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@deep_333  I take it you have heard this DAC, by the comments you made.

I just purchased the Galle dac after hearing it in my system. No, other $3000 dacs are not 99% as good. My goodness folks, please post here based on your actual experience with the Cinnamon Galle dac. My favorite two dacs up until this point have been the Tron Atlantic Signature and Mojo Audio Evo Pro with all possible upgrades. These dacs cost $12-$15,000 and are outstanding. The Galle just pleased my soul even more. Considerably more. This is a very special dac folks. One of those special pieces that one just can’t forget about after hearing.

Yes, you can buy some wonderful sounding dacs for $3500 and up.  No doubt about it! However, dacs such as the Galle can certainly deliver far more realism and can be actually be worth the price in the right system and with the right person.  Great big audio world out there! 

The Cinnamon Galle dac will be at Capital Audio fest. The importer/dealer Colin of Gestalt Audio Design has two rooms #653 & #325. The dac will be in one of these rooms and most likely room #653. These rooms will include products from Cinnamon, Wolf Von Langa and some other interesting companies.

 other $3000 dacs are not 99% as good. My goodness folks, please post here based on your actual experience with the Cinnamon Galle dac

+1 , although my wallet wishes otherwise.  While there have been many fantastic sounding DACs <5k in the past few years, sonic improvements can be easily heard at higher quality/engineered/prices gear.  Like all things high-end audio, diminishing returns is the norm BUT the “99%” comment is baselessly incorrect.

I have a sonic high quality analog rig so needed a high sonic DAC good enough so that the digital side won’t sound like a letdown.  

@lalitk - I’m on the west coast, Silicon Valley - so Capital Audio Fest not on my radar.  Being on the west coast I checked out T.H.E. show, Pacific Audio Fest, in addition to AXPONA and the late RMAF.Thanks for the suggestion

@kennyc 

I hope to catch up with you at AXPONA 2025. 

@grannyring 

Thanks for posting your impressions! 

@grannyring Great to hear your review of the Cinnamon Galle DAC. I also have the Mojo Audio Evo Pro DAC for the past 3 years and have enjoyed it very much. I started getting fixated on the Playback Designs Dream DAC, but in the meantime I tried out some more expensive DACs including the Weiss Helios ($22k) and the Grimm 2 (with streamer built in). Both sounded good in my system, particularly the Weiss but I wasn't sure the difference in sound was worth the investment over the Mojo Evo, which really does sound pretty damn good. The thing that has intrigued me about the Playback Designs is how people, particularly those with extremely high end analog and even super expensive digital systems consistently rave about the PBD's musicality. I've been talking to Colin about the Cinnamon Galle and he has offered to send one to audition. However, I wanted to wait until I was really  ready to purchase something. although if I really liked it, I'd probably find a way! (Recently got a new TREK Madone bicycle that cost the same as the Galle so need to let the dust settle on that purchase).

I don't know if you still have your Mojo, but do you have a sense of the differences in sound with the Galle? The Mojo Evo Pro is a very nice DAC and I am very happy with it. ,At this point I don't want to buy a DAC that is a stepping stone to top end and would rather wait a while to get something like the PBD. BUt if the Galle is a transformative change I would be very interested in moving forward with auditioning and possibly purchasing it. As others have said, Colin at Gestalt has an impeccable ability to select superbly musical components and reading your comments as well as others' here so I suspect that this is a very special component. 

Apparently Cinnamon is coming out with a new DAC called the model II that is a two box (rectangular in shape) affair sporting some new tech/implementation. No info on price that I saw.

@hchilcoat 

I directly compared the Cinnamon Galle dac to my Tron Atlantic Signature dac.  I could not get past how much I enjoyed listening to the Galle.  It just made music with a realism and muscularity that captured me completely. I wanted Colin to leave the Galle in my system and wanted to buy it on the spot.  
 

This is saying a lot because I loved my Tron dac.  The Tron bested the Mojo Pro dac pretty obviously to my ears in my system.  That gives you a sense on how good I think the Galle is. 

The new Galle II is an absolute beast of a dac costing more than 2x the regular Galle dac. It has some 2 farads of filtering capacitance! Yes, you read that right. This is 2,000,000 uf of capacitance 😳

You can read about it on the Cinnamon site

Where did this company come from?  I was extremely impressed with their open baffle speaker system.  They seemed to have popped into existence with a wide range of product which includes both electronics and speakers.

Sorry Agoners seems I made a mistake.  The Galle ll dac has 2000 farads of filter capacitance, not 2.   That means 2,000,000,000 uf ! 

2 BILLION farads...? Does that even make sense? I cannot imagine the need/benefit. Grannyring, can you help me understand the significance of this seemingly over-the-top specification from a functional point of view. I'd think you'd need a chassis the size of a snooker table to mount all those caps in.

