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Here is the micro-headphone rig in action.
After a couple of days of intensive listening and tweaking I am really pleased with the results soundwise - with a niggle or two. The Nuforce uDac3 is a remarkable device with crystal-clear delivery and the power to drive a difficult headphone like the AKG K601, but it has the tendency to make the top-end somewhat bright and hard. So most of my efforts have been into trying to inject some warmth into the proceedings without losing any of the uDac3's excellent detail. My guess is that it has been designed to run with the more mainstream, bass-heavy cans such as Beats (ugh!) and with Sony's it also works really well.
This has meant firstly switching from Grado's to the AKG cans and then I have replaced the Volumio 2 test version on the Pi with the current version 1.55 release. The SQ of Volumio 2 is as clear as vodka and just as intoxicating, however there are not, as yet, any inbuilt ways to adjust the EQ. Version 1.55 gives the user the possibility to select sample rate (most of my FLAC files are CD-rips so I prefer 24bit/44.1kHz) and a selection of kernel settings to adjust the manner in which the digital audio signal is converted and have a slight effect on character and colour - my favourite setting is 'Buschia' which adds warmth and some roundness to the bass.
There is no doubt that a different approach would give a better result - an NVA AP10H run from a Pi/Hifiberry DAC or Durio would definitely result in a major case of audio nirvana. The point of the exercise here, though, is to provide some acceptable sounds whilst herself is watching the soaps, etc. or having a quiet hour in the afternoon with a book / crossword / shut-eye; and as a budget solution the Nuforce DAC is exactiy what I need.
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