They do matter, ofc some companies are scammers, but sound is subjective at the end of the day, if someone want to spit out bulls*it just ignore them you can usually tell that they are just charlatans that believe that the earth is flat (too hyperbolic maybe), there are reviewers that i trust and some are always overexcited and sound like they are part of the sales team but honest still,. at the end of the day i look at my budget , buy the product that so many reviewers tried to sell me in this oversaturated market, if i don't like i just return it, maybe a waste of time, but ultimately i just want to enjoy music before my ears give up, and i'll buy the product that makes me enjoy it the most. the thing that i really hate the most thought is that a lot of people just get affected by placebo and that's mainly how these companies ''scam us'', GROUND BREAKING 768kHz/32Bit support, you will hear the difference, surely , you have bat ears right ?
10euro dac vs 200 euro - I hear no difference … I’ve tried 660s, ie300 and some chifi. Apple dac is working great for me. Tone2pro is just collecting dust on my desktop.
@@MrAnome Yeah I would say bit depth is actually very important (as the amount of information is always a high priority), but the sample rate is much less so since our ears cannot perceive those ridiculously fast rates. So I normally tell people to stick to 24 or 32-bit. 24/44 is perfectly fine for me. I really don't care much about 48 or even 96 due to the Nyquist Shannon Theorem. Some would say that maybe on a subconscious level you can hear it, but to me, that's just another example of a placebo. You see the high PCM and assume it's better (assuming you're new to this stuff). Cambridge Audio had a great article on DSD and how those numbers can be replicated by regular PCM files. So for instance a DSD512 (IIRC) is the same thing as PCM 176 or something like that. Don't quote me on the exact numbers but here's my article if you were interested: homestudiobasics.com/what-is-dsd-in-audio/ I think a lot of people have some form of cognitive dissonance where it's hard for them to come to terms with these things: namely that companies will do almost anything to get that sale.
@@itzikca Yeah, most stuff will collect dust eventually. Since I reviewed a lot of things in the past, I have a ton of stuff lying around that I don't even use but keep around if I get questions or emails asking to compare different products. One really funny example is the hip-dac 2. It's literally the exact same thing as the original only orange. That will be a fun video to do xD
IMO there are minor flavours in amps and very very minor flavours in dacs, but I cannot comprehend, why would anyone want to own more than one of each. Some guys own like 40 of them and live in a basement and im like LMAO man just buy a house or even a sports car.
JDS Labs is an awesome little company. Their customer support is one of the best in this hobby. I've sent questions their way and literally gotten a reply straight from John within thirty minutes or so.
Same, I asked about the weight, dimensions of the product and when its boxed for shipping. John later answered in less than 30 mins. 😆 I now believe what was said in reddit about their customer service. 👏🏼😌
I'll always appreciate them for sending me products when I had no following a few years ago even though another smaller company (who copied their exact schematic) wouldn't. Do kind things for people and they don't forget it.
About that professed “ethos”…. I have a JDS Labs DAC and headphone amplifier. I’ve been using them for a few years now and remain completely satisfied. I initially purchased an older model JDS DAC and Amp. I came down with upgradeitis and sent an email to JDS seeking advice on upgrading. Within an hour, I received a reply email from the owner/engineer telling me that the upgrades would be good choices but if I was looking for better audio quality, the differences between what I had and the upgrades, in terms of audio quality, would be minimal at best. He provided more details about the equipment I was interested in, build quality, materials etc. I did end up upgrading, had no problem selling my old gear, and am really happy with the upgrade. Point being, how many manufacturers would be forthright about the differences, even if it meant perhaps not getting an upgrade sale? I’ve sent other question emails to them, always receiving a quick reply from the owner/engineer, including one on a Sunday evening! JDS is a great company, produces terrific and reliable equipment and is trustworthy. Highly recommended!
After buying a pair of hifiman sundara's that was actually recommended by you , the audio journey began from there. I've tried quite a few combinations since then from topping , zen dacs, fiio and geshelli labs . And the one that definitely has stood out to me the most and surprisingly one you rarely cover on your channel is schiit products. Coming from the topping d30 and a30 stack and all the others. The schiit stack completely blew me away. I'm currently using a schiit magnius/modius balanced stack with a pair of lcdx 2021 and from the start I knew something was different. Dynamics was more pronounced especially in the low end, details was also more apparent and everything was just alot more resolving. My conclusion. Yes , dacs makes a difference. It's pretty clear to me that the topping line and a few others cater to a certain crowd. If you're into a flat neutral, clinical and dry sound , that's alot of these chifi products provid. And some people might prefer this. But for me , it's clear that schiit products provid a much more musical, lush and dynamic sound. I'm currently saving up for a schiit bifrost 2 and a jotunhiem 2 blanced setup. Call me subjective or whatever but my thoughts is we don't listen to Measurements, we listen to music. You're one of my favorite reviewers and ultimately one of the first to introduce me into this hobby. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say I disagree that dacs don't matter. Atleast up until a certain point. I would appreciate if you stepped outside of the cheap stuff and start reviewing more midfi-hifi gear. The schiit bifrost 2, chord qutest, denafrips , hifiman ef400 just to name a few.
You mentioned different stacks i.e. amps and dacs. Why do you feel the dac was the defining audio factor and not the amplification? I believe the latter will make a much greater difference than the former.
@@gazzabazzazza that amp definitely made the most improvement. But the dac " in this situation the modius" was just as important as the magnius. I know because I used the amp first BEFORE I received the modius. When I attached the modius to the magnius it was Immediately apparent the modius was just as vital as the magnius and made a much bigger difference in my audio then any of the previous dacs did.
@@gazzabazzazza Yeah I think the analog output stage is important, but as far as the DAC itself the only real difference to me is the ESS chip compared to the others. I think that's the only time where I felt like I could easily hear an audible discrepancy vs. other chips and have always said that.
After getting my iFi V1 stack, I never wanted more. It's hard to choose if you don't know how much you want to spend and what your use cases are. Set those two and you'll be golden.
@@HomeStudioBasics add a atom amp 2 to my G6 or not honest question. If yes il have them scratch in a picture of you on the top.. fiio jt1s fiio ft3s epos h6pro opens epos h6pro closed sold everything else
For many years I'm using the original ODAC hooked to my single ended tube amplifier, paired with large speakers with very high sensitivity... I also have a couple of Topping DACs and although I like the functionality very much, I hear digital noise in the output, regardless of the power adapters or the device they are hooked up to. With the discontinued original very cheap ODAC, powered by its data cable from any USB port, I have absolute silence and great pure and authentic sound. At the end of the day for me variety doesn't matter, just very simple but hard to achieve characteristics of the product.
After sending this email to you I've finally stumbled back across your channel. Thank you for making this video and addressing these concerns. I thought I'd let you know that I've ended up with an Ifi Zen Dac V2 and a set of AKG K702s which I am very happy with for long WFH sessions, gaming and my wide range of music
Hello !! Would you please help me with a question. I have the Fiio Q1 Mll and I wanted to use magnets to stick it to my desk. Would the magnets can damage the amp ? Thanks !