“2 BILLION farads...?”

That’s an extraordinary amount of filter capacitance for a DAC—2,000 farads. Such a massive power reserve would have a significant impact on the DAC’s ability to maintain stable performance under varying load conditions. Massive power reserves ensures ultra-clean power delivery to the critical digital and analog sections, minimizing noise and ripple while improving dynamics, transient response and overall sound quality.

Typically this level of capacitance is found in high-end power amplifiers rather than DACs, making the Galle II design quite unconventional. How does this sheer overkill in capacitance translate to real-world performance…only time will tell!

@grannyring - I am pretty sure that's 2000 MICRO farads. 

Don’t mean to nitpick, but the manual states "just short" of 2 billion micro farads.

"The Model II is the answer to a persisting question: what happens as power delivery approaches perfection?

The Model II physically separates the power supply, uses three custom transformers to feed three individual power channels, and employs just short of two thousand Farad of filtering capacitance. That is over two-hundred thousand times the usual values used for these voltages. While the care in implementation needs to be great, the result is a better, cleaner window into the music."

A Coda 16 has 280,000 micro farads of capacitance, and it supplies 100 amps of current-per channel. In bridged mode it provides 600 watts. Seems rather excessive for a DAC to need 7,000 times this amount, unless there is typo? But what do I know about designing hifi? (don’t answer that)

I hope it utilizes bleeder resistors; it would be unpleasant to be vaporized when poking around inside something like that.

This Galle DAC is certainly interesting (both Mk I and II), and cool looking in a retro/deco Fleetwood Sound or Fern & Roby sort of way. I suspect it may look even better in person.

I will be interested to hear what the initial reviewers think of it. There is certainly a lot of money invested in the casework and I am always a little suspect until I can actually see the insides of something - I should probably live in Missouri.

I still haven’t heard anything that makes me want to replace my Mojo Audio X SE with nano-crystalline chokes and AD-1862N-Z chips, including the Tambaqui or the Merason DAC1 MkII. Totaldac is on my list to try if I get the chance but I will wait on considering the Galle until more information comes out.

@mikhailark

Not a typo or mistake. It is part of the design. Just under 2000 farads. Other design features of both models are on the website.

Cinnamon is not likely to show internal pics as they are trying to protect some innovation under the hood. Both models do not have a conventional analog stage, but rather use a more direct output method.  
 

@mitch2

I read your 6 dac review thread and you did a wonderful job! I also owned the Mojo Audio Evo Pro which Ben helped me upgrade it with all possible upgrades. I did most of the upgrade work including installing Belleson Op amps, Lundahl amorphous chokes, better internal wire, additional shielding/dampening and other bits. Ben makes fantastic dacs and the Evo Pro is one example.

I thought it was going to be my last dac as it sounded so natural, unforced and has that wonderful bottom up sound with great body, foundation and fullness. Many good dacs can’t match the Evo Pro in that last area.

Then I listened to the Tron Atlantic Signature dac and it was the first dac that moved me even more than the Evo Pro. Improved realism and a purity of sound that the Evo Pro could not match. The Tron had me and my wife in tears as it emotionally connected to some of our favorite music in a special way. I purchased the Tron🙂.

As an FYI, I also had the Merason Dac 1 mkII for in home audition, but preferred the Evo Pro slightly.

When we heard the Cinnamon Galle dac we were smitten. It elevated my digital front end in ways that surprised me. The Galle is the rightest sounding digital piece I have ever heard. You find yourself listening with the heart and turning off your mind. No more listening for this or that audiophile sound adjective. The music sounded so real and enjoyable. No matter how loud or how mediocre the recording, we found ourselves relaxing into the music and hearing many recordings for the first time. The mighty Tron was unseated and we could not go back. My wife knew what we spent to get that Tron dac and she knew the price of the Galle, however she said the Galle is just too special to ignore. We purchased the Galle 🙂.

@lalitk

Good response on the benefits of copious amounts of filter capacitance. I will also add that the 2000 farads of filtering capacitance is not the only trick used in the separate power supply. It also uses three high quality and well shielded power transformers to feed the power needs of the dac. Each power feed is separated including its own umbilical feed into the dac.

Power supplies greatly impact the sound of a dac. A great power supply can eliminate noise and artifacts that steal realism. All that filter capacitance helps eliminate noise!

If you do a search on Supercapacitors/Ultracapacitors which are used in the Galle Model II, then you will learn that the uf values are much higher than conventional capacitors. They have much lower voltage ratings however.   Not a problem in a non-tube dac as voltage requirements are around 3.3v to under 20V max.  

