I'm going to jump in on this resurrected thread... I recently picked up an LM-502ca. I pair it with a Node 2i, Manley Shrimp, Cary CAD808 & Equation 7 speakers in my main setup. Its replacing a Rega DACr and I'm using a coax cable to connect the streamer & DAC. It's clearly a better playing piece than the Rega although I like that DAC a great deal as well. Has anyone had better performance with a different connection? Optical? USB? I also enjoy the SS output stage as I have a lot of tubes in my system and the SS stage tightens it all up. The tube stage is creamy thick and has real weight that I enjoy a great deal as well. All in all a very nice piece especially in my modest kit. Just wondering about connection performance one vs the other.
Line Magnetic 502ca
So ive got an extensive thread regarding the 219ia that has stemmed into its tube rolling, and other ventures, as of late being the discussion of my newest addition, the LM502ca DAC. Figured id keep that thread where is at and move discussion here.
Acquired this DAC roughly a month ago. Was previously using an Oppo105, which i have now sold, as it is, to 'my' ears, not even a contender to the 502. The 502 is doing everything i could have hoped it to do. Using the oppo, i was always dealing with digital listening, sounding, well, extremely digital. Metallic, very harsh at times in the mids and upper range frequencies. Just poor presentation, and with the shrillness of these frequencies, it was topped off with poor bass. I did not think i would yield this dramatic of an improvement.
The 502 looks of tremendous quality in person, and sounds of the same. It is simple, and straight forward, no unneccesary gadgets, no remote. The ability to utilize tube rectification or solid state in the push of a button.
When the DAC first arrived, i admittedly did not even listen with the stock 12AU7's, and swapped in NOS mullard 4003's , regarded as one of if not the very best 12AU7 of all time. The sound was great out of the box. I let the unit get some burn in hours on it before critical listening for the first week by leaving on for extended increments of hours while home. I listened to it in this state for about 2 weeks. Coming from the oppo, i thought maybe i lost just a drop of imaging, and transparency in the sound, but all of the pro's in the trade off, were totally worth it.
i then swapped the stock 6z4 rectifier tube out for a NOS tung sol 6X4WA and moved the little jumpers for this change as well. Right off the bat a tremendous inprovement. It was the best that digital music has sounded yet in my room at that point but i knew the tube needed some burn n being brand new. The biggest thing, the clarity and transparency that i felt i lost some of, was back, and back greatly. Back in a far smoother and more nature way. Grain, gone. Over abundance of Transparency sometimes comes at the cost of an over analytical touch that is very fatiguing. None of that here. Just naturalness. There WASthat drop of harsh bite in only some pieces of music at the right volume, when using the stock 6z4 tube.. That quality that you often hear with fresh valves that need some time to wear in. Just a week later with the 6x4 in, and this DAC is sounding truly excellent. I could not be happier with the unit. Whether it is jazz or speed metal, it is doing it all oh so well, and with quite an analog nature might i add.
i highly recommend this DAC. I dont know if it can be beat or rivaled for less than 5x its price....
Acquired this DAC roughly a month ago. Was previously using an Oppo105, which i have now sold, as it is, to 'my' ears, not even a contender to the 502. The 502 is doing everything i could have hoped it to do. Using the oppo, i was always dealing with digital listening, sounding, well, extremely digital. Metallic, very harsh at times in the mids and upper range frequencies. Just poor presentation, and with the shrillness of these frequencies, it was topped off with poor bass. I did not think i would yield this dramatic of an improvement.
The 502 looks of tremendous quality in person, and sounds of the same. It is simple, and straight forward, no unneccesary gadgets, no remote. The ability to utilize tube rectification or solid state in the push of a button.
When the DAC first arrived, i admittedly did not even listen with the stock 12AU7's, and swapped in NOS mullard 4003's , regarded as one of if not the very best 12AU7 of all time. The sound was great out of the box. I let the unit get some burn in hours on it before critical listening for the first week by leaving on for extended increments of hours while home. I listened to it in this state for about 2 weeks. Coming from the oppo, i thought maybe i lost just a drop of imaging, and transparency in the sound, but all of the pro's in the trade off, were totally worth it.
i then swapped the stock 6z4 rectifier tube out for a NOS tung sol 6X4WA and moved the little jumpers for this change as well. Right off the bat a tremendous inprovement. It was the best that digital music has sounded yet in my room at that point but i knew the tube needed some burn n being brand new. The biggest thing, the clarity and transparency that i felt i lost some of, was back, and back greatly. Back in a far smoother and more nature way. Grain, gone. Over abundance of Transparency sometimes comes at the cost of an over analytical touch that is very fatiguing. None of that here. Just naturalness. There WASthat drop of harsh bite in only some pieces of music at the right volume, when using the stock 6z4 tube.. That quality that you often hear with fresh valves that need some time to wear in. Just a week later with the 6x4 in, and this DAC is sounding truly excellent. I could not be happier with the unit. Whether it is jazz or speed metal, it is doing it all oh so well, and with quite an analog nature might i add.
i highly recommend this DAC. I dont know if it can be beat or rivaled for less than 5x its price....
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