Audiolab 8300CDQ

[Messiah]

Hmm.

Disappointing. 😔

 

[Gray]

If it's the DAC Dave - and your own tests confirm that it is, then surely the same low hiss will be present through your speakers - but totally silent on the line inputs???

If so then yes, you can swamp the noise with music, but that's not the point.

And also, if you do take any post-DAC, fixed output and feed a standalone headphone amp....you get the hiss.

You're not being too sensitive.
That promotional paragraph from them about the headphone circuitry is laughable under the circumstances.

 

[Al ears]

Got a reply from Audiolab. They say that the faint background hiss is 'normal' and that they compared it to a brand new unit. I replied to say that I'm disappointed considering that they big up the headphone amp on the 8300 on their website:

'The Sound of Science​

The 8300CDQ adds further flexibility by incorporating a dedicated direct-coupled headphone amp with current-feedback circuitry. Accessed via a front-mounted 6.35mm socket, its gain bandwidth and high slew rate ensure a dynamic, detailed and engaging performance with all manner of headphone types.'

As I said in my original post, perhaps I'm a little too sensitive to these things (I don't have an awful lot of headphone listening experience). Having said that, from what you've all said, there shouldn't be any audible background noise at all. Oh well, I won't be using the headphone out on the 8300.

Not good enough from Audiolab in my opinion. Is it simply the headphones you now own or have you tried others?
If I ever use headphones at home they are plugged into my Oppo universal disc player abd that's absolutely silent hiss wise.

 

[daveyjay]

Not good enough from Audiolab in my opinion. Is it simply the headphones you now own or have you tried others?
If I ever use headphones at home they are plugged into my Oppo universal disc player abd that's absolutely silent hiss wise.

I’m using a couple of pairs of headphones, both over-ears: Sony WH-1000XM4 and an old pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3.0s. Not exactly the highest of high end but, as mentioned, they’re silent on my old Marantz M-CR603 and on my laptop.
Just as well I do the vast majority of my listening through the open air 🙂

 

[daveyjay]

If it's the DAC Dave - and your own tests confirm that it is, then surely the same low hiss will be present through your speakers - but totally silent on the line inputs???

If so then yes, you can swamp the noise with music, but that's not the point.

And also, if you do take any post-DAC, fixed output and feed a standalone headphone amp....you get the hiss.

You're not being too sensitive.
That promotional paragraph from them about the headphone circuitry is laughable under the circumstances.

Yes.
I’m happy with the unit in all other regards. If I get into headphone listening a little more seriously, I’ll just have to look at adding a few more boxes to my set-up 🙂

 

[Brucester]

I know this is a 4 month old thread, but I registered so I could reply to it. The OP was asking if anyone actually had an 8300CDQ to compare, well I do and my headphone stage is silent. No hiss I mean, music comes out of course 😁 Suspect Audiolab are feeding you manure regarding noise from the DAC. The es9018 was pretty much state of the art when this machine came out, and unless it's really poorly implemented then it should be silent. Headphones used were my trusty Shure SRH1540, and some Fiio FH7S IEM's for good measure.

 

[daveyjay]

I know this is a 4 month old thread, but I registered so I could reply to it. The OP was asking if anyone actually had an 8300CDQ to compare, well I do and my headphone stage is silent. No hiss I mean, music comes out of course 😁 Suspect Audiolab are feeding you manure regarding noise from the DAC. The es9018 was pretty much state of the art when this machine came out, and unless it's really poorly implemented then it should be silent. Headphones used were my trusty Shure SRH1540, and some Fiio FH7S IEM's for good measure.

Hello Brucester, many thanks for the reply. When I got the unit back after having sent it off for inspection, I was a little doubtful that they'd actually bothered to test it - I just got a 'feeling', you know? (They're correspondence wasn't particularly reassuring). Anyway, it's such a faff having to pack a piece of equipment up, arrange collection, wait for it to be delivered back all the time hoping that it's been handled carefully and that it'll come back in one piece. So, on this occasion, I decided not to take further steps to get things sorted (a tad defeatist, perhaps...) whilst at the same time quietly vowing to disregard the Audiolab brand when considering future purchases.

 

[Jasonovich]

Hello Brucester, many thanks for the reply. When I got the unit back after having sent it off for inspection, I was a little doubtful that they'd actually bothered to test it - I just got a 'feeling', you know? (They're correspondence wasn't particularly reassuring). Anyway, it's such a faff having to pack a piece of equipment up, arrange collection, wait for it to be delivered back all the time hoping that it's been handled carefully and that it'll come back in one piece. So, on this occasion, I decided not to take further steps to get things sorted (a tad defeatist, perhaps...) whilst at the same time quietly vowing to disregard the Audiolab brand when considering future purchases.

Sorry to hear that.
Just a thought, might be worth investing in a dedicated headphones amp?

 

[daveyjay]

Sorry to hear that.
Just a thought, might be worth investing in a dedicated headphones amp?

That's certainly on my list of possible future purchases 😉

 

[Friesiansam]

Not noticed this thread before but, my Pathos Converto has an ESS SABRE 9018K2M DAC chip and, there is no hiss, even with the volume wound right up to the max. It's not the DAC chip causing the hiss, unless it is faulty.