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TaylorD
384
Aug 23, 2018
Good questions. So here's the quick facts. The NFB-11 and R2R-11 are decently powerful, decently priced, units. Both offer single ended output only, but have a myriad of inputs, line/pre-outs for using with other Amps or powered monitors respectively. By all accounts they sound great. The NFB uses a delta sigma dac, and the R2R uses a, you guessed it, Resistor ladder dac. Different sounds, Audio-GD recommends going for the NFB-11 if you're going for your first product. The Aune X1s and X7s are both fine units. However, the 10th Anniversary Ed of the X1s has a more powerful built in amp than the one Zeos reviewed but it's DAC is considered older and less high end these days. Personally, there's DACs I think are more resolving, tho whether I can hear it or it's confirmation bias is up for debate. The X7s offers a balanced output via 4-pin XLR and is Class-A (which is better, I guess?), but because it isn't balanced inputs, and it uses a Phase Split, it's not considered fully balanced. The EL Stack by all accounts is good, and offers some power to just about any headphones. But is also not balanced. Though it's amp does have a lower distortion. Whether or not you could hear it is up for debate since it's something like point 003 or something, and the EL DAC is like point 0003 percent. So that's a thing. So, all that said. The EL Stack is probably amazing. The Aune Stack is alright, but there may be better options than the X1s for the DAC section, and the X7s isn't fully balanced. The NFB and R2R are both by all accounts fine choices as well. For a while, Z used the Jotunheim, because it's fully balanced, class A and has a great Delta-sigma dac with a Multibit option. He is also using the Aune S7 balanced amp, but he said the EL Amp offers similar power for less money and easier availability so... Yeah. Edit/Note: if you can get one from the next drop, the THX AAA 789 is a fantastic amp for the money. That's from personal experience too. Edit/Update: the Monoprice Liquid Spark and JDS Labs Atom are also fantastically measuring Amps for ~$100. Can pair them with an SDAC for the same price as the X1s (as of March '19). Of course, that's a stack and not an all in one. So that's also something to consider. Anyways, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Good luck.
(Edited)
maxevanlp
1
Mar 12, 2019
TaylorDHow bout the JDS Atom + OL DAC stack compare to the Aune X1s?
TaylorD
384
Mar 12, 2019
maxevanlpWell, the OL-DAC trades blows with the SDAC. Either could be good there, being that, I believe the SDAC and OL-DAC both use AKM chips, the sound will be different than the X1s. I feel like I read somewhere that they measure similarly, but the SDAC/OL-DAC may measure better. The Atom is one of the best measuring Amps at the price point, but it's not an all in one unit. The Atom is surely worth the price, and I believe it'll output a bit more power than the X1s. Honestly, it's a different flavor and is probably just as viable for music enjoyment. I haven't listened to the Atom myself but a lot of people swear by it.
maxevanlp
1
Mar 12, 2019
TaylorDI'm choosing between the Aune X1s (maybe X7s in the future) and the OL+Atom stack. Currently using the Audioengine D1, hopefully these two option will be a significant upgrade for 58x and the DT990. Thank you for the input.
TaylorD
384
Mar 12, 2019
maxevanlpWell, the 58X doesn't scale very well with better upstream gear, to my knowledge anyways. Not like the 6XX or HD 600. I don't know about the 990. Amp/Dac upgrades in the low-end tier don't usually produce night and day differences. It's basically whether you like the sound or not. The X1s, and Atom will probably be better Amps than the D1, and the Dacs might be marginally better, but will it be audible to you? That I'm not sure. You may want to go for the Atom + OL/SDAC, or maybe a balanced DAC, like the Gishelli Enog2, or the SDAC-B (if it ever comes back) and the save up/wait for the THX AAA 789. I think, between the Atom and the 789, you'll bet set for quite some time. Heck, you could always sell the Atom or 789 down the road if you want something better. But, with the gear you have right now, it's debatable whether you'll really notice the upgrade... I'd try to get the best you can afford at the moment and try NOT to upgrade constantly like I did. You'll save more money in the long run and maybe be able to afford an "end-game" pair of headphones sooner. My current recommendation for you, is probably the SDAC or OL-DAC (if you need optical input) + JDS Atom. That should take you furthest with the least money. That's a decent setup with low distortion and decent detail retrieval. It should help you tell the differences between your headphones better. Generally, people recommend to upgrade your headphone most frequently. Because really noticeable changes come from the headphones. Amps and Dacs offer much smaller performance improvements, generally speaking.
maxevanlp
1
Mar 13, 2019
TaylorDThank you again for the detail explanation. I kinda agree with you with the whole thing. But there's just one thing I need to explain, the Aune X1s is so much cheaper here in my country (Malaysia) and that's why I was kinda leaning towards it. The OL DAC+ATOM is around $275 (shipping, taxes etc etc). The cheaper option for me here is actually the Aune ($195) but the downside are X1s is less powerful than the Atom. I just hope the Aune X1s alone is enough to drive the DT990 600ohms. I auditioned the X1s before, but I can't compare it with the JDS stack (available in US only). I'm just hoping the performance between both X1s and JDS OL DAC+ATOM (in terms of soundstage/resolution/Imaging/etc etc) won't be a too much different. I'm now kinda leaning towards OL-DAC+JDS Atom after your recommendation.
(Edited)
TaylorD
384
Mar 13, 2019
maxevanlpWell, the Aune is a product from your area of the world, and the JDS Atom/OL-DAC are from an American company. The Monoprice Liquid Spark is also a competitive product, I think the Spark has a bit more power than the Atom. Monoprice is from your area of the world as well though, perhaps, the Liquid Spark would be more affordable. The Aune can be used as an all in one unit, or if you have another dac, you can use it as a dedicated amp, just as a note. If your D1 has Line Level Outputs, you could use it as the DAC for the Liquid Spark till you can get the OL-DAC, or the SDAC. Did check, I think the D1 has variable voltage outputs... It says at Max volume, that's 2.0 Volts (Line Level), so you'd have to max it I guess. But yeah. Alternatively, you could probably use the SMSL Sanskrit DAC, or their newer M100 as a pure DAC option, to pair with the Spark. I think the Spark measures slightly worse than the Atom, but it defeats the purpose of the Atom if you're paying so much for it... But if prices are better, you honestly might be better served for now, going with the Monoprice Liquid Spark and SMSL Sanskrit. Edit: The Liquid Spark measures worse than the Atom... But if the availability is there, just grab that one, and wait for the THX AAA, or save for the Atom, I guess. Up to you.
(Edited)
maxevanlp
1
Mar 13, 2019
TaylorDI guess i'm gonna go with the JDS OL-DAC+Atom and be done with this whole thing. It can't go wrong with any of it. Again, thank you for your help brother, I appreciate it.
TaylorD
384
Mar 14, 2019
maxevanlpGood luck, guy.
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