Guys, please help me on this DAC / PSU questions

[krisno]

Hello guys..

SandyK, X-DAC v3 specialist.. . I need some help.

The picture I got here is from the Lehmann Linear USB , which has integrated USB DAC. The DAC is the 'square' board just beside the big torroidal psu. You can see it has 3 wires attaching to the main 'amp' board. this DAC is non-oversampling

Now, I got the X-DAC v3 + a littlie pinkie.. I want to get 'all in one box', so this Lehmann might be nice. But SandyK even if the quality of the Lehmann dac is inferior to the x-dac v3, will the very short 'interconnects', and the much superior PSU make the Lehmann USB Dac sound almost as good as the x-dac v3?

Will I hear much difference you guys think?

I am afraid that this lehmann usb dac will suck intensly, and that I am better of getting the cheaper Lehmann without dac, and use the x-dac v3 on it, even if it takes up alt more desktop real estate.

Have a look at the picture, does the DAC 'look' crap? hehe... its supposed to be burr brown , but I dont know which part. Any difference if it is upsampling or not?

THANKS GUYS if you got any comments on this..

Kristian

[XTRProf]

I'm not sure why you want a Lehman when u already have an X-Dac V3. Just get a SPDIF or Tosllink PC card and get on with listening to music instead of worrying about how that and that sound and that and that may sound shit.

[PinkFloyd]

xtrprof said:

I'm not sure why you want a Lehman when u already have an X-Dac V3. Just get a SPDIF or Tosllink PC card and get on with listening to music instead of worrying about how that and that sound and that and that may sound shit.

x2

[Nigel]

Is right. x3

[Deleted]

I'm not sure why you want a Lehman when u already have an X-Dac V3. Just get a SPDIF or Tosllink PC card and get on with listening to music instead of worrying about how that and that sound and that and that may sound shit.

x 4 ;D

[krisno]

You are all wrong... I can't stand the desktop clutter !!

That is why I might also go for the x-can v8, if it works 10 times better with the AKG. I want something simple and clean.

It it not simple and clean to have X-dac v3 on the desk + a big wallwart / (or cute little pinkie hehe) on the floor, and also every time I want to connect to the audio I have to insert at Creative SB Audigy 2 PCMCIA card into the PCMCIA slot, and then connect digital cable.

Lehmann is one box, with psu built inn, and USB straight frmo the computer, I can even sell that SB Audigy 2. I use the audigy 2 just to get spdif out as this brand new HP laptop doesn't have it!!!!

So please, can you have a look at picture, will it be good? You know some people on head-fi say the DAC in the Headamp PICO !! Is better than $3000 dac's.... incredible lies ? hehe or not. But then Lehmann can be great also.

Kristian

P.S. I am trying to sell my X-can v3 and x-dac v3 as we speak actually... Btw, here is my setup if you want to see it.

[leo]

looking at the Lehman picture it seems to use one of those devices where the USB and dac chip are packaged in a single device.
Although compact and much cheaper a unit like that will not out perform full separate unit using the PCM179* based dac chips, they are much more superior

At the end of the day its your money, if thats the way you want to go then good luck

[krisno]

Well what should I do then?

The X-CAN V3 is clearly not for the AKG K 701, so this has to be changed anyways.

Should I rather get a USED Lehmann without USB and keep the x-dac then? Eventually when I get a PC with spdif out I can sell that damn PCMCIA card?

Though USB is easy stuff... Lehmann write is is Burr Brown electrolytics, don't know what that means...

Leo: do you really think I will hear the difference??


Kristian

[leo]

Is the Lehman with built in USB much more expensive than the standard unit without the USB dac? if the price difference is not so wide maybe its worth just taking a risk and buying the one with USB?

IMHO I think you will appreciate the difference more from the amp upgrade than the dac, if the X-cans is struggling to drive the K701's then all dacs are going to sound poor.

Would you be buying the Lehman new or second hand? if its new can't you have a return for refund if not satisfied?

Burr brown is just the manufacturer (now TI) who make the dac chip, they make a huge range of chips from cheap poor quality units to the highest grade PCM179*
There needs to be more details before making an honest opinion on the quality of dac unit

[krisno]

The USB is new, around £200 more vs the non-usb one.

All the 'specs' that I manage to find about it is here on the page, read it and give me your thoughts:

www.lehmannaudio.com.au/amp/line/bcusb.html

I can get a lehmann in norway for euro 500, used 10 hours, but that is amp only. Maybe I should keep the 'expensive' X-dac? But the x-can really is no good.

