Digital Audio Denmark DAC

[rtlewis]

Hearing good things about the Digital Audio Denmark DAC. Any comparisons yet with the Berkeley Audio?

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi rtlewis - I've talked to some people who think the DAD is the best component they've heard and others who would rather use an Oppo universal player. I'm not sure I know of anyone who has done a direct comparison with the Alpha DAC and the DAD unit.

 

[DSD_mastering]

We have the Digital Audio Denmark AX24 with DSD/DXD option and also the EMM Labs/Meitner ADC8IV/DAC8IV. We also have the Playback Designs MPS-5. We have not heard it against the Berkley, but have heard it against the Pacific Microsonics Model 2. I feel the DAD, EMM Labs, Playback Designs and the PM2 are the best converters made... period.

 

Regards,

Bruce

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Bruce - I'm a huge fan of the Pacific Microsonics Model 2 myself. If I could only afford one!

 

[davidR]

Hey Bruce, have you had a chance to listen to a Prism Dream DA-2 or Lavry DA-924? If so what are your thoughts compared to the DACs you have listed above? Thanks.

 

[DSD_mastering]

We also tried the Prism Dream, Lavry Gold and dCS. The Lavry Gold is very good at 24/96 material, even bettering the Prism and dCS. It is comparable to the DAD and EMM Labs at 24/96.

 

 

Regards,

 

[emmodad]

/begin unfettered but drool-inducing rumour/

 

be patient grasshopper.... small birds have been heard publicly a-twittering in the Bay Area (that's a small initial t, mind as opposed to Tw...) that the BADA folk are contemplating creation and production of a "PM3"; one would think leveraging their experience in developing original PMs and the alpha....

 

now, the overheard commentary may have been unintentional, YMMV, there are many phases of the moon to pass before potential fruition, and such a product would still most probably cost mebbe $29 or so above an alpha (heh)...

 

but you may now commence fantasizing.

 

/end unfettered but drool-inducing rumour/

 

 

[DSD_mastering]

I know where there are about as many people that want the PM2 as there were made. It would be great if they did come out with a PM3 that was as good or better than the original. It would be a hard act to follow!

 

 

Regards,

 

[ciamara]

Bruce,

 

Any experience with the Lavry DA11 or DA10? I'm just curious to know how different the two sound according to others. They are in a different league price-wise. I am debating what to do with our NY showroom. On the one hand, I have been wowed by our little DA11. And I would like to hear a Lavry Gold in here ASAP. That said, it seems the market wants, for right or for wrong (for wrong, according to Dan Lavry), the ability to play higher res material (i.e. > 24/96kHz). I will ultimately go with my ears, as I almost always do ... In fact, I will be testing several DACs soon. I'm just curious to see if others have done similar tests with Lavry.

 

Lavry is extremely well-known in the pro world and highly respected. Seemingly, audiophiles are less familiar with them.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Ciamara carries Lavry DACs as a dealer (a recent development).

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks for the disclaimer Sanjay. No problems with your post at all.

 

[DSD_mastering]

When we were in the market for the ultimate converters, we had quite a few come through our doors. Since Lavry was our neighbor, we had the Gold series in here for a month or so. For PCM 24/96 and under, it compares to the DAD and EMM Labs. Unfortunatley we do alot of DSD work. The other converters we had in here are the Prism, dCS, DAD and EMM/Meitner. The only DSD converters we haven't heard are the Grimm and Mytek.

Our "go to" converters now are the DAD and Playback Designs.

We've heard the DA10 quite a bit as well and think it sounds better than the Benchmark. The DA11 has more "gimicks" and think the sound is the same as the DA10. The DAD and Playback just give you better sonics. It's really noticeable on quite passages like reverb tails, ambience and background noise.

Some like the Lavry Blue since it's modular. We didn't care for it.

 

 

Regards,

 

 

[ciamara]

Very helpful indeed. Thank you for that. I very much agree with your findings on the Lavry vs. Benchmark. To our ears, the Lavry DA10/DA11 is a great DAC for the money. The DA11 would do better if the remote control / IR function allowed you to switch inputs, but sound wise, I can't complain.

