Soekris "dac1541": DAC/Amp - Stream of Consciousness Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Torq, Jul 27, 2017.

  1. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Schiit is cheap.

    On a serious note, I'm still happy with my Codex that's now on my desk. However, I been getting away from desktop setups and moving more into IEMs/DAPs. It's more of lifestyle than anything else. Then again, the Modi 3 and the THX AAA isn't a bad cheap combo as well.

    I still like all in ones, and I can't stop thinking about the 1541, even if I think long term it might be a waste of money on my end since I'm more on the go (and there's the fact that I might not like the sound, but I still wanna try it). Then again, I want to get rid of my Honda Fit and get a Subaru. My money in the end of the day, so I guess I have the right to be an idiot.
     
  2. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    True and either none of us are idiots, or we all are... Maybe some more than others. But seriously, my only point is we can only trust our own ears and preferences, and at worst case base educated guesses off people's opinions once you understand their own preferences and biases, bc we all have them.
     
  3. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Indeed, which is why I still want to hear it. Opinions are helpful, but if I listened to opinions all the time then I wouldn't have my own thoughts. Too bad I didn't join in when the loaner was floating around, I'll roll the dice sometime next year and just buy it, lol.

    I was stuck in warm poo for a long time, didn't want to go to neutral. Now I moved away from warm sounding stuff and more into the neutral line of things. Still want to see how good @soekris stuff sounds in my ears.
     
  4. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    I'm sure you'll get a chance to hear it from someone on here if it would be helpful before buying...
     
  5. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    That would be nice, but I dunno if someone would let me borrow one for a week. I guess I'll make a post and find out....thanks man.
     
  6. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    The FOTM makes a return. It's a miracle!

    PS I'd like to hear this after hearing the 1421 loaner :D
     
  7. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    Is something truly a fotm when you throw dangerous converts, matrixes / matrices, schiit analog 2 usb made by elves, metrum, Solaris starring George clooney and that hot lady from californication and Holo magenta into the mix? More like mystery drink mat shot at a sketch bar on a Friday night. If a tree falls in the forest and... Oh wait, wrong hypothetical.
     
  8. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    You had me at drink mat.
     
  9. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    There was a bar on Airport Blvd in Austin that would serve mat shots at the end of the night, a delightful mix of whatever the f**k was spilled over the course of the night. But I digress.
     
  10. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    If I'm ever in LA I'll drink with ya.
     
  11. Newk Yuler

    Newk Yuler New

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    You guys are aware you can load home brewed filters to the Soekris DACs? Indefinitely replacing the stock filters, altering the sound characteristics in very cool ways. It's not difficult to do although it isn't something for dummies. There was quite a bit of activity in the DIY forum a few years back that's cooled a lot since, work done based on the Soekris DAMs but useful for all the Soekris DACs. There are still a number of filters there that users felt were better than the ones Soren made. He tried to get the brewing restarted while working on the last firmware and filter revision that went pretty much nowhere, unfortunately. The potential still exists. It takes an interest and certain level of understanding of how to craft the filters that's beyond me, but I'm certain there are users here and around the world who are completely capable of building filters that would make the Soekris DACs different and possibly better than what users think of the limits of the stock filters. Honestly, I'm mostly trying to make a point that an owner has the potential of utilizing somebody's well regarded filters. Until Soren changes the firmware and makes them incompatible, but he's tried to keep it right for at least the more recent home brewed filters.

    I bought a 1541 during the recent Spring sale that just now shipped here in the US. I will give the stock filters a proper turn then I'm anxious to try one of the more recent compilation "packs" that include the community favorites. Soren's filters can always be reloaded into the DACs.

    It would be awesome if an interest in filter brewing could be rekindled. :headbang:

    The topic of software resampling (like that in HQPlayer and Audirvana, etc) needs a lot more discussion concerning the Soekris DACs. There's a big potential for overriding the stock filters with the resampling filters in these players and it just requires the right connection with no re-loading anything. Keeping in mind there's no DSD option.
     
