DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend

Today I had a visit from Peter and Karl of Vu Jade.  The brought their DAC 100 which retails for $12K and is a two chassis tube DAC.  They also offer a single chassis, delta-sigma DAC using 6SN7s and is one I am looking forward to hearing.  

After a variety of issues, (poor contact on an SPDIF cable, failure of a pair of my RCAs and me forgetting to switch Ethernet cable to the 2Go/2Yu) we were finally ready to listen.  Good news is the DAC had plenty of time to warm up.  

At this price point, I expect minimal compromise and the Vu Jade delivered.  There is still a little bit of a trade in terms of detail vs. soundstage and imaging but that tradeoff is not unreasonable or out of line with similarly priced DACs.  It is close to as detailed as the Bricasti M1 SE if not as detailed.  It's image is as large.  Depth is excellent and the image is incredibly stable. Not quite as detailed and controlled as the Rockna or Weiss but this was not surprising.  

What it delivers is PRaT.  Punchy mid-bass and mids that shine like the sun.  It is not bloated.  It is not lean.  Nor is it overly warm.  I thoroughly enjoyed this playing In a Sentimental Mood as the saxophone was sweet and the piano sparkled.  It made Anette Askvik's voice sounded incredible during Liberty.  There was no sibilance in Sting's voice or during Liberty.  It was incredibly quiet and delivered good detail in the opening of Duende and the ending sounded unified and extremely coherent. 

However, it sounded big and slightly colored to me on strings. The intimacy of the Berg piece was lost slightly though there was no smearing or massing of strings.  If I was a Classical junkie, I might look for slightly brighter speakers (Vivid Giyas, Avantgardes???) and/or a slightly brighter amp to pair with this DAC.  The AVM is known for being neutral to warm.
This DAC is quite at home in its price and delivers a very analog sound.  

Note: for this test we used an Audioquest Yosemite RCAs as we were getting static from the pair of AQ Water RCA cables I have used previously. The Vu Jade does not have a USB in so we used a Jorma SPDIF.  

On a pure spec basis, the Bricasti is only capable of DSD 256 which would make it technically inferior to the other 3 which are capable of DSD 512. The PS Audio DSD just arrived and is as limited.

I do like the Audiobyte which has a pure DSD setting that bypasses any extra internal processing. It does only work as a DAC this way and the volume control and headphone amp are turned off. It also is only available via USB and /or I2S inputs.

That mode would give it an edge vs the other two (TT2 and Wavelight) for that reason.

PS Audio DSD is in and tested.  This is by far the oldest tech tested and in the end, it is very obvious why this unit is well liked.  

The tonal profile is flat.  Not bright, not warm.  Not lean.  Not bloated.  What it lacks is detail and a deep central image.  It has a very wide soundstage and a certain sweetness that is quite enjoyable.  

Separation on the drum roll in In a Sentimental Mood, chimes and bells in Be Still My Beating heart and the opening of Duende lacked separation compared even to the least detailed units in its price class. 

For those obsessed with detail, this is not for you.  And you will see this criticism from some.  Look to the TT2 or Audiobyte in this price class.  Weiss, Chord Dave or Rockna in the price tier above.  If you are just looking for a fun sounding, enjoyable unit that does a lot well...this is a good choice. 

At the full price today of $6K ($6.9K) w/ bridge II, this is a nice sounding DAC but I think newer tech has leapfrogged it.  The unit was introduced in 2014.  I think the Bricasti M3 is more detailed, has a better central image, is equally wide and is similarly priced.  For a touch more, the Wavelight with a Bricasti M5 would best it easily in terms of detail and soundstage.  

However, at $3K w/o bridge, $3600 w/bridge in the used market, this is a strong value.  

@georghifi.  I thought I mentioned that the Vu Jade was an R2R.  Definitely a good
sounding unit.

@treebeard1  the M3 will be a noticeable step up and will have similar musicality as the PS Audio.  It feels like a natural step forward.  
@milpai the Audiobyte and Bricasti both do pure DSD.  I can lend you either.  My M3 is off at a customer until their order arrives so It would be maybe 10 days.  The Audiobyte could be shipped tomorrow.  The TT2 is excellent but yes, it leans a bit cold.  

@georgehifi.  Not an intentional omission.  Thanks for catching.

@jjss49 i very much want to know your thoughts on this.  Thank you for sharing.  

Hugo 2 vs. the internal DAC card on the AVM Evolution A5.2 Integrated.  

At first I thought this was an unfair comparison.  A $2500 DAC/ headphone amp vs. an $800 card.  Take away the headphone amp and battery and the Hugo 2 is basically a Qutest.  No need for a case and power supply....strong potential these would be pretty comparable.  I was correct.  They are two very different sounding DACs but in many ways are quite comparable. 

This is by far the hardest portion of this to write.  I wish I would not have listened to the better DACs before writing it.  All DACs in the price tier above (~$5K) are better in every way.  It doesn't make them bad.  Just not as good as the units that are 2x-6x the price.   

The Hugo 2 is a DAC I use for lots of stuff because of its mobility and connectivity but other than with headphones, I rarely listen to it critically.  The immediate thing you notice is stable and clear.  It is centered but did not extend beyond the speakers.  This is not a bass heavy DAC(this does not show up with headphones) and this is what creates the perception that it can be a hair bright.  Instrument separation is good.  Some massing of string in particularly challenging parts of the Berg piece and the opening of Duende was a challenge but overall, detail is a strength for this DAC.

The AVM is the opposite.  It had a lush central image with an emphasis on bass that creates a perceived warmth.  The image also did not extend beyond the speakers but it was more layered and delivered more of an experience.  Detail is not a strength.  Strings massed during more challenging parts of the Berg piece and the opening of Duende was a struggle.   Expectations though with AVM are that it will have a richer, warmer sound and it did.  

Basically, if you are looking for a good DAC in the $2500 range and below, Chord is going to be on many lists and belong there.  Detail retrieval is excellent and if detail is your priority...this is a brilliant DAC (as is the Qutest).  

For what is not an inexpensive integrated amp ($6995 list) with two optional cards push price to $8595 (Phono & DAC - each $800) you would hope the DAC would be decent and fit with the brands house sound.  It does.  It would not be uncommon for someone to pair a Chord Qutest with the AVM integrated or a similarly priced DAC.  If you like a warmer sound and want a one box solution, this would not be a bad option.  

@axeis1  I don't think I mentioned that I did test the filters.  Chord is the brand I am most familiar with so I tested them quickly in this setup but found I liked it best with the filters off.  This is not a particularly bright setup and I find the TT2 filters add a touch of warmth in high frequencies, that is it.  They are more subtle than say NOS vs linear on the Wavelight.  

