Article: Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB Review

[bhobba]

Myself and others compared it and the Off-Ramp was easily better. I am in a car right now and will post details later.<br />

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Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

Hi Guys<br />

<br />

When I posted my comment I was on my way down flood ravaged Eastern Australia trying to figure out a route that was not flooded out. We made it to our destination - Canberra - just. I have come down to help a friend install a home theater set-up.<br />

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Anyway now have a bit of time to post more info. Here is a link about it:<br />

http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/showthread.php/43836-Listening-sessions-with-the-PDX-amp-BRYSTON-DACS.<br />

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I also tested the Berkeley into a Metrum and the Bryton compared to a fully optioned Off-Ramp with other audiophiles on more than one occasion. The Off-Ramp was clearly superior. I was using a Patek amp and Mac 501's into Lenehan Audio ML3 Reference fully optioned with Dueland VSF Copper capacitors through-out. The Off-Ramp was clearly better. Guy out US way and elsewhere may not know these speakers but they are EXTREMELY transparent.<br />

<br />

Thanks<br />

Bill<br />

[bhobba]

It was a 4 with the lot eg turboclocks, hynes regulators - everything:<br />

http://www.empiricalaudio.com/products/off-ramp-converter. <br />

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A high quality SPDIF cable made by Lenehan Audio was used:<br />

http://www.lenehanaudio.com.au/cables.php<br />

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An Essential Signature USB cable was used<br />

<br />

Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

Steve licences the technology but it is not a re-branded product - he hand builds everything.<br />

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The Evo is good but an actual re-branded Hiface is used in my PDX and battery powered and it is clearly better than the Evo.<br />

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I have tried externally modified Hiface boards (eg the John Kenny) similar to whats in my PDX against the standard Hiface and they best the Hiface. The Audiophellio, Stello, and Wavelength does as well and the Off-Ramp bests them all. I would put the Berkeley just a little below the Wavelength and above all the others - it is third on my list below the Wavelength and Off-Ramp. <br />

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The only thing that has been able to equal the Off-Ramp was the the internal HiFace board in my PDX. This shocked the maker of the PDX because he knows what goes into the Off-Ramp but I have done some extensive comparisons to verify it. The suspicion is its the tight integration in the PDX that does it ie the I2S paths are optimized to be as short as possible.<br />

<br />

Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

It is a hand built device using the best components Steve can get a hold of. He doesn't say for example use standard Paul Hines regulators, which are already top notch, but rather licences the technology and improves on it himself. He does that with much of the stuff in the product. He then sells direct - that's the real key. A product like the Berkeley has dealer margins etc. Its why you can go and audition the Berkeley down at a Hi Fi store and compare it to other stuff. A nice way to buy gear - but you pay big for the privilege. That's the reason small guys can produce a cheaper better product - different sales model. Take your pick which you prefer.<br />

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BTW this is not to poo poo the Berkeley - its a close third in the list of best products I have heard of this type. Nor is it in any way a reflection on Chris's excellent review. But I have to tell it like I see it.<br />

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Why is the Hiface built into the PDX on a par with the Off-Ramp. That is a mystery - a big one. Steve has a few ideas and could make some changes to test it out but I have a few other irons in the fire right now and can't look into it for a while. The suspicion is the short leads of the inbuilt device that lifts it.<br />

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Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

You would think all async converters would sound the same. Maddeningly, and for reasons I don't think anyone outside those who research this and design and sell products from it, they do not and the differences are often not subtle.<br />

<br />

Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

I don't THINK so but I have not done an in depth comparison. I did hear the Wiess device once compared to a Stello into a Metrum DAC - and I thought it was better than the Stello. However the sounds I was able to get out of my Off-Ramp into the Metrum was clearly better. This was not a side by side comparison so its rather tentative but I would say its about the same league as the Wavelength and Berkeley and a bit above the Audiophellio.<br />

<br />

Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

The Metrum is one of the best DAC's I know but you must feed it with something like the Berkeley, Off-Ramp etc. Its not as good as the best DAC's I have heard such as my reference PDX and the Playback Designs I have just purchased - but it far from shamed and some people prefer it.<br />

<br />

Thanks<br />

Bill

[bhobba]

First at our level (ie not being a digital engineer like say a guy such as Steve Nugent is) a number of effects such as RFI, common mode rejection, and spikes etc travelling down the USB cable are usually grouped under the heading of Jitter even though strictly speaking it isn't. Async does nothing to really help those other issues. This explains why async implementations can and do sound different as I have heard many times and why different bit perfect players can and do sound different into async Dac's<br />

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Thanks<br />

Bill