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81% would recommend to a friend 
Massdrop O2 + SDAC DAC/Amp
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Massdrop O2 + SDAC DAC/Amp
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Product Description
For the objectivist audiophile seeking a complete desktop solution, there’s the Massdrop O2 + SDAC: a DAC/amp that brings two great products together in one affordable, easy-to-use package. It features the Massdrop Objective 2 (or O2), the community’s favorite solid-state amp, alongside the Massdrop x Grace Design Standard DAC (or SDAC), a collaboration with a company long known for its incredibly accurate, transparent studio gear Read More
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Customer Reviews
4.2
(272 reviews)
5star(157)
4star(62)
3star(20)
2star(13)
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keyboard_arrow_downJeetrees
24
Jul 17, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Noticable difference (at least for me)
I'm new to the audiophile market. I bought two pairs of headphones last year, the Sennheiser HD6XX and the Beyerdynamic DT770. Both sounded fantastic to me without an amp, but I got the O2 + SDAC DAC/AMP to experiment if I should get a more expensive setup later on or not.
Overall, I was happy with what the DAC/AMP has to offer. To me, it's not about better sounding as much as it is about clear sounding. The bass got punchier and the high frequencies sounded less shrill to me. However, I did not find much difference in the mid range. Watching a movie, TV show, or listening to podcasts shouldn't be different with or without the amp. Listening to music was definitely diffetent for me. The audio does get very loud with the gain switch but I was able to find the sweet spot where it doesn't become painful and is still enjoyable, thanks to the continuous volume adjustment knob.
The build quality is alright. It does have clicky buttons for power and gain and the continuos volume knob feels sturdy as well. The chassis is also well made. I like the texture on the whole thing. I would still not want to drop from a height, though, as it is still very light weight. For a thing that is going to lie on your desk after installation, it probably should not be a deal breaker. The only major issue I have with the design/build has nothing to with the DAC/AMP, rather it has to do with the power brick. Sure it's compact and does the job properly but the design of the power brick is significantly dated. It looks like a power brick for my old Nokia 1112 from back in the day. I also think the power cord could have been a little longer but it would be nitpicking at this point.
Is it bang for the buck? I don't know. It's my first headphone amp and I am happy with the product. A part of the reason for that is because I had very low expectations from it. I was expecting the whole thing to just sound louder with maybe a little bit of bass improvement. However, it delivered all that and a tad bit more, making the songs that I listen to, mostly spacey and moody rock/jazz, seem even more spacey and moody. I would say if you are a beginner audiophile like me with some extra money to spend, do give it a shot. It certainly does not make the experience worse. It reduces quite a lot of noise, and that is probably the most noticable aspect of it.
Recommends this product? Yes
Josmos
84
Apr 3, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Paired with the 58X, you have probably the best setup for $300 bucks. If anything, the experience is described as: true, clean, neutral, and it is near-impossible for me to switch up to anything else. This is definitely going to be my duo for years to come.
Wariofart
4
Apr 14, 2019
Thanks for the recommendation, and from the reviews in Amazon they seem awesome. I did jump into O2s here, the price seems just right for the headphones I have at the moment.
kris108
2
Apr 16, 2019
Yup, I think thats the gold standard setup at this price range. Maybe Atom + just SDAC would be just as good.
ihtrq
73
Feb 21, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Although Massdrop's naive repeated misuse of the word "objectivist" consistently raises my eyebrow, I appreciate the o2's unsuspecting form factor. I kind of knew going into it because of Grace's DAC that it was going to be small, but I was notheless astonished by how well the overview pictures concealed its absolutely minuscule form factor. Like, I was planning to make space for it on my desk, and then I realized that I could just stick it in the cubby on the left of my monitor stand. I don't even notice it except for the glaring HAL-esque red dot that stares me down while I'm in bed. I think the size is significant because it represents the lack of pretension o2 implementations have in general, which is that they're designed to do what's wholly necessary for the lowest necessary price; you usually expect the opposite for hardware catering to audiofools.
Although I don't care about looks, and I enjoy that its appearance compliments the o2's general purpose. I appreciate that the buttons and input are actually aligned, which is more than the Mayflower can say. I do think the sans-serif in the top left that reads "O2 + SDAC" could have been changed to something more proportionate to the symbols under the controls. Still Phillips threads for the faceplate, but I feel like Torx would have been an appropriate revision for the size.
Furthermore, I'm disappointed there isn't an input. I obviously knew that going in, but, still–that's one thing the Mayflowers have over the Graces.
All-in-all, pretty good. Please stop calling it objectivist, though. Until the day that our society is taken over by hamsters and we're forced to inhabit the hamster objectivist utopia under the sea, Hampture, in indentured servitude to our hamster overlords and their financial superiority, I will not call the o2's objectivist.