I rarely use the Chord filters with either system as both have tubes or my headphones that I use most commonly (Thinksound On1 and Focal Celestee).  On the rare occasion that I have a demo of another headphone, that may change.  I would have the filter on warmest with say Focal Utopias.  Probably off for Stellias.  You get the idea.  Headphones have been hard to keep in stock and I can't open a pair for demo.  

Okay...the Wyre4Sound DAC 2V2 SE arrived on trade.  After a little bit of time playing and getting settled, I ran the same test but first a few notes. This DAC has an insane number of settings. 

Unfortunately, they are in a menu that is accessible when the DACs main power is on but the DAC is not running.  This makes making changes more difficult but you have an immense amount of flexibility to fine tune your sound.  

This could take hours and bluntly, I don't have those hours to spend so I made a few tweaks to get the DAC into the system and the thing I found most intriguing was the jitter eliminator though I don't love the net result.  It sounds less like true, proper clocking and more like a DSP correcting for a clocking error which it probably is. 

Soundstage is great.  This blows the Hugo 2 and AVM out of the water in terms of imaging and staging.  Overall, detail was very good.  I puled out the Audiobyte and Hugo 2 as points of comparison.  

Detail in drum rolls are strong but a hair below the DACs in the price class above.  Well below the TT2 or the Audiobyte.  There is a touch of sibilance in Sting's voice and in certain parts of Liberty.  Two or three moments of glare during Liberty that were tough to listen too.  This is likely based on the setting I quickly arrived at.  

Strings were slightly massed in the Berg piece and due to the size of the soundstage, the intimacy was lost.  The opening of Duende was a little bit of a struggle.  It did the job, but not at an elite level. It sounded a little muddy.  

It is priced in the middle between the Audiobyte and the Hugo 2.  Performance is in the middle between the Audiobyte and the Hugo 2. Detail is closer to the Hugo 2 while staging is closer to the Audiobyte.  

At $3800, as a new DAC, it is priced fairly and delivers very good performance if you are wiling to spend the time tweaking in what is not the best user interface.  Used, in the $2k range...this thing is incredible.  

I agree regarding implementation. There are some limitations with R2Rs and DSD. Otherwise, the only thing I can see against any design is if a DAC uses a particular chip that is discontinued and/or replaced, the older models will drop in perceived value. That obviously doesn’t happen with R2R DACs or FPGAs.

Couple of updates.  

I have done some testing with cables.  The AQ Diamond is very good.  I swapped in a Clarus Crimson and think it was a pleasant switch depending on the speakers and is a very good substitute.  if you have issues with box on AQ stuff fitting, this is a brilliant substitute.

In some cases, I reported a bit of bass emphasis with some DACs.  Swapping speaker cables, I think that was the AQ Robin Hoods, not the DACs.  It is definitely a more bass heavy cable which is probably why I like it with my stand mounts.

Finally, I have done some additional testing with different servers.  I have an Antipodes K40 here (and an open box) along with my sample Nucleus+, a traded in Nucleus and a Wavedream NET that was just traded in with a Wavedream Signature DAC.    

The Nucleus+ and Nucleus exhibited no difference as standalone servers.  I do think there was a small improvement with the Nucleus+ when they were connected via USB and the Roon unit was used as server and renderer but it was small enough that I am not certain and it could be my internal bias.  

The Antipodes K40 as a server used either with the Weiss directly via ethernet or with the Chord (2Go/2Yu) renderer is significantly better.  It should be at 4 to 6x the cost of the nucleus but everything is clearer and cleaner.  Effects, especially in Liberty, clustered notes like the opening of Duende or bells in Be Still My Beating Heart are just clearer. 

The Wavedream NET as a Server vs the Antipodes were a push when feeding the 2Go/2Yu.  Feeding the Wavedream Signature takes this DAC to a totally different level.  The loss of that last, tiny bit of jitter is just mind boggling.  I am using an Audioquest Dragon 48 HDMI to connect them.  The idea is that the clock is perfectly synchronized between the two devices and that is completely obvious.  

 

@Chorus  this really is a matter of taste, system and music preference which is best.  
For me, the Rockna Wavedream Signature, Vu Jade, Weiss, Bricasti M1 SE and Audiobyte were my favorites in roughly that order.  My bias is toward detail because my gear and speakers are very musical and throw a big soundstage.   If I had different gear, my order could change.  

For perspective, I just had someone trade in the Rockna because what I love about it, they didn’t like.  They are going with a new tube DAC from Gordon Rankin.  
@antigrunge2. I have not played with an external clock personally but am pretty certain I need to get an Antipodes Clock in to understand its impact.  
No question clocking matters.  

@wharfy i would need to know the balance of your system, your current DAC, understand what you like and dislike about your current setup and what you want more or less of in a new DAC.  
Without that context, I am merely going to tell you which DAC I like best.  That is worse than worthless because my opinion on what I like best might imply it is a better product than another which is simply not true.  Gotta find what is best for you in your system. 

Sorry…long morning already.  Bricasti had biggest soundstage with least impressive amount of detail.  

I would avoid the Chord TT2, the Wyred 4 Sound and the Weiss as I think you will get as much or more glare from them. 
Then it comes down to balancing detail vs imaging.  Audiobyte, Rockna and Bricasti in $5k range should deliver an improvement vs the codex.  Audiobyte is most detailed with least impressive soundstage while Bricasti is most detailed with least impressive detail.  Rockna is warmest of the three.  
My inclination is to say Wavelight but I think all three will be a step forward.  Because of the ribbon on those Proacs delivering that big soundstage, you are going to need less help from the DAC.  Audiobyte might be a good option.  It would be between those two to me.  

Two more DACs on the way in to get added to this.  I just ordered a Khadas Tone 2 as an evaluation unit and I have a trade of a Rockna Wavedream Edition on the way.  

I would love to test the Holo May.  I have not had one traded in and I am not going to buy a unit of this sort as it is going to cost me a lot of money because I am obviously not going to keep it.  If someone wants to lend me one, I would be happy to test it.  

That being said, the Khadas has arrived and in an irritating turn of events, ships with a USB C cable.  I do not have a USB C wall plug and can't plug it in.  I have to order one of those.  

Rockna Wavedream Edition is in transit and will be here next week.  

Interesting thing happened.  I think I have one of the best offerings of DACs in the $4.5K to $17K range among many retailers.  Under $4.5K, my offerings are a bit sparse, especially given availability issues Musical Fidelity is having.  I have Chord.  To that end, I am evaluating the Questyle CMA12 and will include here. 

