Article: Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB Review

[Mark Powell]

That the isolation of any half-decent DAC is every bit as good as this Berkeley pair. And with a single box you avoid the SP/DIF conversion. Which, despite what Berkeley say, must be a 'good thing'.<br />

<br />

I have only one computer, have no requirement for a second one, so I am not willing to spend the time and money building, for example, a CAPS2. So I have to go by what others say.<br />

<br />

But I am beginning to think that once you have 'bit perfect' output, simple enough to achieve with any computer, OS, and software player, that given good isolation in the DAC, or in this instance converter plus DAC, the computer does not matter at all.

[Mark Powell]

"Satisfied with mediocrity"<br />

<br />

If you think the Debussy, the McIntosh, and the Tannoys are mediocre you are of course entitled to your opinion.<br />

<br />

You may have noticed that I am 'trying harder'. As such I refrained from making one comment, but I will now make it.<br />

<br />

I suspect the real reason that Berkeley introduced the USB to SP/DIF converter is (1) they don't have to update their DAC by adding a USB interface to it, (2) They get to sell two boxes rather than one. That said, It is probably very good.<br />

<br />

Re 'armchair', the rest of us don't get to try all these fancy boxes fot free, and for several months.

[Mark Powell]

Yes, I am enjoying it. I probably would not have done it at all were it not for finding this site. And your Windows/JRiver guide has given me confidence that I have done it properly.<br />

<br />

It has revived my flagging interest in recorded music, but I enjoy some of the controversies here too.<br />

<br />

My new overpriced 'remote control' using JRemote is terrific. As a phone it is useless, as I find texting on a touch keyboard terrible. But I find that with all touch screens, not just the iPhone. But as I never intended to use it as a phone anyway I am very pleased.

[Mark Powell]

Chris is reviewing a USB to S/PDIF converter here. Not a DAC. Leaving aside the sales puff from Berkeley, it comes across as a good one. Rather more expensive than, for example, a Musical Fidelity V-Link 192, but so what?<br />

<br />

If you want a USB to S/PDIF converter and can afford the Berkeley, audition it. Maybe alongside the M-F and others. The Berkeley is only one of lots of these things, at lots of different prices.<br />

<br />

Forget the 'Berkeley philosophy' or whatever, it's a USB to S/PDIF converter review. You want Chris to run comparisons? Fine, but they should be comparisons with other USB to S/PDIF converters and one DAC, not comparisons of this converter performing with many DACs, most of which don't need such a converter anyway. <br />

[Mark Powell]

I have both a Debussy and a Cambridge Dacmagic. The Dacmagic was purchased as a 'starter' DAC when I decided to have a go at computer audio. I quickly purchased a Musical Fidelity V-Link II for three reasons. Async, galvanic isolation via Toslink from it to the Dacmagic, overcome the DACs 48K USB limitation.<br />

<br />

Though a 'budget' device the V-Link greatly improved the sound quality of the Dacmagic.<br />

<br />

Then I purchased the Debussy.<br />

<br />

Since Chris' review of this Berkeley converter, I have, out of pure curiosity, been feeding the Debussy from the V-Link.<br />

<br />

I hear no difference at all. The V-Link most certainly does not degrade the SQ, but I do not think it improves it either.<br />

<br />

These USB to S/PDIF and/or AES converters are pretty simple devices. I have read a couple of 'multiple comparison' reviews, and the reviewers have found they are all pretty good and found little difference between any of them. The improvement, if any, has only occured when the USB implemenrtation of the following DAC has been poor, which is the case with the Dacmagic.<br />

<br />

So that is my experience with the V-Link to the Debussy - no change. I would be most interested in your experience should you get to try the Berkeley converter.

[Mark Powell]

pawel8's results will be very interesting.<br />

<br />

But I am curious about your statements. Note I am not criticising them. The difference in technology between *all* dCS DACS and any others on the market is fundamental and total.