K5 Pro is still my workhorse and will be for a while. I just doubt all the different DACs on offer are offering that many different listening experiences and can make my music better in £50 increments.
I use the K5 Pro as well. I put the 6.3mm adapter as a semi-permanent part of the unit as most all my over-ear headphones and IEMs have or can be adapted to 3.5mm, in this way I minimize pulling in and out on the main K5 Pro jack with hope that it can last longer as I don't need to keep buying these things.
@@taidee I’m the same as you. All the headphones I’ve partnered with the K5 so far have had 3.5mm as an option so the adapter’s just been left in the unit.
i live near JDS so i go in person every once in awhile to try out the new products (they have a headphone room) and I've bought several. They are a small operation, small team, all very nice and helpful I've been directing everyone to them for there set ups from high-end audio, gaming and work stations. Not trying to sound like a sales rep its just very rare to find a company who is legit and actually care. I had a slight issue with my element 1 after years of use took it in and John took it to his desk and had it fixed in 5 minutes i mean does it get any better? MASS Drop pretty much told me to go f myself when my thx amp fried in a month.
A long while ago, we had a nice convo about the HE400se on your website! Glad to see you still use and enjoy them. I've attained a bunch of audio stuff since then, but plan on downsizing because 1. I've found the perfect headphone that sounds like it was made for me, and 2. giving my audio stuff to friends who could use it feels really good. I gave a friend my Schiit Vali 2+ and HE400se because I had an Asgard 3 and HD6XX and a Sundara. Vali was just collecting dust so buddy bought it off me for cheap and I threw in the he400se for free. He LOVES them and that part made me more happy than the money. My gf, I'm giving her my Modi and Magni stack and my Sundaras. I found that the Focal Elex (got it off ebay for a great price) was perfect for me and an absolute stopping point for me, it's a fucking awesome headphone. Unfortunately, my Asgard 3 has been giving me weird static in the right channel. Something is up because even without RCA cables plugged in, they still have that crackle. And it's NOT the focal! That's why I'm saying fuck it and giving my gf the full modi magni stack, and grabbing a simple Topping E50 and L50 for myself so I have good power and sound. Gonna send in the asgard for repair, and probably just keep it in storage for myself as a backup in case anything happens. It was a weird and fun journey but it all came right back around full circle to a simple dac amp stack setup. I don't regret buying any of the stuff I've bought because it is genuinely fun to try new things. Eventually you come to a stopping point though. I might've hit that stop and this is where I'll get off the bus. Simple stack. Good headphones. Good sound. Simple as it should be. I do agree though that Topping has WAY too many products lmao. I feel like the happy medium is the E50 and L50. Good price, good power and sound. Everything else is just random BS and flashy "flagships" every year that's only slightly different from the rest. I've seen QUITE a few peeps say that this particular stack and some of Toppings higher end stuff sound extremely similar to the point where it's almost useless to spend so much money on the higher tier stuff. ANYWAYS if you read through all of this, thanks dude. I wanted to say you're really funny, I love your reviews, and you keep it totally real. I'm always on the lookout for your vids and reviews! Keep it up bro. Sorry for the long-ass comment, but you're really nice to talk to. Cheers!
Hey man great to hear from you! All good points. I really do like the 400se, but the more I listen the more that dip after 1kHz bothers me. Other than that it's a phenomenal planar and dirt cheap. I wanna do a top 5 under 500 video but I need to decide the order. I haven't heard the Elex but obviously a huge fan of the Utopia. I do have some issues with some others in the line like the Elear, Clear, and Stellia, but I think they really nailed it with the Utopia. Still the best headphones I've heard to date and it's not really that close. I did read through all of it and want to say thank you for the kind words of encouragement! Definitely keep me posted on your journey and never hesitate to reach out if you need some help. :) -Stu
Thanks man! I think most dacs after around $200 are pretty unnecessary as well. If I recommend something above that (K9 Pro for instance) it's because of its versatility and value being able to connect it to almost anything. The Law of Dim Returns in dacs seems to set in much sooner than it does with headphones.
@@HomeStudioBasics I've had the K5 Pro for over a year and a half. I connect my Samsung S7 with an OTG cable using USB audio player pro streaming Flac files and Qobuz. It's super simple and works and sounds great. I have an HD 600, HD 560s and and HD 6xx. I got the K5 based largely on your recommendations. If I had to get something else I'd probably go with the DX 3 Pro Plus but until then I'm just going to keep the K5 pro.
Man, topping makes sound like my college paper which my teacher makes write and get a threshold of pages! + JDS seems like is getting the market with a birdshot, when making only one DAC, you will be sure that it is the right one...working against other companies philosophy and insuring the consumer that they have the best DAC as they can possibly get, it kinda makes easier to get the manufacturing as u only make one AMP and DAC, making improvements on a couple of years...Genius!
Yeah, absolutely nothing wrong with JDS making improvements to an existing product. It's when you start making dozens of other ones with all these weird letters and numbers that it starts to get absurd. I was areally sad to see the Objective 2 retired though. I like the ATOM and all, but there was just something so unique about the O2 and its tank-like build was incredible.
So the irony of this video is that Topping makes amazingly great value products that measure phenomenally well. And frankly I would recommend the Topping EX5 over anything from JDSLabs.
Nice stuff! Just bought an element III , and thought hmmm I'll go and check some videos about it... Glad I watched your video haha, it raises valid questions... And didn't know about the JDS Labs Ethos until then. I will see about the audio performance of it, but their way of thinking totally fits with me. I was never keen getting into Chi-FI for the exact reasons you have mentionned. With so many different models, even in a same price point, it gets confusing pretty fast, and makes you wonder... What should I really get, and what are the actual differences between them, on a sonic standpoint? And not only Topping does it... I had checked stuff from SMSL, Fiio, etc... And it left me mindfucked more than anything lol. Again, great video!
Hey Stubear! It's been a while since I commented, but I have been enjoying your videos and articles. Yeah... I can't tell the difference between most DACs I've been exposed to. I did a test a while back using my old laptop, my PC, and my Zen DAC v2. I couldn't tell the difference between my PC and the Zen, the laptop might be a little under powered when compared to the other two causing the sound being a little unclear. It still didn't sound that much different though. Dunno, maybe I'm crazy.
Nah I don't think you're crazy. I tested my PC's audio port (Lenovo X1 Extreme) vs. some other dacs and there wasn't much difference. I do think PC sound cards have improved tremendously in the last 10-15 years though. I would never use my old T510's Soundcard. It was truly awful. But most phones and stuff nowadays have really good internals so we're almost getting to the point where DACS could become almost obsolete in a few years.
I'd say your sane. Way too much is made about different amps and dacs sounding different. I own a liquid spark and a schitt magni 3 and a jds labs made objective 02 amplifier. About a year ago I compared all 3 to each other and I couldn't tell the difference between them. If there was a difference it was so subtle I couldn't detect it.