So I have the Questyle and Khadas here and they are getting burnt in.  I did a little testing with them and am going to add in the need to evaluate the headphone amp. Specifically I will test the Khadas, Questyle, iPhone 6 since it has a headphone jack, Hugo 2 and Weiss using a pair of Focal Celestee Blues and ThinkSound ON1s.  

Secondarily, the Rockna Wavedream Edition is here and that will also be give time to get acquainted.  

Regarding the Holo May, everyone says it is great but until I get one in, I have no POV.  I have also not heard the Musetec.  

@in_shore Thank you for that compare.  That is super helpful!

I just finished testing the Rockna Wavedream Edition.  This happened to be the SE but the only difference between the SE and the XLR is a fully balanced (and therefore double) circuit.  Thus the price differential.  

Like all Rockna products, the image projected is extremely wide.  This unit has a surprisingly high level of detail for it's price point ($6500) but that should be more reflective of the fact that it is a simplified DAC compared to its true peers in the ~$10K price range.  This lacks a renderer (Weiss) or renderer option (Bricasti M1) and since it is single ended, only offers RCA outputs.  The XLR at $9500 is more comparable  

That being said, it is a middle ground between the Weiss and the Bricasti M1 SE.  It is essentially as neutral as it's big brother, the Wavedream Signature, but with a hair less detail  Separation of the drum rolls in In a Sentimental Mood isn't quite as good as The Signature or the Weiss.  Soundstage isn't quite as good as Bricasti M1SE.  

The opening of Duende has great separation but a Tony Levin's very speedy notes weren't quite perfectly separated.  The soundstage and nuance you look for in Liberty was flawless without a touch of sibilance.  Same for Be Still My Beating Heart.  No massing of strings at all in the Berg piece and it remained intimate without getting too big.  

The compromise on this unit is the absolute level of detail and it fits very neatly between the M1 SE and the Weiss 501/502.  The SE is tonally between the Audiobyte and the Wavedream in the lower tier, but delivering the TT2s detail level.  

Questyle and Khadas to follow.  

@david_ten This is tough in that I don't have a Holo May and will not comment on that exact product.  But I do understand your point.  There are a few other brands I can think of (that will remain unnamed) that deliver experience over accuracy.  This is not bad, and clearly, lots of people like this.  It is a choice.  What is unfortunate is that folks can get caught up in enthusiasm around a product and end up with something that is not to their liking and not know why.  

I am not sure you can make an industry wide generalization though. I think that the core brands mentioned here, Chord, Rockna/Audiobyte, Bricasti, Weiss and I would add in MSB, dCS & Playback Designs are committed to delivery of an accurate listening experience.  The deviations between these brands sound profile is real and obvious, but not so extreme that it is challenging to build a system with them as a source and get a great result.  

I had an interesting conversation last night on the topic of "accuracy" with a gentleman who is both and audiophile and a professional musician.

When discussing the concept of "accuracy" his concern is tonal exclusively.  Does the instrument sound like the instrument in question?  Can it reproduce the difference between say a Steinway and Yamaha piano.  

Beyond that, "accuracy" has no meaning.  Most studio recording are not recorded live.  More often than not, each artist is recorded individually and the tracks are merged.  If it is recorded live, it is in a weird space (studio) and not reflective of anyone's listening experience.  

If it is a live performance and it is electric, then reproduction of sound is not where the musician is but where the amps are and microphones capturing crowd noise.  If it is an acoustic, live recording in a venue rather than a studio, then you could discuss accuracy, but to whom?  Microphones are on-stage, often near the musicians.  Not in the crowd.   

You get the point.  Imaging and the experiential nature of a recording is all fictional and driven by the engineer and record company,  This can even be at odds with the preference of the artists.  Unless you have the engineer available to tell you exactly what they were trying to accomplish, we are all guessing at what image they were trying for.  

I spend a lot of time talking about imaging and I definitely have preferences in this space.  Others may disagree which is why I have tried (not always successfully) to simply state what the experience is and not whether it is good or bad.  My preferences are mine alone and are not more or less valid than anyone else's in defining good.  

Questyle CMA 12 is in and has been tested.  This is the least expensive unit tested so far other than the internal DAC of the AVM.  

This is an extremely impressive unit for the money if you ignore the headphone amp.  With the headphone amp and overall versatility, it is insane.  

First off, not the be all, end all in terms of detail. It is a step down from the ~$5K DAC but this is not alarming since it is $1500. 

The overall experience is that the DAC is neutral with a wide but relatively shallow soundstage.  There is no emphasis on treble of bass.  Tonally, reminds me a bit of Bricasti but the central image is lacking vs. the much larger units.  

There is sparkle in the piano.  There is good, not great separation in the drum rolls in In a Sentimental Mood.  The soundstage in Be Still My Beating Heart is wide.  Bells and most of the detail is there but not as clean and well separated as with the higher end models.  Effects were obvious and came from where they should during liberty and the opening of Duende was a hair muddy.  The Berg piece sounds a hair bigger than is ideal and string seemed a hair massed in certain places.  

Compared to the more logical price comparison of the Hugo 2 and the AVM Internal, the Hugo 2 offers more in terms of detail but the soundstage on the Questyle is much wider and bass extension is deeper.  Vs the AVM, it is more detailed than this internal DAC but lacks the deep central image that the AVM has. 

Very simply, if you are looking for a DAC in the sub $2K range and are looking for a good all around performer, this should be on your list whether you are a headphone user or not.  Take away the headphone amp and the price on this unit is fair.  Add in the headphone amp and it is an incredible value.   

Khadas Tone 2 - This is a $210 DAC on Amazon with an onboard headphone amp.  In what might be a test of the two tiniest external components in the history of audio, this paired with the 2Go/2Yu is amazing.  The Tone2 is about 3" wide by about 2" Deep.  Yet they have squeezed in a pair of RCA Outs, an digital coax in, a USB C in/out and and a USB C I2S out with a headphone amp that accepts standard mini plugs and has a 4.4MM balanced output.  

Sound is shockingly good.  It is miles from the $5000 units is closer to the Queststyle than I would have guessed when you consider the Queststyle is 7x the price.  

Compared to the Questyle the soundstage is narrow and the level of detail, particularly in terms of treble, is not in the same league.  Drum rolls on In a Sentimental Mood are a little muddy and the bass is a little underemphasized.  Tonaly though, the Piano has sparkle and the mids are thoroughly enjoyable.  

On Be still my beating heart, it is much narrower than the Questyle in terms of soundstage.  Especially the bells that you hear during the chorus in some cases are missing or are very quiet.  Yet tonally it is superb and there is no sibilance in Sting's voice.  

During Liberty, effects are too quiet and too close to the speakers.  Where they should be coming directly from my right or left, they are localized at the speaker.  But there is no sibilance in her voice.  Strings and horns are smooth.  Piano has sparkle.  

