NEOHIPO DC10 Stereo DAC Review

[mhardy6647]

View attachment 395062Can replace op-amp

all it needs is a couple of 5654 pentodes!

 

[johny_2000]

some 10-11 years ago I was seriously considering (for a shortwhile) to buy a then top notch DAC from Luxman which was in Japan (Yen >converted to Euro) around 4500 Euro, but here in Holland close to 6000 Euro,
suffice to say that i'm happy that I was a poor bastard and just couldn't afford it

Same for me, but the DAC was Accuphase DC-901:

• Years of manufacture: 2012 - 2017
• Made in: Japan
• Original price approx.: 20'900 EUR

Now I'm glad that it was an unthinkable price for me, so I decided to pass on the purchase, having only read the technical brochure about two ES9018S per channel and all the other specs.

 

[surroundman]

Initially I voted "Great", but after the price update I feel like "Fine" is more appropriate, if not a stretch. At $80 the SMSL-SU1 seems like the better buy.

 

[renaudrenaud]

The M300SE only has a 3.5mm output for unbalanced signal so this DAC actually betters it in that respect.

It is just a question of connectors from my point of view, anyway ar 80€ when I purchased the SMSL M300SE, it was a little concession I was ready to accept, especially when I use balanced output, the headphones output, the remote and the screen... And a better SINAD.

 

[sam_adams]

Hans Beekhuyzen,

DRINK!

 

[AudioSceptic]

Same for me, but the DAC was Accuphase DC-901:

• Years of manufacture: 2012 - 2017
• Made in: Japan
• Original price approx.: 20'900 EUR

View attachment 395145View attachment 395146
Now I'm glad that it was an unthinkable price for me, so I decided to pass on the purchase, having only read the technical brochure about two ES9018S per channel and all the other specs.
View attachment 395147

I think lots of us must've been in a similar situation. In my case, a happy user of Linn analogue, I wanted one of the Linn DSM streamers, especially the Klimax with its milled-from-solid case. The price of even the basic "Majik" was too much, and I couldn't see where the money went with digital anyway, so I never got one, even used. I could easily have resold any Linn streamer without much of a loss, but all the same I'm glad I didn't tie up so much £ in one. One day I might find out if I can hear any difference between one and our budget RPi-Pro-ject!

 

[DSJR]

I think it's even more interesting to realize that just about any DAC on the market will deliver far more accurate and resolving sound than any Turntable setup. So an Apple Dongle or the Neohipo DC 10 at $48 will literally crush the sound of the $363,000 OMA K3 turntable which is capable of (optimistically) 11 bits of resolution.

As I'm sure you well know, 'vinyl' is far more than available resolution/performance and actually, even 'sound quality' although newbies are drawn to the 'warmth' of lower spec and more old fashioned vintage turntable systems. I still like playing records and the whole 'religion' around it, but 'fidelity' isn't at all a part of it

As you were fellas This little box looks to be great inexpensive fun as it has three switchable inputs...

P.S. The Apple dongle in either output form, is amazingly good for a tenner or less, but it's not really high enough in output for me as regards feeding a line input (why I bought and now enjoy a Fosi DS2 in that situation.

 

[AudioSceptic]

As I'm sure you well know, 'vinyl' is far more than available resolution/performance and actually, even 'sound quality' although newbies are drawn to the 'warmth' of lower spec and more old fashioned vintage turntable systems. I still like playing records and the whole 'religion' around it, but 'fidelity' isn't at all a part of it

As you were fellas This little box looks to be great inexpensive fun as it has three switchable inputs...

P.S. The Apple dongle in either output form, is amazingly good for a tenner or less, but it's not really high enough in output for me as regards feeding a line input (why I bought and now enjoy a Fosi DS2 in that situation.

As I think I've said elsewhere, every so often I connect my iPhone via the Apple adaptor and 3.5 mm-twin phono adaptor directly to the Linn Klout as a "sanity check" and volume is fine. Does the Klout have unusually high gain?

 

[DSJR]

As I think I've said elsewhere, every so often I connect my iPhone via the Apple adaptor and 3.5 mm-twin phono adaptor directly to the Linn Klout as a "sanity check" and volume is fine. Does the Klout have unusually high gain?