Will_636
20
Jan 19, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Bought this after going through a lot of reviews and opinions on reddit, youtube, and here. I chose this (O2 + SDAC) over the Schiit stack. I pair it with the HD 6xx's and it has plenty of power for them. I feel like this was a good choice for my first DAC and amp, it was by no means the cheapest, but, to me, it was the best value for the price range. This will be my reference setup as I am sure I am just at the beginning of the audio equipment rabbit hole. Gives me a whole other appreciation for music, and can definitely tell higher quality from lower quality audio files.
iatsbohdan
200
Jan 28, 2019
HDtracks has some good stuff, but if you don't need hi-res, it may be cheaper to just get a CD from Amazon and convert it to FLAC
rastus
1391
Aug 29, 2020
Acoustic Sounds is a reputable source, you want to read things like:
“"We were fortunate that this was recorded to analog in an age that had many digital recordings," says Acoustic Sounds founder and CEO Chad Kassem, who describes August and Everything After as "one of the better albums in the entire '90s," with a timeless vibe and classic pop sound. Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.”
https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/93717/Counting_Crows-August_And_Everything_After-DSD_Single_Rate_28MHz64fs_Download
https://store.acousticsounds.com/cat/365/Digital_Download
https://store.acousticsounds.com/cat/365/Digital_Download
ChrisHarris
39
May 12, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Still no replacement over 6 months on.
I received one of the faulty batch and was promised a replacement. I have had no updates and every time I have emailed support I have just been told that they are delayed. No offer of a refund or credit instead. Will update if this does get sorted but I'll not be buying anything else from drop as I have no faith in their customer service.
Recommends this product? No
cstang
26
Oct 14, 2021
ChrisHarrisHad similar experience. My Micro USB port became faulty and I ended up having to pay $50 to get it repaired. I bet it’s a similar problem. The I/O ports are so delicate. Drop offered me a refund, but wouldn’t replace. I had already had it repaired because they told me they couldn’t replace. They then offered me $35 drop credit, but They never delivered on this.
Effenlegger
2
Oct 17, 2021
cstangSad to hear others experience this as well. In fact I have encountered both problems, the initial faulty batch which was not replaced, as well as the micro USB port now being defective. Good to hear they offered you a refund, hoping to get the same! What an awful experience.
Very little soldering experience myself but hopefully I can get the reversed channels and USB defects fixed somewhere competent.
(Edited)
Eyepile
33
Aug 14, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
Extremely disappointed with Massdrop.
My O2+SDAC Amp/DAC stopped working after 5 months of purchase. The O2+SDAC still looks brand new since it just sits on my desk all the time. I tried to contact Massdrop about the warranty and they offer me to return to get a refund or to replace it with a new one but without a renewed warranty. When I asked for a refund, the customer service disappeared. I would not suggest buying any Massdrop product anymore.
Tatteredmidnight
170
Oct 2, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
This is the nail in the coffin for me in regards to Massdrop. After receiving the unit, I was informed that incorrect resistor values where used, causing the gain stage to be higher than indicated in the listing. Because of the design of this amp, at lower volume settings (indicated via knob position, not absolute volume), there is significant channel imbalance. These issues combine to create a situation where the listening volume is either uncomfortably high, or one channel is noticeably louder than the other (or using the source volume control, rendering the volume control on the DAC pointless).
After living with this sub-optimal situation, I've discovered that on multiple computers (Linux and Mac), the DAC disconnects between spotify songs and youtube videos intermittently. The only resolution to this seems to be to repeatedly disconnect and reconnect the unit.
This is one of several bad experiences I've had with Massdrop, and I do not believe I will be making the mistake of purchasing from them again
After living with this sub-optimal situation, I've discovered that on multiple computers (Linux and Mac), the DAC disconnects between spotify songs and youtube videos intermittently. The only resolution to this seems to be to repeatedly disconnect and reconnect the unit.
This is one of several bad experiences I've had with Massdrop, and I do not believe I will be making the mistake of purchasing from them again
pveoq
13
Oct 13, 2018
TatteredmidnightHmm, I have a schiit fulla 2 on my Linux PC and the dac sometimes (rare) disconnects between YouTube vids or streaming songs. I have to go to sound devices and switch between the fulla and the motherboard output to get the dac back on. Maybe that's an OS issue?
Tatteredmidnight
170
Oct 13, 2018
pveoqUnfortunately this happens in OSX and Linux. I've confirmed it's not a cable issue, and that both computers function properly with 2 other USB DACs.
Massdrop support has been excellent so far, and I'm satisfied with the resolution they offered (return for refund).
Massdrop support has been excellent so far, and I'm satisfied with the resolution they offered (return for refund).
flapjackthebear
61
May 24, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
If you are coming from owning a pair of apple earbuds and you've never heard good sound before, this isn't a bad start. HOWEVER as of 2020, Jds labs offers their Atom Amp and Dac and Topping has the L30 and E30, which will give you endgame quality for somewhere around $200-$260 TOTAL. The combo makes this appealing but you'd be much better off buying a separate amp and dac. The build quality isn't bad, actually it's kinda cute, but seriously, just save up a little more money to buy something quality.
The sound isn't bad, but it’s currently obsolete.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
ridhuankim
669
Jun 28, 2019
flapjackthebearI don't get any hum connecting to rear rca. My only complaint was the high gain distortion.
Otherwise this is pretty good, way above its price tag.
Whiskytangofoxtrot
9
Mar 21, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
I can't recommend
I bought this June 2019 and it died March 2021. Drop only backs there products for 30 days and then you are shit out of luck if any thing happens. Competitors back there products with warranty for same price so find something else where.
A lot of money just to have an expensive paper weight on your desk a year or two later.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
Jhedrick
8
Feb 2, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
I still don't have it
I still don't have it despite waiting a number of months. The only thing I've gotten from drop is an email saying my order was faulty. No replacement date has been sent. Nothing. Would've nice to receive updates. I'll change my rating once I get it bad man it's been so long
Recommends this product? No
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