Soncoz LA-QXD1 Balanced DAC Review

[zeze]

There have been several reports of issues that have mostly been fixed with firmware updates so I think yours is the first report of a defective unit. Please keep us up to date.

I was on "LA-QXD1 Maximum Volume with Hardware Control DFU_V410" switched to "LA-QXD1 Minimum Volume DFU_V401", then I switched to an older version that I had on my PC "LA-QXD1 Minimum Volume DFU_V400" then back to V410. Besides volume nothing changed in any of those firmware, still just static in the left channel and noise in the right.

 

[porotikos]

That Ghent cable has the wrong gender XLR to connect to the DAC - see https://www.ghentaudio.com/part/c04.html instead. I assume they follow the standard connection.

Hi again. Ghent replied with this picture.
Is it correctly soldered to avoid pin1 problem? Thank you

 

[somebodyelse]

Hi again. Ghent replied with this picture.
Is it correctly soldered to avoid pin1 problem? Thank you

I'm confused - what's this for? I thought you'd settled on the balanced connection from DAC to console.

 

[porotikos]

I'm confused - what's this for? I thought you'd settled on the balanced connection from DAC to console.

I am assuming he sent me the photo to look at the xlr soldering. I am getting the balanced cable as we discussed

 

[porotikos]

I am assuming he sent me the photo to look at the xlr soldering. I am getting the balanced cable as we discussed

I also receoved answer from behringer console.
"Dear John,
This is in relation to case number: CAS-123765-H0R6G6 
Product:  Behringer X2222USB 
Serial Number:  

I have spoken to the R&D guys regarding your question and they have replied that 'the XLR GND Pins are connected to GND, but not directly on the chassis. Instead the GND is connected to the PCB, whose GND is then usually connected to the chassis via 1/4 metal jacks. In this sense, the mixers do not comply with the AES48 protocol.'

I hope this answers your question."

So this raises the question. Will i have pin1 problem due to the mixer? If so, ill be forced to use rca...
Thank you guys

 

[somebodyelse]

Having a 'pin 1 problem' just means you might suffer from the same ground related problems that are inherent to rca, but they should be easier to solve. If Behringer's engineers have done a good job with their PCB you may not have an issue at all. Jensen's AN007 that I linked to earlier covers the troubleshooting process and solutions in some detail if you do have a problem. My guess is that if you do have a problem then disconnecting the cable shield inside the jack plug will fix it.

 

[porotikos]

Having a 'pin 1 problem' just means you might suffer from the same ground related problems that are inherent to rca, but they should be easier to solve. If Behringer's engineers have done a good job with their PCB you may not have an issue at all. Jensen's AN007 that I linked to earlier covers the troubleshooting process and solutions in some detail if you do have a problem. My guess is that if you do have a problem then disconnecting the cable shield inside the jack plug will fix it.

I do not think i will have grounding problems the way i have set up my system. I want balanced setup to negate usb noise that i currently have with khadas. So i think i will risk it and take the balanced cable. Thank you

 

[ed3lva]

I was doing some research on DAC's and noticed that the Soncoz LA-QXD1 is missing from the DAC Measurement Comparison Chart.
Maybe I'm blind and someone can point in the right direction or maybe it is in fact missing from the chart.

 

[Brab]

A quick report. I've had the DAC for about three weeks and am very pleased. Simple setup. USB connected out of the box to my Windows 10 PC with none of the USB problems reported above showing up to date. All other inputs working properly. The sound seems excellent in my bedroom TV system, optical out from TV thence to Project Maia integrated amp ( Soncoz DAC much better than the Project's internal DAC). I did a comparison with my main system Audiolab MDAC when it first arrived after a one day break-in period. Almost indistinguishable. I doubt if I could distinguish one from the other in a blind test. At some point I'll do the comparison again. Early days, but overall, a well-designed, good sounding DAC.

 

[MechEngVic]

I was doing some research on DAC's and noticed that the Soncoz LA-QXD1 is missing from the DAC Measurement Comparison Chart.
Maybe I'm blind and someone can point in the right direction or maybe it is in fact missing from the chart.

It's in here somewhere. The charts are more or less updated depending on where you look. The thread that compares this DAC to the schitt modius and m300 I think has it. Our maybe it's the topping d30 review that has it.

 

[Ben1987]

LA-QXD1 related certificate (CE/Rosh/FCC), if you need, please click to download.

 

[turbotuff]

Has anyone had issues with Toslink audio through their LA-QXD1? I'm getting random cut-outs with mine, hooked via Toslink from my LG TV. Audio via USB is totally fine, however. And I know it's not the TV, as I just hooked up my old Schiit Modi 3 via Toslink and it was perfectly fine, with no cut-outs.

 

[kneading_kitten]

Has anyone had issues with Toslink audio through their LA-QXD1? I'm getting random cut-outs with mine, hooked via Toslink from my LG TV. Audio via USB is totally fine, however. And I know it's not the TV, as I just hooked up my old Schiit Modi 3 via Toslink and it was perfectly fine, with no cut-outs.

I have no problems with my TOSLINK inputs. Link to my setup with the TOSLINK inputs.

 

[MechEngVic]

Has anyone had issues with Toslink audio through their LA-QXD1? I'm getting random cut-outs with mine, hooked via Toslink from my LG TV. Audio via USB is totally fine, however. And I know it's not the TV, as I just hooked up my old Schiit Modi 3 via Toslink and it was perfectly fine, with no cut-outs.

I seem to remember earlier in this thread or in Wolf's thread that some were having issues with toslink running from televisions. I also read elsewhere that the TV might be putting out multiple channel information, not just left & right channel info.

 

[turbotuff]

I seem to remember earlier in this thread or in Wolf's thread that some were having issues with toslink running from televisions. I also read elsewhere that the TV might be putting out multiple channel information, not just left & right channel info.

Interesting. I tested it straight out of my Xbox and it was fine. But out of my TV, there are cut-outs. But it's weird that my Schiit Modi is totally fine with my TV.

 

[Zek]

On the TV, the audio out should be set to PCM only.

 

[turbotuff]

On the TV, the audio out should be set to PCM only.

That's how I have it set.

 

[Brab]

I can't get the DAC to process the input, coax or toslink, from an HDMI audio extractor/de-embedder I use occasionally. Is there a reason for this, or am I forgetting something when I put the de-embedder into my system?

 

[porotikos]

My dac was rwceivwd today. Unfortunately ill be on vacation for thw rest of the month. Awesome price from amazon. Co. Uk and no customs. Even if tbere were customs to be paod, amazon said theyd compensate me. Amazing. Now i cant wait

 

[MechEngVic]

So I've read conflicting info: Can we get one issue straight once and for all? Can you simultaneously have connected the balanced and RCA outputs to two seperate but active components?