ECdesigns

[hykbooks]

Greetings

 

Can I ask if the new DA96ETF dac works with roon

[hykbooks]

9 minutes ago, hopkins said:

The DAC only works with their own "interfaces" and what you will need is the U192ETL, which takes a USB signal as input. So any computer running Roon Core or Roonbridge with a USB output will work. 

great as someone tested it with U192ETL and experienced playback issues with roon core installed on a windows 10 machine, so has it been tested with roon to work 100%

[hykbooks]

14 minutes ago, hopkins said:

 

Is that a question ?

yes, as someone who got that combo experienced playback issues with roon, could it be cause roon makes bit depth conversion from 16 bit to 64bit float

[hykbooks]

reading so much bout power supply for ecdesign dac threw me off, man if that is the case one should install solar power supply and have all run by solar energy to make things sound great

[hykbooks]

3 minutes ago, Huubster said:

 

Please don't, out of the box it sounds just plain awesome, something you will not find easily, if at all, anywhere else. Some of us are only trying to get the last drop of sound quality out of it.

 

And regarding myself,  I'm experimenting with power supplies of my streamer, that is where the real differences are for me. The power supply of my streamer effects indirect the power supply and sound of the U192, not that of the DAC, which has it's own LPS. I use the original power supply of the DAC, that thing is great as it is.

thanks as to be honest I got bit overwhelmed reading so much into the power supply that I started to think without buying one the dac sounds not good

[hykbooks]

4 minutes ago, hopkins said:

 

Maybe start by listening to the units first? You will have a better idea about the way it sounds in comparison to other DACs... 

thats what I will do, but got a bit overwhelmed from reading too much 

[hykbooks]

hello everyone, I have the fractal dac with upl 192, and I am connecting it to my home system amp and sometimes on head phone amp, when i compare it to my cheap chord mojo, I find that I have to raise the volume on the ec design - amp setup much more than when i use the mojo ( whether 3v or 2v output from mojo )

 

I wonder why this is, as the volume i have to dial in when I use the ec design dac needs me to dial in at least 20% more in volume than when i use the mojo in my set ups

 

Am i missing something about the usage or how to use ec design fractal dac properly

 

I am using roon with exclusive mode and fixed volume on both the ec design and mojo

[hykbooks]

7 minutes ago, hopkins said:

 

I've used a few other DACs and did not notice  a significant difference in output, but it's been a while.  What is your source? Which app are you using to playback music on the U192 and the Chord? 

i am using roon on windows 10. mostly using tidal through the roon app

[hykbooks]

7 hours ago, hopkins said:

 

Ok so I imagine it is easy to see that the volume settings are identical on Roon. 

 

Otherwise, you should probably ask ECD about this. 

of course as i use the set fixed volume in roon for mojo and ec design 

[hykbooks]

2 hours ago, realDHT said:

Output on the fractal dac is about 1V RMS ans I remember it, so about 6 db less that most other dacs.

can i ask why is it that low 

[hykbooks]

30 minutes ago, hopkins said:

Has anyone spend time listening to the powerDAC with headphones? My comments in my "preview" concerning the use of the powerDAC with headphones were a little hasty, and I am now getting a better sence of the quality you get by connecting headphones directly. 

 

I prefer listening with my speakers, but I've found that what ECD explains is correct: it's a good way of evaluating the "distortion" you may get with your amps & speakers. So it's interesting to try... 

 

As a result, I'm getting a better sense of the appeal of an S model. I see in my future an R model in my "office" and an S model in my living room. I'm a good customer  😁 Anyway, at least I would want to hear it to decide. 

 

Once you start believing in the ECD "logic" you can no longer escape it. 😅

I tried it with some headphones and it was lacking juice to drive hifiman he1000v1 and my denon 9200, not a great experience to be honest. With my audeze lcd4 that was an awful experience. Even good portable amps such as Alo MK RX3 were giving better results than using the powerdac as an amp for headphones. I liked it as a dac only

[hykbooks]

2 minutes ago, hopkins said:

 

Thanks.

