DACing Off

[swt61]

Are Canadian opinions allowed? Just asking.

[Azazel]

Good review Monkey: the good, if short, double good

I have a Buffalo (not 32) and even after an overkill PSU (I use a Sigma22 for the IVY board) it has that 'laid back' quality, only that I like this , its smoothness and detail, a bit like I like my G08 player and a contrast to my DAC1 Benchy (modded with different coupling caps inside and less 'agressive', but it is how it is). One has the impression of the UDAC as it is close to the original Buffalo.

[Currawong]

A couple of interesting DACs and Luxman P-1 have arrived at Craig's so I'm seeking permission for an listening session over the weekend. If we get the go-ahead I shall report back with findings.

[dBel84]

I don't normally care for dac reviews, or many reviews in general but have to agree with the general sentiment that this is the sort of review I appreciate - no bs , just succinct subjectivity.

my view on dacs have changed over the past few years, I mostly considered them unnecessary as I was very happy with the sound of the CDP I had ( used PCM63 ) but a recent switch in players sent me looking for alternatives. I am curious to know where the assemblage line fits into these murky waters. I have the transdac and have NoNoNoNoNoNo's modded dac2.0 on loan..dB

[The Monkey]

I'm giving the Bryston another go. I think I gave up on it too quickly.

[Currawong]

falkon gave me permission to hijack his Assemblage DAC 3 he scored off Yahoo Auctions for the weekend before being sent on to him from Japan. I didn't know the specs of it, just wired it up into my Phoenix and a loaner Luxman P-1 with HD-800s. I thought it sounded either tubey or OPA627-y and was right, as the latter is indeed what is in the output stage. My Ref 1 bests it for detail and refinement, in the manner of solid-state vs. opamp. I reckon with some opamp rolling (OP27GP or HDAMs if they fit come to mind, as I haven't tried the AD singles yet) it could be easily improved. Besides that, it's lovely and smooth in stock form, if a bit too smooth for my tastes.

Next up is a Marantz Project D-1, a 2x TDA1541-S2 (Double Crown) beast with 7 inputs that competes with the Nakamichi Dragon for the DAC that is the most insanely heavy (I haven't come across an old Mark Levinson yet though). Vs the Assemblage, I thought there was a bit more detail and refinement, but some emphasis on sibilance on the odd Jeff Buckley track suggested it might be partly down to a slight boost in the upper mids. The overall feeling was the music was more "we aim for technical perfection"-sounding, yet quite natural in a way I usually expect from BB R2R DACs. This feeling may as much be attributed to the warmth of the DAC 3 in comparison though.

[Pars]

<snip>

Next up is a Marantz Project D-1, a 2x TDA1541-S2 (Double Crown) beast with 7 inputs that competes with the Nakamichi Dragon for the DAC that is the most insanely heavy (I haven't come across an old Mark Levinson yet though). <snip>

Good. So when you decide it sucks, send the two TDA1541A-S2s to me and I'll send you some plain that you can stick in it before you get rid of it

[The Monkey]

Next up is a Marantz Project D-1, a 2x TDA1541-S2 (Double Crown) beast with 7 inputs that competes with the Nakamichi Dragon for the DAC that is the most insanely heavy (I haven't come across an old Mark Levinson yet though).

Meh, that D1 is 17kg from the specs I found. I consider that a portable.

[Currawong]

I did a D-1 vs. Ref 1 today, and I thought there was slightly more air in the treble with the Ref 1, but I reckon there's almost nothing in it between them going to HD-800s via the Phoenix. I could switch cables and make more of a difference, for example. I regret I can't use O2s for comparisons at the moment, which might reveal more.

[The Monkey]

Curra, do you have a preference yet?

[swt61]

Curra, do you have a preference yet?

I think it's still women, but don't give up.

[Currawong]

HF-2 baby is my preference.

I'd still like to try a Parasound 1100HD, Esoteric D-05 and a Buffalo, not that I'm unhappy with the Ref 1, but I'm curious as to the differences.

[mjb]

has anyone tried/heard one of the audio note dacs (2.x and up)? they're supposed to be amazing... and a 2.x signature just went for a pittance on agon...

mjb

[dreamwhisper]

HF-2 baby is my preference.

I'd still like to try a Parasound 1100HD, Esoteric D-05 and a Buffalo, not that I'm unhappy with the Ref 1, but I'm curious as to the differences.

