I would also add the viva solista (not the solista lt, just the normal one), oji special db44 limited, and the airtight atm-300b to the interest list if i were you
In terms of synergy, check the aic-10 thread for notes on that from mon, but i havent heard anything from rockna (nor most of the amp on the list ) to be able to comment.
What i can say though is that, 1) you shoukd hear x9k before you commit to conventional cans and 2) wa33, wa23, aic-10, viva egoista, and feliks envy will all be at canjam socal in september if you can wait for your upgrade
Honestly might just buy one of those + the transformer box to see how it is. I’m more interested in the transformer box but I might as well get the package to properly test. Although I need to calm down on spending for a bit first lol
Nice area, I used to ride bike on route 9W through there when I could put 40 miles on a weekday afternoon. Welcome to the region, we should try and have a SA meetup next year in the NY audio show.
I think it was February this year. First time since Covid. By next February, it should be back to normal on everything. I actually didn’t go this year because Omnicron was rampant here between Dec and Feb.
I’ve been thinking about preamps lately, and I wanted to ask for possible recommendations.
My current chain is Mystique V3 → Allnic HPA-3000 GT → MYSPHERE 3.1 / Diana V2 / Gjallarhorn
I know some forum friends are just using XLR attenuators. And there are some nice passive pres that I’m also aware of (and I was pretty strongly considering picking up a passive), but I’ve read a couple times in the forum that people seem to think active pres sound significantly better.
So yeah, if I wanted to start investigating active preamps that make sense for the level that my system is at, what options would I even be looking at? (Sorry, I don’t really know anything about active preamps.) …or like, would an active be overkill and I should just go passive?
They can but I wouldn’t necessarily go active on a headphone amp.
If your just trying to attenuate the volume, by one of those inline attenuators, that was previously discussed.
Good active preamps are expensive, and they can do more harm than good, if they aren’t good.
Where they can make a huge difference is into a power amp on a 2Ch setup, and even then you have to think about spending in the same ballpark on the pre as what it’s driving to get the most out of it, and it’s also a place where matching manufacturers components is a good place to start.
Oof. This is a tough one. Ultimately it will realy come down to the individual devices. That said, from my own (fairly limited admittedly) ddc expereince, i have always found chains with no USB to out perform similar tier chains that use it
Sadly I would say it depends on a case-by-case scenario and which connection they spent the most attention and resources on. In many cases, especially older devices, USB wasn’t the best input/output, losing to I2S or coax. Lately though, USB being so popular, it has been the better or best sounding one (again, depending on the electronic itself)
I’ll state this again here, and again this is a simplified view
Everything else being equal USB will use a different signal path in the DAC than SPDIF, or AES.
In the Former case the DAC will create the internal audio clock, in the latter, the DDC does.
If the DDC is better at creating that clock than, then SPDIF will sound better.
This is then complicated further by the fact your probably introducing more noise into the DAC with a USB connection.
On reasonably priced DAC’s with good streamers/DDC’s, probably DDC will sound better over SPDIF/AES, once your in stupid DAC territory, it gets a bit different.
The easiest way to know is to try it.
@M.J here is an example of better not always being an improvement necessarily. This is my personal situation in one of my rooms for one of my systems. In my opinion and for my tastes, the Lampizator models I have used sound better to me using their USB input with the FTA USB cable rather than 3 different DDC’s I have tried. I have particular tastes though so YMMV but an example none-the-less.
) to be able to comment.
