Soekris DAC2541 Review And Measurements

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by purr1n, Nov 11, 2020.

  1. ushanka

    ushanka Facebook Friend

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    Just wanted to jump in here: thanks for taking the time to get some impressions out early. The information here (combined with the rest of the forum wisdom) helped me get over the hump and order one from the first shipment here in US - and the DAC definitely delivers. I don't have any gear lying around to compare to unfortunately, so I'll skip leaving useless (uncalibrated) impressions.

    @soekris: This is a great piece of kit!
     
  2. Baten

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    Welcome. Please, give it a lengthy audition and report back on how you find it ;) first-hand experiences matter.
    PS: introduce yourself in the designated place while you're at it :)
     
  3. stretchneck

    stretchneck New

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    Could someone tell me if the dac2541 is laid back, neutral, mid-forward or very forward in it's sound signature?

    I like a DAC with presence, where the vocals reach forward into the room.
     
  4. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    When they open back up: go to concerts.
    Before that, read this and introduce yourself!
     
  5. ushanka

    ushanka Facebook Friend

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    Did the intro post first things first, albeit should have been a bit more detailed probably ... it will all come out at some point anyway. I'll be sure to report back once I have at least a few weeks on this thing.

    In my experience if this question is being asked about the source, then everything is backwards already. Perhaps it is better to get some system advice in the advice threads in the general audio discussion forum?
     
  6. stretchneck

    stretchneck New

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    Thanks ushanka. I am specifically talking about the DAC - I have had a number of DAC's in my system recently (different forums), each of them obviously has it's own presentation. My T+A DAC 8 DSD is forward sounding, whereas the Chord DAVE is neutral... I'd just like to know where the Soekris sits on the scale.
     
  7. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    It's a good question. I've quietly had the soekris dac2541 for about a week, and I'd say it's very neutral with great extension at both ends, not forward-sounding, has a great 3D aspect to it. It's not a meaty sounding amp, but it's not thin/sterile sounding either, kinda just sounds right tonality wise for me, a good flat neutral with maybe a hint of warmth in the mids.

    I'd say if you wanted a dac with more presence and more forward-sounding mids/vocals, I'd consider a schiit dac instead, they tend to be more forward sounding. Bifrost 2/Yggdrasil a2 if you want a more organic "warm" sound, Gungnir A2/Yggdrasil GS if you want more of a neutral sound.

    ..

    A bit off-topic to your question, but the dac I have most experience with is gungnir a2 (unison), so I thought should say a few words on how the two compare. In comparison to the gungnir a2, the soekris sounds a bit more 3D sounding, more black/better clarity (gungnir a2 definitely sounds hazier in comparison), microdynamics are clearer, less slam/macrodynamics, less overall plankton (but still plenty resolving). I love the gungnir a2, but lately the soekris with the 3F/starlett has had me addicted, the clarity with the great microdynamics makes for such an engaging listen, even if it isn't as forward sounding.

    I sometimes like to make monitor comparisons: Gungnir A2 is a 4K LCD screen with high peak brightness, the Soekris 2541 is a 2K OLED screen with lower peak brightness but better dynamic range within that brightness, and darker darks -- I tried swapping back to the gungnir a2 and I just couldn't go back to a LCD after experiencing OLED haha, even if the resolution is technically lower and the screen doesn't get as bright.

    More detailed/fuller impressions to come? Just wanted to write something here quick because I've been procrastinating writing up a bunch of stuff I should write up given all the gear I've been trying lately...
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2020
  8. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    I'll get to updating my review, but just quickly @pure5152 has it right in regard to your question. This takes the great DAC1541 timbre but improves the lean or thin feel it could have. One thing that is most notable after some longer term comparison is DAC2541 separates itself from the speakers better. It's weird, stage is not really wider, but a little better resolution seems to decouple it in space so you hear a sound field, not a sound stage anchored by speakers, if that makes any sense.
     
  9. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Makes a lot of sense, that was for me a relative limitation of dac1541 when I used it with my old speaker system while the Yggdrasil was being upgraded. OTOH, I'm really (re)enjoying my dac1541 again as a headphone DAC.
     
  10. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

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    Do you guys think the Soekris will compete nicely with Sonic Frontiers SFD-2?
     
