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.

Agree. The Korean Rose 150 switched to ESS for Europe as did TEAC for the NT505X. Think Cary in the USA secured enough AKM4499 chips to maintain production. 
 

Thank you bosssound for your detailed write-up. I have no experience of any other competitor so my own appraisal is subjective. Glad that it is meeting expectations even with one channel operating. My “ revelation” comment was due to its capabilities to deliver an exceptionally wide and detailed soundstage without any fatigue. Last night I listened to Keith Jarrett’s live Koln concert from 1974 on Qobuz 24/96. It was the very first CD that I bought or heard, (in Wichita,ka) when my colleague bought a Sony player back in 1983. I have enjoyed that cd hundreds of times over the years, but the TEAC reveals more ambience from the hall, creaks and a cough, plus a vibrancy to the music. I’m not capable of describing piano notes accurately, but was in no doubt that this was a more enjoyable listen than my old cd. Look forward to your thoughts when secure a fully functioning unit.

Yes. That beautiful album was in heavy rotation in my home at one point. Spiritual. Transcendent.

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).

Sorry for spelling error - it should be Audiotailor Jade.

Thanks for pointer to this new Bryston unit. A swiss-army-knife of a DAC, like the Teac UD-701N. In roughly similar price point. Curious to read reviews from parties with greater disinterest and from users.

Thanks for pointer to this new Bryston unit. A swiss-army-knife of a DAC, like the Teac UD-701N. In roughly similar price point. Curious to read reviews from parties with greater disinterest and from users.

BR-20 thread here.  Also back up a level for the general Bryston threads

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=172721.0

I only have experience with a couple of their products BDP Pi & BOT-1.  Their support is good.  Similar rep as say..PS Audio.   They even support discontinued products if they can , like my BDP Pi.   Their amplifier warranty is like 20 years.  Not sure if that would apply to a Pre.  If I had the  $  I would collapse my DAC,  Pre and streamer into that unit, so sanitary.   Kitchen remodel has me watching all the cool new sh!t from the sideline.

Since BR-20 is mash of BDA-3 DAC and BDP-3 streamer that provides very nice set-up for testing whether separate DAC and streamer are superior to integrated unit.

Maybe an Audiogon member somewhere has conducted that test and will chime in...

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.

Yeah my Wadia 321 is a DAC with volume control.  It aint no pre-amp like the BR 20.  The BR also , as of this month, is A Roon ready endpoint as well as having its on streaming Web interface with Manic Moose. 

Anyone else, testing the NT-505 headphone output?

Music Direct just got UD-701’s back in stock. Price is up $300 to $4300. I ordered one yesterday and will report back. I just found a beautiful Audio Research VT-130SE so I have something to try the preamp section out with. I’ve found the 505 preamp section great in my system.

@bhvf , eager to hear about your experience.

I've been playing it and using it as a balanced preamp with a new to me Audio Research VT-130SE and it sounds fantastic, a little more open than the 505. I will switch back to my Sugden next week and do some comparisons as I'm much more familiar with that amp. Build quality is fantastic. This thing is heavy also. I love that it has inputs so I can use vinyl. I don't know if it converts everything to digital and back. That would obviously be a problem for vinyl lovers. I haven't tried it yet. That's next week also when I have some more time.

Hi bhvf,

Glad you are enjoying it  - 6 months with mine  The pre amp is analogue, although I have not tried it. Fixed volume out via XLR to a Luxman integrated  I have added the cg10 M clock which, despite advice to the contrary, lifts the bar a little higher to my ears. Happy listening  

@bosssound Your thoughts on the Bartok mirror mine. I have listened to it both with high end speaker and headphone setups, and both times I felt the Bartok sounded dull and a little muddled. With the speaker setup, it was hooked to a D'agostino preamp running into Luxman M900u into Wilson Sabrina. Headphone amp was a Woo Audio 33 and I forget the model of the headphones, but it was a high end one. 

@arize84 Good to know I am not a party of one on Bartok front.

@bhvf  Curious to hear further thoughts on the UD-701 DAC now that you have had the unit in your system for a while.

I wanted to update this thread to say I sent the UD-701 back.  In my system I like the NT-505 better. The 701 had a more "open" sound but just wasn't as enjoyable for long listening as the 505.  It wasn't what I would call bright, but all these terms are subjective.  Clear, bright, open, analytical, etc. could all mean the same thing depending on if someone had positive or negative feelings about it.

To jbuhl:

I would call this: an introduction of sorts. The seller, by definition, can not provide an objective review. Very seldom do so-called "independent reviewers." He wants to sell this product and discusses the BR-20 accordingly.

