Initial impression with DY2000 is not bad at all. Slightly different sounding than the LT 1057 and LT 1358. Looks like I have to dig back all the opamp and do a fresh comparisons.

Isnt this DY2000 is a designer opamp. Very mysterious. Anyone can enlighten (heard it is designed by Zhaolu engineer, true or not) Stay tune. I will be back for more.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 21 2008, 05:22 PM

1) Buid in sound card - Zero DAC - Aego M
Soundcard is not required. Try to get spdif, the thing that is connected to Cdrom. If not, just buy DAC with USB/SPDIF converter. works equally good.


2) X-Fi Extreme Music - Zero DAC - Aego M
this work great. your X-FI should have optical out. X-FI is a great trasnport.

Question:
1) Zero DAC = opamp ?
you can use opamp to change the output characteristics.


2) Can i use Zero like this? : Dvd palyer - Zero DAC - Intergrated Amp - Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
I am using this arrangement now. this works quite well. many will be using this. for budget arrangement.

(Cheapo JVC Dvd player, not hi-end one)

Please let me explain since I am tube lover. As Madman explain, u either love tube amp or hate it.

1. Tube amp and integrated are both different taste. Tube amp is warm and sweet sounding , suitable for vocal and lacks dynamics. Integrated amp depends on class (class A, class AB, T) can have diff characteristics as well.
Pre-amp is integrated split into two i.e. integrated amp = Preamp + power amp put in 1 casing.

2. Good tube is expensive. A 12AU7 telefunken with D-getter is expensive,a lot more than u mention. (Imitation one is cheap) It is not true
Tube amp> Intergrated amp > Pre-amp. It depends on implementation, technology, quality and vintage

3. DAC is not pre-amp, but DAC + headphone amp. The ZERO DAC happens to have level attenuator, and also can works as pre amp but its output is limited. You may want to google to know what is DAC and what type of DAC is commonly used.

4. DAC is DAC. Integrated amp and tube amp are diff type of amplifiers.

Hope that help.

rgds

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 23 2008, 10:21 PM

Can you share your shoot out on the ZERO vs Marantz 63SE. Do you find the marantz more natural, transparent, or the ZERO more dynamic, wider soundstage:?

What is your taste of musics ?

Hope to see more ZERO users reporting their impressions.. or u guys just too busy running in the amp and rolling.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 23 2008, 11:01 PM

As I mention earlier, if you want more warm and laid back music,
try LT 1358, LT 2604

If you want tube like warm sound,
try DY 2000 (I am using this now), LT 1057

If you want good separation, dynamics
try OPA 627, OPA 827, LM 4562

I am not sure how LME 49720 sounds like. To me, it is quite narrow soundstage.

I haven't got time to do a shoot out on DY2000 yet. will come back.


This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 24 2008, 10:07 PM

To blast 140W is quite insane, unless u do it in open field.

RMS is generally used in HIFI quipment. Those marketing gimmick started to use PMPO on the PC speakers and car audio, and begun the RMS definition pollution. Well since 1974, FTC has begun to use RMS for audio equipment.

I begin to agree more of what Lawrence says about DY2000.

-------------
DY2000

Comment : These chips makes the sound more valve like than the tube sound ever did if that can possibly make any sense! Melodious, slightly laid back and warm yet it brings out every last bit of detail from a recording. Overall a very nice sound. A kind of hybrid valve and solid state mix which gives the best of both worlds. Nice smooth valve like mids and highs with lovely solid state bass oomph . This is the Op amp for those who prefer a valve like sound but would also like a solid state bottom end delivery. With this Op amp you can have your cake and eat it. Smooth as silk.

-------------

For DAC lovers, this is your good choice for warm vocal. Slight drawback is the hybrid feel.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 26 2008, 10:55 PM

DVD > Zero > Amp > Wharfy

Your above setup will be good enuf. If you like warm vocals, I dont think wharfy is doing you good. you may want to try the mids, like rogers, harbeth, atc scm, quad, KEF. all of them have LS 3/5a.

Dont you think Wharfy is abit bright. meaning if you listen to women voices, you can hear sibilance like sharp Sssss, Sssshhhh instead of smooth Ss, Sh.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 26 2008, 11:55 PM

Choose your speaker carefully. It is your best investment.

