[yeboyi]

From my own experience with the Sundara, mid-range timbre gets impacted notably (though not usually horribly).

What do you mean ?

 

[jasswolf]

What do you mean ?

You can hear the difference in vocals and complex passages more readily depending on your DAC pairing (i.e. how the output from that is aliased). That's why I sold it and went with the XS despite the 1.5-2.5 kHz dip.

Imaging is also impacted too.

EDIT: clarified comments.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

A dac is a dac is a dac is a dac is a dac is a dac.
….well at least to human ears that is.
Dac differences are best experienced as either a bat or dolphin

Rocking the Sundara today and it’s just magnificent with some Art Zoyd. Listening to Berlin right this minute and enjoying the heck out of the tension-filled 80s
electronics.

 

[Odinphile]

Update - should be getting the DX3 Pro + tomorrow morning IST. Hopefully its pairing with the XS will get rid of the sibilance...

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

^You’re far better off either EQ’ing down the treble or perhaps changing the pads.
Boxes do not alter the presentation of planar headphones unless they also come with a built-in EQ.

 

[Odinphile]

Who said I am looking for a different presentation? I am just looking to tame the sibilance and that has been widely reported to come from a DAC / amp upgrade/sidegrade.
Also at present I was giving these just 250mW of power, the new amp should give well over 4x times that ...

 

[cycloverid]

Who said I am looking for a different presentation? I am just looking to tame the sibilance and that has been widely reported to come from a DAC / amp upgrade/sidegrade.
Also at present I was giving these just 250mW of power, the new amp should give well over 4x times that ...

Technically 250mw should get you 116db on the XS, so this should be fine for loudness. Should be an interesting experiment to see if the 'planars need more power' hypothesis holds any relevance here. I've personally never experienced an underpowered headphone and sonic differences due to this, though the weakest amp I've ever used was an O2. I've heard many accounts of weaker bass and/or less controlled treble, so I have bought in to this to some degree based on the many reports of others.

Hopefully you have a return window just in case...

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

Who said I am looking for a different presentation? I am just looking to tame the sibilance and that has been widely reported to come from a DAC / amp upgrade/sidegrade.
Also at present I was giving these just 250mW of power, the new amp should give well over 4x times that ...

Taming the sibilance is changing the presentation…or else you’re just left with the same sibilance/strong treble
Either way you’re not going to change anything about this issue via amps or dacs.
EQ or a pad swap is your best way forth.

 

[Odinphile]

Taming the sibilance is changing the presentation…or else you’re just left with the same sibilance/strong treble
Either way you’re not going to change anything about this issue via amps or dacs.
EQ or a pad swap is your best way forth.

OK... ... cheapaudioman YT in edition xs review that he changed his dacamp from hidzs to smsl and noticed sibilance was gone! Is that a false claim?

 

[yeboyi]

OK... ... cheapaudioman YT in edition xs review that he changed his dacamp from hidzs to smsl and noticed sibilance was gone! Is that a false claim?

Welcome to the rabbit hole. I wouldn't trust that guy btw.

 

[cel4145]

OK... ... cheapaudioman YT in edition xs review that he changed his dacamp from hidzs to smsl and noticed sibilance was gone! Is that a false claim?

First, I think it's better to differentiate between the influence of perceptual biases, and a false claim. I'm hesitant to lump them together.

Meanwhile, if he was using a HIDISZ dongle, perhaps it was underpowered and distortion of dynamic peaks was emphasizing the sibilance.

 

[LakeOfTheWyles]

Has anybody tried the XS with the xduoo ta-10r or Singxer sa-1? It sounds like the xduoo mt series works well, but curious how the xs sounds on the ta series. I would imagine the ta-30 is perfect

 

[Shared]

Has anybody tried the XS with the xduoo ta-10r or Singxer sa-1? It sounds like the xduoo mt series works well, but curious how the xs sounds on the ta series. I would imagine the ta-30 is perfect

I tried it w the mt 602 and the 604, the bass got more body to it, a lil bit more stage and a more pleasing sound, at least for my ears. Both amps were able to easly drive the XS btw

 

[Odinphile]

First, I think it's better to differentiate between the influence of perceptual biases, and a false claim. I'm hesitant to lump them together.

Meanwhile, if he was using a HIDISZ dongle, perhaps it was underpowered and distortion of dynamic peaks was emphasizing the sibilance.

Will report back in 24 hours

 

[bagwell359]

A dac is a dac is a dac is a dac is a dac is a dac.
….well at least to human ears that is.
Dac differences are best experienced as either a bat or dolphin

Rocking the Sundara today and it’s just magnificent with some Art Zoyd. Listening to Berlin right this minute and enjoying the heck out of the tension-filled 80s
electronics.

Are you quoting someone or is that your stance? I hated digital back in the days of TELARC vinyl (early 80's) and the explosion of CD's and cheap players from the mid 80's to the late 90's. Somebody (early 00's) sat me in front of two players - an Audio Research (ARC) and a Krell - and that was night and day to the low-fi crap - but the price - about $20k each was ridiculous. More 1 bit MASH players followed... and then the first version of the Gungnir MB - now over 5 years old is easily told apart from the Snapdragon 845, Mojo, the MB in the Lyr-3, and a DC-1.