Lacking juice with your denon as well ?

What headphone amp do you use ?

I have the ifi dsd pro which has even better dynamics when used as dac amp, do not even think that the powerdac can give a great experience with headphones like my violectric 590 or Phonitor X. 

[hykbooks]

can i ask, what is better to use with fractal dac intona or another usb isolator, just being curious, as i compared the fractal dac wih intona isolator industrial version and regular version, the industrial version had more dynamics. But it made the sound a bit warmer with the fractal dac on my intel nuc using lush 3 usb cable. I have the harbeth slh 5 40th anniversary and Avid Hifi integra amp. I am using roon, The difference was quite big between intona industrial version and regular version, but each had its own thing I liked, so maybe there is something better than intona

[hykbooks]

13 minutes ago, hopkins said:

@hykbooks which DAC are you using? DA96 or powerDAC? 

 

now i am using DA96

[hykbooks]

6 minutes ago, hopkins said:

OK, that explains the lack of dynamics with headphones. The powerDAC has veru different specs. 

no no no, I used the powerdac to just test it with headphones, which I got to test and returned, its not mine

 

while the DA96 I bought and is used in my home system, not used with headphones, so the question about usb isolators is to improve my dac in my home system. With my headphone set up I do not use the DA96, I use my ifi pro dsd as a dac and violectric 590 as an amp. I was able to loan the powerdac and it was not great with my headphones at all. 

[hykbooks]

On 7/2/2021 at 8:34 PM, hopkins said:

OK thanks, understood. And you did not test it with your speakers? 

I tested the powerdac a bit on my home system, its a good dac, I still like my DA96 though in my system. Evaluating dacs takes alot time which I did not have with the powerdac, as i got it as a loan to be returned next morning, and at night i usually do not listen to speakers, so i invested my time using different headphones to test with the powerdac, and what i wrote above was my conclusion. I am more of headphone person, coming from susvara and lcd4 and some other dynamic headphones as denon 9200.

 

But on the positive side both dacs whether powerdac or DA96 are dam amazing dacs period

[hykbooks]

On 7/6/2021 at 1:08 AM, Jacob said:

PowerDAC and Headphones Competability  
 

I wanted to write a review .... but what is the point??
What words to use or how good your vocabulary should be to describe PERFECTION?
 

I have the MOSAIC UV for 4.5 years and up until now i didnt find a better DAC.

I compared to many units, Streamers that cost 5K$ and other R2R - non, non of them beat the MOSAIC (i was using Intona Isolator in the line).
But now (!!) - the PowerDAC .... It is the MOST Analogue sound ever, period!
There is simply NOTHING that i wish could be better ... I tested it mostly with my Kennerton Rognir, this is a very very good headphone and reveals everything, I was looking for imperfections ... something that i could complain about ... but.. sorry.. i didnt find anything.

Reminds me the "Fifth Element" movie when they assembled LILU and their jaw dropped .... "Perfection" :):)

 

My setup at home is for Headphones only, but yesterday I got a chance to review the PowerDAC at my friend home with Stereo speakers - he was floored!!

So as i'm a headphone specialist - i've condutced a test with all my headphones (tomorrow will update the list with more flagships).

 

Since i made a mistake and forgot to order the USB to Toslink converter i used 2 units for the input:
1. xDuoo XQ-50 Pro - as BT source via Toslink
2. Quloos QA390 - this is a fantastic all in one unit but most important it is a very very good player with dedicated WAV rom to perform as CD Transport and even better. The output was Toslink too. http://www.qlshifi.com/en/wzcapi/qa390.htm
3. Auris HA2 as additional AMP 

 

As in the PowerDAC description written - it will NOT drive ALL the headphones out there but it does an amazing job with many.
My listening volume levels are not high, i have many friends that listen in higher levels than me - so i chose a track that has a low gain recording and marked the PowerDAC volume levels taking in consideration mine and (+) levels.
The numbers X--Y indicate the PowerDAC Volume settings 1-9 - which 9 is the MAX.
6--8 mean that low gain tracks will need 8, high gain tracks will need 6 .

