tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post6303634906539663138..comments2024-03-18T03:10:30.572-07:00Comments on NwAvGuy: UCA202 DAC Take 2NwAvGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-34622959396343737982012-04-27T18:50:57.482-07:002012-04-27T18:50:57.482-07:00Hi NwAvGuy,
Did this ever happen? I would very m...Hi NwAvGuy, <br /><br />Did this ever happen? I would very much appreciate one of your great reviews on the LX, and specially in comparison to the now released ODAC. <br /><br />Cheers!itinerantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15926583149774011297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-26598250633713934812012-01-15T06:38:46.492-08:002012-01-15T06:38:46.492-08:00@Anon, good catch. The original UCA202 article was...@Anon, good catch. The original UCA202 article was in the early days of this blog and I've improved several of my measurements since then based on feedback from others and to bring them more in line with other reviews. In the case of the UCA202 it didn't do as well on the improved version of the test. The difference is related to how the measurement is made--in this case how the noise is NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-67562365976943553232012-01-14T18:43:01.034-08:002012-01-14T18:43:01.034-08:00From you original review the low level linearity w...From you original review the low level linearity was really good. If I read the old graph correctly, the output level was -90.41dB on -90dB input signal which would be 0.41dB for low level linearity. Why does this review have a much worse result?<br /><br />I've only just started reading your very informative blog, so if I misinterpreted your results, I'm sorry...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-86187390274572744312011-11-23T08:19:19.236-08:002011-11-23T08:19:19.236-08:00@Anon, I'm not sure why you're not happy w...@Anon, I'm not sure why you're not happy with the sound unless you're using the lousy headphone output (you didn't say). If you look at the original UCA202 review you'll find the comments are mostly the opposite of yours for those using the line output. If there's something wrong with yours I would expect it to be more obvious but it's hard to say for sure. Very high NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-89856000898174623022011-11-23T08:12:39.474-08:002011-11-23T08:12:39.474-08:00Boy would it be nice if this thing sounded as good...Boy would it be nice if this thing sounded as good as it measured.<br /><br />Something about it I can't stand, compared to my audio interface (the drivers stopped working on Mac so I had to get the UCA-202 and had high expectations based on your review).<br /><br />It's just not there. The clean undistorted sound I remember is gone. Stereo imaging isn't nearly as good as before even.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-84222893498609839632011-11-04T20:00:00.266-07:002011-11-04T20:00:00.266-07:00Hello, I enjoy your articles very much, not many p...Hello, I enjoy your articles very much, not many people take the time to review inexpensive equipment in such detailed and professional way. I've always liked the idea that you can find a diamond among inexpensive gear, as happened with Sonic Impact T-Amp, which was a cheap portable digital amp that was compared to amplifiers costing thousands more. I think the same could happen in the DAC Christian Schreierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03241483441812855970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-66678524604695392692011-11-01T18:10:42.988-07:002011-11-01T18:10:42.988-07:00I just received my UCA202 and am amazed at the sou...I just received my UCA202 and am amazed at the sound quality. It even edges out my Audinst HUD-MX1, which of course has more features, but was also $180. I've been looking at $300+ DACs but now have no interest. I might well lay out a lot of lettuce and find nothing that much better. I've spent a lot DACs not worth keeping. And this proves my theory that it should not be that friggin'carl ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14291193391743469159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-12977385541720739382011-11-01T12:07:28.168-07:002011-11-01T12:07:28.168-07:00Could you tell us the names of that two?Could you tell us the names of that two?Shufnynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-35003798578300015202011-10-31T17:07:59.030-07:002011-10-31T17:07:59.030-07:00I've suggested the E5 and UCA202 combo several...I've suggested the E5 and UCA202 combo several times. Although if you don't yet have the UCA202 you might want to wait for the rest of my USB "thumb DAC" reviews due out shortly. Two of them rival the UCA202 and even beat it in a few areas and they're much more portable. I'll also be reviewing the FiiO E6 which is supposedly better than the E5.NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-84010536386922676462011-10-31T15:55:04.197-07:002011-10-31T15:55:04.197-07:00Would there be many downsides to hooking up a Fiio...Would there be many downsides to hooking up a Fiio E5 to the UCA202 via RCA to 3.5mm conversion for a USB DAC + amp on the cheap for low impedance phones? It would use 2 USB ports, but I can't think of anything too bad happening besides that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-28652669215115480632011-10-31T02:35:41.883-07:002011-10-31T02:35:41.883-07:00Hi, I'm really enjoying your blog and have ord...Hi, I'm really enjoying your blog and have ordered a ready made O2 from Epiphany Acoustics. My request for the O2 desktop would be variable output to control active speakers and a speaker defeat when headphones are plugged in so I can switch quickly between headphones and speakers.<br />Cheers<br />MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-25997419952132337272011-10-30T18:50:26.188-07:002011-10-30T18:50:26.188-07:00On one hand: I'm dissappointed that there have...On one hand: I'm dissappointed that there have been no new blog entries in a while...<br /><br />On the other hand: I console myself with the notion that instead of writing blog entries, you're working on the new Desktop Amp and DAC. <br /><br />I'm looking forward to the Desktop O2 and DAC design and schematics more than the upcoming blog entries; and that's saying something, Tunblornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-1119121250874540072011-10-30T11:54:30.723-07:002011-10-30T11:54:30.723-07:00Hi! That's great news! Thought the early adopt...Hi! That's great news! Thought the early adopters will be left in the lurch after reading about your plans to include a daughter board DAC with the ODA.<br /><br />On another note, I have ordered "your favorite mid-price DAC". Impressive credential at this mid-price. Also, Michael Goodman might drop you their highly acclaimed DACport variant -LX for objective evaluation after I Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-21205700281385515972011-10-30T09:17:21.526-07:002011-10-30T09:17:21.526-07:00@Anon, that's the plan. The 24/96 USB DAC will...@Anon, that's the plan. The 24/96 USB DAC will also work standalone from USB power in its own standard BEX enclosure.NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-59010255941825779422011-10-30T09:13:09.978-07:002011-10-30T09:13:09.978-07:00One request on the DAC...