My LK280 claims 26dB gain but Stereophile tested it at 28.5dB gain and they claimed measured 990mV sensitivity at around 4k input impedance for full output (80W @ 8 ohms again). the Klout is seemingly based on the basic LK280 circuit but with refinements, so I'd assume similar input specs although Linn claim 5k input impedance here with 28.5dB gain.

Quad amps of old had 500mV sensitivity, the 606 at 20k input impedance...

Apologies for thread drift.

 

[Bwaslo]

Initially I voted "Great", but after the price update I feel like "Fine" is more appropriate, if not a stretch. At $80 the SMSL-SU1 seems like the better buy.

Not the PS200? (Or is recommending that pending a full ASR review?

 

[Birdy]

I think it's even more interesting to realize that just about any DAC on the market will deliver far more accurate and resolving sound than any Turntable setup. So an Apple Dongle or the Neohipo DC 10 at $48 will literally crush the sound of the $363,000 OMA K3 turntable which is capable of (optimistically) 11 bits of resolution.

True, but you can't see the digits passing by in a DAC, what a shame! The charm of rotating vinyl you can see and feel the vinyl disk in your hands and hold your music, see the shiny metal and the arm moving, like a giant crane, all at a price of course!

 

[mc.god]

all at a price of course!

At first i read "all at a price of curse" and it did still make sense

 

[AudioSceptic]

I think it's even more interesting to realize that just about any DAC on the market will deliver far more accurate and resolving sound than any Turntable setup. So an Apple Dongle or the Neohipo DC 10 at $48 will literally crush the sound of the $363,000 OMA K3 turntable which is capable of (optimistically) 11 bits of resolution.

"...crush the sound of the $363,000 OMA K3", but not as much as the OMA would crush most normal TT supports. (Sorry, just had to.)

 

[NEOHIPO]

Hello everyone, thank you very much for your attention to NEOHIPO. In order to thank ASR's friends for their support, we have applied for an exclusive 20% discount code for ASR: 20TLRP1F. DC10 is our first DAC product, and we welcome everyone to purchase and experience it. If you have any other product suggestions, please feel free to private message us. We will consider every user's suggestion

 

[NEOHIPO]

View attachment 395062Can replace op-amp

Yes, we can replace the OP-AMP to experience the subtle differences in sound between different OP-AMP chips.

 

[Daviede]

Hello everyone, thank you very much for your attention to NEOHIPO. In order to thank ASR's friends for their support, we have applied for an exclusive 20% discount code for ASR: 20TLRP1F. DC10 is our first DAC product, and we welcome everyone to purchase and experience it. If you have any other product suggestions, please feel free to private message us. We will consider every user's suggestion

great

 

[mc.god]

Hello everyone, thank you very much for your attention to NEOHIPO. In order to thank ASR's friends for their support, we have applied for an exclusive 20% discount code for ASR: 20TLRP1F. DC10 is our first DAC product, and we welcome everyone to purchase and experience it. If you have any other product suggestions, please feel free to private message us. We will consider every user's suggestion

Nice and thank you! Where this code can be used?

Yes, we can replace the OP-AMP to experience the subtle differences in sound between different OP-AMP chips.

Well, here we expect to hear no difference swapping op-amps, unless you mount one producing massive distortion and noise, in that case one shouldn't use it.
Actually we expect a device to be carefully designed around the stock op-amps used and not the user to mess around swapping them.

 

[jhaider]

I think it's even more interesting to realize that just about any DAC on the market will deliver far more accurate and resolving sound than any Turntable setup.

No it won’t. Put a record on top of that DAC and you’ll get silence. Point is it’s not either or, it’s both and.

Also, that TT with cheap looking painted particle board edges on the plinth is 360 grand? Ok then…

 

[rongon]

I can't seem to find this DAC for $48.
Amazon says $79.99.
For $80 this is an 'also ran', in my opinion.

 

[somebodyelse]

Well, here we expect to hear no difference swapping op-amps, unless you mount one producing massive distortion and noise, in that case one shouldn't use it.

So long as the power rails are sufficiently free of noise (different opamp PSRR), signal isn't too close to the rails, and other such considerations that could cause some op-amps to operate outside expected operating conditions.

Actually we expect a device to be carefully designed around the stock op-amps used and not the user to mess around swapping them.

That covers it nicely.