LS 3/5a are old school speakers meant for BBC. They are collection items. so much so, some kept the 3/5a speakers in rack for display only.

I have heard BR2 pair with soundstage (mullard tubes) and it was good match. You can also try the Menthor tube amp currently on sale at hifi4sale blog.




sayang. now it is vintage. but I think SCM7 is still quite cheap. always want to grab then gone.

The DY2000 bulk is no more, because not many DAC HIFIler. many like headamp. You may pm me for the address.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 27 2008, 11:02 PM

Try KT 88. I will bring in 6V6, and see how sweet and warm it would be (though I know 6V6 is weak to drive demanding load)

I think what u have mentioned is upper level, away from budget best value of money DAC. Again it depends on your tastes. They have been a lot of comparisons being made at the head fi thread comparing Paradisea, Citypulse, Keces, Lite. The european like Theta, meridian, benchmark, MBL, wadia, esoteric will cost a big bomb. So far, only ZERO DAC has got such following of ppl entry into DAC.

I have further did a A/B on the opamps like LM 4562, LT 1057, OPA 627 vs the DY2000.

What I notice on DY2000 is its smoothness at the mid range. The mid bass is control and not interfering into the vocal. Unlike LT 1057 and LM 4562, DY2000 gives good separation at the vocal and also more natural sounding. Very good tonality and relaxing to listen to.

I begin to suspect what is inside DY2000. I cant seem to find the specs of DY2000. can anyone share? I am not sure if JFET is used? But I like it.

DY2000 is like the partner for the tubeamp.

ZhaoLu implementation is almost same as ZERO. So you wont get much differences and futhermore it is more $$$$ than ZERO. To improve the sound of ZERO, those mod also will improve the sound too.

I dont mod the unit because it is still new. I am quite happy with it. The tricks about modding is the quality and outcome. Perhaps Madman can share some light. One expert who is good at mod is in Australia. If you read the head-fi thread, u will see ppl mod the output stage decoupling capacity,with good results.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jun 30 2008, 06:28 PM

DY2000 is about RM 55. I think Abel has given some riview. Basically OPA627 is the undisputed bare it all opamp with good dynamics. DY2000 is more tubelike with solidstate feel, can help to tame the metal tweeters a bit. Dont use DY2000 if you have full tube amp.

Sorry I am no headphiler. I believe there shoud be 1 source giving the buffer, either DAC or the head amp. In my case, I have soundstage 1.5 with mullard tube (good for vocal and warm) plus KEF Cresta 10/B&W/AAD. The ZERO DAC, being oversampling type dac, gives quite a wide spectrum of musics. While I prefer the mid spectrum, without sacrificing the high and low, I find good use of dy2000. Sometimes musics goes this way. When u done putting in dy2000, u just find the musics clicks, like doc and patient. Music is the doc, and I am the patient.

It comes back to matching again.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jul 1 2008, 10:43 PM

Yeah Yehlai.

Take it slow. When u get your ZERO, I can lend you the DY2000 for test. I always go to hifi shop in Puchong, and I learn the hifi stuff from the sifu in there. That place got all kinds of amp, solid state, int amp, ptube pre amp, tube full , harbeth, etc. sorry another poision.

If you know Lawrence, you should know Eddie Wu. Eddie is very knowledgeable in HIFI, but at the same time, a marketing guy.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jul 1 2008, 11:36 PM

Bring your cable there and test.

I miss his Marantz 63KI, Orpheus, Exposure, rogers, Monitor audio studio 2, harbeth HL-P3. The owner now got menthor with Telefunken tube (not for sale) .... so many.

thats the shop.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jul 2 2008, 12:12 AM

So is it going to have mini meet to pk the opamp during dac collection? good to try out the gear. may be we can invite others to bring their DAC for shoot out.

Why dont you minta tolong godluv, may be special deal loh. he got a lot of lobang.

why bother about soundcard, go for this dac. Anyone rolling any opamp ? come share some review.

DY2000 is different than LT1057. The DY2000 makes the vocal sounds smoother and warm when used in my system. It is more laid back. Musics separation and dynamics is not as good as 627. overall if I can get dy2000 metal can at reasonable price, I will giv it a try.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Jul 4 2008, 07:13 AM