Given that many of us a...One request on the DAC...<br /><br />Given that many of us are building the current O2 design (thanks for that) - please can you make the DAC you're working on usable in a stand alone enclosure (no need to build the O2 desktop just to get the DAC).<br /><br />Thanks for all the hard work on all fronts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-69869417571892156542011-10-26T12:18:39.530-07:002011-10-26T12:18:39.530-07:00@Anon, you're welcome and glad you like the bl...@Anon, you're welcome and glad you like the blog. The internal vs external DAC issue is a bit more complicated than just using Foobar2000 to blind ABX compare two audio files using different compression. <br /><br />In order to prevent biased results, you have to feed the same digital signal to both DACs in reasonably perfect sync and level matched to 0.1 dB. As long as the person even <i>NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-69314007086362777982011-10-26T11:25:09.470-07:002011-10-26T11:25:09.470-07:00Hello nwavguy,
Great blog, have enjoyed reading e...Hello nwavguy,<br /><br />Great blog, have enjoyed reading every post. Being an electrical engineer getting into "audiophile" gear, it has helped me a lot.<br /><br />A suggestion: could you do a subjective experiment to see if the improvement provided by a USB DAC vs onboard sound is comparable to the improvement provided by lossless audio vs mp3/320kbps? <br /><br />This is just to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-17570708532564910782011-10-26T08:14:51.045-07:002011-10-26T08:14:51.045-07:00@Anon, if you need a phono stage the GT40 might be...@Anon, if you need a phono stage the GT40 might be interesting, but at $525 it's getting close in price to the CEntrance DACmini. It's a nice confirmation that a well reviewed high-end product uses the same op amps I chose for the O2. But I still have a lot more faith in the CEntrance DACs. I also suspect the next Emotiva DAC will also have far more features than the GT40 for less money. NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-40272978399787950532011-10-25T21:47:17.067-07:002011-10-25T21:47:17.067-07:00Thanks for the quick reply! However, the Dacmini i...Thanks for the quick reply! However, the Dacmini is regrettably slightly out of my price range. However, the HRT Music Streamer 2 and it's + variant is, at the expense of the preamp component. That leaves me to look for a cheap & cheerful integrated to pair with.<br /><br />I have been looking at another contender that is very interesting: the Furutech GT40 - it is a preamp, headphone ampAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-44475073014224014432011-10-25T08:42:39.988-07:002011-10-25T08:42:39.988-07:00My favorite "mid price" DAC is the Centr...My favorite "mid price" DAC is the Centrance DAC Mini. The XDA-1 is a bargain but doesn't support 24 bit over USB. Rumor has it they're working on a replacement that does.<br /><br />I need to run more tests, but I think 24 bit offers benefits for USB audio where you want to use volume controls on the PC side.<br /><br />I'm also working with someone else on a DAC daughter NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-6719481215109933092011-10-25T00:24:24.120-07:002011-10-25T00:24:24.120-07:00Hey NwAvGuy, I would be interested to know your ch...Hey NwAvGuy, I would be interested to know your choices for a desktop DAC short of the Benchmark. Something that slots between the E7+E9 combo and the Benchmark in terms of price, and measures well, even out of USB. I would like to create a stereo (speaker) rig with files played from my computer (44.1/16 FLAC), fed to an integrated (or power amp, if a preamp is also included in the DAC)<br /><br Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-52886639265020146712011-10-23T21:28:15.837-07:002011-10-23T21:28:15.837-07:00@Anon, there are quite a few DAC1 measurements spr...@Anon, there are quite a few DAC1 measurements sprinkled throughout my articles with some direct comparisons. I agree it would be interesting to test it alongside the inexpensive DACs. It's just a matter of time and trying to focus on what's most helpful.NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-52235571357678432042011-10-23T12:36:14.166-07:002011-10-23T12:36:14.166-07:00I would be very interested to see test results of ...I would be very interested to see test results of your DAC1 as a baseline. I know Benchmark has their own measurements but since their test setup is likely different from yours it would give a good reference point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-40415983602489587372011-10-22T17:54:57.791-07:002011-10-22T17:54:57.791-07:00@Anon, I'm still hoping to publish at least th...@Anon, I'm still hoping to publish at least the initial info on the desktop version of the O2 with the companion DAC board before winter--i.e. December 22nd.NwAvGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00309644608738074125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890046273025265768.post-73813287680272966462011-10-21T04:38:43.407-07:002011-10-21T04:38:43.407-07:00It's interesting that a converter with a delta...It's interesting that a converter with a delta-sigma DAC would have quantization noise that high. Either this thing has some serious correlated jitter problems, or (more likely) the digital filter is operating with 16 bit precision only, like ye olde SAA7378 from the mid-'90s did.<br /><br />Lately I was going through some PCM27xx datasheets, and it appears the PCM2702 had a better DAC Stephanhttp://stephan.win31.de/noreply@blogger.com