Hey man, not that this matters but this vid had my favorite opening with apartment complex and the cool slice of your life montage! Hoping you could use this more but that’s just my preference haha
Been listening on a pair of used he400i's with the grills off for like 6 months cause of this channel def some sound advice. Ever thought about reviewing the $20 moondrop chus? I've been on the fence for a little bit wondering if I should get them or just spring for something more expensive.
Right now I’m running my dac fiio k5 pro with my prosonus eris 3.5 wired speakers 🔊 and boy it sounds nice and clear bass is so so but it’s there a little bit don’t care to much for it great with generes like classic rock and soul music and r&b 👍
I laughed so hard, although I am a Topping owner. So much of unnecessary enticement from manufacturers and shills. An E30/L30 stack can give 90% of what an A90/D90 stack can, and the 10% is mostly the absence of balanced out (not important). This little stack is so clean and powerful, yet cheap, I dont really need to upgrade it soon. Not even for a JDS Labs equipment ;) , although I like their ethos. Next desktop gear will be a balanced stack or amp/dac, because its the only missing feature I can ever want. I hear and like the difference between balanced and single ended output in my portable setup, but no need to rush it. (Price of balanced equipment basically halves every year. In 1 or 2 years it will be industry standard in desktop amps and dacs. You basically can not buy portable gear without balanced out, even budget options have it. Few years ago you had to pay like 1000$ for this feature.)
Haha thanks for watching! Yeah a bal/unbal video is in the works as I've been going back and forth quite a bit. I won't spoil my opinion here but there is sound science behind the concept obviously.
First, how about your grandchildren? For me, I from dongles to discrete desktop units I can’t really tell a difference. I can see each use case but they all blend together into what’s on hand and what I want. TBH my Apple lightning dongle does a fine job for most applications
@@stevendavis1135 I use Apple Music lossless/iPhone for most all my listening. My gear is a Fiio BTR5>HD6XX/DT770 Pro for headphones, lightning to Moondrop Aria for IEM, AirPods Pro while I’m out and I occasionally find time for my Schiit stack with my Mac.
Onion! Needs to be cut back lol. I've been lazy because I'm looking after a bunch of other stuff (Cantaloupe, Pepper, Tomato, Potato) and onions are generally pretty low maintenance. I have onions and parsley and both grow back so fast it's awesome. In fact, the more you cut the happier they are.
@@HomeStudioBasics I normally go to the municipal market to buy some onion leafs (I think they are scallions) to make omelets for breakfast...didnt know they grew so fast. LORD dont they have have a garden in adjacent to your flat?
Topping product is excellent, just that they have similar sound signature throughout: Transparency, black background and top notch measurement. However, I feel that the top-end topping product will get phased out by their mid-range product IMO, Currently I have topping E50+L50 and sounded exactly as the D90.... might as well get the d10s ***shrug***
THIS!!! Just about ALL of topping offerings sounds exactly the SAME. What is the Pont of upgrading to a d90 when the E50 will get you about 90% of the way?! Topping was my first stack and honestly I just really don't enjoy their sound. It's.....it just sounds really boring and just bland. Super neutral and clinical. I don't enjoy topping at all. I mean , if anything topping taught me that even if measurements are class leading , it doesn't translate to enjoyable sound.
Yeah, I remember demoing the E30/L30 then A50/D50 (IIRC) and thinking "Alright, that's enough Topping for me" lmao. Haven't demoed one since. It was one of those things where it wasn't worth it for me to delve any further down that rabbit hole. In fact, I told a rep from Apos after that that I was done with it xD As you could just feel it was about to get out of control.
@@HomeStudioBasicsonly worth getting imo for topping is the d50s+a50s stack i feel its already an excellent product. what do you think of smsl thinking about getting that.....
Thank you for keeping it real brotha, I was looking at some JDS products and I think i know which one im going to go with, I'm not an audiophile i just want something that will do the job
That’s why I went to a company that makes 1 dacamp, it’s usbc, looks nice and does the job (Khadas tone 2 pro) Frankly with my 660s I hear no difference with or without it running either from my Mac or iPad Pro, probably a waste of money for my ears. Get the 10 euro apple DAC - it does the job just fine too. I also have the ie300 o hear no difference there either. Running Apple Music at high quality.
@@HomeStudioBasics I was just looking for a usbc dac amp for my 660s to connect to my laptop that doesn’t look overly bulky but also isn’t a tiny usb dacamp like those dragonfly thingies 😛 There’s not much selection in this category, I can point out maybe 3 or 4 off the top of my head that I would invest my money in. Mine does the work just fine when I actually want to sit next to my laptop to listen to music, which is almost never. I usually listen in the car or on true wireless earbuds, it’s not on the same level but good enough for casual listening.
Hi there! Just wanted to say I'm a big fan. After reading your blogs on your website I felt an immense sense of appreciation for your interpretations. The place where i live, it is expensive to have an audio hobby and most products cost 2-3 times as much since it's so rare here. Although I'm neither a former audiophile or really ever tried even a beginner setup for that matter. I reflect upon the music i hear and how it affects me and try to make sense of eg. how exactly 2 masters / headphones differ from each other. And when I stumbled upon your blog I immediately found that sense of connection where I could relate to what I was hearing. And finally I've made the decision of hunting down and getting my first proper dac! (at an affordable price). The e10k is arriving in 2-3 days 😀. And I've also considered purchasing the kph30i that you recommended on your blog. Just a final question, have you tried the new kph40 utility? And how does it compare against the other koss products? Thanks and sorry for the long wall of text just wanted to say i appreciate all your efforts and time!
6 months late, but I've had the kph40 utility since its release. While they do sound very good, they don't substantially differentiate themselves much from Koss's own lineup - at least to my ears. I still, to this day, use Porta Pros - both wired and wireless - significantly more. Why? Comfort, ease-of-use, adjustable clamp pressure, they fold up extremely compactly, and they sound ridiculously good. Hope this helps.
LOVE the intro music and filmography! (not sure that's the right term xd) As much as I love audio gear, I feel like your video making (and comedic) talent, as well as motivation is being wasted on this small niche. At this point, with the progress you've made in your production quality... I genuinely think you'd have huge success if u'd just make a separate channel, on which you nerd out about older movies and cartoons for example. Like, analize them... speak about why they were impactful for you... the effects they might've had on kids growing up (inserting your personal experience here) etc. I'll continue on telegram.
I agree 100%. I could barely tell the difference between a $100 dac and one 2.5x the price. I did my homework and I have 2 dacs, one preamp and two amps. Total cost was $800. Speakers and headphones are a different story. I hear big differences. I have a few thousands worth of speakers, headphones and iems (around 20 total). Sanscrit 2, Asgard 3 , Emotiva BasX 2 channel, Hidizs S9 Pro and Aiyima A07. If only I was rich. I could get some Martin Logans and McIntosh.
