Another new DAC: Audio Mirror

Just wanted to share that another guest brought over his highly regarded DAC, retails for around 12K to compare to the AM 3 SE.  He was some what shocked how much more musical and engaging the Audio Mirror piece was then his DAC.

As grannyring has stated system synergy and personal taste must always be taken into account when trying to come to a conclusion about the performance of any piece of gear.  However, its pretty clear to me that the Audio Mirror is a very special DAC that offers so much at a very reasonable price.

Always nice to hear more positive outcomes for a dac you own. Thanks for the report @teajay

This DAC has really taken off.
If it had a volume control I'd be all over it.

I've had my Tubadour III for about 10 months. It has all the upgrades/updates of the SE except the new feet. It took me probably a few months to fully appreciate how good it really sounds. I think the break in took a very long time. I didn't pay attention to how many hours or how long it took. Now I don't even obsess about it. I just sit back and listen to the music. It's a great DAC that doesn't break the bank. Well done!

One of the reasons the new SE Audio Mirror DAC sounds so good is because it is naturally deep cryogenically treated during the winter months in Minnesota. I've heard rumors that each DAC spends 24 hours outside in the deep snow in -40 before it gets shipped to its customer. And if there are several hot days (i.e. -15F) in a row, shipments get delayed. 

HAHA...well done vassils...Like you I was one of the first to Jump on Vlads dac and had it upgraded to a different SE status...with the new power supply to the usb but went with the miflex Caps...and all the rest of the goodies...all i can say after owning the latest Yiggy 2 and the Holo Audio – Spring DAC – Level 3 / KTE...I would not ever go back to those very good Dacs...thats how much regard i have for Vlads SE Dac!...so anlog....detailed..ect..ect...TRUTH!!

Has anyone had to replace the tubes in your Tubadour dac?

It looks like the tubes don't have pins in the glass, just the bare wire sticking out, and need to be soldered to an adapter. I know other tubes can be used but gain goes up and sound quality, according to some, takes a hit. Seems like the original 5977 subminiature tubes are probably the best.

Any thoughts?

For my upcoming review for The Stereo Times website I went through extensive tube rolling with excellent NOS tubes to see If the Tubadour III SE performance could be enhanced, not just changed, to a higher level.  Well, Vlad was correct, the DAC performs at it's optimum level with the 5977, which for his taste sounded the best.  He was right!

I've tried several ECC88 tubes.They all sound good to me,just different from each other.One thing they have in common is there is a wider and taller soundstage.

" It looks like the tubes don't have pins in the glass, just the bare wire sticking out, and need to be soldered to an adapter."

When the 5977 tube needs changing does AM provide the tube/adapter , and/or is there an upfront option to buy a backup tube/adapter? 

Vlad has, builds sets of the 5977 tubes to just plug-in for replacement if needed. I actually asked him to send me a pair so I could experiment with other gear that uses 6922’s because of how terrific these mini tubes perform in the DAC.

Thanks teajay

Thank you teajay. I did buy a backup set of tubes that were already soldered to an adapter. 

I bought some 5977 tubes on Ebay even before I received my dac. I didn’t realizing what I was getting into with the bare tubes.

I was really interested in this Dac until I read somewhere that the tubes don’t last long, I planned to use the Dac with my tv as well as my Roon setup.
How many hours of tube life can one expect from this Dac? Even if I was not using it with my tv, I still listen for many hours at a time, often music is playing all weekend and week nights.

@gryphongryph 

Don't know what you read or are expecting , but here's what they say on the Audio Mirror website

"Expected tube life for 5977 subminiature tubes is  >5000 hrs."

@gryphongryph I also use mine as part of the television/ps4 system. Fortunately, the replacement tubes are cheap and plentiful. I wouldn't (and don't) stress about it.

Also, if you are feeling stressed about tube life, you could consider the ifi idsd pro. I preferred the audio mirror to it, but did enjoy the ifi as well. It has the option to run either tube-based or solid state output stages, so you could go to SS when not doing critical listening.

Interesting about the ifi 
Is it easy to replace the tubes in the mirror dac ?

Super easy, but you have to remove the top panel. I keep my T3 covered with the top panel, but not screwed down.