During Duende, precise detail is off just a touch at the highs.  Air around the strings and some of the detail between the drums is missing but detail in the bass was surprisingly good.  Good separation between Tony Levins notes in the opening.  A bit too much localization of the cymbals in the right speaker about 4:30 minutes in.  

In the Berg piece, sizing was very good.  The piece sounds intimate and tonally is is very good.  When they are playing together, there is some massing of strings but not as much as I expected.  

The thing to remember with this test is that I am trying to push these DACs too extremes and have picked songs that should highlight flaws.  As audiophiles, we tend to listen to music in more extreme circumstances and are more aware of these flaws.

I would not recommend this DAC to anyone in the $1500 budget or above as that would clearly go to Queststyle or Chord.  Under $1500....it seems pretty compelling.  On a tight budget...and you need an external and maybe a headphone amp for an easy to drive pair of headphones (will cover headphone performance separately), this thing is awesome.  

@melm You make a very interesting point and I think it raises a bigger question.  And that is, what is your actual preference.  

If a DAC can't accurately reproduce the timbre of instruments and that is your preference, great!  Alternatively, if you are looking for accuracy in reproduction and want to be able to tell the difference between a Yamaha and Steinway piano, great!  The key is being intellectually honest with yourself.  

An example - for years I wanted an "accurate, transparent system that simply let me hear what the artist and engineer intended."  I think I achieved this to my great dissatisfaction.  I got to a point where I didn't enjoy listening to my music on my system.  I engaged in a long thread with a few folks over in the Stereophile forum at that time and realized I was pursing the wrong thing. 

What I really wanted was accurate reproduction of the timbre of instruments with an augmented soundstage that helped correct the flatness and generally poor presentation one finds in a huge percentage of recordings.  Since then, my system has changed 100% and my approach and thinking has changed 100%. 

I have spent a lot of time talking about the differences between these DACs and very little time talking about the similarities.  One thing that is universal across all of these units including the tube based Vu Jade is that all of them are tonally pretty neutral.  The difference between the warmest (Rockna Wavelight) and brightest (Weiss 501) is a relatively small difference in high frequency extension.  All of them are reproducing instruments in a way that sounds realistic and are basically uncolored.  

There are definitely products out there that do not reproduce sound accurately but I have been fortunate enough not to bump into them recently.  

You are correct that reviewing has become a matter of persona taste and reviewers tend to pick products that they like to review.  That is even largely reflected here in that most of what I wrote about are products that I carry.  I only really carry products that I like which is why heavily colored DACs aren't making this list.    

My taste is not everyone's taste which is why I have been focusing on differences and was so clear about the gear I am using.  The ultimate goal is to help folks make a good choice.  These small differences across multiple pieces of equipment add up and can be the difference between being pretty happy with your system and being in audio nirvana. 

I know what audio nirvana is for me and it would be great to see others get there.   

@melm You are correct.  This is winding down.  I am going to do one more post on the headphone side of this which is far from my expertise but will offer my rudimentary POV.  

Otherwise, I thank all of the thread participants for being incredibly kind to me and each other.  

The microdynamics are a huge part of what I have have been focusing on in this thread.  It is the fine details.  Subtleties in the way a drum roll comes together, speedy bass notes, sound effects, separation of notes in bells and piano.  These little things are inherently the difference between very good and extraordinary and they do add up.  

That being said, you do need to have a system capable of delivering those microdynamics to you.  You need a resolving enough amplifier and speakers that are sufficiently detailed.  Years ago I did a demo of a bunch of stand-mount speakers in the $1000 to $2000 range and a couple floor standers.  One test track I used was Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel off of Secret World Live.  What I discovered in that session was that multiple speakers were simply not capable reproducing the fine details of things like crowd noise in certain parts of that song.  It was an entirely Bryston system with a speaker switch so it wasn't the amp or DAC, the only change was the speakers.  You can get the most detailed DAC in the world and if your speakers are your systems bottleneck you will not benefit.  

Regarding imaging, separation of instruments and soundstage, all of these things vary wildly from dac to dac and there is no objective "this is how it should sound" benchmark to know if your DAC is doing well.  The closest you can come is Q sound recordings but those are problematic in the opposite direction in that virtually any DAC and system should be able to make those sound incredible.  

@fsonicsmith    I don’t disagree that choice of server, cable and even the connection between server and DAC (USB, AES, etc…) matters and can have an impact.  
In the end, I am limited in that I don’t have an infinite number of servers lying around or cables. It is not perfect but do think it has value.  

Two new entries.  The first is an update on the Audiobyte HydraVox with the addition of the HUB.

One of the very first units we tested was the Audiobyte.  For many months people have been waiting on the addition of the HUB.  This completes the stack from Audiobyte and I have to say that it is a noticeable improvement. 

The first thing I had to do was get the system back to where it was which included swapping in different speaker cables, USB cable and ICs.  I have largely moved from AQ to Clarus Crimson for every day listening.  I also fired up with Nucleus+ and powered down the Antipodes K50.  

To refresh my memory, I started off with the 5 tracks excluding the HUB through the Chord 2Go/2Yu and then through the HUB.  I checked my notes and my opinion hasn't really changed of the Vox/Zap as it was originally setup.  Quite neutral with a massive soundstage.  It lacked absolute depth and wasn't as stable as some of its competitors.  

The HUB corrected this.  Still not as deep as the TT2, but the central image became deeper and more stable.  Particularly in In a Sentimental Mood in terms of instrument and I felt like voices might shift a bit without the Hub, Sting's voice was rock solid. No sibilance.  Detail is wonderful.  

My Weiss is currently out on world tour.  It is visiting four or five customers.  I am looking forward to its returns as I feel like this complete stack is approaching what you get with the Weiss.  It will be a very interesting side by side compare in a few weeks.  

I am not saying that the Hub moves this up a full price point and it is completely competitive in the $10K range.  I need to do that testing before I can confirm but it is much closer than it was without the HUB. 

These are still scarce.  There are a few production runs scheduled for the rest of the year with the next likely in July.  It definitely seems like a worthwhile upgrade but will require a little patience still.  

The second is a comparable evaluation of the Playback Designs Edelweiss.  

First thing I did was go back and do a careful read of the notes on the Wavedream Signature which is my benchmark in terms of soundstage.  

Everything about this suggests that they are extremely comparable.  Little tidbits like Saxophone is coming from ~8' to left of left speaker on In a Sentimental Mood.  So much detail in Be Still My Beating Heart it is almost overwhelming in terms of scale and detail.  Incredible air around cymbals, etc...

