Hello, I just joined, primarily for the audiophile products. Looking at purchasing the NHT C3 speakers for our new living room. Space is about 15 feet wide by 33 long and they will fire long ways. Space is just for general listening, music room with all equipment is downstairs, so hoping they will fill it with sound nicely. Cheers.
Mar 18, 2024
Same power (2.8W RMS Balanced, 0.7W RMS Single-Ended), same balanced bridged topology, same high quality parts, 1x Gain/3x Gain, same sound known by the audiophile community.
Okay, there are a couple of differences in our X version: -This version comes in the Massdrop chassis, stackable with Massdrop products such as the Cavalli Tube Hybrid. -Separated the switching power supply from the amplifier section. We have an in-line power brick. (Still handles 100-240V.)
Sonically, this is the Liquid Carbon. With improved volume pot and different power supply implementation.
I imagine part of the staggered release is to gauge interest, but clearly the SDAC and this were already designed when the CTH was announced. These things don't get designed overnight.
TL;DR Don't buy into the hype, and be patient, you'll get another chance.
Is this going to happen? - If yes, can you give an estimated delivery? - If not certain, can we join the LCX drop and either upgrade in case LCX+SDAC does happen, or possibly cancel if it doesn't? - If surely not, let us know, please.
Thank you
However, I’d like to put my vote for a separate DAC to be designed by Massdrop/Cavalli to pair the CTH and LCX. I’m positive the response from those who decided to go with the two amp-only designs would be amazing, provided the DAC will have the very same footprint of the amps so as to allow perfect stackability.
Not sure if it‘s just me... but, if offered by Massdrop, I would immediately purchase one of these DAC.
I think you're both right: W did say what you (Zenifyx) read, but I believe I understood from the context what they really meant: a slightly more upscale Grace DAC with LCX synergy.
I still hope there will be something emerging from Massdrop (possibly in the very near future!) for the benefit of those who decided to go with the amp-only Cavalli Tube Hybrid and Liquid Carbon X. The alternative of a revised LCX design with integrated DAC is not to my liking, as I would prefer to have a separate , full featured and stackable unit with proper inputs/outputs.
A separate DAC would provide for the highest flexibility in design and plenty of space in the enclosure to include all the possible inputs/outputs.
As an additional note, the CTH and LCX amps are the ones that have reached high numbers of sale! If combined together, this translates into a potentially large user base that could be interested in a separate DAC, if attractive on a features/price basis (and if built into a chassis of the same size/design of the CTH and LCX).
Conversely, the number of CTH/SDAC sold is negligible. How many LCX/SDAC units (when available) does Massdrop expect to sell?
In the end, wouldn't It make sense to provide a proper DAC to the CTH and LCX large users base?
Make a balanced dac (two chips) and have xlr out to go to an amp that has xlr inputs. Also add more than just usb, would like to see optical and coaxial inputs.
Still, the 9XX is no longer a Massdrop exclusive, and Grace now makes an improved version for the same price, which they sell in their own online store. Perhaps it's time for them to consider creating either a lower-cost DAC that offers more IO, or that is more portable and fills the same niche as the iFi iDSD Micro BL.
It will be interesting to see whether Grace is interested in creating a lower-cost balanced DAC. After all, they already make the m920, which uses a two-channel Sabre 9018 chip (unless they've updated it) but is a lot more expensive than the 9XX or the SDAC.
something like this past post of yours: https://www.massdrop.com/talk/2363/audiophile-custom-products-dac-amp-update-9-18-2017
A separate DAC unit in the same footprint and finish of the LCX / CTH would make for a beautiful and fully featured stack, since there would be no issues or compromises to be made on the DAC components because of space/layout constraints - as it is instead the case in the design of an integrated unit.
I would personally support and instantly buy a separate DAC unit for the LCX and CTH, as soon as it appears on Massdrop!
I seriously hope this dream will come true! If it happens, the “Cavalli/Massdrop Stack” may become a new common reference in the Hi-Fi community, as it is already the case for a very popular stack of a well-known US brand! :-)
also, any plans for a balanced dac in a matching chassis for sta
Sidenote: I received the LCX in the mail today. I didn't notice that the box had a water mark on it until I opened it and saw that the LCX manual included also has a watermark and was still damp inside the box. I only mention this because it might explain why the RCA connections aren't working properly when connected RCA to RCA passthrough. It might not be capable of that but I would be shocked if that were the case. Thanks
(The LCX pass-through you can use if you have want to pass the SDAC signal into a third amp...)
EDIT: I see you already have a 3.5mm to RCA cable.
Both my LCX and CTH have the same powdery finish that marks easily.
It was probably too much of an annoyance for Massdrop staff to individually repack all the LCX before shipping... O_o Much easier to break the pallets where the single boxes were consolidated in China, wrap them in the Massdrop tape, stick the new shipping labels and pass them to the courier guy... great logistics indeed! No comment!
Hooking the LCX to the Gustard X12, Mojo, TEAC HA-P5, RHA L1 and all worked and sound great. This leads me to believe it’s definitely the CTH+SDAC.
Thanks for the reply and help. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up good or bad.
FYI - I am using my Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart headphones, though I have never heard static like this on them before.