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Laiv Audio µDAC + µDDR — Exceptional Early Performance

I’ve only had the Laiv Audio Harmony µDAC and µDDR in my system for a few days, but I’m already confident in saying these are among the most impressive digital components I’ve heard—at any price.

My setup has seen a few strong contenders over the years, including the Auralic Vega S1 and the Denafrips Venus. Both are excellent DACs, but to my ears, the Laiv combo offers a better overall balance of clarity, tone, and engagement. The sound is clean and dynamic, with exceptional imaging and natural timbre—without any of the glare or fatigue some digital gear can introduce.

I’m feeding the µDDR (Laiv’s USB-to-I2S digital-to-digital converter) from a Bluesound Node X via USB, then running I2S into the µDAC. Both units are powered by LHY LPS25VA linear power supplies (5V for the DDC, 15V for the DAC). The front end is plugged into a Puritan PSM156, which I believe plays a big role in the black backgrounds and effortless microdetail I’m hearing.

But what really sets this combo apart is the value. The performance-to-cost ratio is almost absurd. You’re getting a discrete R2R DAC with high-end refinement, backed by a digital frontend that noticeably elevates the overall presentation. I’ve heard DAC stacks at double or triple the price that didn’t offer this level of musicality, resolution, and coherence.

Even with just a few days of use and limited burn-in, this stack is already outperforming some well-established players in my system. I can only imagine it will get better with time.

Highly recommended to anyone looking for reference-level performance without spending a fortune. Laiv is absolutely one to watch.

papasaws
lanx0003
1,056 posts
 

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. 

cdc
1,928 posts
 

@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).

stuartk
3,332 posts
 

@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! 

 

lanx0003
1,056 posts
 

@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.

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