Ok, this is more of a wish than a prediction. Rather than go downmarket, dCS should rebrand HeadAmps from Lake People, for example, and offer their technology in a cleaner, minimalist design at a higher price. Leica does this with a couple of Sigma and Panasonic mirrorless lenses with better build quality at a higher price point. Leica also uses a lot of Panasonic technology in their FF mirrorless cameras, and many users prefer the design, build quality and user interface of the Leicas, still.
When the Lina was introduced, there were reports on head-fi.org that the Amp was the weakest part of the line. While I havenât had a chance to hear it, all the reviews I watched mentioned that the Lina DAC needs to be set to 6V to bring out the best of the Amp. I must say, this is not the case with the Violectric V590 Mk2 PRO amp that I tried with the Lina DAC and the Clock. At 2V the volume dial on the V590 was at 12 to 1 oâclock most of the time. I would be willing to pay more for a ârepackedâ V590 in the Lina look. Loved this amp with the Lina DAC because it got out of the way and let the Lina DAC come through which sounded amazing with the Utopia22. But the Violectric looked a bit out of place with its functional design next to the Lina. I could have gone with the Nimbus brand of Lake People had I known that I may want to pair it with the Lina, but itâs a bigger form factor so a bit of a no-go.
This would also free up resources at dCS to focus on their DACs and other components.
I only have one headphone and wonât get another one. Someone who has more than one headphone should listen to the Lina amp to see what it pairs best with. I may still give it a listen sometime next year but my impressions would be of limited value. Someone like WaveTheory should review the Lina stack, I think. He has several high end headphones and could get the V550 and probably other HeadAmps to switch in the Lina stack. I doubt, that the dCS US distributor would provide him the demo units, though. WaveTheory is one of the best reviewers for head-fi on YouTube IMO.
I have the Lina HeadAmp, and did compare with Violectric and Niimbus, and that is why I have chosen the Lina. The Violectric and Niimbus to me sound âdarkerâ, less natural, less dynamic and detailed. Besides, they lack space, in comparison. I listen with Hifiman Susvara and Abyss 1266 TC.
Iâm intrigued to find out. Could be. Iâm budget constraint now until the end of next year but will try to give the Lina HeadAmp a listen sooner than that. Until then I have to delude myself that the Lina DAC, Clock, V590 Mk2 PRO and the Utopia22 with the Cardas Clear Beyond headphone cable will be the head-fi endgame for me.
The Lina has been designed to be able to drive even really low-Z headphones so I donât think it plays favourites. I auditioned one at a dealer with my own favourite dynamic cans (Meze Empyreans) and thought it sounded excellent.
But one of the big differences between cans and speakers is that you wear them so comfort is a consideration alongside SQ. I just sold my Focal Utopias, not because I didnât like the sound but because I didnât find them as comfortable as my Empyreans (I found them warm and âsweatyâ almost a bit claustrophobic) and so just never reached for them. As always, YMMV.
I can recommend giving the Empyreanâs (or their âbig brotherâ the Elites) a listen when youâre back in the market. I find them great sounding, extremely comfortable and are beautifully made and packaged. They just ooze quality.
And Chris Connaker liked the Lina with the RAAL-requisite CA-1a but I havenât caught up with a pair of those myself yet. @all2ofme has the cans but not the Lina afaik.
Thanks, I find the Utopia22 extremely comfortable. I can wear them for hours. There is absolutely no sweat on or around my ears. Plus, I like the dynamic and punchy sound of them, love the bass, and how they pair with the V590 Mk2. There is no way Iâm getting other headphones but it could be that Erno has a point. I definitely want to try the Lina amp and would be willing to part with the V590. There are unbuffered XLR connections on the Lina amp that one is supposed to use with the Lina DAC. That could make a noticeable difference in SQ vs the V590 with the Lina DAC. But for now, I absolutely loved what I heard with the V590 between the Lina DAC and the Utopia22 and this was with Oyaide Terzo V2 XLR interconnects not even having been broken in yet. They were brand new, straight out of the box. I will borrow the Cardas Clear Beyond interconnects in a bit to compare the two. Iâm not even going into the direction of other headphones. I hate lots of gear. Love cables, though.
I have the SR1a, not the CA-1a. And theyâre wonderful. I drive them via the (original, no power switch) interface box and speaker taps, though, and donât have the newer cables that you could use with the Lina headphone amp.
I must try the Lina â got a message from the distributor today, actually. Perhaps itâs a sign for 2024.
(See how I managed to predict something for 2024? )
I decided to sell my Ferrum Oor/Hypsos and just use the Bartok HPA. The Bartok HPA is perfectly fine in almost every case, even with the DCA Stealths. And there are benefits to going direct. I have not heard the Lina amp.
There is apparently an advantage in having the DAC and the HPA integrated in one unit. With the unbuffered XLR inputs on the Lina HPA, dCS tries to emulate this.
https://dcsaudio.com/edit/lina_amp_linearity âThe unbuffered input on the Lina Headphone Amplifier utilises the same approach that we would take if the DAC and amplifier were combined in one chassis.â
This means that the Violectric V590 Mk2 Pro may have a better soundstage and more clarity with its integrated DAC than when the Lina DAC is plugged in. As a consequence, to get the full SQ of the Lina, one has to buy all three pieces. I wished, the dCS salespeople in the YoutTube videos on the Lina would have been more transparent about this effect. Also, none of the YouTube reviewers of the Lina even explained why it would be better from a technological point of view to use the unbuffered XLR inputs with the Lina Amp. Some just stated, âdCS says, itâs better to use the unbuffered inputs with the Lina DAC.â One reviewer only reviewed the Lina Amp on its own and said, one getâs too little for what it costs.
Thatâs why dCS will never OEM someone elseâs HPA and put their chassis around it.
Not a prediction, not even a request, but more of a fantasy idea. Just for fun can you imagine what it would be like if dCS and Warwick Acoustics had a baby?
A trade in scheme would not be something for dCS to arrange but the local distributor. In fact when dCS were their own distributor in the UK there was such a scheme. Ask your distributor or dealer what they can offer.
Less natural, less dynamic, yes, but I wouldnât call the Violectric darker. The Lina HeadAmp plays more effortlessly. Iâm not sure this difference in SQ alone would justify paying a lot more for the Lina.
All of the above applies to the buffered connections. I just listened to the Lina HeadAmp with the unbuffered XLR inputs and this makes a huge difference in SQ between the Lake People amp and the Lina IMO. I donât know how to say it. More real wouldnât do it justice. Itâs best described with two tracks, Foolish Games by Jewel (Kelly Clarkson version) and Bohemian Rhapsody by Daisy Gray. With the Lina amp itâs as if each note is exhaled into my ears and I noticed the vibrato in Daisy Grayâs voice for the first time. The vibrato is indiscernible with the Violectric amp. Iâve listened to these two songs many times and they donât easily give me chills when Iâm busy during the day but with the unbuffered inputs they did. And I thought the reviews by Moon Audio and ABYSS Headphones were a bit full of it.
BTW, 2V and no crossfeed for the Utopia22 in the setup Oyaide Tunami Terzo V2 from the Lina DAC to the Lina HeadAmp.
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