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weiss dac2 not to my taste


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hi

i recently switched from a cd player (reimyo cdp 777) to a mac mini /weiss dac 2 /amarra

i could no longer bear the tedious task of looking thru 2500 cd , so i went to see keith a purite (smashing dealer by the way) and got myself the dac2 and amarra , plugged the mini load the library and press play and walk out of the room for a week

i have been listening to the system for a week

sadly the dac2 is nowhere near the reimyo in character

i find the dac 2 very dry and slightly digital sounding in comparison , the liquidity,midbass bloom and silkiness of the highs of the reimyo is sorely missed to say the least , the dynamic contast on bass and subbass on the 777 to my ear puts the dac2 in a scandalous position

having said that the detail on the dac 2 is remarquable and i would say for the price you would get relative value for money

i am thinking using the dac2 as a interface only and get another dac ,anyone gone this way ????

is the dac1 mk2 a much better machine ?

 

regards

andre

 

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Do you still have your cdp? Google tells me that it has a digital output, so it's possible you might be able to make a comparison between the mac/itunes/amarra setup and the transport, using the Weiss as a dac. I'm not putting that forward as a solution, just something that might help you figure out what to change to suit your preferences.

 

There's lots of discussions right here on this forum regarding different ways to setup the computer side of things - people report differences due to ripping software, playback software, hard disks, and the computer itself. So there's a lot of permutations to think about before you dismiss the dac as the thing you need to change.

 

Also I think it's fair to point out that people also report an extended break-in time for dacs, even longer that the week that you've had with it. Again there's some controversy, but even if you're not a believer and think break-in is more to do with you becoming accustomed to a different sonic character, a week may not be a long time. Unless you think the unit is faulty of course.

 

Finally, some of the differences you describe are tonal (eg the midbass bloom). In which case, assuming you have the full Amarra and not the mini version, you have a very good equalisation capability in the software. Again, not everyone approves of tone controls in hifi, but it's your ears that count so it has to be worth trying.

 

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hi

thanks for the reply , the cdp is now sold ,

not really into comparing different HD/ ripping software that sort of things

ultimately plonk in a dac and get better sound

so

anyone gone this route

anyone with experience of the dac1 mk2

thanks

 

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I have some ideas in mind, but the most productive thing to do is to call Keith and talk to him about the sound. A good dealer who listens to music day-in day-out and knows high end audio is priceless (as I've personally found out).

 

I think your new setup is much more accurate than the old system thar you're used to hearing. There's no right or wrong here, just individual preferences on what we like. Many times accuracy can make music sound bad, but it certainly can't change our love of great music :~)

 

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hi

i did call keith and he is waiting for the go ahead from me on the dac1 , so i thought i ask about people ,s own experience or guidelines

 

i agree i might be hearing more accuracy , but i wouldnt mind hearing less if i could achieve what i want

have you got experience with the dac1 perhaps , maybe a silky sounding dac ? did you hear the cdp 777

i replaced a Verdi/Purcell/Elgar Plus for the cdp 777 , the rest of my gear didnt change

avantgarde acoustic duo omega , with custom psu on the subs by audio consulting , analysis plus solo crystal internal wiring

avantgarde acoustic model 3 integrated

stealth indra 8 xlr interconnect

analysis plus golden oval speaker cable

regards

andre

 

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Andre. It sounds like you really prefer the sonic character of the Reimyo in your system. I would suggest that you try a Reimyo DAC from the digital output of the Weiss. I suspect that the character of the sound is likely produced by the differences in the analog output stages of the Reimyo CDP vs. the Weiss DAC2. The digital output of the Weiss, will not really have any "character" per se, but will provide a very accurate, low jitter, digital feed for another DAC. Alternatively, you could sell the DAC2 and go with a different interface between computer and DAC, but I would suspect that in the buying/selling process you will not gain much in terms of savings.

As Chris suggested, consult your dealer, and see what he says. BTW, using the Weiss as a computer interface, and a Reimyo DAC may give you the best of both worlds: the sound character that you love in your system, increased accuracy, and the convenience of accessing your library on the computer.