 

Kennerton Rognir		6--8
Kennerton Wodan		6--8
Kennerton Thror		5--7
Kennerton Vali		4--6
Fostex T60RP		7--9
MySphere 3.2 Bass		7--9
HiFiman 1000V2		7--9
HiFiman Ananda		4--7
Focal Stellia		4--6
Focal Clear		4--6
Kennerton Magni		4--6
OLLO all of them		3--5
Verum		7--9
Fostex TH900mk2		4--6
Denon 9200		4--6
AUDEZE LCD3		5--7
Sivga Pii		7--9

 

iBasso new one..                                    3--5

 

Conclusion  - 

From Thursday till Monday - who ever came to me to listen just grabbed their head and say - WOW!!
The PowerDAC R has an Orgasmic sound - from Stage to Clarity and many other describing audio words - it is PERFECTION.

It can drive 85% of Dynamic headphones and about 70% of Planars to their BEST potential.

The limitation will be in the Headphones sound characteristics.

Connecting the PowerDAC to Auris HA2 enable to drive ANY headphone (or use any other amp) - and exactly as John describe - another AMP on the way is degrading the sound by 3% .
Let me be CLEAR - connected to Auris it is still AMAZING sound and other stronger amps will allow you to use more demanding headphones like Susvara , LCD4 or Abyss. But connecting directly to the PowerDAC will reviel the full potential of the unit and you can enjoy amazing headphones like the Kennerton Rognir, Wodan, Vali or Fostex TH and the DENON, Focal and LCD 2-3-X, Beyer variants and many others - they all sound superb!

 

There will not be "next" model (inside knowledge) simply no need.

The production is limited for the next year (due COVID manufacturing problems) - so.... BUY BUY BUY !!!
Trust my words  - you will not regret!!

 

Tomorrow i will add :
Stellia
Meze Empyrean
Grado PS1000
Dan Clark Ether

 

 its a good dac no doubt, hope next ecdesign release will allow its driving power to be enough for difficult to drive headphones such as Susvara, Hifiman HE1000V1 and LCD4. 

 

As for being a dac, it is a wonderful dac period whether the DA96 or the Powerdac

[hykbooks]

2 hours ago, Jacob said:

I'm starting to think that the "source" is all about the files and on the software that actualy play the files.
Just had a talk with Sam from MP64 - they do have a very interesting and unique aproach to handeling and eliminating the File / random jitter.
This is why my QLS Qa390 as a WAV player sounds that good too.
And as the PDR is so amazing  - now it become even more clear the difference in the files as from where i got them..... like downloading from Rutracker (CD rip) or from Tidal - both converted to WAV.

Great, so I would like to put you on a blind test, for the last sentence you wrote, just give me a break man, so now finally you found the magical product to help you distinguish wav from flac 

[hykbooks]

16 hours ago, Jacob said:

Please dont address me here - i had enough of it over the phone and in person with you.

enjoy

[hykbooks]

On 7/9/2021 at 11:44 AM, Gavin1977 said:

I would definitely be up for this, lots of positives on the Fractal DAC for me, but as I wrote up in my system is seemed rolled off in the bass and very neutral / top end focused - so wasn't quite there.  I have had a number of very high end DACs in for comparison recently.

In my system I found the DA96 to be a bit rolled off in bass as well, compared to my ifi pro idsd, the ifi pro idsd digs deeper into the bass. But again it has a nice tonality, for the price the DA96 is a good dac 

 

My home system is:  harbeth slh 5- 40th anniversary-- Avid Hifi-- Integra amp

 

When I put my ifi pro idsd as a dac, the bass gets more body and is more present, also the sound becomes more dynamic with bigger sound stage using the ifi pro idsd. I like both dacs with a preference for the ifi idsd pro but for the price the DA96 is a great dac