I brought home the UD-701N 2 weeks ago as a Demo unit and have been running it in pretty much constantly. From the first listen I knew I was going to like it! My current DAC is a Pontus II. I had the RS150B in my setup for an evaluation a few months back and it was good! Excellent detail retrieval, non-fatiguing, good imaging. My issue with it was the soundstage depth which was not great imo, especially compared to the Denafrips! Back it went. The 701n is everything the Rose was in terms of detail, but with more of that R2R sound that I have become accustomed to, and with an equally deep (behind the speakers) soundstage (maybe deeper than the Pontus!) and all-day listenability. I get none of the fatiguing sound that someone mentioned, and quite to the contrary. The sound has that magic in between of being smooth as glass while not forgoing detail. I agree that the Bartok is WAY too laidback for my tastes (boring unless your speakers and the rest of your gear is bright as hell!). I have also heard the Esoteric N-05XD and this DAC/Pre is about 90% of it for 65% less money. My Amp is a recapped and upgraded Threshold 400A class A, and I’m pissing the wife off because I can’t stop listening! At some point I have to shave and leave the house….

Rich post. Particularly appreciate the comparisons to other DACS. Tickled to hear how much you are enjoying new unit.

Hi Folks. I'm interested in buying the UD-701N. I'm curious weather It's made in China or Japan.

Thanks

celestial_sound

TEAC UD-701N and NT-505X are made in China.

Esoteric N-05XD made in Japan.

I demo'ed the NT-0505X last week...very high value piece.

My dealer has the UD-701N coming in this week that I can home demo, as well.

(Currently using Schiit Yggdrasil A2 w/iFi Zen Stream).

DPC

vinylcat Thank you for your response. 

I've done some research and I think the N-05XD and UD-701N share absolutely the same DAC module according to the PCB layout and the internals. Here is picture from TEAC

and from ESOTERIC

celestial,

i did my own comparison, too (UD-701N & N-05XD), and from what I can tell, spec-wise, is that the Esoteric has more headphone power.  Call me cynical, but on the surface at least, it looks like one might be paying ~$6K for a nicer housing and faceplate.  I gather there’s more to it than that…there must be, right?

That said, I like the design of the TEAC.  The NT-505x is a solid little guy itself, and the UD-701N comes in at 26 lb…a good hunk of DAC.

Can’t wait to hear it at home, as I’m contemplating a new streamer, new DAC, or a new DAC/Streamer like the 701.

I had both DAC’s at the same time. I liked the 701 very much but bought the N-05XD and compared. I kept the 05 in my main system and sold the 701 as my second system didn't need a DAC. As good as the 701 is the 05 is an another level. JMO

tony

Hi @mantis007

Could you please describe what was better on the N-05XD, was it day and night difference? Don't get me wrong, I totally agree that the N-05XD should be on another level but I'm also curious weather the 701 is miles away or share the same DNA with N-05XD

@celestial__sound  similar DNA but the 701 stops short on spatial retrieval. The 05 soundstage in bigger in every direction, it digs deeper into the music, the specificity of instruments/voice in the stage is better on the 05 as is dynamic contrast. The 05 clearly sounds a bit more realistic to me and is just better everywhere when compared side by side - but at 2.5 times the cost. Since I had the choice and didn't need another DAC for my seldom used 2nd system I kept the 05. All this is of course to my ears and in system etc..  :)

mantis007 Got that, thank you 

Had a nice comp session with my Yggdrasil (SPDIF) and dealer demo UD-701N (USB), both running thru an iFI Zen Stream (w/iPower 12V).  The Yggydrasil is a very nice DAC…the TEAC is really more impressive…more so than I thought it might be.  The clarity, soundscape, engagement, substantial build quality (at least on the surface) is very attractive.  I don’t have much interest in the headphone side, and none in the preamp side, so can’t comment on those features.

Will try the Network connection this weekend…if it’s like the 505X network, should sound even better than thru the Zen Stream.

Would like to get my ears on the Weiss 501/502 at home someday (only heard at shows), but this TEAC 701N may be the ticket for my digital needs.

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

The build quality is unquestionable, very high level. The fact that they learn and borrow from esoteric makes UD-701N even more attractive. But still, I don't really understand why Stereophile, TAS and other magazines never reviewed a product by TEAC or Esoteric. There are tones of reviews from other DAC/Network Players like Topping, SMSL, Gustard, Denafrips, HoloAudio, Mytek, HIFI Rose but there almost none for TEAC and maybe few for Esoteric. Is it a bad marketing or, magazines are avoiding them for any(?) reason. I just don't get it. 

Concur on the lack of TEAC advertising and reviews...

I was not familiar with nor would have considered TEAC without a recommendation from my local dealer to just give the NT505X a listen, as he and some audio club members did a listening session with it against a well known, much more $ brand  (and its new upgrades) and were impressed, perhaps surprised, that they all preferred the TEAC.  I wasn't really even in the DAC market.  I did a little research (and found this thread...as there are very few on the 505X or the 701N), and thought why not give it a shot.  The 505X was indeed impressive, but glad I am also trying out the 701N.

Honestly, the digital side is secondary to me, but I'm all for major improvements at reasonable cost.  There are many other brands/models to possibly try out that have many reviews and associated advertising, but the TEAC value (relative to either model being discussed) would be hard to beat, I imagine.

Regarding the lack of reviews for Teac, I had read that they do not loan units out for review, not sure if that's true.  Long time UD-501 owner (Burr-Brown chips), very happy with the  unit, fantastic build quality and trouble free.  Smooth rather than hyper detailed, my Mytek Brooklyn+ beats it there, but it's still a keeper.  Lusting for the NT-505 or 701, but financially not feasible.  Miim pro next for sh*ts and giggles as replacement for my PC based streaming.

I completed a long weekend home demo with the UD-701N last week...

so impressed with what I heard (as was my wife) that I went ahead and asked my dealer to order one for me on Tuesday and picked it up yesterday (very fast turnaround).

It's now residing in my system rather comfortably.  Very nice piece of equipment and I feel a great value (as is the NT-505X).

BTW, I'm not real thrilled with the Lumin/TEAC/Esoteric app, but it's usable.  Mconnect is still my go to for control, but that may change if/when I ever do more streaming (other than my local NAS).

Although nothing beats a home demo, this thread here was very useful (and just a few others I found in the interwebs).  Lots of other usual suspects in this price range for Streamer/DACS, but this TEAC fully suits my needs.

I’m a dealer so take this as you will, but I got a demo unit to test on the possibility of picking up the Teac line.   
 

The first thing you notice is the build quality, which for the money is off the charts.  But build quality isn’t sound quality — I hooked it in our reference system and A/Bd it vs a couple of DACs, cheaper and more expensive.   Longer story short, it’s a terrific DAC at its price point and above.  Add in the flawless operation of the streaming (via Roon or its own app), ability to work as a 100% analog preamp for vinyl and many other features, and I think it’s a killer value and an excellent component on an absolute level.   And in a surprise to me anyway, adding the external clock clearly improved audio performance.   Based on this experience, we picked up the line.  I’ll be A/Bing it vs its Esoteric counterpart soon.  
 

From the house designed DAC to the build quality/internals at the price point; the UD 701N reflects what a larger company with the engineering prowess and buying power can do for the money if they put their mind to it.   

@vinylcat 

Delighted that you found unit that brings you joy. Could you say a little more about sound quality of UD-701N, in particular in comparison to other models that you considered.

Cheers.

@rblnr 

Decision to pick up line is telling. Eager to hear your thoughts on comparison to Esoteric counterpart.

@rblnr 

Glad you thought so highly of the TEAC.

I may try the TEAC Clock down the line, myself...my dealer will let me try that at home, as well.

"The UD 701N reflects what a larger company with the engineering prowess and buying power can do for the money if they put their mind to it."

On that note, so to speak, I found a similar result with my current main audio speakers (Paradigm Persona 3F)...a rather large, resource-filled company focusing on some "higher end" products which they wouldn't normally be noted for.

@bosssound 

My only direct comparison was at home vs. my Schiit Yggrdrasil A2 with the iFi Zen Stream.  I initially used the Zen Stream for both DACs (SPDIF for the Yggdrasil; USB for the TEAC UD-701N) to keep fewer variables.  The TEAC was an immediate improvement (to me) wrt to clarity, dynamics, soundstage depth, width...all leading to a more engaging and immersive sound.  The closest element was probably the dynamics, as the Yggdrasil has a great analog output, as well.

(In fact, my experience the week before with the NT-505X was also an improvement over the Yggdrasil in the same context, just not to the level of the UD-701N.)

There was no element the Yggdrasil provided that I preferred over the UD-701N.  And the Yggdrasil is a very nice DAC...

Everything from vocals (Loreena McKennitt, Joni Mitchell, Chris Isaak, Johnny Cash), guitar (Acoustic Alchemy), pop (Paul Simon), rock (Phish, The Cure), and "world" (Dead Can Dance) was preferable on the TEAC.  (I listen to Jazz music strictly thought vinyl, so no input there...)

I then listened to the TEAC via its network connection, and a few comparisons with the iFi Zen (USB) streaming showed furrther improvement, but I didn't do too much comparison because (a) had to switch inputs on unit (no remote on hand), and (b) the TEAC network connection sounded so good I didn't want to switch.  (one of its four independent power supplies is dedicated for the network, I believe)

That said, the Yggdrasil is less expensive than the TEAC, but the TEAC's delta in performance vs. cost is much greater than I would have thought.  I likely would have still purchased the TEAC even if it had no built in streaming (or preamp and headphone amp, which I won't likely even use).

You've provided some insight on the UD-701N vs. the HiFi Rose 150, and there are other brands with similar cost and features (Lumin, Simaudio, Auralic, Bryston, etc.), and I've heard some of them at shows and dealers, but certainly not enough to assess any to the level of a home demo.

Hope that is somewhat useful.

@vinylcat ​​​​​​

I'm seriously considering the UD 701N. Could you confirm that it supports Tidal connect? 

It supports Tidal.  Shows up as an endpoint in the Tidal app if it's on your network.

@celestial__sound 

There's your answer.

I was just going to add there is a toggle on the HR Streamer app for Tidal & Qobuz (I don't use them as I only stream via local NAS).

This unit has been impressing me more and more over the past couple weeks.

I recently purchased the TEAC UD-701N and I am extremely pleased with its excellent qualities, particularly the transparency of vocals, resolution, and clarity. The unit is currently in the burn-in process, so I anticipate even further improvements in these aspects. Will keep you updated!

@vinylcat Out of curiosity do you use Multi bit PCM or 1 Bit DSD? :) 

@celestial__sound 

Nice to hear you went with the UD-701N.  (my dealer has mentioned it's been very popular with his clients, as well.)

I started out with MB to gauge its sound relative to my Yggdrasil (MB as well).  I have since changed to 1-bit DSD (512).  Both are quite an improvement in all areas.  Some of my favorite demo/test digital music (e.g. Ry Cooder - Talkin' Timbuktu...) is really impressive via 1-bit; seemed to add even more depth and clarity to this incredible recording.  l'll experiment a bit more with format and other settings (easy enough), but as of right now I'm inclined to stick with 1-bit.

Well, I bought the TEAC UD-701N, to replace my NT-503.  Anyone who owns the NT-503 knows that it doesn't have access to TIDAL through it native (and wonky) app.  Using it with bubblenup doesn't give access to MQA which I like (don't judge).

Anyway, the short term replacement was a Blusound Vault 2i.  It worked well, but I wanted something more. 

When I purchased the UD-701N and set it up it worked fine.  The TEAC streamer app allows a firmware upgrade from the app and I initiated that process.  It took some time and the wheel kept spinning on my phone, but the unit itself worked.  

A sign of things to come.

When I started using it, both the TEAC streamer app and TIDAL Connect worked fine, and the unit sounded great.  I am actually a fan of TEAC products, so I was quite pleased.

Anyway fast forward a couple of weeks.  The Networking function no longer works.  Both  TIDAL connect and the native TEAC STREAMER app see the device on the network, and allow me to scroll and select tracks.  But that's it, it wont play.

I get various errors, like "No network connection" or the native app continuously logs me out.  Bubbleupnup tells me that the "action timed out".  

It's so annoying.  

I restarted everything.  I updated the unit, both the firmware and the netware, and did a factory re-set.  nothing works.  Such a shame that blusound can work flawlessly but this unit cant.  

The unit is connected like the blusound was, to an ethernet port on an netgear EXA20 extender.  I have Starlink satellite internet.  The TV, and desktop computer (which i use to stream now - back to square one again...sheesh) all have internet and work fine.   

I'm pissed! 

Having said that, the DAC is the best TEAC DAC I've heard and its mated to a TEAC CG-10M.  

Anyone have any suggestions?

My sympathies. I responded enthusiastically to Bossound early in the thread. Having upgraded from the NT 505 and like you, added the clock. Loved it.  Then qobuz started to misbehave. Here in the uk, there is now no support as TEAC have centralised to Germany. The third party repair centre had no manual and eventually said could not obtain a spare board. 4 months later I got a refund and sold the clock at a loss. I loved the DAC in 1 bit mode. Superb. Will never buy a Shenzhen product again. Now have an Innuos pulse streamer and a musical fidelity DAC, both built in Europe. Hope you can resolve your issues.