NekoAudio

Replied to your PM, mrarroyo. Edit: removed my early-morning sleepy-head rant about Audio Circle. ;-P

Excellent. I replied to your PM.

Round 3 of the U.S. Loaner Program is open! If you haven't heard the D100 Mk2 yet, now's your chance!

Thanks, Phil!

Will do. Yep.

All of the review units not already in circulation are about to go out this week, but I'm getting some more interest from people who would like to check out the D100 Mk2 so I'll probably be opening up a U.S. loaner round 3 (or something similar--since some of them are audio groups). I expect to get back a review unit shortly, to start that up. How about I send you a PM at that time?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, pigmode. As long as the wood was outside the steel, I think that'd be pretty cool to look at. Unfortunately my wood carving skills leave much to be desired.

I'm posting an HF link, so I'm wearing my bulletproof vest. "I was mesmerized by how immediate and vital these recordings sound. Shut your eyes, pretend you smell cigarette smoke, and you are sitting in the club in 1969." - mackay maus (full review)

Just picked up the LCD-3's this morning. Particleman will be picking them up from me this weekend.

Just to update, still waiting to arrange pickup from rhythmdevils.

I'm in South San Jose. How do I go about this? Will someone email or PM me with a pickup time and place?

Thanks.

Can I get in on this? I haven't had a chance to hear the LCD-3's yet.

Thanks, guys! And thanks a bunch, Whale, for helping so much to get the E.U. Loaner Program started. Carl, the problem you mentioned is exactly due to S/PDIF outputs that send a little "garbage" when turning on or off as you stated. I'm not sure if there is anything you can do if this happens when turning off, though, since there's no way for a DAC to detect that state before it actually goes off.

I have a Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale going on right now. This is the first time I've had a sale on the D100 Mk2 so if anyone's been on the fence now is the time. Use promo code HC2011 during checkout to get $100 off. This code is good through Monday.

Well, here are the 3 electronics books I keep close by. They're not really for audiophiles though. The Art of Electronics, Horowitz & Hill - http://amzn.com/0521370957 The Circuit Designers Companion, Williams - http://amzn.com/0750663707 Electrical Engineering: An Introduction - Schwarz & Oldham - http://amzn.com/0195105850

I approve of cleverness from kitties wearing headphones.

Why do you have 2 stars? Are you a 2-star HC General? How many DACses did you have to sacrifice on the front lines for that rank?

Sorry for the late reply; this last week has been somewhat crazy for me. I wouldn't say I consciously went for a sound that is rolled-off in the upper frequencies but I do believe that perception is accurate when compared against other DACs. I went for the sound that was most realistic to my ears, based on my experience with live music (i.e. no microphones or electronics). I do think a lot of DACs, including high-end ones that are much more expensive than the D100 Mk2, introduce noise and/or smearing and therefore additional acoustic energy that results in higher volume or "more busy" low and high frequencies. I don't think people pick up on that in the mid-range as easily because they are usually listening to vocals or long-duration sounds where it isn't as easy to perceive something is "off". Take that away and the mid-range is probably perceived as clearer but not necessarily quieter, but bass is perceived as missing slam (e.g. the difference between a loud subwoofer and a clean subwoofer) and treble is perceived as missing detail (and is no longer fatiguing at high volumes in echoey rooms). The frequency response and linearity measurements are extremely straight. IIRC, I took all the measurements using 3' versions of the cables I sell. But the output stage is more easily influenced by cable and downstream gear characteristics than other DACs so that is something that could have some influence on the sound in individual setups. Anyway, that's my take on things and I couldn't say that is the case with respect to the specific DACs mentioned by comparison in the above posts as I haven't done direct comparisons with them myself.

"Industrial grade" might mean they are designed for more extreme temperatures. That's sometimes what the term means when applied to some other electronic components. And so it is safe to use them in a car or other environments where a "regular" component would fail.

Hi. Sorry for the delayed reply. The original D100 has an output impedance of 290 ohms and a 1V signal. This output voltage is about -6dB from a standard CD player, or a little lower than that compared to other DACs or CD players that run a little hotter. (For example, some DACs may output around 2.5V.) However the D100 Mk2 has an output impedance around 890 ohms and a 2V signal. This output voltage should be close if not the same to a standard CD player. The higher output impedance does mean it is slightly more sensitive to cabling choices. With either D100 or D100 Mk2 I recommend at least a 10 kohm input impedance on your preamp or integrated amp. A general rule of thumb is a ratio of 1:10 between the output and input impedances when you are dealing with voltage signal transfer. (This does not apply towards power transfer.) I also recommend good interconnects, and shorter interconnects if possible to minimize the impact of any cables. The D100 Mk2 is a little pickier when it comes to the input impedance of its downstream gear and cables because it uses a passive output stage with zero feedback, but the benefit is exceptionally clear music without smearing, noise, or unnatural musical character.

I'm so happy to say that Whale has received the D100 Mk2 unit in Portugal and the E.U. Loaner Program is full steam ahead!

We're still trying to move forward with the E.U. loaner program at this time. Hopefully things will be resolved within the next couple of days. On an unrelated note, Malcolm Gomes of the Khaleej Times recently reviewed the D100 Mk2. "If you use the D100 with sources, amplifiers, cables and speakers that are as neutral as today's technology will allow, you will be rewarded with musicality that will astound you." (full review)

Sent you a PM.

Just replied on my forum. I'll also update in here later once I figure out what I'm going to do.