"I could barely tell the difference between a $100 dac and one 2.5x the price" that's because most of those dacs sound roughly the same: they are barely meeting the minimum standard of what performance needs to be. You need to go up quite a bit to get better stuff. Try a chord qutest. Try it for like a week. Then go back to something else. You'll notice immediately. Don't think it's a thing where you can switch back and forth and notice. The brain doesn't work like that.
Thanks for this mate, it is an important issue. Also, with amp/dacs I wish the discussion was more about features they have, what headphones perform well on them, instead of which have better measurements and other non sense. Plenty of gear that measures "well" has not sounded good to many reviewers, and the reviewers that chase the measurement game (and think you should buy the latest well measuring product ) have deluded themselves, or they are playing a role to sell more products. In some ways it worse than those audiophile channels that claim you need a 2000-10000 dollar dedicated dac to even step foot into the hi-fi game, LOL. Truthfully, I have only heard a DAC fail once. I installed an app on my phone and abused the shit out of the EQ until there was audible distortion that sounded like crap. Yet my old vintage vinyl set ups from the 70s sound great if set up correctly, and cd players from the 80s and 90s my dad has still sound great. But no, that is the last thing a lot of companies want you to think about...
As far as dacs go, pretty much pointless yeah, I've directly compared dongle dacs to topping e30 to see what the hubbub was and there's just nothing there. As far as amps go, it seems like the only difference is power output, which is silly when the mid-rangers already output more than anyone could ever need.
imo audio gear doesn't work like that much like horsepower and torque numbers of a car amount to nothing directly its the torque curve that matters and that measurement still doesn't judge how much of a driver's car that vehicle is for eg: measurement wise tesla model s plaid should win every race however it cannot ever come anywhere close to le mans cars or even common sports cars of 3-6 years ago in terms of lap times prima luna/accuphase/luxman/other mono blocks and topping just aren't in the same league nor can they ever be
There is a ton of variables that plays a roll and how your music will sound. What headphones are you using? How about the source material, are you using tidal or Amazon HD? I don't know your full setup but what I can say is what you're describing is just part of the picture. The dongle dacs you test with your e30 was proble more of so on the same plan or less then your e30. Put your e30 up against something likeba modi multibit or a chord mojo 2 and I can bet all the money and my pocket it will be night and day compared to what your e30 can provide. On your second point I would arguably say amps are even more important then the dac but I won't be going into detail about that. What is important about amps is not the difference in power the amp can output but more or so HOW the power is being delivered if that makes sense. What's more important in this scenario is the transistors and how the current of the power is being handled on the main board. I did a blind test of a schiit asgard 3 vs my magni hersey. Both arguably measure so close it goes behind the audible threshold of hearing but guess what ? Subjectively, the schiit asgard 3 practically walks all over my schiit magni hersey. The result of the asgard 3 being a discreet design vs my little cheap magni hersey op amp design provided a much better sound in almost every aspect.
Another TH-camr had a video comparing a $100 dac/amp to $1000 dac/ amp. The only real difference was in the output power. If you are going to have a A/B switch to go back and forth between the two using the same headphones you might hear a slight difference, but nothing noticeable to justify the extra $900 unless you are powering some large speakers. I settled on the 3 different small units sold by iFi and they are fantastic. Highly recommended ! I would bet that are some $50 units that would give iFi a run for the money as many of these use the same chipset. The hype will drive you crazy, don’t fall for it. Same thing goes for headphones. You notice in all the hyped up headphone videos you rarely hear about the use of a Equalizer to make a so so pair of earphones sound great. A great subject for a video would be how lower end headphones can be EQ-ed to sound fantastic and how well different headphones respond to a EQ. As always thanks for your videos 😁
Yes. Output power is huge when looking at these things as well. I may do a longer form video about all of this stuff since I've had so much experience with it over the last few years. And thanks man! I will jot that down. Just went to the store and purchased some Yellow Idea notebooks lol.
Companies offer a ton of options because there's a ton of different ways people incorporate components into their systems.. And your arguments for how they advertise is pointless if you don't show any proof of the Chinese companies lying. There's literally everything GOOD about companies giving us the test data...I know before buying my Topping D10, I saw tons posts confirming their data be true.. I dunno about the rest of their products... Maybe I don't understand what you're arguing but also maybe lay off the pre-workout a bit lol
Yes, the new flavor of the weak is always better than last week's flavor, just watch a Zeos video proof. He'll show you why the Drop 789 he told you to buy last week was the "greatest amp ever" but now sounds like shit cause the A90 just been released. Treadmill purchasing for life. 🤘
Where do you stand on the DAC dilemma?
They do matter, ofc some companies are scammers, but sound is subjective at the end of the day, if someone want to spit out bulls*it just ignore them you can usually tell that they are just charlatans that believe that the earth is flat (too hyperbolic maybe), there are reviewers that i trust and some are always overexcited and sound like they are part of the sales team but honest still,. at the end of the day i look at my budget , buy the product that so many reviewers tried to sell me in this oversaturated market, if i don't like i just return it, maybe a waste of time, but ultimately i just want to enjoy music before my ears give up, and i'll buy the product that makes me enjoy it the most. the thing that i really hate the most thought is that a lot of people just get affected by placebo and that's mainly how these companies ''scam us'', GROUND BREAKING 768kHz/32Bit support, you will hear the difference, surely , you have bat ears right ?
10euro dac vs 200 euro - I hear no difference …
I’ve tried 660s, ie300 and some chifi.
Apple dac is working great for me.
Tone2pro is just collecting dust on my desktop.
@@MrAnome Yeah I would say bit depth is actually very important (as the amount of information is always a high priority), but the sample rate is much less so since our ears cannot perceive those ridiculously fast rates. So I normally tell people to stick to 24 or 32-bit. 24/44 is perfectly fine for me. I really don't care much about 48 or even 96 due to the Nyquist Shannon Theorem.
Some would say that maybe on a subconscious level you can hear it, but to me, that's just another example of a placebo. You see the high PCM and assume it's better (assuming you're new to this stuff). Cambridge Audio had a great article on DSD and how those numbers can be replicated by regular PCM files. So for instance a DSD512 (IIRC) is the same thing as PCM 176 or something like that. Don't quote me on the exact numbers but here's my article if you were interested: homestudiobasics.com/what-is-dsd-in-audio/
I think a lot of people have some form of cognitive dissonance where it's hard for them to come to terms with these things: namely that companies will do almost anything to get that sale.
@@itzikca Yeah, most stuff will collect dust eventually. Since I reviewed a lot of things in the past, I have a ton of stuff lying around that I don't even use but keep around if I get questions or emails asking to compare different products. One really funny example is the hip-dac 2. It's literally the exact same thing as the original only orange. That will be a fun video to do xD
IMO there are minor flavours in amps and very very minor flavours in dacs, but I cannot comprehend, why would anyone want to own more than one of each. Some guys own like 40 of them and live in a basement and im like LMAO man just buy a house or even a sports car.
JDS Labs is an awesome little company. Their customer support is one of the best in this hobby. I've sent questions their way and literally gotten a reply straight from John within thirty minutes or so.