What strikes me as different is there is a...sweetness to the midrange and treble that comes through with the Playback that I am not sure I have heard with another DAC.  The top end is incredible.  Detail is rivaled only by the Wavedream.  But the midrange stands out and I am almost struggling to describe the presentation.  I have yet to hear a moment of glare.  The image is in my face, but in a good way.  Never any sibilance.  

It may have something to do with the way the soundstage comes together.  The central image is deep and stable, like a Chord Dave.  The width of the image is huge, but having just listened to the Audiobyte, was about the size of the Audiobyte which means absolute scale is probably smaller than that of the Wavedream Signature.  This should be comparable in terms of scale with the Bricasti M1 SE.

As we talk about compromise, the Wavedream Signature lacks the absolute depth of stage of something like the Dave while delivering a much broader soundstage that is almost perfectly neutral yet incredibly detailed.  Listening to Duende, I am hearing details that I have only heard on the Rockna and a stabitlity and accuracy I have only heard on the Rockna.  There are moments in this song that a brash and in your face and may deliver a little glare with certain DACs.  That is completely gone with this unit.  

This has incredible depth, incredible detail yet lacks the absolute scale of the Rockna.  Tonally, it is not as perfectly neutral as the Rockna, but in a good way.  It does feel a touch more musical.  If your system is a touch sterile, this can add musicality but it can't overwhelm a system that is a little too cold.  

Looking forward, I am hoping to get back to testing some headphones and I may have a Jadis JS1 MKV in for demo here in the not too distant future.  

 

I have not had a chance to compare The Edelweiss to the Dream DAC. The guys at Playback and the US distributor may be the only ones who have at this point.

My US distributor said that he found the Edelweiss DAC alone (MPD-6) approached the sound quality of the MPS-8 using a streamX module.

This tells me that tonally they are very similar but the soundstage will be bigger and deeper with the 8. I am sure it might do even better with strings and other ultra complex music. But that is based on conversations with distributor rather than direct experience.

I do have a basically new (~500 hours on it) Dream DAC from a customer coming in on trade. I might be able to demo that unit here but that is TBD.

I want to get the Weiss back but based on notes and my direct memory, the Playback is more detailed and slightly sweeter sounding. It is neutral to a hair warm while the Weiss is neutral to a hair cool.  The Playback soundstage is wider, deeper and more stable but this really only shows up on songs like Be Still my Bestinng Heart and Liberty that are really massive sounding.  

The Jadis JS1 MKV is here and it is stunning.  This is a two chassis unit with an external power supply.  The external supply is slit into two parts, one for analog circuits and the other for digital circuits. 

The unit uses AK4497 DAC chip and uses 2 ECC82, 2 ECC88, 1 EL84 and 1 EF86 tube.  The first thing you note is that this DAC is not tubey.  It is not warm and gooey.  This is a reference level unit that is quite competitive with the Rockna and Playback.  It does not have a preamp stage, no streaming or rendering and no MQA support.  DSD is native to 256 over USB.  

The detail is incredible.  The tiniest a hair below the Wavedream Signature and Edelweiss, it did not show up in the five song test.  As a matter of curiosity, I listened to a 24/192k version of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the micro detail in the plucking of the string bass in the opening is not quite as precise as it is in the Playback but short of that, it is stunning.  On this same test the Jadis is slightly clearer than the Weiss.  

On In a Sentimental Mood, drum rolls are crisp and there is good separation.  What is shocking is the soundstage.  The image is as deep as the Playback.  The instrument separation is as good and the image is rock solid in terms of stability.  The width of the image is absolutely off the charts.  It is every bit as big as the Rockna image.  Without the Signature here I can tell if it is bigger.  

The soundstage on Be Still My Beating Heart is Massive.  The image is deep and wide.  The bells are clear.  Sting's voice lacks sibilance.  It is just enjoyable.  On Liberty, effects are coming from where they should.  The image is large.  Here voice is not bright.  It is in your face where it should be without any glare.  

On Duende, instruments are true.  Separation between notes is flawless.  There is no distortion in the opening bass notes.  The image holds together as the song gets more complex and there is no localization at the speakers.  

There is no massing of strings on the Berg piece.  It sounds big though and the intimacy of a quartet is lost a bit.  This is unsurprising and very simply a compromise that one must make.  Full orchestral pieces sound right.  

What doesn't come across in the above notes is that like the Playback, there is this sense of rightness and musicality that makes you forget that you are listening to a system and not just listening to music.  This is a challenge while evaluating equipment and the temptation is to simply deviate from the test.  I literally loaded four other songs while I was doing this because I wanted to hear them.  

The unit, despite being tube based, is slightly more bright/forward than the fully broken in Playback. Is this the best DAC I have ever had in my system....maybe.  It is tight between the Rockna, Playback and Jadis.  If you are looking for a no compromise unit, this should be on your list.   

I would love to get an Aries Cerat in.  I think that would be a super interesting comparison between it and the Jadis.  Not likely to happen immediately but a brand I would be happy to carry. 

@jjss49 No question a well executed tube based output stage can be extraordinary.  When reviews are available I try to avoid reading them till after I form my own opinion and see if I agree.  

The secondary element that I think helps in a BIG way is the outboard power supply.  And I am not sure it has to be outboard but having an enhanced power supply makes a huge difference.  Yesterday I did some testing with a few Chord devices and some external Sean Jacobs power supplies and the differences were noteworthy.

@sutts I am really intrigued by Aries Cerat.  I would love to get one in on demo for a stretch.  

@chayro I could not agree with you more.  Chip vs. FPGA vs. R2R biases are driven by perceptions that have nothing to do with what they are capable of.  If you compare the Playback (FPGA), Jadis (Chip) and Rockna (R2R), most assumptions are literally turned on their heads with these three devices.  

A belief that off the shelf chips are inferior is literal madness to me.  You have a team of engineers working to produce a chip.  R2R is driven by QC and what you spend on the resistor ladder (why MSB and Rockna are so good) vs FPGA where you probably have one guy designing the chip.  Just fine when that person is Andreas Koch, Nicloae Jitaru or Rob Watts, but I would not have faith that any FPGA delta sigma will perform as well as any chip based delta sigma without knowing who the designer is.  

The real issue with off the shelf chips is the perception that "newer is always better" so when a new chip comes out, a DAC is perceived as inferior if it doesn't have that latest, greatest chip.  R2R DACs and FPGA DACs are immune to this due to the lack of simple comparability.  

@sutts AC is a brand that will get added.  I like Worldwide and have a good relationship with Robert so it is a brand I was naturally considering and will look at seriously as the year progresses.  I would be shocked if I am not a dealer for AC at this time next year.  

@kren0006 I have asked this and my understanding is that there is no timeline for replacement of the Merlot.  The priority was getting the MPD-6 to market as a replacement for the MPD-5.  I also recently inquired about a Syrah and am not sure I can even get one of those.  

Next DAC on the agenda is the Playback MPD-8 Dream which should arrive next week.  I have a used unit coming in and will spend a little time with it before we find it a forever home.  PM me if you are interested in acquiring it.  

@jeffreyw the best match with AC is supposed to be Pink Faun.  That DAC likes being fed from a server with a great clock.  I might also look at Antipodes.  What software do you plan to run?  BTW...I will admit, I am not a huge fan of streamers.  I very much prefer server and player as I feel it does a better job of dealing with a volatile internet and not introducing noise at the critical rendering stage.  

@chayro I agree and have been trying to compose a post that I think is succinct, informative an uncontroversial without blathering.  

@ddafoe I hear amazing things about Meitner/EMM products.  I have not heard one in person yet.  It is a brand I am exploring adding.

@fsonicsmith I just found out that my local rep for Clarus cables is also the rep for Gryphon.  Unfortunately that is a Brick and Mortar brand only and doesn't fit with my business model.  Love the products though.

 

@fsonicsmith I will check that DAC out.  I am always interested in learning about new products.  

So, as mentioned previously, the MPD-8 Dream DAC from Playback arrived and is now fully tested.  This took some effort as I have an amazing opportunity to listen to the flagship integrated amp from AVM and I just received my Inakustik sales samples which were incorporated into the system.  

That said, for the test, we rolled back to the ACM A5.2 integrated, Audioquest Cables, etc...

In the context of this test, the Dream is stunningly good.  There is sparkle in the piano in In a Sentimental Mood.  The drum rolls show off incredible separation and the saxophone is coming about 6' to the left of the left speaker.  

In Be Still My Beating Heart, separation of all the instruments is amazing.  There is no sibilance at all in Stings voice and when you hear beats drop, the noise floor is incredibly low.  The absolute soundstage is larger than the Edelweiss.  Very similar in scale to the Jadis JS1 MKV but more detailed.  Might be a hair less dynamic.  Edges are smoother and it is a cleaner, more analog sound.

In Liberty, her voice is centered and stable.  No sibilance and the effects come from where you would expect at this point having heard this song seemingly millions of times.  Tonally similar to the Jadis, slightly more forward than the Edelweiss.  Slightly less forward than the Rockna based on memory.  

In Duende, this is another high.  What I thought was incredibly clean lacking digital artifacts in the opening hit a new high.  The opening bass solo sounded more natural than on the Edelweiss or Jadis.  I explicitly went back and listened to the first minute of this song on all three back to back to back to make sure I was not hallucinating.  It really is smoother.

The Berg piece is amazing.  Scale is off for chamber but that is what I have come to expect from these more expansive sounding DACs.  No massing of strings.  No glare.  It is smooth and sweet and glorious.  

What is amazing to me is that we have now risen to a level where I would expect all DACs to be stunningly good and we are still finding noteworthy audible differences that make system matching critically important.  This is an incredibly smooth, analog sounding DAC yet there is a level of microdetail that is astonishing and usually accomplished via making the unit brighter.  

Parting with this MPD-8 when someone buys it is going to be a sad day.  It is wonderful and I am going to enjoy it thoroughly while it is hear.  

 

@kray sounds like you are looking for a neutral to warm DAC.  I would definitely check out the Bricasti M1.  It is a better comparison vs the Meitner.  
 

@twoleftears i checked out those DACs.  Appears to be an interesting option.  Will dig further

@in_shore i recently picked up inakustik at Robert’s advice.  He definitely has a good ear.  I was in his room at AXPONA.  The Aries Cerat gear was awesome.  

@snopro we are in process of moving so I am experiencing a touch of upheaval at the moment, but YES!   Those are two DACs I very much want to hear.  PM Me and we can arrange something in August.  

Okay....new DACs have arrived.  The first unit I am going to write up is the AGD Adante.  Coming soon will be the Modwright UDP 205 and Soul Note D-2.  I know the modwright isn't available new anymore but it deserves a mention given how engaging it is.  

The AGD Adante is, in fact, a full preamp with DAC and Phono Stage built in.  The DAC is a 24bit R2R and there is an on-board player function.  The on-board player was Roon Ready but with Roon Ready certification (in 2021), Roon's new rules are incompatible with the hardware in the Adante.  You can stream hi-res via Mconnect or any other UPnP/DLNA software.  

Talking to Alberto, the owner of AGD, he strongly suggested that the unit is far better than its price point of $12.5K as a DAC.  I doubted this and expected that it would be a $5-$7K DAC in a very good preamp and it would fall short of the excellence one expects from the Bricasti M1, Weiss 501, Chord Dave, etc....  I was wrong.  This unit would be at the top end of performance in that price range and is really more comfortable paired against the Playback Designs MPD-6 or the Rockna Wavedream Signature.  

Detail performance vs. the Weiss is similar.  The Weis is an incredibly detailed DAC that delivers a surprising levels of nuance and detail with solid staging.  It is brighter than neutral and can be a hair cold in the wrong system.  It's preamp stage is good but a hair limited in terms of volume control.  The biggest advantage is the ability to attenuate output to ensure good matching to a power amp.  

The Adante is not even a hair bright.  It is what one expects from an R2R and is neutral to a hair warm.  The unit shocked me by delivering as much detail as the Weiss.  But it is also not terribly laid back.  There is a good balance tonally.  

Staging is large.  It lacks the raw scale in terms of height and width of the Rockna Wavedream Signature but delivers a very large image and has great depth.  It may lack the depth and stability of the Chord Dave in terms of image between the speakers but has excellent depth.   

Taken as a whole, this is an extremely well balanced DAC that is maybe not the very best in any one way, is better in some ways than most of the other units.  In terms of tonality and raw performance, it is probably closest to the Playback MPD-6.  In terms of actual performance on individua songs, the MPD-6 is better in some ways and Adante in others but it is probably its closest competitor.  If you read some recent reviews of the Adante, a reviewer said it even compared favorably vs. the ever so popular Mola Mola.  My hunch is that this excellence is being driven by the true preamp stage.  

Regarding performance on our test songs, the drum rolls on In a Sentimental mood are crisp with good separation but natural.  Bass is plucky and clean and there is good air around the cymbals.  Piano has sparkle.  Overall sound is slightly less forward than the Playback.  

Be Still My Beating Heart sounds massive.  It didn't occur to me to even think about sibilance in Stings voice till nearly the end of the track.  Just not relevant with this DAC.  Noise floor is very low.  Bells are very real sounding.  Images were coming from behind me at certain points.

Liberty has incredible detail.  The FX are detailed and coming from space, not the speakers.  Her voice is forward without sibilance.  There is energy in the highs while the sax sounds sweet and engaging.  

Duende is perfect.  The opening bass solo has amazing detail without drifting into distortion.  There is a wonderful level of energy and dynamism without it drifting to fatiguing. 

In the Berg piece, separation of instruments is great and the image is well sized.  It may be a bit large and lose a touch of the intimacy but that is an expected compromise.  

The units lacks the energy and dynamism of the Jadis JS1 MKV and even the Rockna Wavedream Signature but it delivers a certain truth and sweetness that cuts through in a very positive way.  

This unit basically exceeded my expectations in almost every way.  If you are in this price range, this is a must listen.  

 

@yyzsantabarbara i know they will accept a direct fiber input from native Playback devices.  They have their own sources.  I will ask Andreas if it is possible for the DACs to receive a fiber signal from another source.  
 

@thieliste preamp stage and volume control in both units are very good.  I have found that it has worked well with both pairs of my monos (CANOR and Art Audio) along with the stereo amps (AGD, Rogue and Carver) I have lying around.  
 

That said, I have never heard a DAC output stage that compares to my Art Audio or CANOR preamps.  They just sound better.  It will do the job without frustration, yes.  Will it be the absolute be all, end all in terms of match, unlikely. 

Yes.  Not in the same league.  It drifts a hair brighter.  The image is smaller and the level of detail is not quite in the same league.  Very simply, the output stage can’t deliver the way the MPD-6 or MPD-8 can.  That being said, you know it is from the same company.  

So...I have been in the process of re-basing our DAC knowledge base as the system has finally been forced to change.  Very simply, the Vivid Kaya 45s are sold and with that departure, I figured I ought to move to my new reference system for purposes of testing.  

Basically, I am relistening to DACs in the new system.  I did some of this before the departure of the Vivids and moved the DAC to the new system.  I am no longer an official Vivid dealer.  Vivid moved to a new distributor and they have rules within their distribution agreement I am 100% sure I am going to want to break.  Rather than violate the dealer agreement, I figured we would part ways and be friends.  If they change their rules, I would be happy to pick the line up again

So....the new system consists of Wilson Benesch Discovery 3Zeros, a Canor Hyperion P1 Preamp, Virtus M1 Mono-Blocks and the source is the Antipodes Oladra server.  This is a bit more esoteric but tonally it is VERY similar to AVM and Vivid which was set up side-by-side as a comparison. It is just radically superior in terms of staging, detail and holography.  ICs and SCs are Inakustic 2404 and all power cables are Puritan Ultimate XX and it is routed through a Puritan 1512. The room is treated with Vicoustic diffusers, wall panels and bass traps.  

This is a system and room that have been optimized together so I should be able to extract every drop of performance from each DAC. The re-basing process is done and I look forward to writing up new Units.  Two will follow shortly for the Soulnote D-2 and the Lumin X1.

So the Lumin X1 came in to me from a friendly dealer who has one and allowed me to spend some time with it.  

The X1 is a hefty unit with an outboard power supply, has a built-in volume control and is a full-fledged streamer with Lumin producing its own software.  It retails at $14K. Given this unit is a full streamer with volume control, my feeling is that it is more appropriate to compare to the ~$10K DACs rather than the price point above.  

I swapped the unit in place of my everyday DAC (the Playback Designs MPD-6) and let it run.  The DAC has been used and is burnt in so just a matter of warm-up and letting things get settled.  

Opening track of In a Sentimental Mood - piano has good sparkle.  Drum rolls lack absolute definition of Weiss or Rockna Edition but detail is very good. 

On Be Still My Beating Heart, it is obvious that the X1 is a bit brighter/more forward than the Playback meaning it is probably a touch forward overall.  That said (based on notes) it is MUCH less bright than the Lumin T2.  The forwardness is present in staging but does not come through in terms of sibilance.  The sound stage is big and deep.  It extended well beyond the outside of the speakers.  Noise floor is very low.  When there should not be noise, there is no noise.  

Liberty is the same.  Forward but not sibilant. effects come from where they should, well beyond the boundaries of the speakers.  

Duende is superb.  Opening bass notes are clear and undistorted.  Dynamics are big.  String separation is fabulous on the berg piece.  There is nothing not to like.

This unit is extremely competitive in the $10K price range.  Compared to the MPD-6, the image is just smaller, has less depth and a hair less detailed.  Given the Playback, comparably equipped with on-board streamer is $18K, this should be the case.  

What surprised me most is how similar this unit sounds to another DAC I have on hand - the Soulnote.  But more on that in the write up of the Soulnote

@yyzsantabarbara - so, I can test the X1 output.  I am not using PLink.  Just USB vs Ethernet.  I did AB testing with the X1, the Soulnote and the MPD-6.  I had two of the three connected to my preamp at at time.  Both connected to my Oladra, X1 via Ethernet direct connect and the other DAC (Playback or Soulnote) via USB.  
 

the Soulnote and the X1 sounded VERY similar.  The MPD-6 is a clear step forward in virtually every way, even using an inferior connection.  It sounds bigger, more detailed and more holographic than the X1.  The soundstage had more depth and height/width.  The X1 is excellent.  The MPD-6 is just better.  
 

 

@klh007 I have the D-2.  You can add an external 10MHz Clock but it is not required.  The D-3 requires the clock but is $30k combined and in completely difference class of DACs. 
 

@yyzsantabarbara i will try but I don’t have gear here for the fiber setup and this unit is for sale at a sharp price and could go any minute. 
 

@willgolf I like the X-1 very much.  I think that says a lot since I am not a Lumin dealer.  That said, I think it is quite competitive in the $10k range (Bricasti, Weiss, Chord, Rockna Edition, Soulnote ) and preference for it is a matter of taste.  I would say it is a clear step down from the Rockna Signature, Playback, Jadis and Aries Cerat, three of the five units are under $18k.  That said, I hear wonderful things about the Horizon and I am planning to buy in and become an Aries Cerat dealer any day now so I get it. 

 

 @azwill   I haven’t purchased and tested an MPS-X yet.  I have been extremely happy with K50 before and now Oladra performance with my Playback.  I would be unsurprised if the MPS-X takes it up a level.  The only challenge is that you do need a server to feed the MPS-X if you are going to run Roon. 
 

I find USB vs AES conflicting with antipodes.  Most of the time I prefer AES and send DSD via DOP and it is fine.  With Playback, USB is preferred for DSD.  This DAC really excels at DSD so I find myself really liking USB more with this one unit.  

Okay, regarding the Soulnote D-2. I brought this unit in having never heard a Soulnote product but multiple people had said it is THE brand and in a year, it will be noteworthy.

