Lynx HILO for Mastering

[chilly7]

Originally Posted by nms

That's not high end Chilly.. that's for people with too much money and too little common sense!

$1000 to add a usb2 input....

Please listen to it in person and then do facepals, ok?
It is not just sampli to add usb2....
They need to put additional hardware that will have a 0 imact on the device.
The same as with volume knob, if thy will thruew something main stream then it can eat half of the device transpacy no metter u use volume knob or not.
They claim to make 0 compromise on devices and give to u the best possible technologies on the planet Earth, it is extremely difficult with the modern world economy and that's why their products are so expansive, but u get what u pay for.

[Lagerfeldt]

Okay, can we please keep this on the Hilo? Let's not degenerate another thread.

[Riccardo]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

Okay, can we please keep this on the Hilo? Let's not degenerate another thread.

yes please keep on topic.

[fccmt]

Hilo is indeed a great converter and makes a great pair for the K+H o300 monitors. I also have the UA 2192 which I think has a "better" bass information/foundation...though, they are very different...

[Plush]

[QUOTE=chilly7;8295314]Becase the high end is this Diamond DAC IV Details so yes it is true that Hilo is mid level

Those from the lunatic fringe high end
hi-fi world can step off now. Your posts have been marked now as devalued.

[pmoon]

Originally Posted by Chris Bauer

It would be good if there was a convenient rack mounting solution. I gather one is in the pipeline, but I wonder whether a standard 2U rack tray with four holes drilled into it (where the rubber feet would sit) might also do the trick? Your custom stand solution sounds very elegant, but it would be impractical in my studio.

Phil at Lynx here

We will announce the details on the rack shelf in a couple of weeks. Holes are predrilled to hold one Hilo in the middle or two on either side. No rocket science here, in fact the engineers trusted the Marketing guy on this one!

Watch our website for pricing and availability information.

Phil at Lynx

[nms]

Originally Posted by fccmt

Hilo is indeed a great converter and makes a great pair for the K+H o300 monitors. I also have the UA 2192 which I think has a "better" bass information/foundation...though, they are very different...

I wouldn't say better, but perhaps a touch fuller (or less bring up top). The 2192 has a slight color while the Hilo is more transparent. I feel like my DA10 had just a touch more weight to the bottom end but I never got to compare them side by side.

The headphone output is the nicest I've used for sure.

This is a seriously winning format though for me. Having the extra pair of outputs so you can monitor AND feed your analog chain is perfect and IMO the smartest thing they did on it.

[fccmt]

Originally Posted by nms

I wouldn't say better, but perhaps a touch fuller (or less bring up top). The 2192 has a slight color while the Hilo is more transparent. I feel like my DA10 had just a touch more weight to the bottom end but I never got to compare them side by side.

The headphone output is the nicest I've used for sure.

This is a seriously winning format though for me. Having the extra pair of outputs so you can monitor AND feed your analog chain is perfect and IMO the smartest thing they did on it.

Yes, the internal mixer is a plus besides the brilliant headphone dac and as you already mentioned the possibility for analog routing and monitoring: TOPS!!
Glad I don't have to choose between the two

One more thing that I have to mention is: on MAc is just plug and play, simple! Until now no problems with bugs or any kind of issues. Pretty anxious for the surprises on the new driver update.

[CanDude]

Originally Posted by nms

I feel like my DA10 had just a touch more weight to the bottom end but I never got to compare them side by side.

The headphone output is the nicest I've used for sure.

This is a seriously winning format though for me. Having the extra pair of outputs so you can monitor AND feed your analog chain is perfect and IMO the smartest thing they did on it.

I've compaired Hilo with DA11 and Antelope Zodiac Gold + Voltikus side by side. You can describe the bass this way when it comes to dynamics:

DA11: bOOm
Hilo: BOom
Antelope: BOOm



I agree that the DA11 bass may be perceived as having more weight. At the same time DA11 is a little bit brighter than Hilo IMO. But Hilo is much more dynamic, there are more attacks. Antelope has an "analog" sound that is very pleasant but that I don't recognize from other DACs.