I just got this DAC the other day. Sounds very nice so far. Here is a little video I made showing it. https://youtu.be/wGURiUTsGXo

Hey everybody,

Just submitted my review on the III SE for Stereo Times website.  I'll let you all know when it will be published.  It was a fun review to do because its a great product!

Looking forward to it @teajay 

Hey Everybody,

My review on the Stereo Times website just went up this morning.  It shares all the details why I gave it a very big "thumbs up" and what it did in my system to earn this praise from me.

Hope you enjoy reading it.

@teajay Thanks for the great review TJ, and I agree with everything you mention in it... I love my Tubadour 3, and with the excellent service from Vlad, this DAC should be on anyone's short list of DACs to audition.  I also love the fact that you can "flavor" it to your specific tastes with rolling in any 6922 based pair of tubes into it.... 6922/7308/6DJ8s have such a variety of sonic flavors... 

Side note about Audio Mirror: I don't have the DAC, but do have the 45 Watt SET amps, and they are powerful, marvelous amps and Vlad B has provided me with top-notch service for years. He is a solid pro and gentleman.

Very positive review teajay.

@teajay

From the review ".... will out-perform many DACs that cost tremendous amounts more on the market today. "
Can you provide some specific insights on which DACs and in what areas the Tubadour SE will outperform them? The perspective would be helpful.

Hey facten,

As I mentioned in the review I have had many DACs that cost at least double the amount of the Audio Mirror piece in my system for review and the SE III out performed them in two key areas.  1) Spatial qualities like image palpability, air around each player, and a sense of space in the soundstage was superior compared to the other DACs.  2) Beautiful tonality, timbres, and colors that were more intense and real sounding to my ear then the other DACs.  

The Tubadour III SE presents a relaxing/flowing experience of the music compared to some of the other DACs that sounded very detailed, yet never let me connect with the music. 

Hey....How come i cant find it ?...i keep getting The stereo times...any help out there...Please and thank you!
Thank you for the link...Love Peace and Audio grease!!!

Here ya go. Thanks teajay 
http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/audio-mirror-tubadour-iii-se-nos-tube-dac-by-terry-london/

Nice review teajay!Glad to see this dac emerging from under the radar and getting some press.

@steakster  interesting possibility there with a 12au7 to 6922 adapter. I also thought about 6sn7 to 6922 adapters, but the tubes are place horizontally in the chassis, so there won’t be room for 6sn7s in there without being a bit creative. But the 12au7 with adapter may work! I already use 12au7s with my preamp, and have a few to play with... 

Just wanted to say I currently have a tricked out grannyring Orchid.... and next week I’ll have a AM III SE. so I’ll be able to compare them directly and let you know my thoughts

stay tuned 

I have a heavily modified Pagoda, so I would imagine there are many similarities between my DAC and your Orchid. I am very interested in your comparison because the Tubedour is high on my list to try.

Oz

Teary
IT would be helpful if you specified which dacs you were referring to....

Teary
IT would be helpful if you specified which dacs you were referring to....

I think you need to understand that there is a difference between a professional reviewer and just a forum member like you and me. 

A professional reviewer needs to be extremely careful when making statements that he liked the AM DAC more than a $25,000 DAC (let's call it DAC X). 

People have different tastes for everything. Take wine for example. I may like one type of wine best, and you may like something completely different. That does not mean that my wine is better than yours or yours is better than mine.

Same thing with DACs. Terry liked the AM DAC much more than anything else he has tried. And he said he has tried many. This is how his review started. Read the first two sentences. The second sentence says:

"They ranged in price from $1,200 up to $25,000, and came from such luminaries as Playback Design, Ensemble, Accustic Arts, Eximus, Esoteric, dCS, PS Audio, MSB, Lab 12, and Mhdt Labs, to mention a few."

I like the AM much more than many other DACs too. But that does not mean it is a DAC for everyone's taste. There will be people who would not like the AM DAC, and that is fine. 

But think about this - if Terry writes more specifically and says that he compared the $25,000 DAC X with the $2,500 AM DAC, and the AM was much better... well, who is going to buy or even consider DAC X for $25K? That would be an unnecessary reputation damage for DAC X. And just like my wine and your wine, DAC X might be (and probably is) perfect for someone else. 