Same, I asked about the weight, dimensions of the product and when its boxed for shipping. John later answered in less than 30 mins. 😆
I now believe what was said in reddit about their customer service. 👏🏼😌
I'll always appreciate them for sending me products when I had no following a few years ago even though another smaller company (who copied their exact schematic) wouldn't. Do kind things for people and they don't forget it.
@@danielp121 Jude is great too. Not sure if he works there anymore but he's the rep I dealt with a few years ago.
Same here. John Seaber is fantastic about customer service. His products rock, too.
@@HomeStudioBasics Jude is still there. It’s largely the same team.
About that professed “ethos”…. I have a JDS Labs DAC and headphone amplifier. I’ve been using them for a few years now and remain completely satisfied. I initially purchased an older model JDS DAC and Amp. I came down with upgradeitis and sent an email to JDS seeking advice on upgrading. Within an hour, I received a reply email from the owner/engineer telling me that the upgrades would be good choices but if I was looking for better audio quality, the differences between what I had and the upgrades, in terms of audio quality, would be minimal at best. He provided more details about the equipment I was interested in, build quality, materials etc. I did end up upgrading, had no problem selling my old gear, and am really happy with the upgrade. Point being, how many manufacturers would be forthright about the differences, even if it meant perhaps not getting an upgrade sale? I’ve sent other question emails to them, always receiving a quick reply from the owner/engineer, including one on a Sunday evening! JDS is a great company, produces terrific and reliable equipment and is trustworthy. Highly recommended!
JDS labs rocks.. love that company, i recommend them to all my friends looking for audio equipment
JDS Atom 2 + Dac 2 is all you need. I love my set up and works great with HD600/650.👍
Bought a JDS Labs O2 Amp in 2011 and the O2 DAC in 2015. Still using them today.
O2 DAC-AMP combo so good for the price
After buying a pair of hifiman sundara's that was actually recommended by you , the audio journey began from there.
I've tried quite a few combinations since then from topping , zen dacs, fiio and geshelli labs . And the one that definitely has stood out to me the most and surprisingly one you rarely cover on your channel is schiit products.
Coming from the topping d30 and a30 stack and all the others. The schiit stack completely blew me away. I'm currently using a schiit magnius/modius balanced stack with a pair of lcdx 2021 and from the start I knew something was different. Dynamics was more pronounced especially in the low end, details was also more apparent and everything was just alot more resolving.
My conclusion. Yes , dacs makes a difference. It's pretty clear to me that the topping line and a few others cater to a certain crowd. If you're into a flat neutral, clinical and dry sound , that's alot of these chifi products provid. And some people might prefer this. But for me , it's clear that schiit products provid a much more musical, lush and dynamic sound. I'm currently saving up for a schiit bifrost 2 and a jotunhiem 2 blanced setup. Call me subjective or whatever but my thoughts is we don't listen to Measurements, we listen to music.
You're one of my favorite reviewers and ultimately one of the first to introduce me into this hobby. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say I disagree that dacs don't matter. Atleast up until a certain point. I would appreciate if you stepped outside of the cheap stuff and start reviewing more midfi-hifi gear. The schiit bifrost 2, chord qutest, denafrips , hifiman ef400 just to name a few.
You mentioned different stacks i.e. amps and dacs. Why do you feel the dac was the defining audio factor and not the amplification?
I believe the latter will make a much greater difference than the former.
@@gazzabazzazza that amp definitely made the most improvement. But the dac " in this situation the modius" was just as important as the magnius. I know because I used the amp first BEFORE I received the modius. When I attached the modius to the magnius it was Immediately apparent the modius was just as vital as the magnius and made a much bigger difference in my audio then any of the previous dacs did.
@@gazzabazzazza Yeah I think the analog output stage is important, but as far as the DAC itself the only real difference to me is the ESS chip compared to the others. I think that's the only time where I felt like I could easily hear an audible discrepancy vs. other chips and have always said that.
@@stevendavis1135 What were your other dacs and what was the difference?
I'm considering the schiit stacks. Do they have balanced output? I love the ifis for having balanced output at a decent price range
gotta love JDS labs
What they do, you love to see it.
After getting my iFi V1 stack, I never wanted more. It's hard to choose if you don't know how much you want to spend and what your use cases are. Set those two and you'll be golden.
I felt like Ray once. Looked at jds site. I was instantly relieved. Bought atom and was done. Thanks jds!
Yeah I stay in contact with John Seaber who is an engineer and actually knows what he's talking about. He can't stand audiophiles lol.
Yeah but sb g6
@@HomeStudioBasics add a atom amp 2 to my G6 or not honest question. If yes il have them scratch in a picture of you on the top.. fiio jt1s fiio ft3s epos h6pro opens epos h6pro closed sold everything else
For many years I'm using the original ODAC hooked to my single ended tube amplifier, paired with large speakers with very high sensitivity... I also have a couple of Topping DACs and although I like the functionality very much, I hear digital noise in the output, regardless of the power adapters or the device they are hooked up to. With the discontinued original very cheap ODAC, powered by its data cable from any USB port, I have absolute silence and great pure and authentic sound. At the end of the day for me variety doesn't matter, just very simple but hard to achieve characteristics of the product.
Awesome show. Funny, pertinent and enlightening. I laughed, I cried, I hugged my gear.
After sending this email to you I've finally stumbled back across your channel. Thank you for making this video and addressing these concerns. I thought I'd let you know that I've ended up with an Ifi Zen Dac V2 and a set of AKG K702s which I am very happy with for long WFH sessions, gaming and my wide range of music
Thanks Much!
Hello !! Would you please help me with a question. I have the Fiio Q1 Mll and I wanted to use magnets to stick it to my desk. Would the magnets can damage the amp ? Thanks !
Hey there! I'm probably not the guy to ask that but I wouldn't personally do it, no. I'd just use the ones that came with it.
@@HomeStudioBasics thank you for your quick reply !
K5 Pro is still my workhorse and will be for a while. I just doubt all the different DACs on offer are offering that many different listening experiences and can make my music better in £50 increments.
I use the K5 Pro as well. I put the 6.3mm adapter as a semi-permanent part of the unit as most all my over-ear headphones and IEMs have or can be adapted to 3.5mm, in this way I minimize pulling in and out on the main K5 Pro jack with hope that it can last longer as I don't need to keep buying these things.
Same. I mostly use the K5 Pro for competitive gaming on PS3 (yes I still play old Call of Duty LOL), and I use the G6 with my PS4/gaming/film.
@@taidee I’m the same as you. All the headphones I’ve partnered with the K5 so far have had 3.5mm as an option so the adapter’s just been left in the unit.