 

SO/ROON/HQPe: DSD 512-Sonore opticalModuleDeluxe-Signature Rendu optical with Well Tempered Clock--DIY DSC-2 DAC with SC Pure Clock--DIY Purifi Amplifier-Focus Audio FS888 speakers-JL E 112 sub-Nordost Tyr USB, DIY EventHorizon AC cables, Iconoclast XLR & speaker cables, Synergistic Purple Fuses, Spacetime system clarifiers.  ISOAcoustics Oreas footers.                                                       

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Barrow, I always wince a little when I hear statements like "has no character" directed at any electronics component. Here's something I've done lately: I placed a Playback Designs unit between my Weiss AFI1 and my digital amp. The result? A noticeably nicer sound.

 

I achieved a similar noticeable sonic improvement some months back when I upgraded the cheap power supply in my AFI1 to a shunt linear model.

 

I personally think Andre can likely expect to hear sonic differences between computer-to-digital interfaces.

 

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most say the opposite. You will not like Bryston, Benchmark, and probably even Berkeley if you think the DAC2 is dry. I would look at interfaces like your cabling, impedance matches, etc. What do you use as rest of system (cables, preamp, etc)?

 

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mostly. But I do know that the digital output of the Weiss is very, very good. Also, the character that Andre is referring to and describing, sounds like a character that I would attribute to the analog side of things, rather than the digital side, taking into consideration that the Weiss is "accurate" and also very low in jitter from a technical standpoint.

What is the "playback designs"? And what is it doing to your digital feed? As far as I am concerned there are only two aspects to a SPDIF data stream: is it bit perfect, and how is the jitter. The accuracy of a clock circuit is dependent on power supply, so I am not surprised that a power supply upgrade improved the performance of your AFI1; the upgrade likely reduced the jitter a little. The good news is that the internal power supply in the DAC2 is a pretty good linear supply, as opposed to the cheap external switchers often supplied with a lot of the pro gear.

 

SO/ROON/HQPe: DSD 512-Sonore opticalModuleDeluxe-Signature Rendu optical with Well Tempered Clock--DIY DSC-2 DAC with SC Pure Clock--DIY Purifi Amplifier-Focus Audio FS888 speakers-JL E 112 sub-Nordost Tyr USB, DIY EventHorizon AC cables, Iconoclast XLR & speaker cables, Synergistic Purple Fuses, Spacetime system clarifiers.  ISOAcoustics Oreas footers.                                                       

                                                                                           SONORE computer audio

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thanks Keith .

i will use a respectable dac i have here on the weiss , i will report

i tried the weiss this way on chad scarlatti stack , there was basically no difference between transport and mac

do you know anyone with a dac1 i could talk to

regards

andre

 

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I'm using a headphone set-up now but I used to have the Avantgarde Duo Omegas and the Reimyo dac. I got the Weiss and liked it except for the dynamics. I had a Cary 306/200 in the past which I loved and decided to get a used Cary 306 Professional which I'm now feeding via the Weiss. At this point I'll probably replace the Weiss Dac with the AIF1. I think I've come around to the idea that you need a good device to get the music out of the pc and then get the DAC of your liking; although a one-box solution would be ideal. Along those lines, I was/am interested in the Metric Halo ULN-8 and Prism Orpheus but am intimidated by the prospect of having to figure out a pro dac. I love my iTunes. From what I've read on Gearslutz and other places they're both great with the Orpheus possibly having better dynamics.

I hope this helps.

 

Digital:  SonicTransporter I5 powered by Uptone JS-2,  Ghent Ethernet throughout, Ultra-Rendu's, Ghent DC cables, Curious and Ghent USB

Living Room:  Rethm Trishna, MicroZotl2, Auralic Vega, Rel E112 sub (High Fidelity ic's, DIY pc's and speaker wire from VH Audio)

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"Along those lines, I was/am interested in the Metric Halo ULN-8 and Prism Orpheus but am intimidated by the prospect of having to figure out a pro dac."

 

Will there is certainly some truth in your comment 'having to figure out a pro dac', the emphasis should NOT be on the 'have'.

