Looking forward to your impressions! I’m looking at the Weiss also. Wondering if it is more like a $5k DAC with premium price being Swiss and with a lot of DSP functions I may or may not use - I don’t intend to be negative, just that at $10k it’s pricey. The reviews are very favorable, unfortunately nowhere to listen. But I like the characterization of the DAC being neutral and letting the music come through (“breathe”) with a certain naturalness - that seems to be a common thread in the reviews, and is what I am looking for now in a digital front end. Since they have been raising prices at nearly $10k now you get into other promising and newer contenders like the Esoteric N05xd and Lumin P1. Currently I’m trying out a Mytek Manhattan, which is nice.
Weiss 501 DAC
With great caution, just set up my new Weiss 501 DAC. Why pray tell with great caution? Because I'm running ATC 40 actives and did not wish to mistakenly cook them by incorrect hookup while using the unit as a DAC and single source preamp/volume control.
Far too soon for evaluation, but not too soon to observe and appreciate the incredibly small footprint of it all. Naim Core server, Weiss 501, Decware power conditioner all sitting on Quadraspire Reference X stand, appropriate cabling, PCs and done. Compact civilized aural pandemonium!
Showing 4 responses by jimmy2615
@verdantaudio great info, thanks. That’s a very relevant/appropo concept - “compromised”, which better fits what I was trying to get at with things like “neutral” or “natural.” Many DACs sound mostly fine, but it seems many at a certain price point do something wrong - Grit or grain, timbre, tonality issues, etc. |
I’ve had mine now for a few days. Usually I’d wait a while to post any opinions and will post again after a while, but I have to say this DAC is unusual in that it is truly transformative with regards to my system. I’ve owned a lot of good DACs and CD players and they all have sounded more similar than different. This one is different, the whole system seems elevated to a higher notch which is something I’ve never experienced with a front end. It’s definitely not a $5k DAC with Swiss pricing…. Very positive initial impression. Clean, clear, precise, controlled, smooth and musical are initial thoughts. |
@celtic66 said ”In my estimation I did not overpay for Swiss engineering, design and manufacture”…. Agreed, and in fact I’d say it’s a bargain. Some of the other DACs or CD players I’ve owned also required a good streamer to get the best out of them. I had the Luxman D08u with a Lumin U1, a Mojo Mystique with an Aurender N20, etc. I went with Weiss to eliminate two boxes and so far this is at least as good using as a Roon endpoint, at half the price. It’s just delightful to listen to. Still early but after 100+ hours the detail And precision I heard at the beginning is now complimented by more natural presentation and tone, and a little more warmth. |