Has anyone had a chance to listen to or read much about the Rockna Wavedream DAC?

[Zurv]

i'm not a fan of digital domain volume change...

i'd also rather use this: :D 

[VerdantAudio]

Trying to find one unit that is perfect in every way is tough.  It would be better if the Wavedream volume control was analog but it is very good.  

 

the best volume control is probably in the new borg audio units.  dune and warp have insanely good R2R volume controls, but they have a delta sigma DAC, though a very good one. 

[Fife]

Is the wavelight volume analog as it uses remote via app?

Wavedream volume controlled via physical remote. The newer signature balanced  have better remotes than non-bal. 

I have always preferred physical remotes than app remotes as I find app remotes are finicky and/less precise. 

[louawalters]

On 4/24/2021 at 2:39 PM, Zurv said:

haha.. i still don't have it yet .. maybe it will be 6 weeks. That said, the dealer (maybe to make a deal) said 3-4 weeks. In the meantime i keep spending money. ugh.

 

but the weather is getting nice. I have my shots. Roses should be blooming soon.. 

Hi there, I am another Rockna Wavelight DAC user here.  I feed via Pink Faun I2S Ultra being fed power from Farad external power supply.  In terms of the fuse - I have asked rockna a couple of times what amp fuse, and I do not get a response.  Assuming the small size (dimension wise).  What differences did you notice going to SR Orange?  I use blues on everything else within my audio chain but have not yet gotten around to change the fuse on the Rockna, which I have owned since last Aug.

 

Any one have an opportunity to compare USB to I2S?   I originally used USB going out of SOTM but once I got the PF I2S and built a custom streamer, I have not tried.  

[Zurv]

After two month I finally got the Wavedream.

 

Version: Rockna Wavedream RD-1.1

Manufactured: May 2021

Software: 480XLR 

 

Here is some pr0n:

 

 

Testing:

 

 

[Zurv]

Problems i had when i got the unit:

The buttons on the front of the unit didn't work very well. I had to hit them multi times for anything to happen.

I also had a lot of audio drop out - but after a few hours the audio fixed itself.. and so did the button issues? Maybe a button was stuck?

 

Pink Faun USB card did not like the Rockna (it has no problem with the yggy a2) - I kept getting pops from it. Audiophile USB are likely pointless as any good dac should know how to handle PC noise. But if you want the magic, maybe don't use the PF with the DW. 

I also had problems with Pi2AES with volumio (and Qobuz) - using i2s and AES - sometimes is went into slow motion.  very odd.

(yes, i2s worked fine - but note that using i2s with a WD you aren't getting bit perfect (Rockna told me this.) 

 

In the end everything worked get from a PC off a normal USB jack.

 

Mainly I'm in the just-darn-enjoying-it stage.

But two things really stood out to me. (vs the yggy)

The first relates to how i felt about the Schiit Aegir. I always liked it but thought the bass was a little weak. No, i'm not a bass head, I just want the correct amount of bass to add meat to the bone. With the Rockna is it there.. I guess it was the yggy that was hold it back. (?)

The other is the top end. For example, I really like Nora Jones but some times i wince when she gets up there. Even songs that i enjoy i'll sometimes skip because of this. I normally fix it with tube rolling.. but in effect i'm just rolling off the top end.

I don't know what magic is going on, but it isn't rolled off ... everything is there.. but no wincing.

Back to enjoying the music. I think my window of playing the same sounds over and over is closing soon. <-- RE: wife getting sick of it.
I do feel like i made the right choice getting this and of course it isn't "worth" $$ it. (I really wish i had a Halo May to compare it to.)

[PavelDosko]

My Rockna Wavedream Edition XLR, April 2021

Very, very satisfied

[PavelDosko]

[Saleh84]

Hi Zurv,

 

Sorry to hear about the issues you faced with your unit! But trust that Rockna will be on top of it till its resolved. My personal experience was nothing short of sublime! Just make sure they are well informed and watch them take action.

[Zurv]

@Saleh84 Did you get a chance to hear the Halo May L2 (or L3) yet and compare it to your WD?

I'd be very interested in that shootout. Luckily for me i don't like the brass side of the May, but it sounds like it would give the WD a run and at less that 1/2 the price. 

[Saleh84]

@Zurv Just a couple of days ago i watched a review for holo may ketsune edition or whatever that is called. I got intrigued to be honest! But i kind of stopped drooling over reviewers words without hearing things myself. We need someone who heard them both next to each other and is no biased )) 

 

[Zurv]

The @GoldenOne video? yeah... makes it sound really good. I wish that guy didn't live in the UK as i'd love to lend him my WD unit.

I'm very happy with the WD and I normally  have a problem of looking for  a problem when I get new equipment. Negative bias :)

(which is normally correct when i get anything from AudioQuest.. ugh.. what junk. Wireworld at least doesn't make things sound worse. Better? i'm not sure.. but AQ makes it worse.) *rant* :)

 

I can feel this upgrade from the yggy A2 to the wavedream. Oddly less than the upgrade from my Elac Vela FS speakers to the Focal Sopra 2. Oh, they are better.. but $$$$ better.. maybe not. (that said, i've not fully broken the Focals in and i don't play very loud.  They are still my end game and i'm "done" with speakers.)

Clearly the yggy to WD is not a massive change - but is an upgrade i noticed and i'm happy with. 

In the end i'm not going to use I2s (it isn't bit perfect on the Rockna - is it on other devices?) and I don't have any DSD .. 

*shrug*

[Saleh84]

Yes its that video review )) i also liked his video about MQA. It Confirmed my personal feeling and experience!

Well all my cabling is AQ, hehe. Psc+ or pss where i can afford it. Quiet some investment. They are very dynamic and transparent, so they will expose any issues/flaws. So i can understand where you are coming from not liking them much.

If you stream as your main source (tidal/qobuz), a good streamer + ethernet treatment is a must. Else stick to CD and you will be fine. Streaming from whatever source can totally suck, especially if your equipment and cables are very revealing, like your focal or AQ cables. They don't add any sweetness (colour) unless its there! 

Its the first time i hear about I2S in rockna not being bit perfect!! Who said so? To update firmware, you have to play a special file in bit perfect file and I have done that two times already. You sure you didn't get the information wrong? 

And yeah, use a good streamer )) NET is a perfect match for the WD, I had the dac for a month before I got it, so i know from first hand experience.

[Saleh84]

I just checked with Nucu to be sure. I2S is 100% bit perfect! ))

[Zurv]

odd.. I got it from him. Hrmm..

 

let me look for that email. Maybe i miss read it.

It seems i did..

I wonder if my Pink Faun i2s card will suffer like the Pink Faun USB card did with the WD.

the usb card had pop on it. (The usb slot on my mobo didn't nor did yggy have a problem.) 

Does the WD have galvanic isolation on inputs? All dac at this price point should have that.. i hope...

 

also that was the point of the PF card.. and with linear power supply. That is another $2k in the shit gear box. :P

(along with $1k AQ power cables and robinhood speaker cable..)

 

 

 

[Saleh84]

Yeah Nucu in his email meant there are different I2S protocols with different pins assigned for each. I think your pink faun one is same as PS audio and Rockna I2S. Just give it a try ))

Strange about the USB issue. WD USB implementation is a fine one. Could be software, i suggest you ask Rockna about that. 

I tried both USB and I2S out of the NET. I liked I2S more. Ended up with AQ diamond hdmi then recently a dragon 48 Hdmi, and it is certainly an improvement.

[Zurv]

He doesn't reply to me all the time when i msg. I'm fine with using the USB on the mobo. I'm just grumpy with wasted money on the PF and the extra power.

i2s worked fine via pi2aes till the unit went into slow down mode (Not a Rockna problem. likely.)

I'm am using AQ diamond usb. I don't notice any diff with that vs my other generic USB cables.. but it it isn't causing any problems and cost a ton.. so i'll keep using it. :)

 

[Saleh84]

The cable is one thing, what its plugged in between is something else )

I used to doubt that the higher you go up in a cable manufacturer ladder can do much. But as I changed gear I noticed some equipment were unleashed by a good cable and shined through, lesser gear not so much. so there is a bit of truth to such statements (not by any means trying to justifying crazy high end cable prices by the way).

If you would take my advice, sell the PF cards, the pi, and get one solid streamer. It all works together in combination: the ethernet, the cpu, the power supply (that's a big one), the clock, the output section, and in case of NET there is even an fpga board. If you don't want the NET, get any other proper streamer. It will shock you the difference that makes.

[PavelDosko]

I use SOTM tx USBexp card on my PC streamer (supplied by HDPlex 300 7,6 V) and all is OK

[Saleh84]

If you are already happy, then do not try the NET or any other good streamer. You can't un-hear that ;)

[PavelDosko]

2 minutes ago, Saleh84 said:

If you are already happy, then do not try the NET or any other good streamer. You can't un-hear that ;)

for me ?

[Saleh84]

For me, you and anyone who is already happy with the current performance of a system they have!

[PavelDosko]

I have tried Lumin U1 and Aries G2.1 ... I will stay with my diy PC streamer

Good luck to everyone

[Zurv]

Ok. Time to try the Pink Faun i2s card :)

 

all prep'd to make a mess.

 

 

I also did notice that i hadn't installed the audiobyte drivers. Maybe that will help with the popping when using the USB card. (then again. I'm have zero issues with the one build into the mobo... but the PF was over $1k (plus power)... sooo it should use that.

 

Side question, any suggestions for settings HQplayer? The default settings sounds pretty great. 

It sucks i can't run qobuz thought it without roon/network streaming.  Right now my PC does it all. Unless i'm missing something?  (also, qobuz fits my needs and i don't want to build a library locally to play. ) Maybe there is a trick to output qobuz to the HQplayer app? (only using one computer.)

[Zurv]

*sigh* - back into grumpy mode again. The i2s card has the channels reversed.

When i ordered the card there is an option to pick which dac it is for. 

 

Also either of the PinkFaun cards worked when internally powered by the computer... so. yeah.. there is that too.  I an external linear, which does work, but take up way to much room and likely makes zero diff.