  11. Clemmaster

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    “Compete” is very vague when comparing a vintage tube DAC to a modern discrete multi-bit solid state DAC...
    Be more specific ;)
     
  12. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

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    Sorry, English is not my first language and I generally lack experience with multibit DACs. I will try to explain better.

    So far I only tested 3 multibit DACs: Audio-gd Master 7 (2016 version but digital module upgraded into the latest version), Parasound 1100HD modified with discrete analogue stage and Schiit Gungnir Multibit A1. They sound really different so it's hard to find a conclusion. The most obvious difference is the Gungnir is probably sound the warmest, the Parasound the most neutral and Master 7 is somewhere in between.

    So far based on this limited testing and budget of around 1000 USD, I am trying to find something brighter than the Schiit which is too warm so it seems that the Soekris and SFD-2 would suit my sound preference well. Also thanks to input from @Pharmaboy it seems that Audio-gd is doing limited run of the single ended version of Master 7 which I'm also considering. I am just concerned about its price/performance because it seems poor compared to the Soekris or SFD-2.
     
  13. Pharmaboy

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    Based on reviews & user comments I've read, Soekris is probably your best choice. Pretty much nobody calls it warm.

    In the last couple days I became aware of a new (and likely final) edition of Audio GD's biggest selling DAC, the DAC-19. This one is called DAC-19.20. Unlike my 10th anniversary DAC-19 (a DAC I like & use all the time), this one has FPGA software on the output. I'm guessing this results in a more neutral sound. I am a fan of Audio GD, having owned 2 DACs, 1 headphone amp, and 1 all-in-one.

    FYI, warm/cold tonality is only one measure of the sound of multibit and/or NOS multibit DACs. Many users also talk about notes sounding more "real" (less digital) than with delta-sigma DACs. I definitely hear this in my DAC-19 & my NOS DAC, the MHDT Labs Orchid.

    Speaking of MHDT Labs, one of their DACs is also routinely described as neutral, revealing, etc. This costs more than your budget; perhaps you could find a used one.
     
  14. brencho

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    Agreed... the 2541 doesn’t sound warm to me at all, and I recall past listens with SFD dacs sounding warmer than the soekris. Not direct a/b so maybe ignore that. The Gungnir Multibit a2 is also not as warm as the a1, but read the direct comparison above with the Soekris. Hard to beat the Soekris in terms of a good quality, fairly neutral multibit dac with good tonality and timbre that you can buy new for around a grand and benefit from ongoing support. Has head out for convenience if ever needed too. Also don’t ask me what I think of audio gd and mhdt...
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2020
  15. Druid

    Druid Hyperactive Tree

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    SFD-2 is much closer to neutral than SFD-1, FWIW. Can't really say much more about it as I've never heard a modern TOTL DAC.
     
  16. Baten

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    I stand behind you 100% brencho. Say it like it is :D
     
  17. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    Well since you asked, they’re as shmeary and stinky as the brush strokes I just left behind on my porcelain throne
     
  18. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Now that there are quite a few here who have tried dac2541, and some who had also experience of dac1541, I'm wondering of any impressions of how quickly 2541 gets to optimal quality from power up compared with its 1541. My experience with 1541 is that it sounds thin and edgy cold and it takes at least overnight to be enjoyable. I travel regularly between two locations, and at both ends I basically turn on the DACs (Yggdrasil and Morpheus at the other end from 1541) when I get thenre and wait until the following day. It's OK, trivial matter compared to everything else around, but I'm curious if replacing 1541 by 2541 might reduce warm-up time at that end.
     
  19. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    So I have the strange experience of 'enjoying' DAC2541 cold, or at least not being bugged by it. If you think of a relief picture it is a bit accentuated or more extruded to my ears, but it doesn't sound thin or etched to the point of annoyance. That's just my experience of course, could be lots of biases in the way. However I think the opamps may be imparting this beneficial characteristic and maybe calibration. So that said, it would still stabilize probably over the same period (resistors at least) but it would be more listenable than DAC1541.
     
  20. ushanka

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    Ya, I noted this too - there was a glare that made the details feel accentuated, but overall the sound was still pleasant. It goes away within 24 hours.
     

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