Review on Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC

@teajay 

I haven’t seen any mention of the Rockna Wavelight in this thread. Are you familiar enough with it to make a comparison with the Aero? It is another I am considering to replace my DSD Mk2.

With respect to burn in,  I appreciate when a company does that.   Some companies make it part of their overall quality control.  Small companies that do it are wise, really helps to root out any problems before it leaves .   

Another possible reason why he didn’t compare the Merason DAC1 MkII directly with the Aero could be that they were not both in his barn at the same time.

It seems Lavorgna likes the Liav Harmony DAC at its price point but he personally doesn’t care for its NOS mode, which he found boring, while he noted an etched or fatiguing quality when playing it in OS mode, but only in comparison to the more expensive LTA Aero DAC.

The LTA Aero seems more aligned with his sonic tastes, like his Totaldac d-1 unity reference, and wins within its weight class and above, but shows some shortcomings against the 3x more expensive Totaldac. Compared to the Harmony, he found that the Aero sounded "comparatively richer, fuller, and...more involving, making music feel more life-like and less processed." I will be interested to read what he has to say in Part 2 of the Aero review.

To understand his thoughts about the Aero vs. the Merason, it may be necessary to read about how he compared each to his Totaldac, which would put the Merason ahead of the Aero.

@ soix,

I'm just saying it was quite vague as the Merason was noted as nuanced and resolving and the Aero and Laiv, richer/warmer and maybe he didn't want to compare them directly due to that. 

Good Dacs for sure.

Wig

From the way it reads, not at the level of Merason

@wig  Where did you get that from?  He only mentioned the LAiV Harmony and totaldac d1 in the review and no mention of the Merason that I saw.

From the way it reads, not at the level of Merason and seems like the Aero is richer than Laiv but thought he noted that Laiv was rich, warm and soft sounding...

Personal preference I guess.

Wig

Here is Michaels review @TM Part 1.

https://twitteringmachines.com/review-linear-tube-audio-aero-dac-part-1/

I'm also waiting for that review to drop as well and hopefully, there will be some direct comparisons between Merason and the Aero.

Wig

Twittering Machines’ review of the LTA Aero DAC is positive and discusses similar strengths as in the review by @teajay . Apparently Part 2 is yet to come.

The review does not include any comparisons with the previously reviewed Mearson DAC1 MkII.  Both DACs received the TM Favorite Digital recognition.

I appreciate the effort by LTA to burn in the Aero unit at the factory and then verify it performs as advertised/expected.  I believe this is important for a company offering a 14-day audition/return period.  We discussed that I currently own (and previously owned) other well-respected DACs and that the Aero will have to bring something special to the table if I am to keep it.  Therefore, it will be powered up the entire time I have it and I think it is great that LTA are giving it at least an additional week of burn-in.

Regarding Twittering Machines, if you read the reviews, Lavorgna keeps review  gear for an extended period of time so I am confident he understands burn-in and gives the electronics plenty of time to reach their optimal performance.  I find most of his opinions to be believable and without excessive hype.  Therefore, if he chooses to make comparisons regarding the performance of the LTA Aero vs. the Merason DAC 1 MkII, I will pay attention to what he reports.

Is this unusual for a manufacturer to standardly burn-in their units? What about units headed for reviewers?

@lpretiring  In my experience it’s not the norm for a manufacturer to pre burn in their products, but it’s sure nice when they do and good on LTA for going the extra mile (it also has the added benefit of reducing the chance of sending out defective products off the line, which is nice).  When I was reviewing I always knew if a product was new and needed breaking in or not and proceeded accordingly, and any reputable reviewer would do the same.  The value of reviewing a new product not broken in or used in previous reviews is that you can give readers an idea of how long it takes for it to start sounding its best along with the degree and type of change in sound that can be expected, which is nice to know upfront if you’re buying new.  For that reason, in my reviews at the end of the product description section I always included details on the break-in process if applicable.  That said, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if many of the yahoos out there producing video “reviews” on YouTube, etc. pay no mind to it and just fire out their crap regardless of whether a product is broken in or not either because they don’t know any better or don’t care and just wanna crank out reviews as quickly as possible to boost revenue.  Anyway, just my $0.02 FWIW.

"Lead time for new LTA orders is typically about four weeks, which includes a full week of burn-in and play-testing."

Is this unusual for a manufacturer to standardly burn-in their units? What about units headed for reviewers?

For example, that Twittering Machines review of the Harmony and Aero. Was the Harmony right off the production floor, or did it receive some time somehow for more equal footing for evaluation?

With the often very subtle differences in performance, this would appear to be an important consideration

Hey mitch2,

Wish I could help you, but never had any experience listening to the Merason DAC.

