audioblazer:
if the weiss and berkely dacs are solid state, have you ruled out a tubed dac ?
the advantage of having a tube is the ability to alter the sound of your stereo system. |
Audioblazer, I cannot answer your question as I have used the Weiss DAC202 exclusively with Mac music servers, but the Dac202 is substantially better than either the Minerva or the Berkeley. |
I heard both in the same system and the Berkeley did not have the resolution on realism in the midrange the weiss did ,plus the weiss had more hookup options and their analog digital direct connection showed that depending on the character and resolution of the amp can be better then with a preamplifier. |
Music server sporting Lynx aes 16 card is the way to go, IMHO much better then cnovetional transport. |
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Hi Maybe I didnt phrase my question clearly. Let me try again. The question is that " how good does Berkeley alpha or Weiss Minerva/ DAC2 sounds connected to a conventional transport rather than through a music server or pc or MAC. TQ for all the feedback thus far. |
In one case, it was direct. In the second, I don't remember, but its character was clearly evident in a direct comparison with the Weiss Medea. |
Drubin,
did you audition Alpha DAC direct or via preamp? Maybe your preamp is not so transparent?! |
Kent,
The "character" I heard from the BADA is difficult for me to describe, but I would say it sounds as if the music is playing against a background "fabric" that is visible and has a mid- to light "color." In contrast, the Bryston's background is closer to being genuinely transparent or invisible. (Gosh, I hope this makes some sense.) I wonder if this is a shortcoming of the IC output stage in the BADA (vs. the discrete stage in the Bryston). |
I just heard the Berkeley paired with the full recommended PC setup including Lynx sound card. Hi-rez material was out of this world. It also provided by far the best redbook playback I've ever heard. It's really a remarkable achievement. |
Drubin,
May I ask what "sonic character" did you hear on BADA? The 40% saving is substantial!
Does the Bryston has any drawbacks compared to the BADA?
what music and what system did you use in your audition?
I think your answers to these question will help the original poster and me understand the basis of your comparison as none of us could audition them.
Thanks |
Roypan,
The Weiss after the firmware upgrade to V2-0-1-2 is another machine, I had got mine with V2-0-1-0 and after upgrading it there was a HUGE difference across the spectrum!!
I hope when you auditioned it, it was updated!
Best Regards,
Satyam Bachani. |
looks like not many people paired either DAC with a conventional transport |
If you use a preamp and don't need the built-in volume control, and if you can live without HDCD decoding, I recommend you listen to the Bryston BDA-1. I haven't done a head to head comparison, but I'm fairly confident the Bryston is in the same ballpark for 40% the price. The BADA has, in my two auditions, a fairly strong sonic "character," which the Bryston does not (or has less of, at any rate). |
Roypan. U tried both and prefer BADA. What connection did you used for comparison?Just wondering how good is it compare to standard DAC not use with music server and in the same price range |
Also precedes BING and BANG. |
The Wavelength products have only USB input and neither the Weiss nor the BADA have USB, though the Weiss Minerva has Firewire in. |
Roypan
Have you tried any Wavelength products against the BADA or Weiss? |
Kr4--that was pretty good...funniest thing I've read here in a while! |
BADA=Berkley Audio Design Alpha |
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this may be a stupid question, what is BADA |
I tried them both and preferred the BADA |