[Mark Powell]

They don't use any DAC chips at all, custom or otherwise. It is not delta sigma, its not R2R, its not single bit, its not bitstream. They use about forty 'DAC processes' which they have put into FPGAs. In what they call a 'ring', and look at the outputs in a random sequence, which they then combine.<br />

<br />

Sort of. Their DAC is unique, nothing else even remotely like it.<br />

<br />

But the do uae clocks, circuit boards, and electricity

[Mark Powell]

I still have the V-Link inserted because in previous trials of things I have found that on making a change it is sometimes difficult to hear a difference, if any. But if I leave the change for a week and then revert to as it was the difference, if any, seems to become more obvious.<br />

<br />

Will remove the V-Link today, but I don't expect a change. These converters are usually pretty transparent, as of course they should be. The original Dacmagic is known for its poor USB input (which of course I did not know about when I bought it) so the V-Link was a good purchase.<br />

<br />

Naim. I have always been keen on them, since they had factory open days in the mid 1980's. I live in the UK, only 15 miles from their factory, so I went. But I have only had the Naim stuff for a few months. I use the ND5XS with the Debussy, but the laptop and JRiver are my main source. The Naim preamp is used because I have other sources, not relevant to my 'signature', such as a turntable, an FM tuner, and a budget AV receiver. Using the HT bypass on the preamp lets me use the McIntosh for everything, including regular two channel TV broadcasts, without spoiling the 'purity' of my 'hi fi' setup.<br />

<br />

The change from the Dacmagic to the Debussy may seem a very large jump. But I don't believe in 'half measures' I chose the Debussy because I believe (many have, and do, disagree) that it is not worth spending 1000s of dollars on a box containing much the same chips as a 500 dollar box. dCS do it very differently.<br />

<br />

Now my 'hi fi' budget is totally blown for a year or two <br />

<br />

Regards

[Mark Powell]

How they do it is on their site, much better than my probably garbled 'explanation'. Clicking their 'sponsor' tag to the left of the CA home page will take you there. <br />

<br />

Cheers

[Mark Powell]

But simple compared to a DAC, a laptop, a television, a car fuel injection system, etc. etc. etc.<br />

<br />

The comparisons are in HiFi News and HiFi World.<br />

<br />

I was mistaken not to come back to you. I also mistook what I was looking at. My apologies.<br />

<br />

What level of self-proclaimed 'erudition' would you like on this site? As soon as someone tries to get away from the mystical 'beliefs' that audio is somehow different from other electronics he gets shouted down. They are just consumer durables, like toasters.

[Mark Powell]

Yes. MF stuff is always good, and only when you get to either their huge amps like the Titan or their class A amps do they get high priced. Then they are quite capable of charging you as much as anyone else <br />

<br />

I heard no difference with the V-Link inserted, which to me, is good. A converter should *always* be transparent. It changes the signal dformat, and that is *all* it should do. It is not supposed to be a 'modifier'. It worries me slightly that differences can be heard between them. To me they should only be used when the DAC has a poor USB input (as in the case of the Dacmagic), or does not have a USB input at all.<br />

<br />

Whatever. Thats my opinion. For intesr4st, I just read some reviews in the latest UI magazines.<br />

<br />

HiFi News thinks very highly of the Sonicweld. They tested only that, and did no comparisions, though they have done before. It is priced to make the Berkeley look 'budget'.<br />

<br />

HiFi World compared several, using their best reviewer, Rafael Todes, a musician with the Allegri String Quartet. They compared the Kingrex UC 192, Halide Bridge, MF V-Link 192, SOTM DX, and Audiophilleo I. They used JRiver with JPlay, and the Weiss DAC 202. They thought the Audiophilleo was the best.

[Mark Powell]

Using two boxes they have had to go from USB to S/PDIF (as that is all their DAC can take) and then from S/PDIF to the 'internal' I2S, thus introducing an unnecessary double conversion. I am not an audio engineer either, but it smacks of 'let us use what we have already got' rather than anything else.<br />

<br />

But of course, taken by itself, it is a perfectly good USB to S/PDIF converter, suitable for any DAC that does not have a USB interface, such as theirs. I suggested earler that we should take it as that, and nothing more.<br />

<br />

PS: I do wonder why people seem to be concerned. Musical Fidelity, for example, make both S/PDIF converters and DACs, just the same as Berkeley. I do not see the same concern about them.