 

As I look to move up the ladder, so to speak, I will have to spend some more time with these others. I simply can't recommend anything to anyone until I've heard them. Should you know of anyone in the New York City area who might be interested in letting me in to hear some of these, I'm all ears!

 

[Telstar]

Our "go to" converters now are the DAD and Playback Designs.

 

Hi Bruce,

Could you describe the differences in sound for D/A conversion of high-res (176.4k, 192k, and DXD)?

 

[DSD_mastering]

176.4 and 192 sound pretty much the same depending on what the source was. Of course sources with a 44.1 base rate will sound good on 176.4 and sources with a 48k base rate will sound better at 192.

Material at 352.8 and 384 just have a deeper background, more defined images and you can "hear" the room better. You can close your eyes and visualize the boundries of the room better. Reverb tails don't suddenly drop off... you can hear them all the way to the end.

 

 

Regards,

 

 

[Purite Audio]

Finally managed to rouse myself sufficiently to borrow an AX24, which I am listening to right now, it is a very fine dac no question, how are people using it, with a separate clock, how are you connecting it to your source.

I am just using AES , I suppose in a studio environment everything would be slaved to one clock, interested to hear anyone's thoughts, thanks

Keith.

 

[DSD_mastering]

We've tried a couple of clocks attached to the AX24 (Antelope Rubidium and Big Ben). Neither improved the sound and in fact, we liked it better with it's own internal clock.

We're using MADI and SDIF-3 connections to our workstations.

 

 

Regards,

 

 

[Purite Audio]

Bruce Hi, thanks for getting back regarding the AX24, I don't know anything about MADI, presumably it is capable of handling a lot of bandwidth and allows the connection of multiple pieces of equipment.

I am just thinking of the best way of connecting for my ( home user ) application, perhaps a Lynx card in a MacPro and take the AES/ Thanks again ,Keith.

 

[DSD_mastering]

If I were you, I'd use the RME HDSPe MADI card to connect to the DAD AX24 via MADI. You can vew it here:

http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdspe_madi.php

Instead of using big AES/EBU cables, you can connect via a 75ohm coax or optical up to hundreds of meters if you want. This is what we're using for our video machines. You can transmit up to 16 channels of 24/192 or up to 64 channels up to 48k. You can't do that with a Lynx card!

The Lynx PCI-e card doesn't sound as good as the PCI card.. IMHO.

 

 

Regards,

Bruce

 

[headmuzik]

In thinking that will preclude playing DXD/DSD material?

 

[DSD_mastering]

The only way you can listen to DSD/DXD material through the DAD AX24, is with a Pyramix DSD/DXD workstation. That is the only way.

 

 

Regards,

 

[Telstar]

Or better any computer with XP or Vista with the Mykerinos card.

 

[headmuzik]

What kind of damage for one of those Mykerinos PCI cards with MADI....?

I don't see a price for it anywhere, they don't seem to sell them in any online stores..

 

Edit: OK I saw the price (gulp) - $3,682!!

 

[Telstar]

Are you sure that the price is only for the card and not all the DAW (the computer)?

 

I asked the Mykerinos price (pci-e) to the distributo in our country but i didnt get a reply.

 

[headmuzik]

I think thats the US retail for the PCI express Mykerinos card only, as far as I can figure out. I got it from the price list at Independent Audio here:

http://www.independentaudio.com/

 

It looks like the MADI daughter card would be extra but I'm not sure, maybe someone can clear that up.

 

Edit: I see your point re the workstation, since the Pyramix Workstation is going for $3,999. I don't really get it!

 

Maybe Bruce can explain why one would prefer the DAD over the Merging Tech's Sphynx2, I gather they're much the same unit, so is there any particular differences apart from front cover...

 

[Telstar]

Yep i think you are right.

I saw the pricelist on that site. The 4k price of the DAW can well be without the soundcard!