CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

  • December 31, 2015, 11:20:41 AM
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 ... 10

Author Topic: Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 5 USB to SPDIF Converter Review OR5  (Read 18116 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

blue

  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +40/-6
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 119
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2013, 11:39:36 PM »
Glad you guys like it =)

Hopefully the AP1 I sent in will perform as well as the OR5.

I got this particular unit from a friend, it has the dual turbo clocks and Hynes spdif regulator as upgrades. I'll need to ask when it was bought... but probably not 3 weeks ago. Bought 6-7 months ago, so I'm definitely eying those upgrades (this is going to be expensive... might need next day air  :()

Dave I'm surprised you said it's better than the Berkeley Alpha... I thought that was the current "ToTL".
« Last Edit: April 05, 2013, 11:56:09 PM by blue »
Logged

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2013, 12:05:44 AM »
Quote from: s1 on April 05, 2013, 11:36:55 PM

Ok, can I have it back now ..,, :)p2

A few more days?

Quote from: purrin on April 05, 2013, 10:58:24 PM
I'll report back on the I2S HDMI with the PWD2 (it looks like its compatible with PSA's HDMI I2S standard.) So far, I've just been using the AES/EBU.


I2S HDMI to PWD2 impressions below:
« Last Edit: April 08, 2013, 05:50:49 AM by purrin »
Logged

Anaxilus.

  • Dikus Beligerantis Analmorticus
  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +65535/-65535
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 577
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2013, 12:44:02 AM »

Quote from: s1 on April 05, 2013, 11:36:55 PM
Ok, can I have it back now ..,, :)p2

After I get HD800 time on it!!!  We've only done speakers so far.  Btw, I need to AB it versus the PWT.

Can you share what options you selected for your OR?
« Last Edit: April 06, 2013, 12:54:46 AM by Analixus »
Logged
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading - Lao Tzu

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2013, 01:08:40 AM »
  • I'm not hearing any significant differences between the AP1 and the XMOS USB implementation on the PWD2. In fact, I think the AP1 may be hair worse in terms of things sounding out-of-focus or fuzzy. The bass sounds slower, and everything is a bit duller. It does sound smoother though than the PWD2 USB. I may need to experiment more with cables, settings, etc.
  • The AES/EBU from the OR5 is a bit of the wooden or stiff side. I don't want to say it's clinical.
  • The I2S/HDMI from the OR5 takes all the precision of the AES/EBU, but adds fluidity. Very 45RPM vinyl like.
Logged

s1

  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Powder Monkey
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +5/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 57
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2013, 01:17:29 AM »
Quote from: Analixus on April 06, 2013, 12:44:02 AM

Quote from: s1 on April 05, 2013, 11:36:55 PM
Ok, can I have it back now ..,, :)p2

After I get HD800 time on it!!!  We've only done speakers so far.  Btw, I need to AB it versus the PWT.

Can you share what options you selected for your OR?

Absolutely guys ! Right Blue ?  Still gotta hear the TH900s though.  :)p15

OR5 options incl Dual Turboclock and Hynes S/PDIF Regulator.

 
Logged

Anaxilus.

  • Dikus Beligerantis Analmorticus
  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +65535/-65535
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 577
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #15 on: April 06, 2013, 01:22:20 AM »
Thanks for the info.  So you still have the transformer on the SPDIF side then?

Can you guys resend me a pm about when you need the stuff back again? I know you guys were on the clock.
Logged
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading - Lao Tzu

Maxvla

  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +211/-12
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1251
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2013, 01:39:01 AM »
So what does this magic box do?
Logged

uelover

  • Powder Monkey
  • *
  • Brownie Points: +0/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 17
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2013, 01:45:26 AM »
Been looking at this for over 2 years now but am still sticking to my Stello U3 because of price. This black box costs as much as my Benchmark DAC1 so it is not an easy decision.

@Maxvla - this black box acts as a 'replacement upgrade' to the USB receiver chip on your DAC.
Logged

DaveBSC

  • Best Korean Sympathizer
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +222/-50
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2092
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2013, 02:12:51 AM »
Quote from: blue on April 05, 2013, 11:39:36 PM

Dave I'm surprised you said it's better than the Berkeley Alpha... I thought that was the current "ToTL".

Newp, not even close. OR > all, again other than the Stahl-tek which is a big question mark. Could be amazing, but for that price it friggen better be. The Overdrive SE is also a hell of a DAC. Steve believes he has Berkeley and dCS beat on that front as well. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that the USB input on the Overdrive is functionally the same as the OR5.
Logged

DaveBSC

  • Best Korean Sympathizer
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +222/-50
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2092
Re: Emprical Audio Off-Ramp USB Converter Review
« Reply #19 on: April 06, 2013, 02:18:52 AM »
Quote from: uelover on April 06, 2013, 01:45:26 AM
Been looking at this for over 2 years now but am still sticking to my Stello U3 because of price. This black box costs as much as my Benchmark DAC1 so it is not an easy decision.

@Maxvla - this black box acts as a 'replacement upgrade' to the USB receiver chip on your DAC.

You might want wait a bit longer. Steve is cooking up an OR6 that will move away from the Hiface board to something else, I'm not sure what yet. He's generally pretty good at making new upgrades available for customers that have older versions of his stuff, but I doubt this kind of a change could be retrofitted to the existing OR5. It's a much bigger deal than a new output transformer.

He's also been teasing an entry level DAC for quite awhile, but I have no idea when that will actually happen.
Logged
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 ... 10
« previous next »