Unlike people like me and you, Terry and other reviewers have to be careful what they are saying. There is a reason they compare products from the same class and not with devices ten times the price of the product they review. But Terry was nice enough to send a message out there. And we need to read between the lines. What I read between the lines is that Terry found the AM DAC to be very special, he liked it a lot, and for the relatively inexpensive price in today's hifi market it should be something that people consider auditioning. 

Ultimately, it is all about synergy and personal taste, and the only way to know if it is for you or not is to put one in your system and try it for yourself. But be careful, because it is addictive :). 

Great post.  Thank you.  

Yes, great post. The AM tubadour is addictive, a great addition to my system for all the reasons terry mentioned. 

This is still one of the better threads...

I recently upgraded my speakers, swapped an integrated for a preamp & power amp and swapped a SONOS Connect for a $3K streamer & DAC. 
All a major upgrade. For sure. But when you directly compare costs and what your ear is actually measuring you discover this is all more complicated than you first thought. Some music sounds so much better and some sounds just different and some not so great recordings actually sound worse. 

@vassils

I understand your post but I completely disagree. What we count on from honest reviewers is to report their findings honestly.

I DO NOT trust anyone's memory of how a $25,000 dac sounded last year at a show to a $2,500 dac recently experienced in their system. If, however, the reviewer prefers the sound of a $2,500 dac to a $25,000 dac and BOTH were compared side by side over a period of time in the exact same system, that is EXACTLY what we are all looking for.

If I ever found out that a reviewer chose to withhold that opinion because he/she was afraid they might affect someone's sales then that reviewer would be scratched off my credibility list. YMMV

I think you missed the larger point.  Perhaps read the post again as when all the dacs sound very good it often comes down to system synergy and sonic preferences.  

Vassillis

i respectfully and fully disagree with your post. I find it disingenuous when any reviewer professional or amateur refuses to name names and attempt direct comparison......sorry just my opinion.....

we all know that synergy, individual preferences and room and system dependence are important...but one can still make an educated opinion or statement brand v. brand...sorry but i think its a cop  out  ala the magazines refusing to do negative reviews....

Yes no disrespect to to Terry....just my opinion....

So to spin things a bit more positive...im looking for a dac. My short list is the following....anything else i should consider? Welcome suggestions, new or used 1.5K or much less. Preferably less than 1K

Audio mirror
Cherry Dac Dac
Border Patrol SE (used)

@kbuzz you should definitely add the MHDT Orchid stock or modded 
—————-

So I got my AMT 3 SE today.... let it play most of the day without any serious listening. Next changed around my configuration so I could have both the AM & Orchid connected at same time. Both being fed by my Lumin U1 Mini. AM over AES (audio sensibility statement SE) and Orchid over BNC (DH Labs Silversonic). Only problem is I have to manually change inputs. No remote. 

I also just ordered a SR Blue fuse for the AM cause it has every upgrade available except came with a standard fuse. 
I’m using a fully burned in HiFi Tuning Black Cooper fuse in the Orchid. So I’d like to wait for the blue fuse and get some more hours on the AM before I do a serious compare. 

But for the short time I spent tonight let’s just say the Orchid held it’s own very well. Also my orchid is one of @grannyring most heavily modified units. With these upgrades:
- output caps upgraded to Vcap Cutf .01uf and Vcap Odams 2.2uf (4 total)
- 4 large power supply caps upgraded to Mundorf Mlytic
- 8 diodes upgraded to Cree Schottky Diodes
- 10 Audio Note Kaisei caps throughout the unit 
- 13 resistors upgraded with a mix of Vishay Nude Z Foil, Audio Note Tantalum non-magnetic, Mills MRA and Shinkoh
- 4 SonicCap Gen 1 film caps
This should be fun

@kray 

Approximately how many hours do you have on the modded Orchid? What is the recommended break-in hours for the AM?

@facten the orchid was bills personal DAC and was told it should have 200+ hours on it. 
The AM I’m trying to ask the original owner if he can give me a guesstimate but originally said “it’s fully broke in”. I’ve heard the AM is good at around 300hrs especially with the duelunds. 

Has anyone compared the different inputs on the AM? USB vs AES or Coax?