[Mark Powell]

Naim ND5XS<br />

<br />

The sound quality is, I would say, marginally superior to my thoroughly 'optimised' laptop/JRiver setup, but there is not much in it. I mainly purchased it for convenience and its remote control control as I have grown to dislike having the laptop and mouse in front of me all the time. To avoid this I at first connected my TV (which is between the speakers) to the laptop and used that. But I find having the JRIver interface on a large TV screen rather a distraction.<br />

<br />

Then, only a week ago, I purchased an iPhone (I am not an Apple guy) purely to use as a remote for JRiver as they provide a very good app. This works really well, but of course I still have to have the laptop running, but not in front of me and with its lid closed. JRiver also do an Android app for the same purpose. <br />

<br />

Back to the Naim. It comes with a simple 'button' remote which works well, but the ND5XS screen, though clear, is rather small to see at a distance. But Naim also do an iPhone app. I have not tried this. They do not (so far) do an Android app.<br />

<br />

Shortly I will download their iPhone app and then I will be able to use the iPhone for both JRiver and the Naim. This was my reason for buying the (much more expensive) iPhone rather than an an Android one.<br />

<br />

That way, as the Naim plays off my NAS I can totally free up the laptop for other purposes as I will only need it for ripping and downloading. I think the Naim app works on all three iDevices but am not sure about that. Having only just purchased the iPhone and been using it with JRiver I have not tried the Naim app at all yet.<br />

<br />

Sound quality. Yes, it is better, but not by much. I purchased it for convenience.<br />

<br />

[Mark Powell]

Thank you, I also found your comments interesting and useful. Re the Puccini U-clock, I too did not find it to give enough improvement for it to be worth buying.<br />

<br />

Boney M? I have got all their music on the original vinyl. I purchased it when I was a teenager. Everyone laughed at it, but now, being 60 years old, I find it quite good

[Mark Powell]

That even when you add the Berkeley USB it is still roughly half the price of the Debussy. And that is dCS's lowest cost DAC by far.<br />

<br />

PS: I would like to hear one of these things. But according to their site the only representation they have in all of Europe is Switzerland and Croatia, where they no doubt sell millions.<br />

[Mark Powell]

I bought the Debussy for all sorts of reasons, mainly its easy upgradeability by firmware, as in the recent change from 96K to 192K, which I have had done, and the just announced DSD over USB, which I will probably not bother with. Apparently dCS method of doing that is being accepted as a new 'standard' by other manufacturers.<br />

<br />

I'm in the UK, which is a big market for high quality audio, and it is odd that Berkeley have no UK representation.

[Mark Powell]

The new 'RoHS compliant' solder is horrible. It destroys soldering iron tips, even the best quality ones, in just a hour or so use, and every joint looks like a dry joint. These EU bureaucrats are a pain. No cellulose paints anymore, and (I fish for trout) the manufacturers even had to change the water repellent liquids we use to float the imitation flies. Now it apparently comes from dead ducks. It is all total nonsense.<br />

<br />

I now see why Berkeley are represented in Switzerland and Croatia. They are not in the EU. When the UK voted 'yes' many years ago we voted for free trade, not all this garbage.<br />

<br />

Can I come to the US if I promise to keep quiet?

[Mark Powell]

Berkeley gear is unfortunately not marketed here in the UK, so I could not try it.<br />

<br />

Re the dCS U-Clock, I tried it with the Debussy just as an external clock, and could not really say I heard any difference. Presumably it is more suited to the Scarlatti. I did not think to use it as a USB to S/PDIF converter, and it was only on trial and has now been returned to the dealer.<br />

<br />

The only converter I have available now is the 'budget' Musical Fidelity V-Vink II, which is limited to 96K. I tried it with the Debussy when I was making some USB cable comparisons a week or so ago. It did not impair the Debussy, but it did not improve it either. Quite frankly, I would not expect it to. It does improve the sound of my Cambridge Dacmagic, which I purchased as a low-cost 'starter' DAC a few months ago when I got into computer audio. But then the Dacmagic has a notably poor USB input.<br />

<br />

My personal view is that these various USB to S/PDIF converters should really be totally 'transparent', as their purpose is just to convert from one format to another, and provide async USB if your DAC has not got that. If the DACs USB input is top quality, async with a good clock, which I am sure is true of the Debussy, then there should be no advantage to them.<br />

<br />

Regards