Teajay

@teajay - Have you heard the Merason DAC 1 MkI or MkII? If yes, any thoughts compared to the (half the price) LTA Aero?

Michael Lavorgna currently has the LTA Aero DAC in his Barn for review (pending) and has also reviewed the Merason, so I also look forward to any comparisons he chooses to make.

Michael Lavorgna reviewed the LAIV Harmony DAC on his Twittering Machines website.  He said good things about the Harmony DAC in his review, and particularly for the price.  He happened to have the LTA Aero DAC in his Barn for review at the same time (review pending) and said this about the comparison...

"...the LTA Aero DAC ($3950) also sounded comparatively richer, fuller, and to my ears and tastes more involving, making music feel more life-like and less processed."

@tksteingraber The LAIV Harmony, is winning favour as many are getting their chance to Trial a model, using the very generously honoured 30 Day Return Policy.

The comments being read are quite attractive about the Harmony are able to catch ones attention, especially attractive is the SS design as well.

I am a DAC user, which is a Commission Built Bespoke Design that is incorporating Valve Regulated Power Supply and E88CC Tubes in the Circuits Signal Path.

It was this DAC used with a CDT, that finally converted myself to having a Digital Source that was considered to be a very acceptable alternative to the Vinyl Source.

Most recently a Demo' of a Denafrips Venus II with FW Updates got my full attention, as a result of the very good impression made during a comparison session between SS and Valve based Digital Sources.

It would have been great to have had the LAIV H' and LTA A' used as well, at the comparisons being undertaken.    

If anyone interested, LTA Aero DAC available on USAM for $3K.

My comment about the wait was based on my conversation with the owner, Mr. Mark Schneider a little over a week ago. I went ahead and placed my order as soon as we finished our discussion that day. The confirmation email indicated:

"Lead time for new LTA orders is typically about four weeks, which includes a full week of burn-in and play-testing."

@teajay Thanks for the clarification.  Mitch2 had mentioned he was waiting 3 weeks due to LTA waiting on cases to arrive.  

Hey tksteingraber,

LTA has been shipping for close to a couple of months already. The wait time is about two weeks.

Teajay

Is LTA shipping these now or are they taking preorders?  Also, a lot of hype on the Laiv Harmony DAC out there…wonder how the 2 compare🤔

Thanks guys,

 It looks like the LTA aero is a better choice presently and Aqua La Scala is ready for an upgrade.

I had the Aqua La Scala II DAC (not Optologic) in my system for a while some years ago and eventually sent it back. There was nothing specific that I didn’t like about it and I believe my comparison was with the Metrum Pavane, which I kept. I sort of remember at the time that I didn’t want something with tubes in it.  Unfortunately, I was not able to compare it directly against any of my Mojo Audio DACs.  I had forgotten the La Scala used four PCM1704 DAC chips, but they apparently changed that to their current proprietary Optologic D/A conversion system using FPGAs.  I may think about trying the the La Scala again instead of the LTA Aero.

Hey dandion,

I had a brief listening session awhile back with the Aqua Scala DAC, quite good, and yes, the LTA Aero DAC have a lot of musicality and sonic characteristics that are similar. If you like the much more expensive DAC you surely would enjoy the LTA.

Teajay 

LTA tube DAC design seems similar to the great Aqua La scala DAC but at half cost. 

I would be curious if they are similare soundwise? About soundstage, holographic and instrument separation?

Hey mm1tt77,

Yes, I believe that the Coda 07x preamp with the LTA Aero DAC would be one beautiful combo! The 07x is one of my favorite SS preamplifiers and teaming it with the Aero would render a terrific musical presentation.

Teajay

@jake18aa +1 on Nicholas's customer service. He took all the time in the world to talk to me about the questions I had on the LTA MZ3 preamp. In fact as I was ready to end the conversation he mentioned he had a few months old MZ3 trade in for sale that was basically brand new, and I bought it, with a nice discount. To this day if I have any questions he emails me back always on a timely basis.

I've haven't had the chance to hear the NOS 1943 Tung Sol black glass/round plates in my system as my next purchase will be the NOS 1952 Sylvania 6SN7GT Bad Boy. So if anyone ever tries these tubes in you 'new' LTA Aero Dac, I would really enjoy reading that review. But I must say the LTA MZ3 comes with NOS RCA 12SX7GT and NOS Brimar CV4024 tubes or whatever replacements they may have on hand at the time, such as the Genalex E88CC. 

