Wyred 4 Sound (ESS Sabre) DAC

[dreamwhisper]

Looks like we're creeping closer to the release date, pre-orders being taken . . . Wyred 4 Sound DAC-1

It's weird that the picture on that site doesn't seem to show I2s input

The I2s ability (well, the chip too) are mainly what this DAC has going for me, BUT I've decided to take a different route to transmitting clock data and signal data simultaneously.

I am going to use the wordclock output from this piece of kit: (which integrates nicely with my DAW - Pro Tools)

http://www.auvisa.com/media/fotos/pro_2851_1.jpg

I'm going to use the wordclock output to feed the Logitech Transporter, which may not be the epitome of a DAC, but it will work nicely for my uses.

Apologies for jumping off the hype bandwagon so early in the running.

[valesina]

It's weird that the picture on that site doesn't seem to show I2s input

The I2s ability (well, the chip too) are mainly what this DAC has going for me, BUT I've decided to take a different route to transmitting clock data and signal data simultaneously.

I am going to use the wordclock output from this piece of kit: (which integrates nicely with my DAW - Pro Tools)

http://www.auvisa.com/media/fotos/pro_2851_1.jpg

I'm going to use the wordclock output to feed the Logitech Transporter, which may not be the epitome of a DAC, but it will work nicely for my uses.

Apologies for jumping off the hype bandwagon so early in the running.

Their current spec says 'I2S over HDMI', which is also missing from that picture! Then again, it does say that the pictures of of the prototype from the RMAF . . . I bet the final version will look a bit different from the rear.

[valesina]

If the UK price is 860, it looks like the $ cost will be less than 1K: bonus!

The DAC1 looks like it will be plain vanilla, and the DAC2 gets loaded with all the goodies:

Wyred 4 Sound Sabre DACs

[Salt Peanuts]

They're out.

DAC's - WYRED 4 SOUND

[minimus]

As I wroter earlier in this thread, I hated the Wyred 4 Sound amp I owned (and later sold).

The Wyred 4 Sound DAC2, however, has piqued my interest. For one, it seems that Cullen Circuits/Wyred 4 Sound does a lot of OEM digital design for better known companies, most notably PS Audio, so they may actually know what they are doing when it comes to digital.

The inclusion of an I2S/HDMI input on their DAC2 makes me think they are adopting the I2S/HDMI "solution" used in the Perfect Wave products and are trying to compete with the Perfect Wave DAC. I'm not sure why else they would offer this feature.

I am also impressed that the USB input on the DAC2 is asynchronous. This is presumably to compete with Wavelength and the Ayre QB-9. I am not sure how they are doing this, unless they licensed the technology from Gordon Rankin at Wavelength like Ayre did for the QB-9. Not even the Perfect Wave DAC offers asynchronous USB, but instead wants you to buy add on products (the PW Bridge, the PW Library...) to go the music server/computer-as-source route. Personally, an asynchronous USB DAC for use with a Mac mini is a whole lot simpler than the more complicated system that PS Audio is designing.

This feature set, of course, may be irrelevant if the DAC sounds crappy. We can expect Srajan Ebaen, the publisher of 6moons who seems to have a man crush on Rick Cullen, to weigh in with a glowing review any day now. I will wait for the impressions of actual owners to trickle in. But I suspect this thing will have FOTM status when it starts shipping in late April or May. Who knows, maybe it will even dethrone Audio-gd for a few days.

[Guest h.rav]

I have the DAC 2 on order, I'll post my impressions once I have played with it for a few days.

Just FYI, there is a preamp function in the DAC 2.

[Jon L]

We can expect Srajan Ebaen, the publisher of 6moons who seems to have a man crush on Rick Cullen, to weigh in with a glowing review any day now.

LOL. That's funny.

Seriously, I have asked W4S sound about their 24/192 (!) asynch USB, and they said they're not licensing it from Wavelength, which is limited to 96 kHz USB not 192. I'm guessing it's one of the 24/192 Chinese solutions (Musiland?).

[Asr]

$1.5K isn't a bad price for the DAC-2. The thing is feature-loaded - is there anything it doesn't have? I might buy one, not sure if I can swing it in time for CanJam though.

[aardvark baguette]

ESS Time Domain Jitter Eliminator

[Hopstretch]

It's moar referencey.

[minimus]

As a loyal customer who bought the Wyred 4 Sound ST-250 power amp, I received a friendly e-mail response from EJ Sarmento, one of the proprietors of W4S, to some questions about the DAC2.

He wrote that the DAC2's asynchronous USB was a "custom" solution that was not licensed from Wavelength, but USB through the DAC2 should sound as good as the Ayre QB-9.

He wrote that a system consisting of the W4S DAC2+PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport (connected via HDMI) will sound "as good or better than" the Perfect Wave DAC + Transport and that digital sources connected using S/PDIF will sound better through the DAC2 than through the Perfect Wave DAC.

