Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Barry
431
Dec 11, 2014
I had a chance to audition the m920 with my LCD-Xs and it's a very solid performing DAC/amp combo. The m920 delivers a hell of a lot of performance for its size. The signature is very neutral with no hints of harshness, and good detail and dynamics. The n920 doesn't quite give the widest soundstage I've heard, but you have to spend considerably more for larger components to move up in performance. The m920 delivers markedly better performance than the Woo WA7, Burson Conductor, and Chord Hugo with the LCD-X.
HarBear
48
Dec 12, 2014
BarryAny idea how this would compare to Matrix X-Sabre + Bottlehead Crack+Speedball? :)
Oroboros
24
Dec 12, 2014
HarBearX-Sabre: Nearly the same DAC chip as the Grace (uses the 8 channel version vs the newer 2 channel in the m920). USB DSP chip seems almost or exactly the same, hard to tell. Guessing no real-world difference between the two on the DAC side of things.
Bottlehead: Well, to state the obvious, tube vs solid state. So probably a fair bit of sound diff here. While I have no direct experience with the Crack, I have heard other nice tube amps, and I'd be willing to guess "livelier" but "colored" (Crack) vs "crazy accurate" (m920). The m920 is made mostly for sound engineers, after all, so all the GIGO rules apply here. Also, while this is a fading issue as tech gets better, *roughly* tube amps more easily push high-impedance cans, solid state low-impedance cans. Having said that, I have read in numerous places that the Grace unit pushes "mid-high" 300 ohm cans like Sennheisers very, very well. In fact, at expos Mr. Grace himself brings a pair of HD800s as one of the reference phones to listen to the m920 with (see: http://audio-head.com/wrap-up-los-angeles-head-fi-meet-august-2014/) Otherwise I wouldn't be considering this unit. The m920 owner's manual even has a Sennheiser plugged into it on the front cover. 600 ohm Beyerdynamics, don't know. Having said all that, Grace's own website doth proclaim: "The m920 was specifically designed with low impedance headphones in mind." I'm *guessing* that means both will work fine, high and low, given the reviews I've read.
BTW, the m920 can also be remote controlled via a $19 Apple IR remote, FYI.
Barry
431
Dec 12, 2014
HarBearNo idea about the X-Sabre, but I have a Crack+Speedball. The Crack is a well-designed OTL amp and is more transparent than tube-ey sounding. The m920 has a more intimate soundstage with more meat in the mids compared to the Crack's deeper soundstage and air. The Crack is a bargain and amazing with high impedance cans, but if you have planars, the Crack isn't really an option.
HarBear
48
Dec 12, 2014
BarryAs stated by @Oroboros (and thank you!), I think DAC wise, X-Sabre is on par with our M920 here. And thanks for the comment on amp side of things. I guess my next question is, if i have X-Sabre + Crack, should you suggest I sell the pair to fund for this one? Will I be moving up the latter or making a horizontal change? I do not have planars, only HD700, HD650 for now :P
Barry
431
Dec 12, 2014
HarBearFor the HD650 and HD700, it would likely be a sidegrade for you. the signature is going to be somewhat different, but who can say if you'll like it less or more. If you want to save space and are thinking of planars in the future, it would be a step in the right direction.
AudioMan612
218
Dec 12, 2014
BarryI can't compare the DACs in terms of sound quality, as I have not heard the X-Sabre myself, but it is worth noting that the m920 is a much more versatile and feature-packed DAC. I'm really surprised that the X-Sabre lacks an optical input...
Oroboros
24
Dec 13, 2014
HarBearObjectively: Agree with Barry, technologically mostly a side-grade. I don't see "component" wise either being obviously stronger than the other. Having said that, I doubt they sound the same ... which leads us to ...
Subjectively: There's only one way for you to know which setup you would prefer. You would have to listen to both side-by-side. Only you know what sounds best to you. Some people prefer accuracy. Some love harmonics. Some prefer bass, or mids, or treble, or "clarity", or that indescribable "something". There really is no other way for you to know which you would prefer other than listening to both of them live. Not trying to break your bank, but that's the truth.
Having said that, the lucky part is regardless of which setup you preferred neither should be difficult to sell on the second-hand market. Both the Crack (esp with the SB option) and the m920 would, I imagine, be fairly easy to unload on head-fi classifieds or ebay. And at the price point you'd be paying for the m920 - if this drop gets to the lowest point - you probably wouldn't lose much/anything on it. I haven't seen it offered for less than $1795 anywhere, ever. I don't know what you paid for the Crack, but frankly, I'd pay more for a completed Crack, myself, so I don't think you'd lose much there, either. I'm not guaranteeing anything here, mind you, but I don't think you'd lose too much if you had to sell either one. (X-Sabre, couldn't say, but if you threw it in with the Crack you might be able to get a good portion of its price back? Or maybe sell it separate?)
The question really is: Are you willing to potentially lose a couple hundred to definitively find the better sounding system to your own ears.
HarBear
48
Dec 13, 2014
OroborosThanks very much for your extensive thoughts. I really appreciate your input! :) I will probably need to sell the Crack to fund for this since financially I am not quite capable of having both at the same time. But I do think this will be a right direction for me. Thanks! :) Of course, let me know if you've got any other inputs for me and I will gladly take it!
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile