Does this site have a classifieds part or am I  f- in that regard?

Quote from: rhythmdevils on December 20, 2012, 09:04:14 PM

Is it thought that O2/Odac sounds as good as UHA6?

The general consensus is the amp in the UHA6s is better than the O2, but the Odac is better than the UHA6s dac (at least comparing USB).

I wouldn't pay any attention to consensus. It's too easy for 'interested partys' to manipulate the forums. It's very much in the interests of manufacturers to do this and I have little doubt they do. And some are strongly motivated to do down the O2/ODAC due to the history of it.

Another issue is that both devices should, in theory, sound the same unless they are faulty. So that 'consensus' means that 3rd party forum manipulation is therefore even more likely.

In the end, the O2/ODAC is effectively reference grade with very high power (there's almost nothing that they won't drive to dangerous levels) whereas the Leckerton is low power and will stuggle with many headphones and/or low voltage sources. If anything, certain heaphones will sound better with the O2/ODAC combo.

[Edit: all things being equal, the LEckerton is the better portable solution]

The O2 has a serious design flaw with the pot between the stages. Many users have hit digital clipping well below the predicted max voltage from sources. I guess one could lower the gain to 1, but that usually results in running out of room with the volume knob with most headphones.

Get a Magni instead for desktop use.
Get a Leckerton for portable.

I wouldn't pay any attention to consensus. It's too easy for 'interested partys' to manipulate the forums. It's very much in the interests of manufacturers to do this and I have little doubt they do. And some are strongly motivated to do down the O2/ODAC due to the history of it.

Well said Sir! I admire your conviction of beliefs & religious devotion to science that you have called out this forum of shills who are quite obviously being jedi mind controlled by Leckerton Audio.

The O2 has a serious design flaw with the pot between the stages. Many users have hit digital clipping well below the predicted max voltage from sources. I guess one could lower the gain to 1, but that usually results in running out of room with the volume knob with most headphones.

You Sire, obviously have no clue what you are talking about. It is a well known fact that digital clipping is an absolute requirement for proper enjoyment of high fidelity music. Why else would almost every modern record include digital clipping and the engineers who don't have the skill to do so find themselves woefully short of work. Ask LFF if you don't know what I mean.

Best first post ever.

+1

The O2 has a serious design flaw with the pot between the stages. Many users have hit digital clipping well below the predicted max voltage from sources. I guess one could lower the gain to 1, but that usually results in running out of room with the volume knob with most headphones.

Get a Magni instead for desktop use.
Get a Leckerton for portable.

That's really not a design flaw; very hot sources are rare and they are the only ones affected, or else running the O2 off batteries with a desktop source (which is not a day to day situation). The general rule is don't use the high gain option unless you can't get the volume; such a simple rule more than compensates for any supposed design flaw.

Lowering the gain to 1 is fine and won't cause volume issues (keeping in mind there is a 6.5x gain option also) except with portable sources or extreme equalisation. Even an LCD2 will go to ear splitting levels at 1x with a normal source. In any case the only way to cover every gain possibility is to have about 4 different gain options which very few offer and neither Magni nor the Leckerton.