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 The ZERO DAC + Headamp (NO 56K), OWNERS!!! REPORT IN!!!!

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TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 12:11 AM, updated 17y ago

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ok children....giving u some teaser pix first of a DAC that ive been testing these past few days...still in the middle of burning in. so pix first...

reviews are gonna take awhile...wanna let it burn in first..also very busy now...next week office moving...so not much time to sit and listen. anyway...on with pr0n.

would like to thank the person who supplied me the DAC in confidence and giving me a chance to test it out. wont reveal who he is....will let him do it himself if he wants to be known. thanks for the chance bro notworthy.gif

BULK THREAD - go order!!! biggrin.gif

ZERO DAC @ Head-Fi ( friggin long thread & fast growing sweat.gif )

Duh BoX icon_idea.gif
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PeEkAbOo! comes with optical cable
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the optical cable...brand is Choseal. for those Jln Pasar regulars, u shoud have seen this brand at a few shops.
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just in case someone who can read chinese is curious what it says at the back biggrin.gif
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the DAC itself and how its packed. with plastic styrofoam like thingy and some styrofoam-ish case to protect it.
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the entire package... Manual (in Chinese), DAC, Power cable, Optical cable
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front view....doesnt it look like a certain Z product??
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belakang mari view...aka back view la.
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top view...small vents to let out hot air. suitable enough as the unit isnt very hot (could be its directly under aircond heh)
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bottom view...some foam like feets. wont scratch the surface and easy to move around.
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This post has been edited by mADmAN: Apr 22 2008, 03:18 PM
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 12:12 AM

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time for some nekkid pictures drool.gif brows.gif

full topless view...
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the DAC section
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the DAC opamp. cant see from the pix so i wrote it down biggrin.gif
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the next few pictures are for those who has a fetish for capacitors... so here u go biggrin.gif
(all the blue caps are of the same brand some kekekkekekeek brand laugh.gif )
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AMP section
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the opamp
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the caps...which is written ELNA on it.
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This post has been edited by mADmAN: Jan 22 2008, 12:14 AM
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 12:13 AM

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since people waiting for review......heres some points first...

soundstage is MUCH wider than my Fubar II + Cute Battery amp. which makes the sound sig a lil laid back. it also sounds "thicker" and has more body compared to my current setup. the highs arent piercing especially on my DT990 which is known to have very prominent highs (so it helps to tame it abit). thumbup.gif

1 point though... compared to my Fubar II + Cute Battery II amp, the bass is SLIGHTLY lesser. which makes the double pedal bass slam for METAL abit lacking. but if ur music is NOT metal, i.e hip hop, fengtau, R&B etc etc. then this would do you good thumbup.gif

EDIT: just to make things clear, this is still very good for metal. but im sort of a basshead. hence the comment on the above paragraph. also because im used to my current setup....but after a short while u get used to it. the difference is bass is very minimal.



This post has been edited by mADmAN: Jan 23 2008, 05:25 PM
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 12:13 AM

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ZERO DAC Owners List....

mADmAN
Kyl3
ccschua
Andiboi
dark_evilz
kwekeugene
stormspider
abel
thh1212
gatevalve
kukarchoon
leshita87



LET THE SPAM BEGIN!!!


This post has been edited by mADmAN: Aug 7 2008, 04:09 PM
xtremedummy
post Jan 22 2008, 12:38 AM

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mind telling me which DAC chip ? AD1955?
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 12:45 AM

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copied from the head-fi thread

Specifications of the ZERO 24 BIT/192KHz DAC/Headphone Amp/Pre-Amp:
Receive chip: CS8416
Decode chip: AD1852
Analog operational amplifier chip: OPA2604
Signal to noise ratio: 120dB
Total harmonic distortion: 0.0005%
Dynamic range: 117dB
Frequency response: 20Hz - 30 kHz
Analog output level: 2V
Input interface:
One independent digital fiber input
One independent digital coaxial input
One RCA analog signal unbalanced output
One 6.3mm headphone signal output
Time delay switch for ON/OFF protection circuit
Individual PCB design for future upgrade capability
Hi End components and IC (less than 1% tolerance)
Separate and individual voltage regulators
Dual Mono Amp design
Double face PCB for reducing size
=Hanxz=
post Jan 22 2008, 01:05 AM

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zero or zhao lu laugh.gif
yeahs4.1
post Jan 22 2008, 01:50 AM

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price??
share share share
empire23
post Jan 22 2008, 09:15 AM

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Major parts upgrade required lol, gogogogo, add in new Elna caps, MUR820 diodes, tantalum stability caps, extra decoupling and takamisawa relays!
SYAMiLLiON
post Jan 22 2008, 12:49 PM

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mind to tell me the price brows.gif
TeOtq
post Jan 22 2008, 01:27 PM

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lol,how is it sound?i think almost same price range with dah1 right?
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 07:11 PM

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not gonna say anything about the price yet brows.gif

lets just say its damn bang for buck.....

and as of right now...i like it man...seriously. will do better review later on... biggrin.gif

Added on January 22, 2008, 7:11 pm
QUOTE(empire23 @ Jan 22 2008, 09:15 AM)
Major parts upgrade required lol, gogogogo, add in new Elna caps, MUR820 diodes, tantalum stability caps, extra decoupling and takamisawa relays!
*
that my friend, would be a job for you tongue.gif

This post has been edited by mADmAN: Jan 22 2008, 07:11 PM
mikelanding
post Jan 22 2008, 07:28 PM

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I saw only sell at EBAY and a hongky website.
I also saw some1(NCMK) from VR-zone forum said around SGD$130 inclusive of postage!! ( wow..that is cheap..dunno how true is this fella)
This is 1 of my DAC target also...but fund got diverted to other item..lol

This post has been edited by mikelanding: Jan 22 2008, 07:37 PM
kwekeugene
post Jan 22 2008, 08:24 PM

 
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Looking forward to the review...

