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Author Topic: Bay Area Meet Impressions: Bakoon HPA-1, PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Oppo PM-1/2  (Read 9305 times)

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Anaxilus

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@Marv: any input on Bakoon HPA-1 vs Auralic Taurus II?

IME the Taurus is more refined and just as technically competent if not more so, but it's a rather bright analytical type signature so be prepared for that.  If you find the Vega on the brighter side, the Taurus is even more so.
Noooooooo...

I always read the Taurus was on the warm side of the force?! The Vega I get it, it matches what I read everywhere (detail oriented, lit-up, blabla). The Questyle is reported as bright/analytical, like the Bakoon HPA-21, actually.

Oh well, I guess I will have to find an opportunity to give it a listen.

Anybody interested in lending me one, in exchange for my Lavardin IS Reference? :D
I don't find the Taurus bright, I do think it's slightly warm.  Just my .02.

Just to add some more confusion.  Here's a few others that heard the Taurus pretty much the same way I did.  One calls it dry and boring.  Another calls it brighter and the Auralic Pre very bright.  There is also disagreement about which sounds brighter, balanced or SE.  I was balanced out and it made the Vega even brighter than I recall the Vega on it's own.  Could it be an impedance issue with it's own gear?  Who knows.

Did the stack I heard have the pre set up?  I don't remember, but it was setup for headphones and there were no speakers in the Canjam room so can't see why they would.  There seems to be allusion to Auralic tuning down the treble at some point for headphone listening as you read further in the links.  So that's a possibility.  The unit I spent time with was from Canjam last October and it was fatiguingly bright and analytical.  I certainly let them know it.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/644547/auralic-taurus-or-bryston-bha-1#post_9087701

http://www.head-fi.org/t/657266/auralic-owners-unite#post_9301264

So when looking at impressions, always know what type of input, output, front end is being used.  It is relatively transparent so I could even see some people hearing how their DACs sound for the first time.  Plus the ever present silent revision by manufacturers.
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Byrnie

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@Marv: any input on Bakoon HPA-1 vs Auralic Taurus II?

IME the Taurus is more refined and just as technically competent if not more so, but it's a rather bright analytical type signature so be prepared for that.  If you find the Vega on the brighter side, the Taurus is even more so.
Noooooooo...

I always read the Taurus was on the warm side of the force?! The Vega I get it, it matches what I read everywhere (detail oriented, lit-up, blabla). The Questyle is reported as bright/analytical, like the Bakoon HPA-21, actually.

Oh well, I guess I will have to find an opportunity to give it a listen.

Anybody interested in lending me one, in exchange for my Lavardin IS Reference? :D
I don't find the Taurus bright, I do think it's slightly warm.  Just my .02.

Just to add some more confusion.  Here's a few others that heard the Taurus pretty much the same way I did.  One calls it dry and boring.  Another calls it brighter and the Auralic Pre very bright.  There is also disagreement about which sounds brighter, balanced or SE.  I was balanced out and it made the Vega even brighter than I recall the Vega on it's own.  Could it be an impedance issue with it's own gear?  Who knows.

Did the stack I heard have the pre set up?  I don't remember, but it was setup for headphones and there were no speakers in the Canjam room so can't see why they would.  There seems to be allusion to Auralic tuning down the treble at some point for headphone listening as you read further in the links.  So that's a possibility.  The unit I spent time with was from Canjam last October and it was fatiguingly bright and analytical.  I certainly let them know it.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/644547/auralic-taurus-or-bryston-bha-1#post_9087701

http://www.head-fi.org/t/657266/auralic-owners-unite#post_9301264

So when looking at impressions, always know what type of input, output, front end is being used.  It is relatively transparent so I could even see some people hearing how their DACs sound for the first time.  Plus the ever present silent revision by manufacturers.

Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to start an argument or call your impressions into question but merely wanted to share my opinion.  To be fair, It could have easily been my headphones and/or DAC too but I have read conflicting opinions on whether the amp is bright or not.  That would be interesting, as you suggested, if they've since re-tuned the amp since your listening.
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Anaxilus

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Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to start an argument or call your impressions into question but merely wanted to share my opinion. 

Lol, don't worry about it, I didn't take it that way.  Just people offering their own impressions.  Depending on circumstances everyone could be correct in how they here something despite being divergent.

Tell it like you hear it, that's what this place is about. 
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Marvey

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What would be more interesting is the tonal balance of the Taurus vs. the Asgard 2 (something you have) while keeping everything else the same.
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Byrnie

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Yea I've done that to a small extent so far and plan to add more once I've gone through my HD650 and SRH1540.  So far all I can say is that the Asgard 2 is warmer by I haven't determined by how much yet.  I will add more to that other thread I made ince I've collected all my thoughts.
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BleaK

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Really? The Questyle was one the dullest biggest pieces of sh1t I've ever heard.

Did the X-Sabre use the coax input? I have this combo and if I use the coax on the x-sabre the whole setup sound really dull. It depends on the transport ofc, but in my setup the USB sounds miles better.
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Marvey

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X-Sabre was using USB. That same DAC feeding Bakoon HPA-1 was miles ahead of the Questyle amp.
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Byrnie

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Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to start an argument or call your impressions into question but merely wanted to share my opinion. 

Lol, don't worry about it, I didn't take it that way.  Just people offering their own impressions.  Depending on circumstances everyone could be correct in how they here something despite being divergent.

Tell it like you hear it, that's what this place is about. 

So I'm listening to this setup as I write you, Anax (I just re-read this sentence and it sounds like I'm writing you a "Dear John" letter lol).  I think i see where you're coming from about it being bright and I'd also like to add that the bass impact isn't there at certain low end frequencies (I couldn't tell you where) but when listening to any dubstep, the Taurus just doesn't get me into the music as much as my Asgard 2 or the Woo Audio WA7 duo.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2014, 01:58:40 PM by Byrnie »
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firev1

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The Taurus would sound pretty cold going by your impressions? Interesting thoughts on the Bakoon, I would wonder if the higher end AGD gear would sound close to it since they both seem to work on current amping.
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Anaxilus

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The Taurus would sound pretty cold going by your impressions? Interesting thoughts on the Bakoon, I would wonder if the higher end AGD gear would sound close to it since they both seem to work on current amping.

The Taurus isn't bad sounding, it just has that sort of flavor.  It's not harsh and brittle like other analytical type amps that emphasize digititus but is smoother which is why some might use 'warm' to describe it.  However, it did seem to be on the brighter side (on the unit I demo'd) based on specific higher bands being emphasized which seems in line with their acknowledgement about headphone tuning.  Plus the lack of lower end richness and harmonics lends to some of that analytical signature as byrnie said. 

The lower end Bakoon using current output seems to be a little less technically adept compared to the higher end version.  I recall noticing a distinct different between current and voltage on the higher end amp, but on the lower end Bakoon, current mode seemed more colored than I remembered versus the other. 

I do recall hearing an older AGD amp that warm richer and warmer like the Bakoon on current but I don't recall it having that level of drive, especially with orthos.  I don't know if it was current drive back then but I recall not liking it much at all.  I have not heard a AGD amp I would take over the entry Bakoon in voltage mode personally.

I did read on Mass Drop the description of voltage for low impedance and current mode for high impedance phones.  I don't know if that's Bakoon's engineering philosophy or Mass Drop's but I think that's complete BS and quite misguided if it is.  I would be scared buying an amp from a designer who believes that generalization.   
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"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu

"The Claw is our master. The Claw chooses who will go or who will stay." - The LGM Community

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