack” for YouTube and Zoom calls and stuff the past few years has just been a CEntrance HiFi-M8 V2 (which is a portable AIO kinda like an iFi Diablo). I’ve been using it with an HD600 (though it’s one of the new ones, I still have my “good” HD600 as part of my main setup), and while it’s honestly overkill for what I’m using it for, I like it and can recommend it.
Has anyone played with the eversolo streamers at all? Currious where exactly they stack up since the a10 seems like litteraly the only way to use earc for streaming and volume while still having an external dac.
Okay i need some recommendations for a friend, first let me preface that he is not an audiophile whatsoever and does not care about sound quality, he just needs functionality.
He is looking for a one box integrated amp solution for passive speakers and headphones with a on board dac with USB out. And it is going on a desk so it needs to be somewhat compact. Budget is under $500 preferably.
If i could find a Sprout 100 for sale that would be a perfect solution but alas I haven’t had any luck.
Check Apos, something may fit his desires. I’m looking, the HP out is where the issues arise.
I swear Burson make something like that.
doesn’t have a dac included… their dac one doesn’t have speaker outs
gemini found this:
Also, don’t know how urgent he needs it but the sprout is supposed to be revived sometime this year through a new company by scott’s son
Realize I’ve not really ever given thoughts on the Altor HISO Ti, it’s pretty great for the price, but I’m increasingly finding that it might not be fitting my chain, but for now is still more positive than negative. Gonna be honest most of the USB regen/blocking stuff I had tried around this price point were either problem solving devices, or didn’t do much of anything (sometimes potentially worse sounding than coming out of the computer), but the Altor has proven to be an easily worthwhile sonic addition and upgrade (but potentially more expensive than first thought).
I hesitate to say too much, because after swapping around with some limited PSU options I’ve been using it with an iFi iPowerX and it really will pick up the signature of the PSU pretty clearly, and likely has strong scaling potential, but I don’t have any good 5v lps on hand to properly test with. I also don’t have any good USB right now so just using impressions with basically old printer cables.
In this setup I think some of the most immediate changes are pulling stage closer in and around you, trading a bit more of a flatter more distant and front focused stage direct out of the PC for a more spherical and intimate result. Overall increase in resolution and microdynamics and detail, a slight step back in raw slam and macro though. Control is great, tighter and cleaner letting smaller timing variation shine through, and an improvement in overall texture and tactility. It does lean kinda clean right now, and maybe a slight bit metallic which I at first attributed to an interconnect change disrupting that balance, but with this out of the chain it’s no longer an issue, although overall weighting is actually still pretty good and can sound dense when demanded, maybe a bit dry though.
A lot of what I noticed are similar traits to the general experience I get with this power supply though that I remember noticing across various equipment, and I really wonder if swapping it for something a lot better would really let this shine, but at that point it makes me wonder about the potential value being less appealing of a 500+ psu with a 70 buck isolator, but if it works it works lol. I think I’ll be going a different direction rather than trying to bolster this, as I think I could get more out of my system for better value (but higher cost) but honestly it’s worth a pickup just to try at this price and as a handy problem solver when needed. There’s also a few that people have mentioned that use the same Ti chip that are reported as similar and a bit cheaper, although I haven’t tried them myself
I think this one is also using that chip.
I think @Rhodey picked up the JDS unit.
I’ve noticed similar sonic traits through the Altor, also with the iPower X. Lean and clean, a bit dry and forward with a metallic tilt at times. And whatever I’ve tried with the iPowerX tends leaner and drier, but it does clean up and often also calm down the edge too, so it’s a worthy trade-off for what I use it with.
The Jhoinrch usb isolator with the ISOUSB211 seems to be the latest: Amazon.com: Jhoinrch USB 2.0 480Mbps High Speed Isolator Supports 5000Vrms Signal Isolation and 1500V Voltage Isolation : Electronics
One guy I know considers it better than the Altor. No external power input on it, though. He used it on a streamer with a decent power supply and they discussed it on The Audio Standard forum.
I’m going to try the Jackaudio one from Ali, especially considering the sale and coupons from the home page rn: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010745434442.html
Looks like it has a little more attention to power delivery for the chip, hoping it’ll sound a little more relaxed.
I really do value the ability to use an external LPS, gives you a lot of flexiblity in tilting the sound but also upgrading down the line vs not. I think something like a fidelizer nikola2 would be an awesome match with the altor. I’ll probably be getting the newest/upcoming mojo PSU for something else, but will give it a try with the altor and report back
Will be curious on your thoughts of the jack one vs altor!
They’ve been available and you just have to reach out an order. The only issue is they’re single voltage. Ben also offered to upgrade my Illuminati V3 to AM chokes. He mentioned that NC chokes don’t do well with anything that’s going to feed digital devices.
Sell this to me once you are done playing w/ it. I am considering putting it in line on my HP rig for that last little bit of “pop” i miss and it is appropriately priced unlike the Ideon absolute time piece i was messing around w/ which was ridiculously overpriced for how i was using it 
You’ve got an absolute time? If you’re looking to sell it, we can arrange something lol
@dB_Cooper already snagged it in trade…
Darn, but probably overkill for my chain as well lol
I’m serious though, when you are ready to move on from the Altor please hit me up, it should do me just fine where i desire it