+1 on the HP output! I preferred it to the Antelope HP amp (in 0 ohm mode). And that amp is the same as in Eclipse AFAIK. The HP amp in DA11 is also nice but has a slightly warmer signature if I remember correctly. Neither of these amps has the same power as a good separate amp though.

[pmx]

I had one in for testing, bought it straight away. The combined interface + routing is worth it alone imho, but the converters don't stink either. I experienced a lot more definition in the low end comparing it to my Avocet, so it's replacing that one. Punchier subs, but also a bit more crispier top end.

The line i/o converters are not going to replace my HEDD straight away, but I'm going to keep it along side to see what happens after a longer listening.

I got a note that next week's firmware update support DSD playback...!

[PureWaveAudio]

A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to play with the Hilo for a few weeks. The converters sound amazing, and are a noticeable step up from the Auroras (which are great sounding converters). The touchscreen interface is very intuitive and easy to learn. Here is a video we created on this fine product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iles3HgSLSw

[reynaud]

Hilo firmware revision 5 adds something worth investigating:

"New DSD Playback
This allows Hilo to play DSD audio files received via USB, AES-3 or S/PDIF. Hilo supports the recently adopted DoP V1.1 standard which is a method for transferring DSD audio over PCM frames."

cheers,
Reynaud

[DSD_Mastering]

Originally Posted by reynaud

Hilo firmware revision 5 adds something worth investigating:

"New DSD Playback
This allows Hilo to play DSD audio files received via USB, AES-3 or S/PDIF. Hilo supports the recently adopted DoP V1.1 standard which is a method for transferring DSD audio over PCM frames."

cheers,
Reynaud

Now all you need is the $10k DSD editing software!

[Lagerfeldt]

Originally Posted by reynaud

Hilo firmware revision 5 adds something worth investigating:

"New DSD Playback
This allows Hilo to play DSD audio files received via USB, AES-3 or S/PDIF. Hilo supports the recently adopted DoP V1.1 standard which is a method for transferring DSD audio over PCM frames."

cheers,
Reynaud

Thanks, finally there's a firmware update.

[Tarekith]

Yeah, kept seeing it mentioned in ads in Sound On Sound and other places, but it was never on their site until just recently it seemed like. Slick updater though, nice and simple, with plenty of feedback about what is happening throughout the process.

[Lagerfeldt]

Got a custom made stand for my Hilo, cables go through the tube. Fingerprints on the touchscreen courtesy of yours truly.

New firmware installed without a hitch.

[pmx]

nice idea holger! on a stand, it looks a bit more at home in a hifi listening environment than in a mastering room. how does it integrate in your workflow?

[Lagerfeldt]

Actually that was the idea. To make it look like something out of a hi-fi showroom. I'm going to get porcelain holders for the cables and electromagnetic stabilizing Shakti stones to place on top of the Hilo for a "tighter sound"...

Seriously, I didn't want to rackmount it (and I'm running out of rack space), and since I don't really need to use the touch display very much, it sits perfectly on that stand to the right of my setup.

The picture shows the stand close to a wall, but it's not placed right there - it just looked good in the photo.

I'm loving the Hilo: great sound, great functionality, amazing technical performance.

I know it's crazy to spend $1,000 ($952 to be precise) on a custom made stand, but after I kicked my coke habit I still can't kick the habit of blowing money on other stuff I don't need.

[pmx]

:D

funny thing that you don't use the touch screen that much, I use it all the time as I use the Hilo as a centerpiece audio router instead of just adda. It certainly covers a lot of different uses.

[Chris Bauer]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

I'm loving the Hilo: great sound, great functionality, amazing technical performance.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

I know it's crazy to spend $1,000 ($952 to be precise) on a custom made stand, ...

20 Euros for a rack tray, 5 Euros for a rack cover, 30 minutes of sawing and drilling holes. It's not an objet d'art, but I can touch the screen and use it as a monitor controller from where I am sitting.

