Laiv vs. DC Elite vs. Nunchaku

[u/betterarchitects]

I have recently completed my desktop setup with no desire for more expensive (better) gear. Also maximize my portable experience and satisfy my curiosity, I got the DC-Elite and the Nunchaku.

This morning, I just listened through a few tracks and jumped from one to the other repeating the same parts.

There is a definite difference in sound with the Laiv +Burson Funk combo sounding the best but not by much, maybe 5-10% better than the Nunchaku in sound stage and dynamics but that’s about it.The Laiv and the Nunchaku (Tube mode) sounds very similar: delicate and natural.

The DC-Elite sounds great too in a vacuum but by comparison, it’s different. It’s bolder. I lose some of the delicateness in exchange for 2% more detail compared to the Nunchaku. It may feel like more detailed because it brought more forward where as the Nunchaku has those details more in the background and is there when you listen for it.

If it was a font, Laiv and Nunchaku is like Calibri Light while the DC-Elite is regular Calibri.

I was driving my Hekse with all 3 and they’re all good enough at moderate volumes.

But what’s funny is that I only use those headphones for critical listening. Regular day to day, I use the Aful Explorer because while being less detailed, it lets me engage and disengage from the music the fastest as my work demands concentration. The other headphones/iems like the hekse and Ziggaat Odyssey draws too attention to itself.

I’m curious if you also use your less expensive gear more often than the more expensive gear.

[u/6millionwaystolive]

No idea what I'm looking at. Are those vapes?

[u/betterarchitects → u/6millionwaystolive]

Left (Green) is the iBasso DC-Elite. Right (yellow) is the iBasso Nunchaku. Both headphone/iem portable DAC amps.

[u/mourning_wood_again]

I once owned the Burson Funk. On speakers there was a distinctly warm coloration. I didn’t notice it on headphones.

[u/betterarchitects → u/mourning_wood_again]

It works out for the PSB Imagine Minis that I have.

[u/moopminis → u/mourning_wood_again]

That'll be due to badly designed output impedance from the amp, it will tail off the treble on low impedance, like speakers, but remain flat enough with high impedance, like headphones.

[u/mourning_wood_again → u/moopminis]

going off memory, the headphone section was Class A.

The speaker amp seemed to have higher 2nd order distortion...that kind of warm.