TEAC UD-701 vs NT-505 vs ?

@bosssound , you are on a roll! I am seeing all the DACs that I am kind of shortlisting. It took me more than 2 years to finalize my speakers. And I am expecting the same for DAC. But based on your notes it looks like the TEAC UD-701N would be top of the list. Thank You for the excellent write-up. I like it how you kept it confined to 1 channel between the Teac and Rose to make it fair.

BTW the Rose RS150s available in the US use ESS DACs, unless your dealer had an older unit. The units sold in the US are all 150B after the company could not get anymore AKM DACs.

and I'm sure the UD-701 will be very good but Aurender are in a different league.

Here is my rub with the folks promoting the Musetec. They have absolutely no experience with the DAC that is being discussed, and they automatically imply that something other might be better than the DAC being discussed. But the DAC they promote is the best. Aurender makes a wide range of products. The A10 is a cheaper one with streamer and DAC together. It would be hard to believe that the all in one A10 would be better than the UD-701N. Don't understand why people post on stuff they have ZERO experience.

Yeah, I have read and was very much interested in the Musetec. But the tone of some of the users and the way they shoot down non-Chinese competition got me thinking that there is something more going on. Funny enough - the Musetec is readily available, while the cheaper Okto DAC8 Stereo (European make) has been flying off the shelf and not available to order - even though they use the same chips. And normally you make in China to save $$$. Why should the Musetec cost so much more than the Okto? The Musetec costs almost near the Teac price range.

Now lets wait for the rest of the Musetec gang to come up and defend their DAC or bash my post. I would really like to see some of these poster's system with that DAC in it.

In the meanwhile please continue to post on the Teac UD-701N. I am interested too.

@bosssound ,

Looks like there are more reviews coming up on the Teac UD-701N.

The first one is the latest from Europe while the second one is from Japan. Both had to be translated. The DAC looks impressive with great build quality.

https://hifi-nl.translate.goog/artikel/30939/Review-TEAC-UD-701N-en-AP-701-Stoer,-luxe,-gemak-en-kwaliteit.html?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

https://www-phileweb-com.translate.goog/review/article/202103/24/4275_2.html?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

The Teac also seems to be solid built and uses Esoteric's own delta sigma tech instead of off-the-shelf chips. This was one thing I liked about the Marantz SA-10. The SA-10's sound quality, per some posters who own them, are nothing short of phenomenal, at a price that is much less than the competition. I am hoping the same for the Teac. Might have to find a way to audition this DAC, sometimes this summer

One more thing to keep in mind - you will need to "separate the Wheat from the chaff" on these forum posts. You know what I mean.

But I guess that would involve one on one auditions instead of wild presumptuous conclusions.

Please go back and read about my statement on trying to audition this summer. And other words I used were "seems", "hoping", etc. So not jumping to conclusion like :

system and I'm sure the UD-701 will be very good but Aurender are in a different league.

If you are considering a separate DAC you can't do better than the Musetec 005, read the thread on here.

Also good to know that you enjoyed looking at my system and carefully noted my choice of music. Thanks for the kind words. D comes before K. So that screen shot in my system page shows only partial list of the music. I listen to all sorts of music - I do not differentiate - "music expresses the joy of the soul". That was what I had on the wall of my previous listening system. Would love to see your system, if you got some time to post.

And if you find more reviews/user posts on the Teac, please do post it here.

@bosssound ,

Excellent news. Looks like a lot of reading for me in the next few days on this thread. Will be eager to know how the comparison went and what you end up with. Do keep us posted.

Good luck and have fun!

Cheers👍🏼

plus xlr and vibration mitigation. Whether any of these are beneficial is unknown, but do no harm other than to the wallet.

At least my experience, in MY system, has been that vibration mitigation makes a lot of difference, especially in controlling image smearing and achieving tight bass.

@bosssound , is the UD-701N expected soon? I would like to know your take on the difference between the AKM/ESS based 505. A proprietary Delta Sigma implementation OR FPGA DAC OR a Maranzt style proprietary implementation interests me more than R2R or chip based DAC. But you never know unless you hear one in person. I am not sure if I can make it to AXPONA this year.

Another detailed review.German Review

@bosssound ,

Thank you the update. I read it with great interest.

Bummer that only 1 channel worked. But good to know that even with that you preferred the 701 compared to the 505. The Teac 701 is now high on my list, since it also has streaming capability. Question about the upsampling - does it mean that if you send FLAC to the 170, you would be able to upsample it to DSD?

Currently I have found a way to add Radio Paradise, Folk Alley and Spotify to Foobar 2000 and love the upsampled DSD sound. I am wondering if I would be able to do that via this DAC.

Do you plan to get another 701 which does not have any issues?

@mantis007 ,

What DAC do you have in the primary system? Did you compare the 701 with the DAC in the primary system?

I must agree.....you have had some really neat systems in the past.

I think the Bryston is a preamplifier with a DAC, while the Teac is a DAC that can act as a preamplifier. In my books, 2 different types of products, depending on how you view a component's usage.

Agreed. Wish companies stop including volume control in the DAC. Just create a pur DAC - nothing more nothing less.

Review and measurement

Came across this today.

Every system is different. Measurements are not everything. This is a very good DAC, from what little user experiences I have read.

@chestercopperpot ,

I am a bit baffled. You are asking this question after ordering the DAC. Normally people register to ask questions and seek advice, before ordering. If anything you can now tell us about how you feel about this DAC compared to the RME that you own 😃

I want to get a new DAC because the Oppo that I have is not really a DAC, but a disc player with a DAC. The Teac is in the top 5-6 list and hence the interest in this thread, for me. Do let us know what you feel.

I have the Okto DAC 8, T+A DAC200, Chord Hugo TT2, Teac UD-701 among the top.

@chestercopperpot ,

Thanks for sharing your experience. And good to know that you like the Teac, especially with DSD. Can you describe how the DSD on the Teac was better or different than on the T+A DAC 200? What attributes about DSD you liked on the Teac as compared to the T+A?