@teajay I landed on the PS Audio MKii by way of trading my pre and a DAC for a Lumin P1, I thought I could potentially achieve a jump up in my system by eliminating having a pre, streamer, DAC.  The dealer I made the trade with was in Canada, also rep’d PS Audio, when I didn’t love the change, he honored a commitment that he’d let me send the Lumin Back for a Lumin U2 mini and a PS MKii.  I then went back on the hunt for a Pre, was between a Coda 07x and PS BHK Pre.  I found a BHK local at a great deal so I ended up with a U2 mini, PS BHK Pre and the Mii with a Krell 300 XD for an amp.  What sounded the best in my system was a CSiB Coda Integrated I used as a Pre only that was fed by a MHDT Pagoda Balanced DAC.  I have been thinking about swapping the BHK and MKii for the Coda 07x and a tube based DAC.  The LTA, based on your review seems to hit my sonic sweet spot.  Do you think the Coda would pair well with LTA DAC?  I have also thought about an LTA pre or Aric Pre.  
 

Thanks for all great reviews and recommendations.  

@tksteingraber - Thanks for linking the tube thread.  Based on my web search, if I decide to keep the DAC, it seems I should be able to find a tested and matched pair of suitable NOS tubes, like SYLVANIA VT231s, for under $300, which seems an acceptable price assuming they improve the sound.  I wish LTA had those DACs in stock and ready to ship as I am looking forward to hearing it.

@mitch2 If you do decide to buy NOS 6sn7 tubes this is a must read.  There are reasonably priced tubes (Sylvania, Rca, Raytheon) that sound fantastic but requires some searching and leaps of faith. Interested in your feedback on the LTA Aero once you get some time with it.  
 

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/shootout-of-nos-6sn7-tubes

Good to hear, on all accounts.  Thanks Teajay.

Hey mitch2,

Of all the 6SN7s I have in my collection the TungSol black glass/round plates have always been my favorites for three reasons: 1) The air and spatiality they create is really very remarkable. 2) The beauty of timbres/colors is very pristine and very close to what I hear in live music. 3) There is an ease/effortlessness that it produces which I experience as the music is just oozing and flowing into my listening space. 

With all that, when I used the TungSols in the Aero it did not produce a qualitative shift (what I believe you would call significant) but a subtle addition of the traits I described above. The DAC sounds absolutely terrific with the GE NOS 12SN7s that it shipped with. Using the NOS TungSol black glass/oval plates 6SN7's is like "the icing on cake". So, if you go through with your purchase of the Aero and love it,, which I think you will, you could treat yourself later with a pair of 6SN7s. 

Finally, you are correct they have become scarcer and more expensive, but you can still score them for relatively reasonable prices. If you get a good pair they tend to be very long lived. The way the LTA Aero uses its tubes they should last a very long time, indeed.

Teajay 

@teajay 

I also used my favorite 6SN7 tube, NOS 1943 TungSol black glass/round plates. Everything in my description of the Aero DAC’s performance with these tubes went even higher.

After reading about how you found the DAC's performance to be even better with NOS 6SN7 tubes, I thought I would look around and maybe purchase a set prior to receiving the DAC, so I could maximize its performance during my 14-day trial period.  Holy crap, I had no idea of where prices have gone on 6SN7 tubes!  It seems $400 to over $1K for a pair is not unusual.  Therefore, leaving the DAC powered up for best sound, as supported by LTA, would be a much more expensive proposition if using NOS tubes.

Can you elaborate on the specific sonic attributes, as well as the relative degree of improvement - i.e., subtle to significant, that you heard when using NOS 6SN7 tubes?  Do you believe 6SN7s in general may sound better than 12SN7s in this DAC?  Thanks for any additional thoughts you can share regarding the impact of the tubes used.

Hey jetter,

Yes, the Pass Labs DAC-1 is about that old. Mine was re-capped by Pass Labs  and is in pristine condition. The only reason that Pass Labs stopped manufacturing the DAC-1 was the unavailability of the great Burr-Brown PCM-(K)63 chips. Pass Labs policy is if they can't have parts to repair a certain model in the future they stop manufacturing it.

The DAC-1 uses four of these chips in a fully balanced configuration. Then add Nelson's brilliance with power supplies and you get a great sounding DAC.

Teajay 

@teajay Great question! You might find it shocking that the Pass Labs DAC-1 performance is quite close to the present day reference level DACs.

Amazing!  What is this like a 27 year old DAC?  

Excellent thank you Teajay. With a 14 day free trial what have a got to lose😁

Hey phill55,

It's been awhile since I reviewed the Audio Mirror Tubadour DAC, which is a wonderful musical sounding DAC. My hunch would be that the LTA Aero will be more dynamic and resolving with more pristine tonality, but not losing the sense of musicality that the Tubadour has. 

Teajay 

Hey whoopycat,

Great question! You might find it shocking that the Pass Labs DAC-1 performance is quite close to the present day reference level DACs. I hate using percentage statements, but I would say the DAC-1 gives you close to 85% of the state of the art performance of this generation of great DACs. I'm sure yours sounds great in your system. 