Don't be afraid to try a Parasound 1000HD.

According to Icarium they sound better than 1100hd unmodded, and are cheaper on the used market.

Also they were, until just recently, more easy to find as well.

Then there's the balanced 1500,1600 also.

Go ahead and buy one of those as well, but if you do you're better off just selling it to me.

I hear they suck...

[moray james]

Hey guys there is a sweet deal right here on this forum, Deepak is selling his Meitner Melior Bitstream convertor (The Bit Box) asking $450.00. Send the unit to John Wright of Museatex and he will upgrade it for you for $550.00. For less than the cost of a Benchmark you will hace a DAC which will out sing all but a few Bidats out there. Last christmas Romy the cat sold one of John's Bidats for just under $6K and the most recent bit box is a better sounding unit. The price is right and you are supporting your own forum members.

[Azazel]

This particular Bitstream unit is one of the first,'made in Canada', units iirc: no need to upgrade (no leaky caps etc). So, yes, it is a good deal

[Hopstretch]

Just started listening to the Aragon DAC that arrived in the mail today. Feeding it HDCDs from the iMac via Toslink right now to very pleasing effect. As a 19" rack unit, it's not really a viable desktop piece, but here it is crammed in and adding yet another color to my LED rainbow.

[VPI]

DAC fever is spreading around here.

I am buying a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC and Audio Research DAC 7 today for round two of my Squeezebox DAC challenge. The Weiss DAC2 is leading at the moment but I think when these guys get into the house it will fall and become a meet source only.

[Hopstretch]

I am buying a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC and Audio Research DAC 7 today for round two of my Squeezebox DAC challenge. The Weiss DAC2 is leading at the moment but I think when these guys get into the house it will fall and become a meet source only.

Whoa. Go big or go home!

[atothex]

Report on the Aragon plz.

[The Monkey]

I like stretch's house.

[feckn_eejit]

I hate DACing off.

So this morning I decided I'd throw the D1 into my desktop rig, and I proceeded to fall back in love with it as it warmed up...

So I figured I'd warm up the SFD-2 Mk.III and swap it in, and I'd remember why the D1 is the DAC I'm selling, since it was clearly preferred in the Big Rig with either the Maggie MG-IIIas, or ESC-1001--->SR-X Mk.III/Pro.

Fuck.

D1 smokes the SF running unbalanced into a Grate-oh RA1/RS1 rig.

Points for the SF:

-headstage slightly smaller but sense of "size" or "air" around instruments considerably superior... can hear the walls of the room... how far a mic is away from an instrument... that kind of shit, this is why I loved it on the Maggies...

-absolute resolution is a couple notches better. stuff that's really buried in the mix is just so obviously there... another thing i loved about it in the big rig

however...

-bass hugely inferior. slow, fat, bloaty, doesn't extend as deep, midbass boomy in comparison to D1.

-PRaT gone compared to D1... i have been air-instrumenting and totally into it all morning with the D1. immediately gone with the SF.

-while the SF sounds more "laid back" overall, somehow it isn't as smooth/clean sounding as the D1... i.e. it's super fun to crank the volume with the D1 and is never painful, while the SF becomes brutal to listen to above medium volume.

ah system matching...

of course, the natural solution is to spend the money i get selling the D1 modding the SF!

otoh i am not using the companion D2D-1 at the moment and may have to go grab it from the big rig to see if it improves things for the SF...

[ktm]

Just started listening to the Aragon DAC that arrived in the mail today. Feeding it HDCDs from the iMac via Toslink right now to very pleasing effect. As a 19" rack unit, it's not really a viable desktop piece, but here it is crammed in and adding yet another color to my LED rainbow.

D2A2? I had one in my hands about three years ago, and stupidly didn't buy it.

[swt61]

I like stretch's house.

If he drags his heals on the linoleum, would those be considered stretch marks?

Little questions to ponder. \

[Duggeh]

Modded Sony DAS-R1 in the house.

Why do I seem to manage to find the sellers who are incapable of properly packing items?

Box was too small for this sort of item. And a poor box. And it wasn't even properly filled with bubblewrap so the unit bounced back and forth inside.

Fucking numpties.

That second crown doesn't look identical to the first one either. Anyone got an image they know for certain to be a real 2 crown? I found these:

Which certainly indicate that the chips in mine are fakes.

Edited October 2, 2009 by Duggeh