New DSD DAC/Headphone amp with advanced DSP on the market now, thoughts?

[good]

found this some where on head-fi

Seems quite interest concept. It is not merely a DAC/headphone amps (hardware), but also has great softwares which could simulate speaker, different timbre from different gears, and avoid dynamic loss when you turn the volume knob.

 

And I just checked their website and found they even have audio demos, sounds really great.

Serenade DSD DAC/Headphone Amp

[bmoura]

found this some where on head-fi

Seems quite interest concept. It is not merely a DAC/headphone amps (hardware), but also has great softwares which could simulate speaker, different timbre from different gears, and avoid dynamic loss when you turn the volume knob.

 

And I just checked their website and found they even have audio demos, sounds really great.

Serenade DSD DAC/Headphone Amp

 

There are a lot of DSD DAC/Headphone Amp combo products these days. In fact, it seems to be the fastest growing product type on the DSD Database.

 

http://www.dsd.sonore.us

[davide256]

found this some where on head-fi

Seems quite interest concept. It is not merely a DAC/headphone amps (hardware), but also has great softwares which could simulate speaker, different timbre from different gears, and avoid dynamic loss when you turn the volume knob.

 

And I just checked their website and found they even have audio demos, sounds really great.

Serenade DSD DAC/Headphone Amp

 

Mehh, any signal processing turns me off. Given the small power required to drive headphones and their sensitivity an integrated DAC and amp makes sense, eliminates the cost and complexity of interconnect choices. I don't think they have reached a final stage of evolution yet, would expect these features to become table stakes within a few years for a top notch solution

 

1) built in renderer for UPNP/Squeezebox media server

2) software volume control

3) tablet controller support

 

at that point all the functionality in main system would be portable to headphone solution in 1 package

[matthias]

found this some where on head-fi

Seems quite interest concept. It is not merely a DAC/headphone amps (hardware), but also has great softwares which could simulate speaker, different timbre from different gears, and avoid dynamic loss when you turn the volume knob.

And I just checked their website and found they even have audio demos, sounds really great.

Serenade DSD DAC/Headphone Amp

 

The question is if they perform their DSP in the DSD domain.

IMO, they do not.

So DSD content is converted and processed as PCM.

 

Matt

[Chodi]

found this some where on head-fi

Seems quite interest concept. It is not merely a DAC/headphone amps (hardware), but also has great softwares which could simulate speaker, different timbre from different gears, and avoid dynamic loss when you turn the volume knob.

 

And I just checked their website and found they even have audio demos, sounds really great.

Serenade DSD DAC/Headphone Amp

 

I find it interesting that there is absolutely no mention of the dac being used or the usb interface included. Even with a China based product this seems very cheap. Perhaps some all in one C-Media device? Since they are claiming dsd512 the possibilities for suppliers are very limited. It is almost as though they are being careful not to give any real details. Although I would never buy this it would be interesting to know what they are using.

[One and a half]

For the price of USD299, DSD would be always converted to PCM, and DSP does the rest, as far as HP crossfeeds, volume control and so on is concerned. The DAC performs quite a lot of functions, but the fidelity aspect would warrant further scrutiny.

 

The Serenade DAC would gain momentum on Head-Fi as it complies with the Head-Fi crowd that appreciates prices less than $400 for a DAC to be partnered with $100 headphones, with the perceived same SQ obtainable with other devices 10 times the price. Bits are bits, remember, yeah well.

[magnum innominandum]

Hi,

 

I find it interesting that there is absolutely no mention of the dac being used or the usb interface included. Even with a China based product this seems very cheap. Perhaps some all in one C-Media device? Since they are claiming dsd512 the possibilities for suppliers are very limited. It is almost as though they are being careful not to give any real details. Although I would never buy this it would be interesting to know what they are using.

 

A quick google gave this:

 

http://www.t2caudio.com/EN/Product/Serenade/SerenadeDSD/index.htm

 

The DAC is PCM1795.

 

They have a chinese page that seems to say the USB is CM6632A.

 

I don't see DSD512 mentioned anywhere there.

 

The rest seem rather engrish/chinglish to me.

 

Maybe someone who reads chinese can suggest more tech details from the chinese text?

 

Google also found this:

 

СҹÇúserenade dsd,¹×à̹¿Ëhifier serenade,hifier serenade,СҹÇúdsd--ÌÔŒš¾W

 

Not sure what to make of it. Chinese e-bay?