@@HomeStudioBasics I upgraded my PS3 to a 1TB SSD about a year ago. Still have a backlog to clear on it.
i live near JDS so i go in person every once in awhile to try out the new products (they have a headphone room) and I've bought several. They are a small operation, small team, all very nice and helpful I've been directing everyone to them for there set ups from high-end audio, gaming and work stations. Not trying to sound like a sales rep its just very rare to find a company who is legit and actually care. I had a slight issue with my element 1 after years of use took it in and John took it to his desk and had it fixed in 5 minutes i mean does it get any better? MASS Drop pretty much told me to go f myself when my thx amp fried in a month.
This is awesome to hear. Fr, badass of him! A1 service 🙌🏽
Kinda debating K9 Pro or The Element III, which would you recommend?
A long while ago, we had a nice convo about the HE400se on your website! Glad to see you still use and enjoy them. I've attained a bunch of audio stuff since then, but plan on downsizing because 1. I've found the perfect headphone that sounds like it was made for me, and 2. giving my audio stuff to friends who could use it feels really good. I gave a friend my Schiit Vali 2+ and HE400se because I had an Asgard 3 and HD6XX and a Sundara. Vali was just collecting dust so buddy bought it off me for cheap and I threw in the he400se for free. He LOVES them and that part made me more happy than the money. My gf, I'm giving her my Modi and Magni stack and my Sundaras. I found that the Focal Elex (got it off ebay for a great price) was perfect for me and an absolute stopping point for me, it's a fucking awesome headphone. Unfortunately, my Asgard 3 has been giving me weird static in the right channel. Something is up because even without RCA cables plugged in, they still have that crackle. And it's NOT the focal! That's why I'm saying fuck it and giving my gf the full modi magni stack, and grabbing a simple Topping E50 and L50 for myself so I have good power and sound. Gonna send in the asgard for repair, and probably just keep it in storage for myself as a backup in case anything happens. It was a weird and fun journey but it all came right back around full circle to a simple dac amp stack setup. I don't regret buying any of the stuff I've bought because it is genuinely fun to try new things. Eventually you come to a stopping point though. I might've hit that stop and this is where I'll get off the bus. Simple stack. Good headphones. Good sound. Simple as it should be. I do agree though that Topping has WAY too many products lmao. I feel like the happy medium is the E50 and L50. Good price, good power and sound. Everything else is just random BS and flashy "flagships" every year that's only slightly different from the rest. I've seen QUITE a few peeps say that this particular stack and some of Toppings higher end stuff sound extremely similar to the point where it's almost useless to spend so much money on the higher tier stuff. ANYWAYS if you read through all of this, thanks dude. I wanted to say you're really funny, I love your reviews, and you keep it totally real. I'm always on the lookout for your vids and reviews! Keep it up bro. Sorry for the long-ass comment, but you're really nice to talk to. Cheers!
Hey man great to hear from you! All good points. I really do like the 400se, but the more I listen the more that dip after 1kHz bothers me. Other than that it's a phenomenal planar and dirt cheap. I wanna do a top 5 under 500 video but I need to decide the order.
I haven't heard the Elex but obviously a huge fan of the Utopia. I do have some issues with some others in the line like the Elear, Clear, and Stellia, but I think they really nailed it with the Utopia. Still the best headphones I've heard to date and it's not really that close.
I did read through all of it and want to say thank you for the kind words of encouragement! Definitely keep me posted on your journey and never hesitate to reach out if you need some help. :)
-Stu
Love your stuff Stu. Toppings $200 DX3 Pro+ pretty much renders the rest of their lineup unnecessary.
Thanks man! I think most dacs after around $200 are pretty unnecessary as well. If I recommend something above that (K9 Pro for instance) it's because of its versatility and value being able to connect it to almost anything. The Law of Dim Returns in dacs seems to set in much sooner than it does with headphones.
@@HomeStudioBasics I've had the K5 Pro for over a year and a half. I connect my Samsung S7 with an OTG cable using USB audio player pro streaming Flac files and Qobuz. It's super simple and works and sounds great. I have an HD 600, HD 560s and and HD 6xx. I got the K5 based largely on your recommendations. If I had to get something else I'd probably go with the DX 3 Pro Plus but until then I'm just going to keep the K5 pro.
I love this dac/amp. I run it with a darkvoice.
@@JesusGonzalez-tu2nr Are you talking about the K5pro or the DX3 pro+ ?
Man, topping makes sound like my college paper which my teacher makes write and get a threshold of pages! + JDS seems like is getting the market with a birdshot, when making only one DAC, you will be sure that it is the right one...working against other companies philosophy and insuring the consumer that they have the best DAC as they can possibly get, it kinda makes easier to get the manufacturing as u only make one AMP and DAC, making improvements on a couple of years...Genius!
Yeah, absolutely nothing wrong with JDS making improvements to an existing product. It's when you start making dozens of other ones with all these weird letters and numbers that it starts to get absurd.
I was areally sad to see the Objective 2 retired though. I like the ATOM and all, but there was just something so unique about the O2 and its tank-like build was incredible.
So the irony of this video is that Topping makes amazingly great value products that measure phenomenally well. And frankly I would recommend the Topping EX5 over anything from JDSLabs.
Nice stuff! Just bought an element III , and thought hmmm I'll go and check some videos about it... Glad I watched your video haha, it raises valid questions... And didn't know about the JDS Labs Ethos until then. I will see about the audio performance of it, but their way of thinking totally fits with me. I was never keen getting into Chi-FI for the exact reasons you have mentionned. With so many different models, even in a same price point, it gets confusing pretty fast, and makes you wonder... What should I really get, and what are the actual differences between them, on a sonic standpoint? And not only Topping does it... I had checked stuff from SMSL, Fiio, etc... And it left me mindfucked more than anything lol. Again, great video!
Hey Stubear! It's been a while since I commented, but I have been enjoying your videos and articles. Yeah... I can't tell the difference between most DACs I've been exposed to. I did a test a while back using my old laptop, my PC, and my Zen DAC v2. I couldn't tell the difference between my PC and the Zen, the laptop might be a little under powered when compared to the other two causing the sound being a little unclear. It still didn't sound that much different though. Dunno, maybe I'm crazy.
Nah I don't think you're crazy. I tested my PC's audio port (Lenovo X1 Extreme) vs. some other dacs and there wasn't much difference. I do think PC sound cards have improved tremendously in the last 10-15 years though. I would never use my old T510's Soundcard. It was truly awful. But most phones and stuff nowadays have really good internals so we're almost getting to the point where DACS could become almost obsolete in a few years.
I'd say your sane. Way too much is made about different amps and dacs sounding different.
I own a liquid spark and a schitt magni 3 and a jds labs made objective 02 amplifier.
About a year ago I compared all 3 to each other and I couldn't tell the difference between them.
If there was a difference it was so subtle I couldn't detect it.
Whats the song at the intro of the video 👀
Hey man, not that this matters but this vid had my favorite opening with apartment complex and the cool slice of your life montage! Hoping you could use this more but that’s just my preference haha
Been listening on a pair of used he400i's with the grills off for like 6 months cause of this channel def some sound advice. Ever thought about reviewing the $20 moondrop chus? I've been on the fence for a little bit wondering if I should get them or just spring for something more expensive.
