Soncoz LA-QXD1 (dac) with Acoustic Portrait Swara (amp).

[ravihpa]

Hey guys,

I have a gaming PC and an LG G1 OLED TV and I wanted to have a good sound setup. I can't have surround sound because family won't allow it. So the only thing remaining is headphones. I spoke with an audiophile friend of mine and he's recommended me to get the Soncoz LA-QXD1 dac, which has optical in for TV connection and USB for PC and an Acoustic Portrait Swara amplifier. I've done a lot of research on the Soncoz as the info is just out there. But Acoustic Portrait Swara is made in Bangalore and I've no idea how good they are. My friend says that amplifier is better than anything you can get out there.

Unfortunately, I can't find any info or reviews or anything about this amplifier. I searched here on the forums and came across a few posts where people said that the Acoustic Portrait people make great audio systems.

I just wanted to get somebody else's opinion on this setup, before I pull the trigger and order stuff worth 40k. FYI, I don't listen to music much. Maybe rarely once in a while, but I do love playing games on PC (and PS5 in future) and love watching movies and TV shows. I have a Sennheiser HD 650 and I've also ordered an Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x from the US. I'm also open to ordering other headphones on recommendation.

Looking forward to your thoughts on this setup

 

[Yogesh]

DAC is reputed to be best in class.

Regarding Amp, AP is well regarded. Real Good. Another amp to be looked at is Discrete Dynamics by FM @Aniket It's very well regarded here.

 

[ravihpa]

DAC is reputed to be best in class.

Regarding Amp, AP is well regarded. Real Good. Another amp to be looked at is Discrete Dynamics by FM @Aniket It's very well regarded here.

Where can I get more info? I'm not able to find anything on Google. Is there a link or a website or something?

 

[Yogesh]

Where can I get more info? I'm not able to find anything on Google. Is there a link or a website or something?

You would find some user reviews here itself...

 

[keith_correa]

Wait, are you saying (and I think you are) that you simply want a good headphone amplifier?

 

[ravihpa]

Wait, are you saying (and I think you are) that you simply want a good headphone amplifier?

Yup. That's what I'm saying. Buy once and be done with it for the foreseeable future.

BUT I am on a budget. The Soncoz is putting me back by 23k. I'm fine investing another 20k or so for the amp, if it's worth it.

Was about to order the Schiit stack (Modi 3E + Magni Heresy) but my friend stopped me and recommended me the above. Soncoz LA-QXD1 plus Acoustic Portrait Swara.

 

[Yogesh]

Oh, You are talking about HeadAmp than DD is out. AP is really good. Another good option here is Anode Accoustics HeadAmp. Hersey would work with Soncoz as well.

HD650 works well with OTL Tube Amps. Look in that direction as well.

 

[ravihpa]

Oh, You are talking about HeadAmp than DD is out. AP is really good. Another good option here is Anode Accoustics HeadAmp. Hersey would work with Soncoz as well.

HD650 works well with OTL Tube Amps. Look in that direction as well.

Yes, headphone amp. I can't have speakers because family won't allow it. It has to be headphones.

Now, I've come across a weird problem with LG TVs and devices such as PS5 that send audio to LG TV via HDMI. The problem occurs when a dac like Soncoz (or any other) are connected to LG TV via optical and the audio drops every two minutes. Mind you, this is only when audio is coming into TV via HDMI.

LG TVs Optical Audio Output Issue (poll)

I've been having a discussion with a brand who make external DAC's, and they have some interesting findings on the optical output of LG TV's. Firstly I had audio drop-outs when using my C9 55" with a Cambridge Audio CXA81 - a firmware update and cable sent by Cambridge Audio fixed this issue...

www.avforums.com

Now, since I already have an LG TV which I won't change for the foreseeable future, I'm thinking are there any dacs that support HDMI in (ARC/eARC)?

 

[ravihpa]

Well, the eARC dacs are super costly and out of my budget. And then there are ARC audio extractors, so can try using that.

Nonetheless, any recommendations on the amp? How good is Acoustic Portrait Swara headphone amp?

 

[ravihpa]

Any inputs on the Acoustic Portrait Swara headphone amp? Can't find any reviews on Google.

 

[ravihpa]

Ordered the Soncoz SGD1. Now need to finalize the amplifier (headphone). Any suggestions?

I currently have these headphones...

1. Sennheiser HD 650.
2. Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x.

Will be moving onto other headphones as well.

 

[ZzZzZ]

Ordered the Soncoz SGD1.

Can you share the link to order Soncoz SGD1 as i cannot find any source to buy Soncoz SGD1 here in india. At what price point did you buy Soncoz SGD1? Why did you chose SGD1 over LA-QXD1 ?

 

[ravihpa]

Can you share the link to order Soncoz SGD1 as i cannot find any source to buy Soncoz SGD1 here in india. At what price point did you buy Soncoz SGD1? Why did you chose SGD1 over LA-QXD1 ?

Hey.

Sorry man. There's no local link to buy it. I ordered it directly from their Shenzhen factory outlet. I got in touch with them and they shipped it to a friend of mine in Hong Kong, who then carried it back to India last month.

About choosing SDG1 over LA-QXD1, I got a great price. I got it for 35k including shipping to HK. Also, I wanted a remote to control the whole thing. Bluetooth was just an added bonus.