[Review] NOS DAC vs Meridian 203

NOS DAC vs Meridian 203

I have a DS NOS DAC v2 which I've been running for probably 6 months now. Love it.
Unfortunately I had a bit of an accident with it recently and smoked several of the internal components (please don't ask).

The result was that on a temporary basis, I've moved my Meridian 203 dac in place of the NOS. Prior to now, the 203 has been dealing with the optical output from my freeview box, and the stereo downmixed coax signal from my DVD player.

All other components are the same, ie. Meridian 500 transport, Evo2i amp, Impulse Lali speakers and coherrent system cables.

And the differences, well the 203 has a higher output, to the volume control is running a little lower, and the 203 has a slightly more defined treble region. Unfortunately, the 203 is frankly in different league for "believeability", getting absolutely no where near the NOS. The 203 sounds like almost any other CD player I've heard, i.e. a little "steely", almost as though the sound has been airbrushed (struggling to think of a better analogy).
The NOS was simply wonderfully natural and far more believeable as a result.

Just hoping that my NOS is repairable (Zanash is being a Saint in checking it at the moment).

 

which nos dac have you got, the clear perspex with the blue light?
been thinking of trying this out on mine, but cant demo one.
i`m using an meridian 206 as transport.

 

I used to have a translucent one from DS. That was replaced with the all black (v2), which IMO was a good deal better.

Trying to summarise it, assume that it's not as lively as almost any CDP you've come across, but far more natural, almost LP like.
For the cost, bit of a no brainer really.

 

NOS Dac

Just to give an alternative view. I had a Derek Shek NOS DAC (first version I think) opaque plastic and blue light. I ended up trying it in various setups, with different transports and could never settle with it. I found the sound smooth but vague, less detailed, and less dynamic than other DACs I use, and, ultimately, less musical. It kept getting relegated to reserve DAC after an ART Dio (full mensa mods), bog standard unmodded ART Dio, Superdac (unmodded), meridian 263.

I think this is worth mentioning to highlight that one man's hifi 'meat' is very much another's poison. What one hears as 'analogue' another may hear as vague, one man's sense of what is musically 'just right' may be interpreted by another as 'lacking in detail' and so on ad infinitum.

I would have thought the 263 sounded pretty much the same as a 203, yet I find, in the right system, this classic DAC will still hold its head up high against modern competition in the way it just 'makes music'.

 

CJM,

Good call, thanks for adding the balanced side of the discussion. I still sometimes wonder why so many of us do prefer different styles of presentation.
Another classic case of have a listen and see how you feel about it.

 

Hi there.

How do the 206 stucks up with relatively newer dac or source combination to your ears and exps ?
Thanks for answering .

 

I've noticed you can buy this one now -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/dice-DAC-Non-...9707690794QQcategoryZ3272QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

is this a direct upgrade from the v2? just this ios only 16bit...my dac is 24 which was updated from the 18bit x-act dac...

found this link to the v2 I believe -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/D-SHEK-Refere...9707822829QQcategoryZ3272QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem