Laiv Audio µDAC + µDDR — Exceptional Early Performance

I am looking into the LAIV uDAC as well. You think the LAIV Audio µDAC + µDDR combo is better than Harmony alone?

Hey—I’ve only had the Laiv µDAC + µDDR combo in my system for a few days, but it’s already making a great impression. The two units clearly work really well together—super clear, engaging sound, and the combo feels like it punches way above its price.

I’m running the µDDR from a Node X, and everything’s plugged into a Puritan PSM156, which I think helps a lot too. Even this early on, I’m glad I went with the stack instead of just the DAC alone. Definitely feels like more than the sum of its parts.

Glad it’s working so well. Have you tried the µDAC by itself and then adding in the µDDR?

I was also thinking the µDAC + µDDR combo may be better value than the $2,700 Harmony.

@papasaws 

Did you compare this combo to the LAIV Harmony DAC? 

I started with the Laiv µDAC on its own and thought it sounded great—detailed, smooth, and very musical. But once I added the µDDR, it really leveled up. Everything got clearer and more refined, with better separation and a more open soundstage. It was an immediate improvement and felt like the DAC was finally showing its full potential.

For context, I’ve used the Denafrips Venus, an Auralic DAC, the Node iCon, and the Cambridge DacMagic in my system (none of them with a reclocker). They all had their strengths, but this Laiv stack is easily holding its own—and in some ways, I prefer it. I haven’t heard the $2,700 Harmony DAC, but the µDAC + µDDR combo is so good that I’m not in any rush to upgrade. The value here is kind of ridiculous.

I have the LAIV Harmony DAC as well as the LAIV µDAC, and µDDC. I also own the LAIV GaNM monoblock power amplifiers and the LAIV HP2A preamp with LExt-IN2 extender. All these LAIV units look and sound exquisite on my various speakers and headphones. All were purchased directly from LAIV Audio.

Both LAIV DACs have the same inputs: USB-B, Optical, Coax, and I2S, but important to note that the µDAC only has one set of XLR outputs (no RCA), whereas the Harmony DAC has a set of XLR and a set of RCA outputs that can be used simultaneously.

Both the LAIV Harmony DAC and the LAIV µDAC have the same R2R ladder components, but a different analogue output section. Both sound excellent. The µDAC sounds slightly warmer and the Harmony DAC slightly more revealing, to my ears.

The µDDC works fine on both DACs, but I found it made a bigger difference on the Harmony DAC so that's where I am using the µDDC. I put a much cheaper (currently $74 on Amazon) S.M.S.L. PO100 PRO DDC on the µDAC (USB-C to Optical) and this works fine for my headphones setup. I think DDCs in general can be helpful when your source is a computer streaming via USB for galvanic isolation and noise reduction.

I feed all my DC gear with LHY or Fiio Linear Power Supplies (very affordable on AliExpress) but that's because I'm OCD. To be honest the DC power supplies ("wall warts") that come as standard with the LAIV µDAC and µDDC sound fine, no issues whatsoever.

For those of you considering LAIV gear, the company is extremely supportive and responsive. I have had many conversations directly with Weng Fai, the owner/founder of the company any time I had questions or concerns. I had some issues with my (very early version) Harmony DAC, and they immediately sent me replacement parts, even with all the tools included, with clear instructions and they kept in touch ensuring that my issues were resolved satisfactorily. Everything works great at this time. I can highly recommend the LAIV brand!

Two suggestions: (1) Try BS Nano which potentially sounds better than X and (2) Use Lhy LPS35VA for udac since the specs for PS is 15V/2A.  I know you follow Vinshine’s recommendation but reserving room for peak current is always recommended.

This combo is under my consideration as well. My main concern with the Harmony Laiv DAC—and with all Denafrips DACs—is their high output impedance. Without a preamp section, they could easily mimic uDAC to add an output buffer to lower it, but for some reason, they don’t which is quite interesting. 

@lanx0003 you could ask LAIV about that. Weng Fai is very helpful. For example he explained to me:

Why only balanced output?
That’s a great question. Our products are all fully balanced end-to-end by design, and due to space constraints on the µDAC, we had to choose either XLR or RCA. We went with XLR as it preserves the balanced architecture, and because you can safely convert to RCA with a proper adapter (pin 3 floating, as you mentioned).

@rjvissers 

Both the LAIV Harmony DAC and the LAIV µDAC have the same R2R ladder components, but a different analogue output section. Both sound excellent. The µDAC sounds slightly warmer and the Harmony DAC slightly more revealing, to my ears.

The µDDC works fine on both DACs, but I found it made a bigger difference on the Harmony DAC

Thanks -- good to know! 

@cdc I did raise the question with Weng as you suggested, and he quickly replied as follows, which is enclosed here for your information and in case others might be interested.

That’s a great technical question. The Harmony DAC was designed with a minimalist signal path in mind, aimed at preserving the purity and character of the R-2R topology. We chose not to include an additional output buffer stage to maintain this simplicity, as well as to cater to purist systems where the slightly higher output impedance isn’t an issue due to proper preamp matching.

On the other hand, the µDAC includes a buffered output for better compatibility with a wider range of downstream gear, especially in more compact or less controlled setups. It’s more forgiving and flexible, which suits its role in smaller systems or modern integrated chains.

We are exploring the usage of the output stage on the Harmony DAC for the next generation.

I think that’s a sensible approach, although I do see the compromise involved. Some preamps, like the one I have, have a relatively low input impedance (around 10k ohms). Perhaps a switch that bypasses the output stage could do the trick—similar to the innovative design decoupling the internal clock used in both the Harmony DAC and uDAC, which includes a switch for selecting either the I²S clock or the internal clock. Some audiophiles do find that it makes a difference.