Can't help thinking that the black Hilo might have looked even better on your stand. Just teasing you. :-)

[Lagerfeldt]

I did consider the black one, it's not too late actually, since I have a good relationship with my gearpusher.

Nice work on the DIY.

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by Chris Bauer

Agreed.



20 Euros for a rack tray, 5 Euros for a rack cover, 30 minutes of sawing and drilling holes. It's not an objet d'art, but I can touch the screen and use it as a monitor controller from where I am sitting.

Can't help thinking that the black Hilo might have looked even better on your stand. Just teasing you. :-)

What EQ is that above the Hilo?

[Chris Bauer]

Originally Posted by Tom Nemesis

tfpro P9

Well spotted!

[jrhager84]

Cool design!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

[jrhager84]

Do you still have to use the headphone jack for 5.1 on the hilo? If so, does it work well?

May have to pick this up!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

[audwiz]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

I've the Mytek8x192 and the Lynx Hilo now. I'll be selling the Mytek since I've no need for it any longer.


Yes.

The sound of the AD/DA line I/Os and the monitor DA is impeccable. Completely transparent.

It's factory calibrated to extreme precision and has a noise level below any other converter I've tested.

I'm not a headphone fan, so my experience in that area is limited, but it's the best headphone amp I've heard with my HD 650s. Jack-sensing auto switch is nice. The rotary dial can be used for controlling the monitor output and clicked in order to switch to headphones output.

Plenty of digital I/O options such as AES/EBU, S/PDIF over coaxial or optical, ADAT (coming later in a firmware update), and W/C. USB2 out of the box and FW via expansion.


I can't speak about Windows or even OSX 10.7, as I'm on 10.6.8. The Lynx Hilo is plug 'n' play on Mac with class compliant Core Audio drivers. Plug in the USB cable and select the interface in your software and/or Audio MIDI Setup application for system use. No driver installation.

I've used it for about 10 days now. I've experienced a one time hiccup: the display locked up and I had to hard reset the unit. Otherwise it's been solid. This is a demo model my dealer gave me, I'm getting my own next week. The touch display looks decent and works well, though it's not an iPhone. The touchscreen calibration function works as advertised.

The latency via USB is about 60 samples@44.1kHz more than my RayDAT card. I'll be comparing latencies to the various digital connections including ADAT, once the latter is operative via the upcoming October 2012 firmware. USB latency may go down with future firmware updates, perhaps.

It took me more than 20 minutes to understand exactly how flexible the routing really is. It's possible to do mini mixes and you can even use it as a USB audio router, i.e. to record streams from other applications without leaving the digital domain.

Some minor things in the interface will probably be addressed in firmware updates, e.g. I can't seem to find an option for the Hilo to load a default scene on startup. So every morning I have to manually recall my setup from Scene 1.

The metering is mostly a bonus, but it's useful enough for confirming I/O levels.

I've decided to use the rack space from my Mytek for something else, so I won't be rack mounting the Hilo. Instead I've ordered a custom built stand for it. Zebrano wood, vibration isolated, resonance free cable tube - no magic Shakti stones, though...

I'm planning to do a small review in a month or so. RMMA test, stress test, etc., though it's already clearly evident that it's a superior converter in terms of sound and flexibility.

Hi Holger

Did you ever manage to finish your latency findings on the Hilo?

Very interested

Thanks!

[Lagerfeldt]

Damn, sorry. I forgot all about that. I did try to make it break down by stressing it as much as possible with multiple I/Os, high sample rates, low buffers, etc., but no luck yet ;-)

It's just been doing what it needs to do and I've been happy with this quality product. Do remind me by PM, email, telephone or send somebody to kick me in the butt if I keep forgetting.

[Slug1]

Holger are you using it for pre-post monitoring offset. So monitor the original pre-processed signal through say the USB from your DAW and then use the router to monitor say your analog chain processed signal by flipping to monitoring the line input? You can reduce the volume of the processed signal by using the line in fader to match the levels with the USB input. This thing is really great for sure.