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Amir's TODO thread

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Memoryerror

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As it happens, I have a Nuforce STA-200 in for review. Give me a few days and I will get the measurements out.
Do you think the STA-120 is worth a gamble? Should I purchase it and send it to you to test?
 
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Do you think the STA-120 is worth a gamble? Should I purchase it and send it to you to test?
I don't know because I have not tested it :). If you can afford to take a chance on it, then yes, I am happy to measure it.
 

Memoryerror

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I don't know because I have not tested it :). If you can afford to take a chance on it, then yes, I am happy to measure it.
So based on their posted specs ( https://www.optoma.com/us/product/sta120/ ), you don't see anything that looks like it might not do so well? I know they can (and probably do) skew the specs, but are .008% THD and 115db SNR good numbers for an amp with 85W x2Ch@8 Ohm 125W x2Ch@4 Ohm (1% THD)? I know Red Dragon and Hypex have better specs, but they are a bit out of my price range right now, and I cannot find them used.
 
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amirm

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So based on their posted specs ( https://www.optoma.com/us/product/sta120/ ), you don't see anything that looks like it might not do so well? I know they can (and probably do) skew the specs, but are .008% THD and 115db SNR good numbers for an amp with 85W x2Ch@8 Ohm 125W x2Ch@4 Ohm (1% THD)? I know Red Dragon and Hypex have better specs, but they are a bit out of my price range right now, and I cannot find them used.
The specs are typical manufacturer ones that are vague and unreliable.
 
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amirm

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amirm

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Ah, the link was russian so I thought maybe you lived there. :). Please start a conversation with me and we will take it from there.

My lead time for reviews may be as long as two months by the way. I can't seem to dig my way out of all the products that are being sent in. :)
 

andymok

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Speaking from a musician's pov, would you also consider doing some on interfaces/ADC as well :p?

I think that'd be quite beneficial for us to understand the whole signal chain from top to bottom. Would also be interesting to see how well their monitor section is done.
 

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My vote for ES100, especially if you test with balanced plug. Has the potential to be the first truly portable Bluetooth thingy that could possible properly drive 300 ohm cans. Plus it had two dacs, so appears to be real balanced.
 
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My vote for ES100, especially if you test with balanced plug. Has the potential to be the first truly portable Bluetooth thingy that could possible properly drive 300 ohm cans. Plus it had two dacs, so appears to be real balanced.
I need better bluetooth tools than I have now to test it. So stand by while I get there....
 

drconopoima

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Maybe you don't have to measure the bluetooth part of the performance, since most bluetooth dacs also have standard desktop connectivity and most of us want to use them primarily as desktop plugged DACs and sporadically test bluetooth headphones with them. My vote for DAC to review would be the SMSL DP3. I think I'll end up buying it if on offer in black friday. It's a very interesting unit because it's almost the only sub-$600 DAC (at $250) with both bluetooth and balanced output. Even going as far up the rest of the line as the SMSL M10 you get balanced but no bluetooth.
 
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amirm

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Maybe you don't have to measure the bluetooth part of the performance, since most bluetooth dacs also have standard desktop connectivity and most of us want to use them primarily as desktop plugged DACs and sporadically test bluetooth headphones with them.
That would certainly make things easier.
 
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I am looking for an amp(s) for my Magnepans and I came across NuForce STA120 and STA200. The STA200 seems to have worse specs, but costs more. But the STA120 is Class D and the STA200 is Class AB. It might be a lot to ask to measure both these, but it seemed like a good opportunity to compare different Class amps that are similar in price and specs (relatively) and made by the same company.
STA-200 review is up:https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...asurements-of-nuforce-sta-200-power-amp.5039/

Didn't realize other models are class D. Strange that they keep the same naming convention.
 
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