Teajay

@mitch2 

I am looking forward to your impressions on LTA. 

@teajay

I was intrigued enough by your review, and the many other positive responses from those who own or have heard this DAC, that I called LTA yesterday, had a nice conversation with Mark Schneider, the LTA CEO, and purchased the Aero DAC. I should see it in about 3 weeks as they are waiting on cases.
They clearly put a lot of thought and effort into the design, and there is innovation throughout the DAC beyond the Berning-modeled output stage. Mr. Schneider shared a lot of details and unfortunately I cannot remember them all. LTA are aware of similarities with the DACs from Mojo Audio such as the AD chips, Belleson regulators, and choke power supplies, and Mr. Schneider is interested to hear about my comparisons between the Aero and my current Mystique Evo Pro Z and Mystique X SE NCZ.
Since my system typically remains powered up all the time, I was interested in Mr. Schneider’s comments about warm up. He acknowledged the Aero DAC sounds better after a 2-hour warm-up, and the sound can continue to improve over a couple of days. He indicated turning the unit on/off is may be harder on the tubes than simply leaving it turned on. Also, the ZOTL circuit only uses about 1/3 of the tube’s power and the 12SN7 tubes they sourced are not dreadfully expensive.
I look forward to trying this new DAC.

Hi @teajay how does the LTA Dac compare to the Audio Mirror Tubadour IV? Both tube based R2R dacs. Thank you!

I am a tube DAC fan (Lampizator). I listened to it quickly at THE Show and I remember that I wasn’t impressed but I think it may have been the rest of the system it was displayed with.

My own system was right down the hall so I had the advantage of a quick comparison.

And the LTA is at a different price point.

Jerry

This DAC sounds like another winner!  I’ve bought both a Coda S5.5 amp and NSMT Clairvoyant System 2 speakers at Terry’s recommendation and all I can say is that he was spot on in all aspects with both items. These are the best two audio purchases I’ve ever made. I bought both the amp and speakers through Mike Kay at Audio Archon. Mike is really great to work with. When I’m in the market for a new digital setup I’m definitely going to look at this DAC. 

Jeff

Hi @teajay , enjoyed the review. I see in your profile that you still own a Pass Labs D1 DAC. I own one also and I love it. Curious how you think it holds up today against the reference DACs you have reviewed recently? 

Thanks guys,

For your positive and supportive comments regarding both my motivation and professional reviews. I'm always trying to share my excitement about great pieces that offer great performance for reasonable prices that are built by people who offer great customer service and are "good" people. 

Teajay

@teajay @stuartk fellow CODA S5.5 owner here, yeah I just don't get the logic of someone accusing Terry of nefarious financial motives, when he has a track record of recommending components that the subs here have all verified as stellar IN THEIR OWN SYSTEMS over the course of many years. I guess for some folk there is a conspiracy lurking just about everywhere anxiously waiting to trip them up. I have a Lampizator Baltic V4 - a tube DAC that uses a very different conversion method and output stage than the Aero - and would love to do an A/B comparison, but unfortunately I am tapped out right now, unless Bitcoin actually decides to do something instead of sitting on its you-know-what.

@teajay, really enjoy reading your posts. I am relatively new to this- only about a year. And the first post of yours which influenced me was the one on Coda S5.5. I really wish I could buy it- but here in Dubai, where I am based- not possible. Was tempted when I was in LA last month- but again not sure how to carry it back. Either ways it is a pleasure to read your posts, especially the patience with which you reply to all- and of course like reading your reviews.

I am thinking of getting a DAC, though the Aero might be a bit out of my budget and also not available in/to Dubai. Might end up buying the MHDT Orchid- again basis your recommendations.

Hey Terry, I bought an Aric Audio Preamp following your recommendation and it is great. I now have had the LTA Aero DAC for about two months and I love it. My other two dacs are a Denafriips Terminator and a Mytek Manhattan II and while both are excellent, the Aero is much better. Also a shout out to LTA for it's commendable customer service (Nicholas!!!).

Hey teajay! Thanks for posting and your timing in my case is spot on. 

I have been listening to a few DAC's recently and trying to decide if a replacement for my Yggy LIM would make sense.  I have a tubed preamp ( Modwright LS100 ) and not sure what the impact of the LTA Aero with tubes would be - hence the beauty of a home trial period in my system offered by LTA.  I did a recent post about picking up my new Volti Razz speakers from Greg in TN and I had a chance to here the Mojo Mystique X with my speakers and like you loved the sound.  

I look forward to your upcoming review 

Thanks for the heads up, Terry. I'll be upgrading my DAC in the next year or so and this seems like a real contender due to its tonality as you've described it, the return option and the price. 

It's a shame you have to deal with the same tedious accusations of nefarious intent every time you inform us about a new product you've enjoyed.