http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/firstwatt4/1.html
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https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Xian...833031505.html
Feedback good. Might well order for kicks/curiousity. The 5A is solid state only I believe as opposed to the 05B here. There's some in Germany on ebay but well over £300.
When do you get your updated Lampi back? - your enthusiasm for XiangSheng might wain a bit at that point!
I've settled in with the Reflektor 6n3 valve at the moment - it is sounding very good. Not yet gotten around to trying the WE JAN 5670W.
Well I moved the jumpers into active preamp mode on the Xiang Sheng last night. Disaster - it appears the unit can't supply a healthy level of output in that mode without a mass of distortion, at least on the valve output.
There had to be a catch somewhere;)
That doesn't sound right at all, mine is fine in both modes.
Must admit, I don't recall any probs like that when I used my 1st DAC-01A in preamp mode.
But then I don't listen as LOUD as Justin does. :lol:
I'm still loving mine - tbh it's all the DAC I'll ever need.
-- but I'm sure there will come a time when I'll be tempted to listen with my wallet rather than my ears again. :doh:
It was OK up to about 12 o'clock on the volume control, but that was pretty tame volume wise. Then distortion crept in getting progressively worse as I moved towards end of scale. I'd had a couple of glasses of wine before I did it and maybe that coloured my judgement, so I'll try it again soon, but the switch back to my active pre certainly sounded one hell of a lot better at any volume. Still pretty impressed with it in DAC mode, though.
Jerry I'll try and get the valves out to you next week.
OK so having a play around now in preamp mode.
It appears that my power amps aren't sensitive enough for the Xiang's output. It is good to about 3 o'clock on both solid state and tube outputs but it just doesn't give enough output to go loud. Beyond 3 o'clock it is distorted - the output stage of the Xiang is beyond its comfort zone.
In reality on both solid state and tube outputs I'd be freakin' amazed if it hits its distortion specs to be quite frank. I think it is quite high but in a euphonic manner. its damn fine sounding but I'm always left thinking hm... that sounds a little dodgy - it isn't 100% clean no matter what output you're using.
I hear it in my system, you may not in yours. It is nit-picking and minor especially at this price but I maintain it is there.