How does it compare to the iBasso D1 and Fubar?
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 08:25 PM

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boys and girls.... BULK THREAD is up!!!

order urs NOW!!! rclxm9.gif
mikelanding
post Jan 22 2008, 08:30 PM

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QUOTE(mADmAN @ Jan 22 2008, 08:25 PM)
boys and girls.... BULK THREAD is up!!!

order urs NOW!!! rclxm9.gif
*
Fuyo..very interesting price...
Wat I like about it is option to opamp rolling....but if rolling 4Xopa627 with browndog adapter...another RM300 there!!!
GodLuvSxS
post Jan 22 2008, 08:32 PM

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QUOTE(mikelanding @ Jan 22 2008, 08:30 PM)
Fuyo..very interesting price...
Wat I like about it is option to opamp rolling....but if rolling 4Xopa627 with browndog adapter...another RM300 there!!!
*
Hi mike. Based on one headfier's review, the opa627 works great with the ZERO dac!
ijan
post Jan 22 2008, 08:32 PM

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AD1852, OPA2604, basically Zhaolu AD, but Zhaolu has better approach at selecting components. Plus, the circuit is almost identical to the basic DAC circuit that is even apllied to Zhaolu, cept the dac buffer/pre-amp stage consist of only one opamp rather than two, meaning signal is non-balanced (zhaolu 2.5 and higher model do not haf balanced output but aminot mod would enable balanced).

Headphone out is also a simple buffered class-b output, almost similar..but then agian, everything is very similar in the audio electronic world.

The cache factor would be the price..but i bought a Zhaolu D2.5A (keep in mind, ac in-line filter, better regulation and board design, all capacitors are branded boutique capacitors, implementation is much better) at..- EDIT : I din know a bulk is on, so I wont bother -



This post has been edited by ijan: Jan 22 2008, 08:34 PM
GodLuvSxS
post Jan 22 2008, 08:39 PM

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QUOTE(ijan @ Jan 22 2008, 08:32 PM)
AD1852, OPA2604, basically Zhaolu AD, but Zhaolu has better approach at selecting components. Plus, the circuit is almost identical to the basic DAC circuit that is even apllied to Zhaolu, cept the dac buffer/pre-amp stage consist of only one opamp rather than two, meaning signal is non-balanced (zhaolu 2.5 and higher model do not haf balanced output but aminot mod would enable balanced).

Headphone out is also a simple buffered class-b output, almost similar..but then agian, everything is very similar in the audio electronic world.

The cache factor would be the price..but i bought a Zhaolu D2.5A (keep in mind, ac in-line filter, better regulation and board design, all capacitors are branded boutique capacitors, implementation is much better) at..- EDIT : I din know a bulk is on, so I wont bother -
*
Yup. basically it's a Zhaolu AD but coming with fuller and warmer sound, that's what the designer told me, before this he did working in designing the Zhaolu and now he decided to establish his own company. IMHO the ZERO is kinda a dac with lots of upgrade possibility as the Zhaolu, but since the Zhaolu 3.0 coming out, the company decided to discontinue the Zhaolu 2.x series, so people who did consider getting the Zhaolu 2.x and i wish that they may consider giving chance to this potential unit. Thanks smile.gif
TSmADmAN
post Jan 22 2008, 08:42 PM

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SOURCE

some opamps tested in the ZERO....long list (quoted from head-fi)

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


QUOTE(ijan @ Jan 22 2008, 08:32 PM)
AD1852, OPA2604, basically Zhaolu AD, but Zhaolu has better approach at selecting components. Plus, the circuit is almost identical to the basic DAC circuit that is even apllied to Zhaolu, cept the dac buffer/pre-amp stage consist of only one opamp rather than two, meaning signal is non-balanced (zhaolu 2.5 and higher model do not haf balanced output but aminot mod would enable balanced).

Headphone out is also a simple buffered class-b output, almost similar..but then agian, everything is very similar in the audio electronic world.

The cache factor would be the price..but i bought a Zhaolu D2.5A (keep in mind, ac in-line filter, better regulation and board design, all capacitors are branded boutique capacitors, implementation is much better) at..- EDIT : I din know a bulk is on, so I wont bother -
*
laugh.gif i dont speak ur language man...but i guessing ur saying the Zhaolu is better. wont be surprised honestly. but considering those damn things are difficult to get now... i think this is actually quite a steal. it really does sound good (too lazy to write review right now tongue.gif )

the unit i have is on loan....heck, i just might buy it off laugh.gif

This post has been edited by mADmAN: Jan 22 2008, 08:46 PM
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