Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Solo -R - D/A converter for Apple devices (Silver)

Just received my portable DAC from ALO Audio. Combined with my Graham Slee 'Voyager' and my Sennheiser HD600 headphone, I am hearing what I normally hear from my studio system, but from my iPod, iTouch and iPad. It is a must for anyone who loves to hear music as the artists intend and not how we have learned to 'love' compressed recordings. The bass is now defined and the mid-range has clarity. The highs are coming through with a clarity that was previously missing.I teach music and recording/editing techniques at Beloit CollegeI recommend this unit.Ian

I don't know where to begin, there are all of the sudden so many options on the market and changes can be expensive.About a year ago, I saw the Fostex HP P1 DAC/AMP and have been using it without complaint, until recently. The Fostex is a great little guy becasue it's Apple compatible and all-in-one, whereas this AlgoRythm Solo which is also USB/Apple compatible, really only works at it's best with another device attached to it (an Amplifier), like the ALO Continental (portable vacuum tube amp -limited supply at ALO), or the ALO Rx MK3b Amp, their newest flagship portable.The reason that the Fostex became an issue was a silver USB Dock cable from Audioquest called "Diamond". I bought one thinking it would deliver even more clarity to the Fostex, but it was rough, coarse and too clear. Somehow it became a tinny, bright, digital sound again.So I looked around and found a combination package at ALOaudio with an actual analog vacuum tube amp (very cool, military grade -100,000 hours). They sell the AlgoRythm Solo with their portable vacuum tube amp, the "Continental" as a package deal, including their cables. It's an amazing combination. I initially used the AlgoRythm Solo with the supplied ALO copper recipe cabling (a USB and mini-to-mini). But when I used the silver Audioquest Diamond with the AlgoRythm Solo, and the Continental all working together, the silver started to show it's true value. The diamond's are around $600 unfortunately, but that combination of pure silver, with the AlgoRythm Solo DAC, and a warm tube amp like the Continental, it was the best of all the combinations that I tried.The people at ALO are correct, it depends what music you prefer. I listen to a lot of Electronica, but also love live music, like Peter Gabriel's "Secret World". So after experimenting withe the cables, I did find that the high quality copper mixtures are better for vocals like Secret World, marginally better. BUT with Electronica, like "This Moment" featuring Jonathan Mendelsohn (hair-tingling) vocals, mixed by Armin Van Buuren, a mixture of both vocals and digital harmonics, the SILVER hands down is piercingly tight and clear and not painful. There's no static or congestion at the highs. And bass is delivered by the Solo/Continental combination.I've read about some folks who go with players like the ColorFly Hi-Fi Man, that play CD quality sound without the need for an additional amp. But unfortunately, I'm pretty much married to Apple and their proprietary empire. So the Solo is really it, because it will stream the digital signal without loss to the DAC while using an Apple product.In my setup, I still need to replace their (ALO) packaged mini-to-mini cable that goes from the AlgoRythm Solo to the Continental. The two cables ALO provides together for their package are about $250 combined, they're nice, and I intend on bringing them with me for travel, incase I am listening to live music. But Audioquest Diamond does better for demanding techno/dance. I have a feeling that the silver will benefit all lines of transmission until it reaches the vacuum tube, from there the warmth takes over from the natural anaolg sound coming from the Continental Amp to the high quality silver-plated copper headphone-adapter (1/4 to 1/8 plug at $220), to my Fostex TH900's (which I also am in love with).But I've heard that the best headphones for the Solo are the Audeze Reference (also available at ALOaudio with modified cabling at $2600).So bottom line is that I love this thing. It took a solid 100 - 150 hours to break-in, and sounded terrible out of the box actually. Which is actually perfectly normal.It will work best in tandem with ALOaudio's "Continental" (portable tube AMP) or their most recent accomplishment: the new Rx MK3b Amp at around $700. I've also seen people using the AlgoRythm Solo with the SR71 (balanced headphone outputs?).For PC users, the HeadAmp "Pico" available at ALO also, has really-really impressed me for it's tiny size and excellent quality interconnects. The bass, power and D/A conversion coming from that little device are definitely the best for it's size, that I have tried (it's not available at Amazon). The Centrance DACport LX (DAC) is another device that I am curious about, it's the only portable with a 1/4 headphone jack (unfortunately it's mini-USB input only, for PC's only?).And my two cents regarding metals and cabling: The experts are right, it does actually depend on your preference. Silver being more of a clear - no-loss, and bright signal, where the silver-plated copper recipe's are more for deep bass and broad analog sounds. So actually they work well together. For instance, the silver Diamond USB going from the iPod to the AlgoRythm Solo, then (I need to get this) a silver mini-to-mini Diamond from Solo to the Continental, and then a high-quality silver plated copper headphone adapter (1/4 to 1/8 plug), the last link in the chain.I do have the ALO headphone adapter (220$), Grado and Sennheiser's 1/4 adapter to 1/8 plug are both made in China and cost $20 -For an adapter, definitely go to ALOaudio, or Moon-audio for a nice one.I'm using Fostex TH900 headphones (with my ALO adapter), the rest are all Audioquest Diamond pure silver. EXCEPT, when I play Lionel Richie, or anything with deep live music and vocals, then I use their supplied copper recipe.I have to say, it's a big rig, with the three devices stacked, iPod, AlgoRythm Solo DAC and Continental tube Amp. But well worth it on a plane ride or anywhere you want desktop quality audio on the go. You could just use the Solo with your favorite headphone amplifier.I did use the AlgoRythm Solo DAC with the Fostex HP P1 DAC/AMP just to see what would happen, but the Continental was much more powerful. I would imagine that the other high-end amps are better as well. Fostex couldn't really drive big-big headphones, but does have plenty of power.Its hard to say that I prefer the Solo over the Fostex, because the situation changed with that Diamond. So, if you want an all-in-one, the Fostex is not At all a bad way to go. The nice thing about the Solo, is that you could always get a better amp later on (if you already have one - you will need to control the volume Solo does not). It's said that the internal DAC on the iPod is really bad, so just using the solo may have benefits for D/A conversion, but again no volume control.Fostex and Solo are Unique: these two devices are the only two portable that connect via Apple certified USB/30-pin Dock connection (stream bit pefect audio).A side note, ALO also customizes really high-end headphones, like the Audeze that would normally have a 1/4 gold plug, they replace it with a 1/8 silver or silver plated copper for around $600 extra. And the Beyerdynamic t5, also modified from ALO.Moon-Audio also carries many handmade quality cables and adapters, hard to find, that are slightly more reasonable than ALO.