How does this sound compared to the Oppo Sonica DAC or Cambridge Audio CXN? The latter is supposed to be a better streamer and the former a better DAC. I am also considering Ian's ES9038Q2M HAT. In terms of price, the RPi HATs are probably not much cheaper than the Sonica or CXN after factoring in a decent power supply, chassis etc, although the RPi wins easily in terms of flexibility?
R U now considering to push out Nirvana and Katana at the same time?
...I'd be happy to see that.
You should even consider to offer both products as a combo!
Nirvana has proved to be the most difficult project for us. I expect to finalize all test next week , but for mass production it will take at least 7 weeks.
So for the first batch of Katana ..no Nirvana.
Yes we will offer a bundle once Nirvana becomes available
I will not talk about how it sounds because I think its personal and subjective (and dependent , partially , to the rest of your system)
As I said in the previous post , I can talk about electrical noise , clocks etc. They are measured (and will be public) , THD+N is at -112 and each rail (noise) is measured and they are extremely quiet.
Ians ess9038 seems like a good design , sonica and cxn like nice boxes. Katana excels in low noise. I am repeating myself , but ALLO excels in ultra low noise designs. If you think thats important..I think you will like the sound.
On top of that add discreet opamps(usually they retails at 50$ each and we have 6 of them). And i2s master. MCLK measured (and as low as measuring floor)
Price wise, with a new RPI and casing(acrylic)+ psu , you should be less than 400$ (US pricing)...I think a bit cheaper that any of the above.
Independent reviews of Sparkos opamp...interesting reading .
[Review] Sparkos Labs - Discrete Op amps SS3601
Mono and Stereo High-End Audio Magazine: Sparkos Labs Discrete Op Amps review
[Review] Sparkos Labs - Discrete Op amps SS3601
Mono and Stereo High-End Audio Magazine: Sparkos Labs Discrete Op Amps review
howdy cdgames.. nice opamp.. Does Katana have a capability of being rolled with opamps?
How do u compare it with HDAM, Muse or burson?
Im excited to have it tested.
A lot less than I thought! By the way, are there any back panel drawings available for a Galaxy chassis? I am considering replacing my current Marantz HD-AMP1 with an amp from Nord Acoustics. Will be nice to have them in a matching chassis.
Katana will ship with analog stage made using 6 Sparkos opamps. (iv stage and buffer)
Sparkos opamp are BJT vs Jfet for the rest (research the difference in SQ between them..)
I am very proud about our collaboration (Sparkos labs and Allo) and I think Katana will make people understand what real opamps sound like.
Get ready for a ride.
Sparkos opamp are BJT vs Jfet for the rest (research the difference in SQ between them..)
I am very proud about our collaboration (Sparkos labs and Allo) and I think Katana will make people understand what real opamps sound like.
Get ready for a ride.
We do have provision for XLR , but not sure if we can implement in our first casing (rca casing we call it)
We are still studying
I would think that a second case would be required. XLR connectors take up a lot of space and more people will want RCA only casing.
Perhaps an option would be to provide drawings for the backplate and base for mount holes for something like the Hifi2000 galaxy cases? Maybe later on provide the option of purchasing the back panels directly?