  12. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    Hmm: "does that other equipment sound better" nervosa, tube nervosa, wire nervosa. Yeah, let's go ahead and add DAC filter nervosa.

    I applaud the ability to do what you want with a piece of gear you bought. But, what's your time worth?

    If that's what you wanna do with your time, go for it!

    As for me, I'd rather find off-the-shelf stuff that I like to listen with, and be happy. Forget about "what could be better" unless there's something specific, after a long long period of listening to your setup, that's niggling you. And hey, if nothing's there bugging you about the way your setup sounds, smile and enjoy your life. For me, changes are a result of diagnosing and fixing specificly perceived deficiencies.
     
  13. Newk Yuler

    Newk Yuler New

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    Your time is apparently valuable enough to you to spend it contributing an already obvious and largely useless observation. Thanks. ;) I'll suggest if you have an interest in R2R resistor DACs to look to Audio GD. Kingwa's FPGA supported products are all built with proprietary secret sauces. No room for user "nervosa."

    There have been Soekris DAM and DAC owners who clearly understand the honest value of filter brewing. I expect there are more users and future users who may simply not know and who would find interest. Soren Kristensen, the engineer and builder of the Soekris products appreciates the value of community filter brewing. It unfortunately appears the current line of products may be old enough that interest in them is waning, which is a shame because R2R resistor DAC design is established and doesn't have a lot of room for growth except with cost-added features, improved FPGA capacity and improvement of the filters. The current Soekris DAMs and DACs should have great longevity potential. Makes me wonder what Soren has in mind for future products, what with the limited potential of attention-grabbing design improvements.

    I received my new 1541. I am suitably impressed and still looking forward with great anticipation for loading the community filters.
     
  14. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Just a word of advice, be a little less confrontational until you've grokked some of the culture. Taking offense to a really (if you read it again) inoffensive post with a personal observation is just being a dick for being a dick's sake.

    That said, @Syzygy there is a strong DIY community around Soekris, and the filter brewing is a significant part of that. The differences are not inaudible by any means and the latest official filter pack from Soekris in fact brings some appreciated improvements.
     
  15. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    I never found his post confrontational, but the reply he received certainly was. Bringing up home brew filters as an asset to this dac, which in a forum built around audio, diy, (and as an aside lots of ppl with nothing better to spend time on than making useless posts), seems more than a bit appropriate. How one decided to spend ones time is a personal choice. Anyone not interested can just move the f**k along and not sweat it. So why dont we put down our f'ing pitch forks before someone gets hurt.
     
  16. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Fair enough I suppose :).
     
  17. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Bought the dac1541 around a month ago. I used to mess around with the 1st rev. DAM boards and generally very much liked the sound from them, even without extreme upgrades. Long story short, after soldering extra caps on the board, some of the pads failed, so I had to scrap the board.

    Basically I wanted a companion sound to the ADI-2 Pro I have, which I hold in great regard. And the dac1541 achieved this. What I hear is a more organic sound (from the built in HP amp), maybe a little less resolution, which is only evident in close comparisons between the two.

    Pretty sure the dac1421 is a better deal, but I got the dac1541 for the same money.
     
  18. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    No need for pitch-forks, but @Newk Yuler could at least be polite enough (and follow the many suggestions/directions) to post an introduction in the "New Members Introduce Yourself" thread (https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/new-members-introduce-yourself.17/) .

    And agree that Soren is a cool dude who knows his stuff. Got to talk to him for a fair bit of time at an RMAF a number of years ago when he first came to the US with his DACs.
     
  19. elmoe

    elmoe Friend

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    For those who've heard it, what do you think of the DAC1321 vs the 1541? From the website it seems they are the same except for the 1541 having a headphone amp/crossfeed/digital display, has anyone had a chance to compare this?
     
  20. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    dac1321:
    1. USB/External power
    2. 25bit ladders
    3. Worse clocking (0.8ps)
    dac1541:
    1. Internal PSU
    2. 27bit ladders
    3. Betterer clocking (0.3ps)
    There is a good chance that they will sound different from each other.
     

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