So, it arrived quickly. It is heavy. The box is over 40 lbs. Unit looks nice with a brushed aluminum finish and wood (ash maybe) sides. The unit retails at $9000 and is fully, differentially balanced. So I dropped the unit into my system, plugged it in with AES and it was...okay. So, I took it out of the system and attached it to a secondary system and let it play for three weeks. I put it back into the system. It sounded much better.

There are several filters on the synchronous connections including a NOS filter which I thought sounded best. I typically hate NOS DACs so this was a surprise. After reading the manual, I decided to swap to USB and all of a sudden this unit came to life. I swapped this in for the Playback and got the X1 in while I was testing.

Opening track of In a Sentimental Mood - piano has good sparkle. Drum rolls lack absolute definition of Weiss or say the Chord Dave.

On Be Still My Beating Heart, it is obvious that the Soulnote is a bit brighter/more forward than the Playback meaning it is probably a touch forward overall. That said it is not close to as bright as say the Weiss. The forwardness is present in staging but does not come through in terms of sibilance. The sound stage is big and deep. It extended well beyond the outside of the speakers. Noise floor is very low. When there should not be noise, there is no noise.

Liberty is the same. Forward but not sibilant. effects come from where they should, well beyond the boundaries of the speakers.

Duende is superb. Opening bass notes are clear and undistorted. Dynamics are big. String separation is fabulous on the berg piece. There is nothing not to like.

This unit is extremely competitive in the $10K price range. Incidentally, I was writing up my notes on X1 not long after I wrote this and discovered they were very similar. So similar that I decided to do some more testing. I decided I would connect both at the same time and see how similar they were.

Second set of XLRs was found, both DACs connected and I played the same track on both zones off the Antipodes, USB to the Soulnote and Ethernet to the X1. I struggled to tell the difference. I went way beyond the standard five test tracks. On track after track, sounded very similar. I would think I was listening to one and look up and it would be the other.

Now I was doubting myself. Could they be that close? So I took out the Soulnote and connected the MPD-6. Differences were immediate and obvious. Tonally the Playback was slightly warmer, the soundstage was much deeper and the image was bigger and more detailed. Swapped out the X1 for the Soulnote. Same difference.

So I looked an unsurprisingly they use exactly the same chip. They have done something in terms of output stage to generate similar sound profiles. Really superb. If you don’t need volume control or streamer it seems like the Soulnote is an ideal option if you like Lumin’s sound.

.What I am most intrigued by is that the Soulnote allows for a 10Mhz clock to be attached and I am wondering if that will take it to the next level. I would suspect it will push this to a level that will outperform the X1.

 

 

We have recently added two additional lines which is going to lead to three additional comparisons. The lines are Aries Cerat and Meitner/EMM. The first is going to be the Aries Cerat Helene which is now a permanent display item for us. My initial MA3 was purchased to go out to a customer for demo and never came back. I am waiting on a replacement and the distributor is also going to lend me a DA2 for a period.

For today though, we will talk about the Helene. The AC Helene arrived in a wood crate on a pallet jack. The unit without packaging is 80lbs. With packaging, has to be 100. I used my hand truck to roll the unit down to my basement. Fortunately I have a walk-in basement.

I opened up the unit with my cordless drill as the unit is screwed shut. It is heavy so getting the unit out is a challenge. Best if you have a second person. In fact, I would argue that a purchase of any Aries Cerat product should require a second person to be with you to unpack.

I got the unit out and quickly realized that the term "overbuilt" lost all meaning to other equipment I have owned. It borders on absurd. The top is machined stainless steel, not aluminum. Everything is solid on this unit.  Mass is a benefit in terms of absorbing vibrations and AC definitely delivers mass. 

Removal of the top for tube installation was quick and easy. I then placed the unit in my rack where it barely fits. Hooked it up. Turned it on and let it warm up.

Came back and listened and was pleasantly surprised with a very refined sound right out of the box. I then played it as much as I could for about a week. and this is my POV after maybe 60 hours of burn-in.

The Helene is immediately impressive with a massive soundstage that is deep and wide. Tonally it is neutral with extraordinary dynamics. As far as actual songs go:

In a Sentimental Mood - piano had great sparkle. Drum rolls are clean. Image extends beyond the speakers and there is minimal localization. Very energetic and dynamic.

On Be Still My Beating Heart, the image is massive extending well beyond the speakers and depth is very good with the sound coming immediately from my left and right while the image is behind the speakers dead center. Stings voice has no hint of sibilance, piano and bells sound natural and the noise floor is very low.

Liberty sounds big and natural. Effects come from well beyond the speakers. Noise floor remains low. Again, not a hint of sibilance.

Duende, opening bass solo is clean and crisp reflecting top level performance. Cymbals are airy. Plucks of the guitar are clear with great air.

Berg sounds great. No massing of strings. Image is probably bigger than it should be but that is the nature of these very big sounding DACs.

I was so impressed I decided I would do an AB comparison between it and the Playback MPS-6. I connected both units via XLR to my preamp and ran an AES and Coax out to the devices from the Antipodes.

The difference between DACs was immediate and obvious. The PBD is a hair warmer, image is the slightest bit smaller and a bit softer and less dynamic. The Playback is a bit more detailed and has a certain musicality that is simply unmatched by any other device I have heard.

I dragged my wife down and she is a HUGE fan of the Playback. To a point where I have had other DACs hooked up to the system and she asks "what is wrong" and insists I swap Playback back in.

Her favoritism toward the Playback remained here but she acknowledged that the AC is much better for her than other units I have had in.

Compared to two other units I have tested in this price range (Rockna Wavedream Signature XLR and the Jadis JS1 MKV), the AC is probably a hair less detailed than the Rockna, a bit more detailed than the Jadis. I am not sure anything can match the scale in terms of width and height of the Rockna soundstage but this sounds much deeper as the Rockna central image is relatively flat. It matches or exceeds the dynamism of the Jadis.

Everyone will have their own preferences and no DAC is completely perfect for everyone. This is in many ways the Goldilocks unit in terms of sound in the price class. I am not sure it is best in any single factor (detail, width, depth, musicality) but it is probably #2 for every factor. The net result is a really awesome and enjoyable DAC. The only major gap I see is that it does not support DSD. If you are a heavy DSD listener, there is no question that in this price tier, Playback is THE DAC.

@charles1dad There are places you can download DSD files.  Some guys have tons of it and it does sound really good.  The lack of DSD support is not an issue for most consumers.  

Those are moderately priced IMO.  The onboard streamers are shockingly good.  I needed an Antipodes K50 (that equals a K22) to beat the on-board streamer in the Weiss and Bricasti. My hunch is the onboard streamer will beat a U2 Mini and be as good as a U2.