So you get the QB-9 + Perfect Wave DAC all for only $1500. Sounds way to good to be true...

[n_maher]

So you get the QB-9 + Perfect Wave DAC all for only $1500. Sounds way to good to be true...

Did you expect that he'd tell you it wouldn't sound as good as the competition?

[The Monkey]

So you get the QB-9 + Perfect Wave DAC all for only $1500. Sounds way to good to be true...

That reminds me, I keep meaning to get the QB-9 to shove it inside the PWD.

[valesina]

As a loyal customer who bought the Wyred 4 Sound ST-250 power amp, I received a friendly e-mail response from EJ Sarmento, one of the proprietors of W4S, to some questions about the DAC2.

He wrote that the DAC2's asynchronous USB was a "custom" solution that was not licensed from Wavelength, but USB through the DAC2 should sound as good as the Ayre QB-9.

He wrote that a system consisting of the W4S DAC2+PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport (connected via HDMI) will sound "as good or better than" the Perfect Wave DAC + Transport and that digital sources connected using S/PDIF will sound better through the DAC2 than through the Perfect Wave DAC.

So you get the QB-9 + Perfect Wave DAC all for only $1500. Sounds way to good to be true...

It remains to be seen (heard?) how SPDIF vs USB compares: every DAC I've ever heard greatly favors one or the other . . . it's interesting that the designer refers to the SPDIF performance being that good . . .

Talking of caps, the DAC-2 also appears to have an upgraded power section in addition to smarter USB: Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2

[HDen]

Anybody see this, 6moons audio reviews: Wyred4Sound DAC2

[Jon L]

Anybody see this, 6moons audio reviews: Wyred4Sound DAC2

Saw that a while back; W4S keeps delaying the DAC-2 shipping date, though, currently on "5/14."

"There's further talk of Cullen Circuits modifying existing transports to add the HDMI/I

[dreamwhisper]

The DAC2 is $1.000 less and a full-featured DAC/preamp with every digital input in the book."

there's no wordclock in/out

[Eric5676]

I'm debating between either this or the Perfectwave DAC. I have a Cambridge 840c currently that I'm pretty happy with although it's starting to show me some signs that I need to maybe think about life after it. I have an Oppo BDP83 here and even an Onkyo DVSP1000 so I'm not going to be out of luck no matter what in terms of sources.

Getting the Oppo modded is yet another consideration. Hell, there's probably several considerations. Lots of choices!

Thoughts?

EDIT: Reason I'm considering this on my short list is, among other things, I've seen some surprising glowing feedback from some fairly high end types across a number of audio forums including Audio Circles, AVS, and some McIntosh friendly forum (way out of my league) among other things.

[The Monkey]

have you also considered the Neko D100? Just throwing it out there.

[Eric5676]

have you also considered the Neko D100? Just throwing it out there.

I've never heard of them (which doesn't mean much) but I looked that up and it certainly shapes up quite solidly with that hardware and all on paper. I wouldn't mind a few more inputs but overall that's pretty compelling. Pretty damned impressive the more I read up at that price point and all.

EDIT: Read your review, too. So what pushed you over the edge from something like the Neko to the big bad PWD?

[guzziguy]

Neko is a member here. Send him a PM with any questions you might have.

[The Monkey]

EDIT: Read your review, too. So what pushed you over the edge from something like the Neko to the big bad PWD?

Nothing other than the obsessive desire to foolishly part with money. The bridge seemed very desirable to me at the time--less so now.

Neko is a member here. Send him a PM with any questions you might have.

This and there might still be a loaner program.

[tyrion]

Since Sonic Studio is not cooperating and at my old age, my tolerance for not getting returned phone calls from people I want to give a decent amount of money to is not what it used to be I'm interested in this discussion. I think I can rulenout the Neko as it does not have volume control so, for the moment, the PWD and the Wyred 4 Sound are top of the list. The PWD gets the edge for the moment since I liked the one I owned before. I may just have to pickup the DAC 2 and try it out for 30 days. Anyonebknow if any of the dealers discount the DAC 2?

[Eric5676]

Since Sonic Studio is not cooperating and at my old age, my tolerance for not getting returned phone calls from people I want to give a decent amount of money to is not what it used to be I'm interested in this discussion. I think I can rulenout the Neko as it does not have volume control so, for the moment, the PWD and the Wyred 4 Sound are top of the list. The PWD gets the edge for the moment since I liked the one I owned before. I may just have to pickup the DAC 2 and try it out for 30 days. Anyonebknow if any of the dealers discount the DAC 2?

I'll be surprised if you find any dealers that discount off of Wyred's already pretty fair to arguably generous prices (IMO.)

Past that: You had the PWD before and didn't keep it. Why? And what's tempting you to get it again?

[adktitan]

. The bridge seemed very desirable to me at the time--less so now.

.

I've been looking long and hard at the PWD as well, and I think they are running the trade-in program again. Why is the bridge less desirable to you now? Just curious.