Thanks man! I'm not a huge IEM guy but I've been trying to get into them more. Reviewed the MD4 from Hidizs and thought it was pretty bad though.
Right now I’m running my dac fiio k5 pro with my prosonus eris 3.5 wired speakers 🔊 and boy it sounds nice and clear bass is so so but it’s there a little bit don’t care to much for it great with generes like classic rock and soul music and r&b 👍
That's a great setup!!
I laughed so hard, although I am a Topping owner. So much of unnecessary enticement from manufacturers and shills. An E30/L30 stack can give 90% of what an A90/D90 stack can, and the 10% is mostly the absence of balanced out (not important). This little stack is so clean and powerful, yet cheap, I dont really need to upgrade it soon. Not even for a JDS Labs equipment ;) , although I like their ethos. Next desktop gear will be a balanced stack or amp/dac, because its the only missing feature I can ever want. I hear and like the difference between balanced and single ended output in my portable setup, but no need to rush it. (Price of balanced equipment basically halves every year. In 1 or 2 years it will be industry standard in desktop amps and dacs. You basically can not buy portable gear without balanced out, even budget options have it. Few years ago you had to pay like 1000$ for this feature.)
Haha thanks for watching! Yeah a bal/unbal video is in the works as I've been going back and forth quite a bit. I won't spoil my opinion here but there is sound science behind the concept obviously.
How are your grand children? I’m new to your channel but I like your straight forward approach… reminds me of me! Keep going!
can you recommend some movies or tv shows?
First, how about your grandchildren?
For me, I from dongles to discrete desktop units I can’t really tell a difference. I can see each use case but they all blend together into what’s on hand and what I want.
TBH my Apple lightning dongle does a fine job for most applications
May I ask what headphones are you using and what is your source gear? What program do you listen for music? Tidal, Spotify, TH-cam?
My grandchildren are well! We went fishing the other day and caught a pretty nice size bass in an apt. pond!
@@stevendavis1135 I use Apple Music lossless/iPhone for most all my listening. My gear is a Fiio BTR5>HD6XX/DT770 Pro for headphones, lightning to Moondrop Aria for IEM, AirPods Pro while I’m out and I occasionally find time for my Schiit stack with my Mac.
@@HomeStudioBasics an apt. pond? I feel like Im missing an something like an inside joke…
0:46 is that garlic or Onion?
Onion! Needs to be cut back lol. I've been lazy because I'm looking after a bunch of other stuff (Cantaloupe, Pepper, Tomato, Potato) and onions are generally pretty low maintenance. I have onions and parsley and both grow back so fast it's awesome. In fact, the more you cut the happier they are.
@@HomeStudioBasics I normally go to the municipal market to buy some onion leafs (I think they are scallions) to make omelets for breakfast...didnt know they grew so fast.
LORD dont they have have a garden in adjacent to your flat?
There ya go!!
Very helpful video for me as someone new to learning about sound, headphones, and DAC/Amps. Thanks 👍
Topping product is excellent, just that they have similar sound signature throughout: Transparency, black background and top notch measurement. However, I feel that the top-end topping product will get phased out by their mid-range product IMO, Currently I have topping E50+L50 and sounded exactly as the D90.... might as well get the d10s ***shrug***
THIS!!! Just about ALL of topping offerings sounds exactly the SAME. What is the Pont of upgrading to a d90 when the E50 will get you about 90% of the way?! Topping was my first stack and honestly I just really don't enjoy their sound. It's.....it just sounds really boring and just bland. Super neutral and clinical. I don't enjoy topping at all. I mean , if anything topping taught me that even if measurements are class leading , it doesn't translate to enjoyable sound.
Yeah, I remember demoing the E30/L30 then A50/D50 (IIRC) and thinking "Alright, that's enough Topping for me" lmao. Haven't demoed one since. It was one of those things where it wasn't worth it for me to delve any further down that rabbit hole. In fact, I told a rep from Apos after that that I was done with it xD As you could just feel it was about to get out of control.
@@HomeStudioBasicsonly worth getting imo for topping is the d50s+a50s stack i feel its already an excellent product.
what do you think of smsl thinking about getting that.....
Bro the intro song was so good that I heard the full album thanks for the recommendation I think so..?!..
omg, Matt Foley manifested 1:10....I got a cramp laughing so hard. Thanks. Well said!
The funny thing is that Topping is considered the budget audiophile choice lmao
And it's why only the G6 matters
Thank you for keeping it real brotha, I was looking at some JDS products and I think i know which one im going to go with, I'm not an audiophile i just want something that will do the job
That’s why I went to a company that makes 1 dacamp, it’s usbc, looks nice and does the job (Khadas tone 2 pro)
Frankly with my 660s I hear no difference with or without it running either from my Mac or iPad Pro, probably a waste of money for my ears.
Get the 10 euro apple DAC - it does the job just fine too.
I also have the ie300 o hear no difference there either.
Running Apple Music at high quality.
It's so much easier to trust a company like JDS when you see One combo amp/dac and maybe 1-2 other stand-alone ( ATOM amp plus a DAC ).
@@HomeStudioBasics I was just looking for a usbc dac amp for my 660s to connect to my laptop that doesn’t look overly bulky but also isn’t a tiny usb dacamp like those dragonfly thingies 😛
There’s not much selection in this category, I can point out maybe 3 or 4 off the top of my head that I would invest my money in.
Mine does the work just fine when I actually want to sit next to my laptop to listen to music, which is almost never.
I usually listen in the car or on true wireless earbuds, it’s not on the same level but good enough for casual listening.
Topping has some decent measurements it sounds like
I would love to hear your comparison on JDS Labs Element III MK2 vs SMSL M500 MKIII if you can get your hands on one
Hi there! Just wanted to say I'm a big fan. After reading your blogs on your website I felt an immense sense of appreciation for your interpretations. The place where i live, it is expensive to have an audio hobby and most products cost 2-3 times as much since it's so rare here. Although I'm neither a former audiophile or really ever tried even a beginner setup for that matter. I reflect upon the music i hear and how it affects me and try to make sense of eg. how exactly 2 masters / headphones differ from each other. And when I stumbled upon your blog I immediately found that sense of connection where I could relate to what I was hearing. And finally I've made the decision of hunting down and getting my first proper dac! (at an affordable price). The e10k is arriving in 2-3 days 😀. And I've also considered purchasing the kph30i that you recommended on your blog. Just a final question, have you tried the new kph40 utility? And how does it compare against the other koss products?
Thanks and sorry for the long wall of text just wanted to say i appreciate all your efforts and time!
6 months late, but I've had the kph40 utility since its release. While they do sound very good, they don't substantially differentiate themselves much from Koss's own lineup - at least to my ears. I still, to this day, use Porta Pros - both wired and wireless - significantly more. Why? Comfort, ease-of-use, adjustable clamp pressure, they fold up extremely compactly, and they sound ridiculously good. Hope this helps.