Maybe I won't hear the difference, though on Lehmann I think I will, though not on x-can v3. I can't hear difference between mp3 and flac ...

It is nice to have just 1 usb connection, no wallwarts, no extra cables. But of course, if the dac really really sucks, then what is the point.

[leo]

www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/lehmann-black-cube-linear-headphone-amp-usb-129963/#post1533376

It seems the Lehmann uses PCM2702, if it was my money and I had to choose I'd personally just buy the amp and either keep the X-dac V3 or buy something else.
My opinion is that the Lehman dac will not sound better than the X-dac.

I'm going to the Bristol hifi show tomorrow so will personally have a listen to these Lehmann amps

[XTRProf]

Hi Kris,

Not trying to be rude but when u buy a Lehmann that will also clutter your desk eventhough the trans is inbuild a ur table is just too small. The best to unclutter ur desk is to buy a computer table and put the x-dac, x-can and psu underneath ur laptp. Now u r also after the x-can v8, I juz don't see how u r going to unclutter ur desk with that direction until u have proper computer table.

As Leo had said, it's u money. However, we here see much better use for those funds that u intend to spend in music and video softwares.

[krisno]

You don't undertstand.. It's not all about desktop estate, its about 'everything'.

Lehmann with USB = no extra dac, no extra interconnect, no extra wallwart or littlie pinkie.

X-dac v8 with USB dac = no extra dac, no extra interconnect, but a wallwart/littlie pinkie

Lehmann without USB = extra X-DAC V3 + littlie pinkie for power, and extra interconnect + PCMCIA audigy 2 pcmcia for spdif.

X-can v3 + x-dac v3 = 2 boxes + 2 wallwarts/littlie pinkies + interconnect's + PCMCIA SB Audigy 2 pcmcia to get spdif

Also the X-can v3 does not sound proper with the AKG, positioning is almost non-existant if you ask me. Details are lost, and separation between instruments = none... probably its this last thing which really make me a bit sad about the x-can v3.

Look at picture I got, hehe, I gues you are excited? ;D

UPDATE: haha, mother f**ker, the PCM2702 is the same used in Total Bithead from Headroom. I don't know how much these converters has to say for the sound, probably everything? But then I just can't get that USB thing, even though its 'clean'... The MF X-Dac V3 must be just ever so much better guys. I have to live with that pcmcia card for a little while then..... But maybe I won't hear the difference on the pcm2702, atleast not with the x-can v3.

Update 2: Sorry, but it seems the Bithead is PCM 2902 . is the 2702 worse or better than 2902? thanks guys.

[Nigel]

krisno said:

That is why I might also go for the x-can v8, if it works 10 times better with the AKG. I want something simple and clean.

Kristian

P.S. I am trying to sell my X-can v3 and x-dac v3 as we speak actually...

I can't see the X-Cans v8 being 10 times better than the v3 with the AKG's.

[krisno]

The X-can v8 is supposed to be better for hard to drive headphones. But Sennheiser 300 is harder to driver than AKG? Or is it like electrostatics, which has such low impedance that only the best manage to drive them... But X-can v8 DAC can't be much good either, but maybe a proper implementation of the PCM2702 makes it sound as good as the x-dac. Well I will keep the X-dac and use the little pinkie on that one, and get the Lehmann amp only then... Mount the x-dac under the desk or something...

It's much more correct to put a $1000 dac with a $1000 amp, than with the $300 x-can v3.

[dc]

the K701 is harder to drive than the 300ohm Sennheiser HD580s

also, electrostatics are ultra high impedance. they are a different beast altogether and no dynamic amp will drive them. they need their own electrostatic amplifiers

[krisno]

So DC what made by problems with the X-Can v3? The lack of details, positioning, no fun at all on low volumes, ... will it be fixed on the xcan v8 which is supposed to support harder to drive headphones, or is it tubes in general, and the 'cheap' price of the xcan? I just can't believe that a £300 dedicated headphone let me down like that, and nobody else has commented on those problems. Except many people saying Heed is a good match.

I kinda fancy tubes, so I can't totally let the 'dream' go.. I guess Leonard Cohen sounds best on tubes! hehe..

I listened to a Densen stereo system, driving Martin Logan Odessy, this is the sound I want to get back to, on headphones. hehe...