My DAC adventures begin!

I took home today, a Chord DAC64 lent to me by the kind folk at Rochester Hi-Fi.

It is a month run in already so I don't need to worry about that

I have been listening to it for most of this evening and so far there have been some very interesting results! I am not going to say what yet, but it is very interesting indeed.

Oh, the power supply seems to make a high pitched noise. Is this normal for the DAC64? It has been on for 5 hours and has not gone away.

 

High pitched noise? didn't get that on mine.

If you are ever running the Behringer Auto-EQ through the DAC64.... remember to set the buffer to no delay, or very odd results may follow!

 

alanbeeb - just out of interest - what are you currently running as a digi front end(s)?

 

Well, it is audible from the transformer very slightly (has got better over time) but there is actually a high pitched noise on the RCA outs as well. I am using the XLR outputs because it is not there on these.

I always EQ by hand, and already have it set up for my room, so no problems there. Thanks for the reminder though.

Are you using a DAC64 full time in your system then?

 

If you fancy a listen to a valve dac, you're welcome to try my CAL Alpha.

Jeff

 

So the pendulum has swung back. I remember about a year ago when michaelab's DAC64 was ousted by a wee NOS DAC. Curiouser and curiouser.

 

I used to have a Chord Dac64, and I still think its a superb DAC even though I sold it on, it has a powerful invigorating sound and gets the music out into the room with you.

Unfortunately I found myself with a surfeit of DACs at the end of 2004 and I had to sell one... and the well-reputed Dac64 was the one that sold easiest.

I'm now using a Marantz SA-11s1 as my only source.... I have a lot of classical SACDs so its a valid format for me, and its the first SACD player I've had that I don't find has weaknesses with redbook CD.

However... now using a Behringer DEQ2496 for room correction and it has made a huge difference to my system, especially when playing the big orchestral and accoustic stuff that is my meat and drink. So very much thinking of using a 24/96 capable DAC on the Behringer to see how much improvement can be made on its internal DAC.

P.S. I too have tried the NOS DAC... its incredibly good for the money.... but no way could I agree its better than the DAC64.

 

I have not had or tried a NOS and I am only borrowing the DAC64 with the plan to try a few other DACs as well and pick the better of them. I think Michael is still using a NOS?

 

Personally, I'd stick with a one box player. IMO a good one box player outperfoms transport/dac combinations and is a lot less hassle.

 

AB - I believe you had a CD7 for a while. How would you compare the SA-11s1 with that regards redbook?

 

Difficult to say - there were more than 12 months between the CD7's departure and the arrival of the SA-11s1, so didn't compare them and not sure how good my memory of the CD7's sound is.

However, I'm not sure that the CD7 is the greatest player ever made and while it was very good I think that some more modern players and dacs outclass it, and there's a lot of rose-tinted thinking that goes alongside its reputation. Of other players I've heard I'd want another listen to the Meridian G08, and a good transport with the DAC64 and other DACS before going back to the CD7.

From what I can remember, I think the SA-11 and CD-7 have a similar redbook sound (and I think this was one of KI's goals with the SA-11).

I think the SA-11's redbook sound would be improved by the use of a very good offboard DAC, its not quite as organic sounding as the Electrocompaniet ECD-1 or as propulsive as the DAC64.... but still ahead of every other SACD player by a long way.

I've tried the NOS DAC on it.... it was not an improvement, it was good but the SA-11 by itself won by a narrow margin.

 

The SA-11s1 seems very good value. I tend to agree with Robbo in as much as I would, ideally, like to stick with one box and it must be able to play SACDs.

I've got a Derek Shek NOS DAC which I like, though I dont have the matching power supply. I quite like the notion of the SA-11s1 from what I've seen and the price compounds the appeal.

 

Greg,

Would you liked to try a tweekd version of the NOS dac, I'm curently building a psu for it, your welcome to borrow it sir, see how it fairs

 

Tony - Sounds good, you're a gent. So by tweaked do you mean the tweak is the PSU?

 

If you find one Alan, do let me know. IME, and to my ears, the G08 and Dac 64 don't even come close (and I have used them in my system). Indeed the G08 was so poor I refused to let anyone hear it!!

 

What didn't you like about the DAC64 Mike? (and don't say everything )

 

Do you know, it's nearly two years ago now and I don't remember! Seriously, I found it to sound rather synthetic to my ears, a certain something that characterises the majority of red book players IMO. It certainly did a good job of presenting dynamics and spatial clues, it just didn't fool me in the way some players can.

If the Chord was in the end unnatural yet lively, the Meridian tried so hard to be natural that it ended up removing what for me is an equally important piece of the whole, the drive and flow. Bored me to tears, fat preferred the G06, but even that has it's failings.

I bought the CD7 after trying out a very large number of current players. I would be interested in home trialling the Burmester 001 as well as the new Wadias, the 781i and the 581. But I'm not in any hurry.

 

Mike - have you auditioned the SA-11s1? (too many bloody 1's btw)

 

Greg,

I've tweeked the Dac first (drags the performance up well), and the psu as well. T.

 

I'm not aware of Wadias 781i and 581. I only know of the 921/931 announced on their website. Can you tell me more?