Massdrop RDAC Airist Audio R2-R DAC

Not by itself, it just show that they didn't design it, so they didn't need to balance engineering cost with manufacturing cost....

 

Wow, those Massdrop leadtimes are killing me. I remember the last November/December when I was thinking about ordering ZDT Jr. That drop is not even shipped yet and I have already been able to chase secondhand Stratus and Kenzie within EU to keep me covered for years to come. (No interest in ZDT Jr. anymore obviously.) I guess life moves too fast to even predict what might be interesting enough to me in 6-8 months.

 

I am afraid not unless you are unsatisfied with your current rig.

As a "meaningful" upgrade, I generally want something that nearly cream the current one. For example, for Modi Multibit, my lower threshold of upgrades is Gungnir Multibit (or that level products). Rdac may be a good choice if anyone is on the market of Modi Multibit or similar levels though.

 

I agree with the above. From Modi Multibit+Eitr combo, the only truly meaningful upgrade is to go big. (At least Gungnir Multibit levels but preferably even higher)

Again, DACs are not headphones. There are no huge differences, especially not in the same price range.

 

Good point. I'm anything but unsatisfied with my current setup. I haven't changed anything in almost 2 years besides adding the Eitr. I wasn't actively looking for a new DAC but the reviews have me intrigued. I'll probably hold off and see what Schiit comes up with by December and maybe pick one of these up second hand if it feels right.

 

You design it and I want to measure it. My dac1421 is in use so much that I haven't been able to put it into the measurement queue.

 

I would also love to see a Massdrop x Soekris DAC...

 

My Massdrop takeaway

1. Never join the first production run drops unless you are an early adopter
2. The second or third run will have substantially shorter lead time (e.g., MCTH, Elex, ...)
3. Maybe meanwhile more compelling competitors appear on the market

 

That'd be an interesting thing to see (or hear, I guess). I'm sure a Massdrop x Soekris DAC would get a good reception. The only thing I have to doubt is being able to do it at the same, or better, price point.

A comment I'm making based on my current listening-driven ranking of relevant DACs:

dac1421 ($1,000) > RDAC ($349) > dac1321 ($575)​

But perhaps the Massdrop model would make that low a price possible.

 

I am sure that as we are speaking, Marv and others are already betatesting other DACs scheduled for Massdrop release. The same can be said for amps or headphones. No matter how great RDAC is, something else (supposedly better) is already in the queue for release.

Is RDAC truly unique enough to wait 8 months on it? I seriously doubt it. Buy something that will truly make a difference, like Yggdrasil.

 

I wish there would be Pete Millett collaboration. Massdrop x Apex Glacier please.

1st run IS the early adopter

 

While I often use and browse Massdrop, I never compare their raw prices with competitors.

Basically Massdrop price must be cheaper other things being equal because customers are taking more risk:

• Long lead time (extremely so for the first run)
• Almost impossible return/refund unless defective-on-arrival
• Lacking informed decisions
• Arguably, first run joiners are virtually open-beta-testers (Pre-production reviewers might be viewed as alpha-testers or closed-beta-testers)

Of course different people may put different values in such risks. Also, I appreciate Massdrop as an another option for different risk-averse preferences.

Nevertheless, interpretation of price-performance ratio for MD products must be cautious IMHO. I personally perceive Massdrop prices as 120%-160% of the drop price (YMMV).

 

I that ranking based on Soekris DACs with new rev 1.20 firmware ? There is quite an improvement....

I manufacturer my DACs in Denmark, Massdrop is manufacturing in China.... Using cheaper parts and labor in China and remove features, I could easily match, or probably, better the manufacturing cost of the RDAC....

 

Let's think in more constructive way. haha

If you can reduce the price of 1421/1521 significantly with more efficient manufacturing strategy (but not with cheaper parts please ... I never want cheaper resistors for r2r structures), and if you can find a good US distributor, then you WILL increase mid-fi r2r dac market share significantly in the US!!

I don't think Modi Multibit-rdac level market is a favorable blue-ocean..

P.S. Am I the only one who favors getting rid of built-in hp-out in this price segment? If that helps to reduce cost, I opt for no-hpout..

 

Excellent question.

Without getting the units back, since I was borrowing them, and opening them up, and checking then all I can tell you for sure is that they're running on whatever they were shipped with (neither unit was sourced from someone that would even think about opening the units up). I can do that, but it might take a bit based on the schedules of those involved.

Ahead of that, I'll re-iterate that it's my formal policy that any review uses stock hardware and firmware, with the only exceptions being for devices that are specifically designed to be easily and specifically user-updatable (e.g. PS Audio, Linn, and so on). Removing covers, buying special cables, and/or invalidating warranties all fall outside what I consider to be reasonable requirements for a typical audio consumer to have to go through to effect a firmware upgrade.

But, we'll check and see.

 

@Torq also keep in mind that the dac1321 was $475 in a group buy in December and I assume @soekris was able to make money at that price.

Let me know if you want to borrow a dac1321 with the latest firmware and linear power suppy.

 

Please no headphone out. We already have amps.

 

Appreciate the offer, but I have to get the one I actually used back anyway to check what version of firmware it's running. It's not hard to do, just a scheduling thing. Thanks though.

...

As for the LPS (yours, or any other non-stock part) ... again, for review purposes, that's out of bounds. Stock configurations only when it comes to comparisons.

I will generally test such things to see if there is improvement available, but doing so for a comparative review is just an infinitely deep rabbit hole with far too many permutations to be realistic.

 

I like that the RDAC uses "O C U" as input labels instead of rectangle, rectangle, circle.