wetowne

While we're on the subject of mqa dacs I posted in another thread about making a cheap streamer using a Raspberry Pi and a Dragonfly and how I failed in my attempt because the Dragonfly is not a full hardware mqa "decoder" just a "renderer". Well I'm going to try once more this time using the new Khadas Tone2 Pro Dac and headphone amp that just came out recently. It's 200 dollars and does full hardware decoding of mqa. It should arrive on Sunday from Amazon and we shall see how it goes.

I'm running Volumio on the Pi. I was misinformed or perhaps I misunderstood that Volumio would fully render MQA using a Dragonfly DAC. Apparently Volumio will only work with a full MQA decoder DAC, the Dragonfly is only a "renderer", it needs a file that is already partially "unfolded" and then it will do the second unfold. In that sense my little project failed but it still is a great sounding streamer. (MQA is not essential to me and is a whole other debate that I'm not getting into.) It also allowed me to get away from using a DNLA server that was causing some problems with my local files. Now all three of my systems are using Volumio based Rpi streamers. I'm using the red dragonfly rather than the black which sounds noticeably better. Still a success for me.

For me it's always an exercise in economics.

Basic ingredients for an under 200 dollar MQA capable streamer. I'll cook it up a little later and see if it's tasty. I suspect it will be.

More Weird Science vs. Weird Art. Musical Paradise MP-301MK1 prototype. With CCA & Taishan DAC (not a bad combo actually).

That is a mini-toslink going into a fiiO Taishan dac.( arguably not a good dac but sounds better than the CCA alone.)

Weird Science or Weird Art?

GLWS.

I waited two months for this and it was worth the wait. Sounds really really good with a pair of old Heresies.

Why does that look exactly like another one being offered on eBay, right down to the table covering? If you do put it on eBay make sure you use your own pics or that would be misrepresentation bordering on fraud and probably piss-off the other seller too. Be careful, you could lose your eBay account.

Thanks. I will check it out.

Anyone have any experience with these class a amps? There are a few different versions of this circuit design available for short money on Alibaba. I am intrigued.

You might consider the Schiit Mani. It's in your price range and get's very good reviews.

I worked as a draftsman for 33 years at Western Electric/Lucent. Prepared thousands of BOM's. Specs and price was all that mattered.

That could be a plan. I got brand new Heresy III's for 1700 when the IV's came out.