Hello from Tokyo Japan,
I’m enjoying superior sound quality of Bartok+ with my headphone HD800S.
Today I found the article below.
Am I better to use any headphone amplifiers connected with Bartok+ for getting better sound quality?
Does the digital volume control of Bartok+ weaken it?
If yes, do you have any good candidate of headphone amplifier?
It is much appreciated if someone could give me any advices.
In Japan Luxman is distributing p-750u around £2,200.
http://www.luxman.com/product/detail.php?id=7
Many thanks in advance…
I hope you are enjoying your Bartok.
I have one on order which will be used in a stand alone headphone system separate from my Naim/Linn 2 channel system.
I own a Moon 430HA headphone amplifier and had the Luxman p-750 in house for a 2 week demo. Both were run through my Naim preamp and source is my Linn Klimax DS (ie the Linn competitor to the Rossini). Headphones used were Focal Utopia’s and Sony Z1R.
The Luxman did not stay after the demo - it went back.
The Bartok significantly impressed me via two separate demos using Focal Utopia headphones.
My suggestion would be to demo the Luxman prior to pulling the trigger.
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Good suggestin and very useful reference, thank you very much.
Is your final decision via two separate demos “a stand alone headphone system only using Bartok is the best choice” ?
Next Monday my Linn Klimax DS upgraded to Katalyst DAC will be returned.
Therefore I can compare sound quality among Linn + p-750, Bartok + p-750 and Bartok only.
Again thank you very much for your advice!!
Hiroshi
Congratulations on getting the Katalyst upgrade - you will be amazed at the increase in performance.
My KDS was first purchased in 2011 (KDS/1) and I have had every upgrade shortly after they have come out. The jump from KDS/0 > /1 was massive, Katalyst perhaps even bigger.
I will be interested in your findings once you have all of your equipment in.
I originally ran my headphone system in my dedicated 2 channel listening room so the Linn was always being used as the source. The Moon 430HA was the headphone amplifier however I was never (and still am not) happy with it.
The headphone system will be moved to a different room thus the reason for the Bartok. I temporarily have the KDS on a Quadraspire rack in the new room and am using the new Headamp GSX Mini as amplifier.
My memory from my two Bartok demos tells me that the Bartok was “different” than the KDS & Headamp. I remember it being more enjoyable. Lush and tonally rich sounding with a powerful presentation through the Utopias. I remember being extremely impressed with the internal headphone amplifier of the Bartok. For a first attempt at a headphone amplifier DCS has dond an amazing job.
So it could be, in my case, that the Headamp GSX Mini is holding the KDS back? We will see.
Either way the Bartok is filling an exact need for me - a single all in one box to run a headphone system in my bedroom.
Please let us know how you make out.
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Glevethan,
Thank you very much for your feedback.
As you can imagine easily, we are living in very narrow space… lol I’m sleeping with my ever-expanding audio systems.
At this time I’ve decided to invest to upgrade my KDS for my new loudspeaker system including Octave V110SE and Brodmann VC2. In my case, a Music Tools rack is now waiting for arrivals of KDS and V110SE.
Currently Bartok demonstrates superior performances both for headphones and speakers (current system: PC -> Bartok -> Headphones or PC -> Bartok -> Esoteric F-03A -> Brodmann VC2).
Tomorrow I’ll contact with some audio dealers if they have any lending Luxman’s p-750u.
I’ll report a result of my selection.
Thanks a lot as always!!
How is the Bartok connected to your PC? Via USB? If so then, as per DCS, you will experience better performance if connected via Ethernet.
You should try ROON and run it on your PC and then connect the Bartok to your network router/switch via Ethernet.
Yes, I’m using a connection via Ethernet when I utilize ROON. On the other hand I’m using a USB connection when I enjoy music videos on TIDAL. I’m using AIM electronics’s shielded USB cable (UA3 series). It works very well. Actually I don’t feel any significant differences between via USB and via ethernet. However, I’m following dCS’s recommendation when I enjoy music.
Currently I’m upgrading RCA, XLR and Speaker cables. In future I’ll explain them.
Thank you very much!!
Please do tell me about XLR cables.
I am looking for a set to connect a Stax amplifier to my soon to arrive Bartok
Hello again,
At this time I’ve placed a custom order for handcrafted XLR and Speaker cables that one 70 years old craftsman is making. He was an engineer of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) and is an expert of low current transmission technology. He has been making audio cables for 16 – 17 years. Some famous composers, conductors, musicians, studio recording engineers and celebrities are his regular customers. One of them introduced him to me.
I’ve been enjoying his speaker cables switched from QED’s Signature-Genesis-Silver-Spiral with AirLoc plugs. It has incredibly improved BASS and Middle sound level.
His hand made XLR cable will be delivered to me next week.
Currently I’m using AET’s evidence line (sorry but discontinued due to the lack of rare shield materials) : RCA cable (about US$ 4,000/meter) between DAC and PremainAMP. AET is a great and famous audio cable brand here in Japan, and has a reputation as best of the best. The sound quality level is equivalent to JORMA’s Statement or Cardas’s Clear Beyond cables.
However, surprisingly the old guy can make even better cables (XLR, RCA and Speaker) and prices are lower than the above listed brands (about US$2,500 for XLR/RCA x 2 and US$ 3,500 for 3meters x 2of speaker). He is making lower price cables, too. I can say I don’t need to find other cable suppliers, because nobody can make it.
I would like you to try it, but it will be difficult for you to contact with him.
Do you have any chance to come to Japan?
Could you kindly tell me your preferable cable supplier?
As you may probably know, there are some superior experts in Japan.
For example, Kenji Hosoi - Kenrick Sound is very famous engineer who rebuild old JBL speakers (sorry in Japanese but you can hear the sound).
He actually has some foreign customers. I actually previewed his refurbished systems in his office. He has developped DD/DA converter and Power Supplies. He is a genius,too.
Thank you for the interesting links. I had a look at some of the youtube videos.
I have the Stax L300LE and the 009S. Both are being used with a Mjolnir electrostatic amplifier - the most famous “non Stax” amplifier.
As the amplifier costs $4500 I am not looking for extremely high priced cables as it would be foolish (in my opinion) to use a cable which costs 1/2 the price of the amplifier.
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I respect your opinion. I was thinking the same way before I met with a few but high performance cables.
At this time you are getting very high value dCS Bartok+ over US$15,000 (still very lower than Japan market as over US$ 20,000 w/o TAX). I believe from my experiences (lost a lot of money for cables) that the most important selection is required for cables between DAC and AMP. I had been searching and been trying a lot of RCA and XLR cables, but I rarely impressed almost of them. At this time meeting with the craftsman was very lucky for me. But this is only my opinion.
Thank you very much for your advice as always!!