The chassis is also an important part of the design and overall sound. Cinnamon went to great lengths to eliminate noise and artifacts introduced by vibration and other external forces like EMI/RFI.

I have not heard the Galle Model II, but plan to shortly! Not in my home, but in Colin’s listening studio. The standard Galle is all this Audiophile will ever need or want. Sure Bill. Ha!

@grannyring - The Mystique X SE with Lundahl nano-crystalline chokes and AD-1862N-Z chips, that I also have here, is mostly better than the EVO Pro. However, I am typically interested in new stuff that may sound better, so I will keep my ears open to hear more about the Galle. I am curious, have you heard/compared a Totaldac in your system?

I have not heard or compared the Totaldac. Which model are you interested in as they seem to offer many levels?

@grannyring

I completely understand Galle II DAC’s design philosophy extends far beyond mere capacitance into a holistic approach to noise elimination and sound purity. When I auditioned 3 chassis stack of Merging Technologies which included a DAC, Power Supply and Clock; I couldn’t believe the impact of a separate power supply and a master clock. I have yet to hear another DAC that can rival Merging’s transparency, realism and natural sound.

With Galle Model II, the separation of power feeds with individual shielded transformers and dedicated umbilicals is particularly noteworthy and this kind of approach further minimizes cross-contamination between circuits, allowing the digital and analog sections to operate independently at their peak performance. This is a design clearly reserved for only the most uncompromising audio equipment.

Good luck with the audition!

@lalitk

I am waiting for my Galle to deliver and am so looking forward to it. It will be fun to hear the Model II!

What is the retail selling price of the Merging Tech stack?

@grannyring

The retail on Merging stack was $45K. They are no longer available as Merging went back to its Pro Audio roots and the original NADAC and Clock pieces are now further enhanced and being available through new parent company called Master Fidelity.

https://www.master-fidelity.com

I own a Merging +player version that employs Ravenna protocol. This approach is particularly impressive as it ensures low-latency, high-bandwidth audio streaming, which is rare even among high-end consumer audio gear. Pairing that with support for DSD256 files and its onboard Roon endpoint/server makes it an elegant and straightforward solution for digital streaming. Merging +player perfectly aligns with my preferences and listening priorities. 

When everything in the system clicks, both technically and musically—it creates a connection to the music that’s hard to replicate. Finding that balance where speed, transparency and synergy come together is no small feat. 

@grannyring I guess something like this https://jypwr.com/products/jy-power-nxt-2kf-2000-farad-hybrid-capacitor 

How do you compare it to Denafrips Terminator? Same tech and parts.

@lalitk thank you for the information.  Interesting on the new parent company Master Fidelity also.  Great digital front end! 

@mikhailark seems like this newer Supercapacitor technology has a lot to offer. I plan to read more about it as I find it interesting. Never heard the Terminator dac, but know it is well reviewed. 

An innovative design concept! I've never seen a DAC made of concrete before—it should block all nuclear radiation and deliver exceptional sound quality. All of this for $1,299.90? An unbelievable price! We should definitely give it a try. Does the company offer a free home audition? I hope Stereophile gives it a listen first.

The price is $13k, but I think a price increase has come or is coming.  The chassis material is not concrete or stone, it is sand-cast aluminum.  It looks like natural stone however.  

“All of this for $1,299.90? ”
They wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand at that price but wait, they will probably go bankrupt before they could fill all the orders 🤣

@grannyring - Probably d1-Unity at $11,500 euros, maybe with the live power upgrade but that seems expensive for the modest improvement described in Lavorgna’s TM review.  I would have interest in used units except he changes designs so much that I would worry about obsolescence.   Also, I am not thrilled about the low output voltage of the former models.  Most of their current models output a more reasonable 3.5v/7v rms into rca/XLR.  Also, seems to be a somewhat subdued market for them here in the USA.

Well, it took me a full day to catch the error in my previous post. It was supposed to read 2 BILLION micro farads, not 2 Billion farads. That's still a piss pot full of farads and I have never heard of any other audio component sporting anywhere near that level of spec. Possibly the Pivetta Opera 20,000 watt amp or some such might but it is beyond me.

@mitch2 i just read the TM review of the D1-Unity dac and I am sure it is a beautiful sounding piece. I have always been aware of this company and their dacs, but never took a deeper dive for some unknown reason. Love to compare this dac to the Galle. Both are about the same price and seem focused on similar sonic goals.

If you have the money it’s now a good time to have plenty of choices of DACs. 

@grannyring Thank you for your response re:Mojo EVO. I’ll definitely have to audition the Cinnamon.

Vlad from Audio mirror is having a DAC sale on his Trobadour V . Check it out. If you can’t afford Galle .