TEAC UD-701 vs NT-505 vs ?

Sorry for spelling error - it should be Audiotailor Jade.

I can only chime in, one year listening to the NT-505, streaming Qobuz. Have not heard the newer models. What is clear, is that the 505 needs break-in time. It does not outperform my vinyl rig, but now sounds very good. This is into a tube system - Einstein The tube mk2 preamp, and Atma-sphere Ma-1 amps. It seems a supportive environment for the 505. The best digital recordings - also standard cd format - now sound clearly better than I'v heard before.  

Thanks for listening reports, and discussion! I will probably stick around with my NT-505 for a while, before an eventual upgrade. I still need to "get to know it" better, even after a year of use. This is so also because I mainly play music from LPs. As I stated above, there is still a considerable gap, in my system/to my ears, between the superior analog sound, and the not-bad-to-quite good digital sound. Some have found the 505 bright and glassy. In my setup, compared to the Lyra Atlas cartridge, it is not very bright, nor very glassy, but it is clear that the treble air and resolution is greater with the Atlas, and thereby, the "thereness" of the music. I find it somewhat surprising that the AKM chip should sound "glassy", but I will check it more, myself.

I agree with many other observations: yes, standard cd format through Qobuz etc often sounds surprisingly good on the 505. The hi res takes are maybe not so much of an improvement as one should expect (I get varying results),

DSD sounds best to my ears also, and for DSD, the best formula seems to be to keep as close to 'native DSD' as possible. So I have not experimented much with filters.

My experience after a year’s use is similar to big_greg’s: the NT-505 with AKM chip is a bit on the warm and polite side.

But more neutral and less polite, more lively, after extended break-in.

Glassy and hard? Well yes, sometimes, I hear some of that in digital recordings generally, but not so much, here. I suspect that, even if the UD-701 sounds better, there would still be a considerable gap up to the analog sound quality, in my system. Maybe I have old-fashioned "tube and vinyl" ears.

What I know, is that the 505 has been a good, trouble-free investment, so far. I have not yet tested the 505 as a preamp, connected direct to my Atma-sphere MA-1 amps, but I know that it works fine, connected to my Einstein The Tube preamp, and also, the Io Eclipse with volume controls (through the Aux input), used as a preamp. I think this translates to "worthiness" - these preamps are very well able to uncover sound problems.

I have not yet had the time to test the headphone output with my favorite phones (Audioquest Nightowl + Nighthawk). Thats actually my one gripe with the 505 - I thought it had balanced headphone output, but no. My mistake. I should have read the small print.

Source and setup for my testing

Qobuz digital - through NT-505 - from the NT direct (headphone output) - compared to the Jade headphone output.

The Jade is connected from Teac, first to the preamp with balanced cable and then, single ended cable, from the preamp line out, to the Jade.

Headphone standard connection is used (not balanced).

Anyone else, testing the NT-505 headphone output?