Eastern Electric's new tube DAC using ESS Sabre??

i had both dacs but did not compare them directly. considering the relative prices, i bought the ee dac and was not at all impressed with the neko dac.

i'm not criticizing any aspect of the performance of the neko dac, but there was nothing outstanding about it.

the ee dac is very versatile and offers the opportunity to use at least two different 12 volt tubes, namely 12au7 and 12atz. note, the section of the ee dac that useses a tube is a gain stage not a buffer stage. be careful of the gain of the tube you use. i am not sure that a 12ax7 would work as well, as it is a higher gain tube than a 12au7. you might also try a 12ay7.

i had the opportunity to buy the neko dac, reviewed it and sent it back. you can read my review on audiophilia.com.

my system is a bit attenuated in the highs, so i am currently using an rca 12at7.

I have tried Telefunken smooth plates, GE BP Triple Micas and Mullards Box Plates. The Box plates a way more musical than any tube I have tried. The Teles were fantastic in a previous pre-amp but were very disappointing in the EE. The soundstage disappeared but the imaging was sharp and precise. The GE improved the soundstage and the mullards really excelled in overall musicality, imaging and soundstaging.

Hi - I have the same question (and the same gear)as an earlier poster - anybody listen to a pioneer blu-ray with the EE? I'd be interested in how this would sound with redbook cd as the primary source.

Thanks all.

it is my observation that the ee dac is not tube sensitive. while changes will occur when subsituting different tubes, i believe the chnages are small and not significant.

My experience with using an Oppo 80 as a transport, as well as my MacMini>Hiface, showed the Oppo to be a decent transport except the EE didn't like the optical out from the Oppo. I experienced drop-outs. The EE liked the coaxial. I don't know if the Oppo has a lot of jitter that the EE can't handle, or a problem with the optical inputs on the EE, or the Oppo is defective. Doesn't matter to me since I switched the Mac to BNC and used the coax input for the Oppo. Now I am using a Sony SACD player with optical into the EE with no dropouts. So, I am blaming the Oppo for the mismatch, not the EE. I moved from a PS Audio DLIII to the EE and am ecstatic. I have now had it for 2 months and every day I listen to it, I smile! Wonderful sound.