 

To setup any Metric Halo, one need only connect up the cables, and use the template for Basic Setup, which will configure the software as most of us would want for normal playback.

 

You will need to do things like download software - and occasionally firmware - upgrades, etc.

 

Anyone comfortable with even Mac computers can get a MH device up and running in no time. And if not, they have many videos on Youtube and a great support team.

 

OTOH, there ARE a myriad of possibilities that one CAN be intimidated by, but only if interested.

 

Cheers,

Clay

 

PS, Ping me with any questions

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

My apologies for resurrecting an old thread but I thought I might like to add my experience with the DAC 2.

About 4-5 weeks ago I bought a dac 2 plus a mac mini and started this journey into computer audio.

 

When I first set the system up I really liked the sound, it was very smooth and detailed but it was very polite sounding, as well I thought the bass was a not as strong as it was with my previous source (a Densen 400XS cd player - a really fine one too)

 

This opinion was reinforced by a friend who tried the DAC 2/mac and had the same opinion and decided he didn’t like it.

 

So I did suffer some very slight buyers remorse.

 

However after about 3-4 weeks of listening something happened.....

 

Almost overnight the system completely transformed, it opened up, the bass got deeper, the system is now sounding utterly amazing, I even think the system is much more dynamic now.

 

So I guess the moral to this storey is... the Dac 2 is an awesome piece of kit.

 

It just needs time to break in

 

I also might add that the DAC 2 is the most NON DIGITAL sounding digital source I have ever heard, and i have heard a lot.

 

 

 

Aurender N100H> USB(Darkside Cable) > Mcintosh D1100 Digital Preamp > Darkside Cable balanced interconnect  >  Mcintosh MC302 Amp  > SpectralMH-770  Speaker Cables  >  Martin Logan Prodigys

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i've had a similar experience & observation with regard to the Weiss Minerva/DAC2, except the comparison i heard was against the Weiss Medea (which i think is an exellent DAC). as much as i wanted to like the Minerva/DAC2, it sounded thin, flat & rather digital sounding in comparison to its bigger brother.

 

i ultimately ordered the Weiss AFI1 as well as the Berkeley Alpha b/c Weiss does not offer the Medea/DAC1mk2 with Firewire input.

 

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Sorry I'm a bit fuzzy over your logic here ...

 

If you heard and liked the Weiss Medea; and were happy buying the AFI1 to go with another DAC, why did you ultimately buy the AFI1 with the Berkeley rather than buying the AFI1 to go with the Medea?

 

Eloise

 

Eloise

---

...in my opinion / experience...

While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing.

And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism.

keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out.

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computer audio's still evolving quite rapidly. unless there's a product that fulfills all my requirements (there isn't at the moment), there's no pt. over allocating funds on products that will become obsolete & depreciate quickly. in this particular instance, i'd be able to buy 2.5 Berkeley Alphas for the price of 1 Weiss Medea.

 

if the Medea been a one box solution, i'd not hv had to waste time & money trying/buying digital i/cs, power cords, etc. (it would also take up less rack space), so the overall equation would prob. tilt in favor of the "simple & elegant solution" - even if it costs a bit more.

 

having said this, the Berkeley is also a fine sounding DAC - one that i prefer sonically, over EMM Labs which i also currently own, dCS & several other very highly regarded DACs (i've done a fair amt of home demos prior to getting the Berkeley, but hv not had the opportunity to compare Medea & Berkeley back-to-back in my system). should Berkeley come out with a one box DAC with Firewire (or USB) input that equals or betters my existing setup, i'll be glad to "upgrade".

 

hope this logic is not too "fuzzy".

 

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He Andre,

 

maybe you should be listening before buying.

Obviously there are as many opinions as there are DACs out there.

 

It seems to me you are quite desperate and rather on the cost-no-garantee slope.

The best thing to do is to find a reliable retailer, and to deal with him(/her) all the details.

 

Elp

 

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Sorry I understand now - I didn't really there was quite such a price differential between the Berkerley and the Medea.

 

Eloise

 

Eloise

---

...in my opinion / experience...

While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing.

And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism.

keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out.

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