NOS DACs

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by brencho, Jan 6, 2016.

  1. MattRG

    MattRG Facebook Friend

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    If it's just a drop-in to the existing slot then that would seem rather a large bother. There would have to be something else to it if it required sending the units back in for them to do the work (like a firmware flash or something that they don't want out in the wild?). I'm just speculating here.
     
  2. JeffYoung

    JeffYoung Friend

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    Not to beat a dead horse, but my question to Cees was pretty specific:
    I feel hesitant to post someone's private reply publicly, but it included "You can do the job...", and the caveat about proper orientation mentioned earlier.

    Cheers,
    Jeff.
     
  3. Miracle1980

    Miracle1980 Acquaintance

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    I just asked Cees as well and he replied that ''the unit has to be shipped to them because they have to do some modifications on the motherboard''.
    This regarding Menuet...but i guess for Pavane and Musette as well.
     
  4. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    This is starting to remind me of the unthinking parroting of CPU "bitness" in the 90s console wars. A bigger number isn't always better in reality.

    Just because a DAC is 24 bit on paper doesn't mean that it's automatically better. Effective resolution and accuracy tends not to be anywhere near that in the real world. Getting an effective 21 bits of accuracy is actually very impressive, even before you consider other performance bottlenecks like isolation, power supply design and so forth.

    If you're expecting Soekris to be able to trounce the Yggdrasil with a BOM fitting into that price, you're in for a very nasty shock. They often make legit DACs for the money, but are not privy to a completely novel set of engineering and physical principles unknown to everyone else.

    That's not saying that it's not going to be an interesting DAC, looking forward to some reliable, clueful people getting ears on it. Soekris has the balls to offer a loaner readily, so I am sure that will happen in the fullness of time. Personally, I'd be pleasantly surprised if it could sit performance-wise between the Modi Multibit/Bifrost Multibit and Gungnir Multibit- that's a high enough bar to start with.
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2017
  5. JeffYoung

    JeffYoung Friend

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    Interesting. My query was regarding the Musette, so it's possible they're different. Or maybe Cees has discovered something else needs to change.

    (FWIW, my email exchange was earlier this week. Miracle1980, was yours also recent?)

    Cheers,
    Jeff.
     
  6. Miracle1980

    Miracle1980 Acquaintance

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    Mine was actually today. Few hours ago...
     
  7. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    The Singularity is 24 bits and we all know how that turned out.
     
  8. 9suns

    9suns [insert unearned title here]

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    Metrum Adagio (DAC TWO chips) has 24 bit ENOB (-144db noise floor), so it's a real 24 bits DAC, 3 bits more than Yggdrasil, and 5 more bits than a very good delta-sigma DAC.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2017
  9. JeffYoung

    JeffYoung Friend

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    Here's a thought: maybe the Menuet needs a modification to disable the mother-board FPGA (in favour of the DAC TWO module FPGAs)?

    The Musette would be different, as it has no mother-board FPGA.
     
  10. Miracle1980

    Miracle1980 Acquaintance

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    Yes. It can easily be like this.
    Anyway for me there is no other option... I will have to ship it (in case I decide to update...). At least I live in the same continent... So no risks of customs and duties.
     
  11. MattRG

    MattRG Facebook Friend

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    This is what I am hoping. Having no FPGA on board the Musette would theoretically just be "plug in the new Dac Two modules and be on your way" sort of thing. I could perhaps see a Firmware upgrade or flash but that could be delivered via USB drive with the Dac Two modules easily enough.
     
  12. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Oh noes, and there was I thinking that the Yggette -- burrito filter with these R2R chips would be the superlative, JA-silencing endgame <ducks/>
     
  13. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    getting some personal time with the Yggdrasil. Sounds wonderful. My Pavane is gettting lots of noogies
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2017
  14. TonyNewman

    TonyNewman Validated by Tyll removing Utopia from WOF

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    Over 2 weeks now with the Pavane and it has settled down nicely. No regrets at all in moving across from the Yggdrasil to the Pavane. The music seems more 'alive' and 'real' - I know that sounds like a 6 moons review, but I struggle to describe the difference in better words. Yggdrasil came across as somewhat edgy and cold to my ears.

    Also have a Singxer SU-1 feeding the Pavane AES. AES seems to give a small improvement over USB.

    Will be selling the Yggdrasil soon. An excellent DAC, but the Pavane is much more my thing.
     
  15. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    Well.. I've got one of those little Amethyst things in the house now. Early days and might need some breaking in but first impressions are promising; tight fairly full-bodied presentation. No digital harshness or glare that I can detect. I don't think it's going to turn itself into a Theta Gen Va beater but without saying too much I think it could be a worthy Gungnir Multibit competitor. Out of the DAC's in this price range on the market this could definitely be one of the better ones. I'm going to have to let it settle for a while and I can do some comparisons with the Theta.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Awesome. It's definitely on my radar.
     
  17. e.schell

    e.schell Friend

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    I've always wanted to hear some of Metrum's offerings, this looks like their newest entry level dac that has 2 of the FPGA equipped Dac Two Modules... will be very interested to hear some impressions!
     
  18. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    That's what it is was for me as well. I preferred the Pavane for reasons u mentioned. But the Yggdrasil has a lot going for it. So much so that its a matter of picking a flavor, not which one is definitively better. IMO the PV is 2.5% better but that's my opinion for my priorities.
     
  19. TonyNewman

    TonyNewman Validated by Tyll removing Utopia from WOF

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    Agreed - more 'different' than 'better'. Just happens that the 'different' of the Pavane is more my to my taste than the Yggdrasil. Totally get it if many (most?) folks prefer the Yggdrasil. It's a YMMV thing. The cost penalty is pretty hefty too - roughly twice the price for the base model Pavane. So unless the Pavane sound signature is something you are really into (I am in that camp) then the Yggdrasil is probably the better buy.
     
  20. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Exit stage left....
    i was impressed with short listening sessions of Pavane 1 and Adagio, for some reason the little Amethyst has me intrigued as an all in one for Utopia, given that it needs little power. Amethyst without AES input means it's no TOTL DAC in a bigger chain.
    IME Utopia benefits from a High Quality tube amp to add some spatial presentation, but would love to be proven wrong if Amethyst can get close.....
     

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