LOVE the intro music and filmography! (not sure that's the right term xd)
As much as I love audio gear, I feel like your video making (and comedic) talent, as well as motivation is being wasted on this small niche.
At this point, with the progress you've made in your production quality... I genuinely think you'd have huge success if u'd just make a separate channel, on which you nerd out about older movies and cartoons for example.
Like, analize them... speak about why they were impactful for you... the effects they might've had on kids growing up (inserting your personal experience here) etc.
I'll continue on telegram.
I agree 100%. I could barely tell the difference between a $100 dac and one 2.5x the price. I did my homework and I have 2 dacs, one preamp and two amps. Total cost was $800. Speakers and headphones are a different story. I hear big differences. I have a few thousands worth of speakers, headphones and iems (around 20 total). Sanscrit 2, Asgard 3 , Emotiva BasX 2 channel, Hidizs S9 Pro and Aiyima A07. If only I was rich. I could get some Martin Logans and McIntosh.
"I could barely tell the difference between a $100 dac and one 2.5x the price" that's because most of those dacs sound roughly the same: they are barely meeting the minimum standard of what performance needs to be. You need to go up quite a bit to get better stuff. Try a chord qutest. Try it for like a week. Then go back to something else. You'll notice immediately. Don't think it's a thing where you can switch back and forth and notice. The brain doesn't work like that.
Lol the shirtless cut
Wait, others don’t hear grass growing? 😳😝
HEHEH
Jds labs is an excellent company, I've helped a couple buddies out with the atom stack and they love it.
I think a dac is a dac aside from lower snr. I like a tube amp after. Done.
i like brave search more than duck duck go but still nice vid on dac amp meme
🤣😂 I don't always use it because as much as I hate to say it, Google search is sometimes just flat out better for netting results.
Got a lotta herbs there Stu.
I am ray !!
Thanks for this mate, it is an important issue. Also, with amp/dacs I wish the discussion was more about features they have, what headphones perform well on them, instead of which have better measurements and other non sense. Plenty of gear that measures "well" has not sounded good to many reviewers, and the reviewers that chase the measurement game (and think you should buy the latest well measuring product ) have deluded themselves, or they are playing a role to sell more products. In some ways it worse than those audiophile channels that claim you need a 2000-10000 dollar dedicated dac to even step foot into the hi-fi game, LOL. Truthfully, I have only heard a DAC fail once. I installed an app on my phone and abused the shit out of the EQ until there was audible distortion that sounded like crap. Yet my old vintage vinyl set ups from the 70s sound great if set up correctly, and cd players from the 80s and 90s my dad has still sound great. But no, that is the last thing a lot of companies want you to think about...
Considering between a schiit or jdl labs dac.
JDS all day
As far as dacs go, pretty much pointless yeah, I've directly compared dongle dacs to topping e30 to see what the hubbub was and there's just nothing there. As far as amps go, it seems like the only difference is power output, which is silly when the mid-rangers already output more than anyone could ever need.
imo audio gear doesn't work like that
much like horsepower and torque numbers of a car amount to nothing directly
its the torque curve that matters and that measurement still doesn't judge how much of a driver's car that vehicle is
for eg: measurement wise tesla model s plaid should win every race however it cannot ever come anywhere close to le mans cars or even common sports cars of 3-6 years ago in terms of lap times
prima luna/accuphase/luxman/other mono blocks and topping just aren't in the same league nor can they ever be
There is a ton of variables that plays a roll and how your music will sound. What headphones are you using? How about the source material, are you using tidal or Amazon HD? I don't know your full setup but what I can say is what you're describing is just part of the picture.
The dongle dacs you test with your e30 was proble more of so on the same plan or less then your e30. Put your e30 up against something likeba modi multibit or a chord mojo 2 and I can bet all the money and my pocket it will be night and day compared to what your e30 can provide.
On your second point I would arguably say amps are even more important then the dac but I won't be going into detail about that. What is important about amps is not the difference in power the amp can output but more or so HOW the power is being delivered if that makes sense. What's more important in this scenario is the transistors and how the current of the power is being handled on the main board. I did a blind test of a schiit asgard 3 vs my magni hersey. Both arguably measure so close it goes behind the audible threshold of hearing but guess what ? Subjectively, the schiit asgard 3 practically walks all over my schiit magni hersey. The result of the asgard 3 being a discreet design vs my little cheap magni hersey op amp design provided a much better sound in almost every aspect.
Your basically saying I ate crap, and then I ate crap poked by a stick and they tasted the same. I don’t know what the hubbub is about.
1:51 why the fuck would you put that in.
Another TH-camr had a video comparing a $100 dac/amp to $1000 dac/ amp. The only real difference was in the output power. If you are going to have a A/B switch to go back and forth between the two using the same headphones you might hear a slight difference, but nothing noticeable to justify the extra $900 unless you are powering some large speakers. I settled on the 3 different small units sold by iFi and they are fantastic. Highly recommended ! I would bet that are some $50 units that would give iFi a run for the money as many of these use the same chipset. The hype will drive you crazy, don’t fall for it. Same thing goes for headphones. You notice in all the hyped up headphone videos you rarely hear about the use of a Equalizer to make a so so pair of earphones sound great. A great subject for a video would be how lower end headphones can be EQ-ed to sound fantastic and how well different headphones respond to a EQ. As always thanks for your videos 😁
Yes. Output power is huge when looking at these things as well. I may do a longer form video about all of this stuff since I've had so much experience with it over the last few years. And thanks man! I will jot that down. Just went to the store and purchased some Yellow Idea notebooks lol.
See: NwAVGuy and his creations, the ODAC and O2 Amp.
Hmm, shirtless and impulse vinyl...
A sexy combo indeed!
@@HomeStudioBasics coming soon: Coltrane and the naked truth lol
That NY accent! :D
2:50 seriously this shit is just unpleasant
Companies offer a ton of options because there's a ton of different ways people incorporate components into their systems.. And your arguments for how they advertise is pointless if you don't show any proof of the Chinese companies lying. There's literally everything GOOD about companies giving us the test data...I know before buying my Topping D10, I saw tons posts confirming their data be true.. I dunno about the rest of their products... Maybe I don't understand what you're arguing but also maybe lay off the pre-workout a bit lol
I hate music!
Not really.
My sister was lead singer, song writer in an 8 piece band for 25 years.
S-C-H-I-I-T......
Yes, the new flavor of the weak is always better than last week's flavor, just watch a Zeos video proof. He'll show you why the Drop 789 he told you to buy last week was the "greatest amp ever" but now sounds like shit cause the A90 just been released. Treadmill purchasing for life. 🤘
You deserve why more subscribers than you have.
"way" more subscribers
I'm not sure if your face or the stuttering audio is more annoying.
Please DO NOT procreate.
If you don't want people to procreate every time you don't agree with their views, well.. Bawhahaa
Least deranged topping customer.
Has anyone listened to all this crap? What's it about?
the real problem is you use firefox
chrome has always sucked
I love my Firefox :)
@@ydid687 OperaGX