Owner`s manual

164 July/August 2013 the absolute sound
volume controls. Perhaps on subsequent versions Lynx could
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avoid subjecting overeager users to the sonic blast I experienced.
If you wish to use the Hilo to directly drive a basic power
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adjustments, you must use the “monitor out” outputs. Since
the “monitor out” uses stereo ¼" terminations, some kind
of adapter will be needed for use with either RCA or XLR
termination. For my primary desktop set-up I used a ¼"-to-
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and subwoofer. I connected the “line out” to a Stax SRM-007t
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Once all the physical connections were sorted out it was
time to work through the set-up options via the Hilo’s front-
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you would like to see. The Hilo offers three options—analog,
horizontal, or all I/O. Four additional control screens cover all
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more with the Hilo than merely output two channels of audio.
You can, if you so desire, send different signals to each output
or compare two different mixes over the same output for A/B
comparisons. The Hilo also has an internal sample-rate converter
to upconvert or downconvert a digital signal and then send it to
any of the Hilo’s three digital outputs.
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Hilo’s “Scene” feature. Imagine a “save” function that preserves
all your current settings and lets you recall them with one button
push. The Hilo has six savable “scene” options, which can be
used for matched-level A/B switching (as I did) or special setups.
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review period. It recognized DSD streams with no stuttering or
glitches and switched easily and automatically from one format
and bit-rate to another. Unlike other DACs I’ve reviewed that
require the user to choose the active input source, the Hilo
automatically defaulted to whichever input was currently passing
signal. When I switched from the Hilo’s USB to the Empirical
Audio Off-Ramp 5 USB converter via my MAC’s MIDI control,
the Hilo automatically and almost instantaneously switched from
USB to S/PDIF with virtually no interruption.
Unlike both of the other DSD DACs in this review, the Hilo
does not come with a remote. For some potential users this could
be a “fail” moment, but given the feature-rich nature of the
Hilo’s LCD touchscreen interface, it makes far more sense to use
the Hilo in a physical setup where it remains within arm’s reach.
The Down-Low on the Hilo Sound
The Hilo DAC/pre has a very similar sonic character to the
Benchmark DAC2 HGC and Mytek 192-DSD-DAC—that is to
say, not much. Its variations from neutrality were far less apparent
than other parts of most systems into which it was inserted. The
sonic differences I’ve heard between various brands of state-of-
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greater than between all three DACs in this review. Can you say,
dead heat, boys and girls?
Many times what a casual listener might attribute to the sonic
character of a component is actually the result of interactions
between components rather than a particular component’s
own intrinsic sonic characteristics. I’ve found that room-based
systems, due to their longer cable runs, as well as the myriad
of environmental interactions, tend to be more harmonically
colored and “bloomy” than my desktop system. Room bloom,
which creates both harmonic and dynamic variations away from
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listening environment because the room doesn’t get as excited
by or involved in the reproduction process. Maybe that’s one of
the reasons that most recording engineers do their critical mixing
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Since the Hilo automatically switches to whichever digital
input is currently active, doing A/B tests between the Hilo’s USB
and an Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 5 with Short-Block USB de-
coupler was fairly straightforward and the changeover was nearly
instantaneous. All I had to do was change the output device in
the Audio MIDI control panel and the Hilo switched source
inputs as well. After comparing the two USB sources on a wide
variety of material I was forced to conclude that with the amps
and speakers I had on hand I could not reliably tell a difference
between the two USB inputs. Differences between recordings
and bit-rates were far more profound than differences between
these USB solutions. The Lynx USB interface is good enough
that, at least for the time being, the need for a “better” external
USB interface was non-existent.
The Hilo’s headphone amp proved to be more than equal to the
task of successfully driving all the headphones in my earphone
menagerie. High-impedance, low-sensitivity headphones such as
the Beyer Dynamic DT-990 600-ohm version and Audeze LCD-
2 required nearly full output level for my own recordings, which
are in general recorded at lower level than commercial releases.
But with commercial releases the Hilo had more than enough
horsepower to drive them past comfortable listening levels. With
high-sensitivity low-impedance ear-buds such as the 16-ohm,
110dB Meelectronics A16P balanced-armature earphones, there
was no background hiss or other signs of a sensitivity mismatch.
With every set of headphones I tried the Hilo provided a very
quiet environment for the headphones to work their magic.
The Lynx Hilo’s feature set is far more extensive than any
two-channel playback-only audiophile will ever need. Because
it is the most expensive DAC/pre of the three reviewed, some
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They would be wrong. If you have any plans to do any transfers
from original vinyl or tape sources or want to try some high-
quality digital recording, the Hilo’s inclusion of a 192/24
analog-to-digital converter and eight-channel capabilities make
it far more useful and cost-effective than the other DACs in this
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Three Great DSD DAC Options
Back in J. Gordon Holt’s day no “serious” audiophile would
think of putting together a system based around pro audio gear.
But that was then, and this is now. Computer audio has made the
practical differences between pro and consumer products moot.
All three of the DSD-capable DACs in this survey will elevate
a computer-based audio system to a very high “professional”
standard. Personally, I could live happily with any of them. The
Mytek 192-DSD-DAC, Benchmark DAC2 HGC, and the Lynx
Hilo are all sonic and ergonomic winners in my book.
EQUIPMENT REPORT - Three New DSD-Capable DACs