Resonessence Invicta Mirus Pro & Veritas

[Dr Tone]

I find it interesting that there isn't more talk about this DAC or company.  The Invicta Mirus Pro is somewhat unique in that it uses 2 ES9028PRO chips,  8 DACs in parallel per channel in true dual mono mode.  The company is or was a sister company to ESS and it's engineers where/are involved in the Sabre chip design so you would think they know how to get the best out of it.

 

http://www.resonessencelabs.com/shop/invicta-mirus/

 

I have one at home right now for demo.  I find the DAC right in the middle for presentation, not too laid back and not too forward. Excellent soundstage. Very detailed and insanely clean sounding (SNR).  It's smooth and not bright or harsh at all.

 

 

In comparison to the Ayre Codex and the Wadia DI322 variant in my McIntosh preamp, it's no comparison the Mirus Pro easily bests them in my subjective opinion.  But it's also 3 times as much as the Ayre and more expensive than the whole McIntosh preamp.

 

The built in Linear Phase Apodizing filter is really really nice for those that don't want to involve HQPlayer but it also is really receptive to HQPlayer DSD upsampling.  There are 8 internal filter choices in total and most are custom implemented filters of their own design.

 

The one downfall that I see is that it's only doing DOP and limited to 384kHz on input, so it's limited to DSD128.

 

A couple other DACs I was thinking about are the Exasound E32 and the Wyred4Sound DAC2V2SE.  Both are single chip designs but the Wyred4Sound is also the ESS9038PRO.  Both allow for DSD256.  My main issue is I have no way to try them.

 

Is it just plain lack of marketing?  Are they hard to get ahold of for people to try?  Are they really just crap and I'm just suffering from new and shiny syndrome?  Why is there a lack of exposure on this DAC?

[jjkale]

Quote

 

The Gustard X20Pro also has 2 x 9028 DAC chips on board.  If you mod the machine, the performance is right there with Invicta and superior to the others.  DSD 512 as well if you like that sort of thing, along with i2S.  Maybe look at LKS ... 2 x 9038.  These machines are the real deal and outstanding value.

Marketing ... uhhh, yes.

[Dr Tone]

20 minutes ago, jjkale said:

The Gustard X20Pro also has 2 x 9028 DAC chips on board.  If you mod the machine, the performance is right there with Invicta and superior to the others.  DSD 512 as well if you like that sort of thing, along with i2S.  Maybe look at LKS ... 2 x 9038.  These machines are the real deal and outstanding value.

Marketing ... uhhh, yes.

 

Aren't the DACs each split 4/4 for the mains and head phones on that one?

[Dr Tone]

Ok further research tells me a former ESS manager and a couple former ESS engineers is the only relation to ESS.

 

If they made the SD card and FPGA computer optional and base priced it at $4500 it would make way more sense to me.

[Kilauea50]

I have the Resonessence Veritas and could not be happier.  Mark Malinson and those guys have done a remarkable job with these DACS.   I highly recommend them

[Norton]

Good topic.  I've also noted that there doesn't seem much interest in these DACSs, but would like to know how they sound on SD card replay.

 

I can't work out  though what makes them so expensive.  At £6k in the UK that puts them in same bracket  as "budget" offerings from MSB, Totaldac, Playback designs and around treble the price of Exasound which I think uses same chip and is also Canada made.

[Norton]

1 hour ago, Norton said:

and around treble the price of Exasound

 

Looks like I'm a bit out, the E32 is maybe a little more than half the price of the Mirus Pro?

[Dr Tone]

1 hour ago, Norton said:

 

Looks like I'm a bit out, the E32 is maybe a little more than half the price of the Mirus Pro?

 

Let's assume the dedicated FPGA computer, SD Card, HDMI out is 1-1.5k of value.

 

The other obvious things that might make the Mirus Pro more expensive are:

 

2 x ESS9028PRO chips in parallel one for each channel and the corresponding circuit to do that.

Internal high quality power supply vs the supposedly cheap ass external power supply provided with the E32.

 

I found this comment from Resonessence about the Mirus Pro power supply:

 

 

[Dr Tone]

3 hours ago, Norton said:

I've also noted that there doesn't seem much interest in these DACSs, but would like to know how they sound on SD card replay.

 

There is a thread on these forums where a forum member who eventually got banned for other reasons swore the internal SD card play back was God's gift to audio.  Of course that's subjective.

 

Eventually @Miska gave this person a couple hard copies of particular songs ran through HQPlayer and this person put them on his SD card and was blown away.  Because of my love of HQPlayer and the fact that my music collection is 6+ TBs the internal SD card playback is of no value to me.

[Dr Tone]

My dealer discussed the price of the FPGA playback computer and SD Card reader with Resonessence.  The replied that it wasn't a very expensive part of the DAC design and removing it wouldn't affect the price much at all.

[feelingears]

I've been wondering about this DAC as a practical alternative to the fussiness of an HQPlayer h/w and s/w set up. The SD card playback is an alternative to the USB or DDC toys and power needs, but it doesn't appeal to me, ultimately. Of course, I haven't heard it so maybe if I did I'd be singing a different tune.

 

Anyway, despite the technical engineering that went into the Mirus, its cost (even used as one was listed here recently) makes me inclined to wait and see if it stands the test of time (a couple more years?).

[Dr Tone]

A review on the Veritas.

 

https://www.head-fi.org/f/showcase/resonessence-labs-veritas.22434/reviews

 

To sum it up the Mirus Pro still easily bests it, whats interesting is the list of DACs he feels the Veritas beats.

[Kilauea50]

I have the Veritas and while the Mirus Pro is superior, the Veritas does VERY well at holding its own.  For the money, it is extremely hard to beat.  It is an excellent Dac

[Dr Tone]

5 hours ago, Kilauea50 said:

I have the Veritas and while the Mirus Pro is superior, the Veritas does VERY well at holding its own.  For the money, it is extremely hard to beat.  It is an excellent Dac

 

I grabbed a Veritas for demo today but it seems DSD128 isn't working well with it.  10+ dB volume cut and a pile of backdround hiss.  Firmware 2.1.

 

Have you experienced the same?

[Kilauea50]

I have not had any issues with DSD128 playback at all via Roon, HQ Player or A+.  Not sure what you are experiencing. My Dac is currently loaned out right now to someone comparing it to a Bricasti M1. I know the Bricasti is absolutely superior.  I will be curious to hear the details....lol 

[Dr Tone]

22 hours ago, Kilauea50 said:

I have not had any issues with DSD128 playback at all via Roon, HQ Player or A+.  Not sure what you are experiencing. My Dac is currently loaned out right now to someone comparing it to a Bricasti M1. I know the Bricasti is absolutely superior.  I will be curious to hear the details....lol 

 

I think you need to double check when you get it back.  I just had another owner on head-fi test it on his and he experienced the exact same issue.  He thinks it's closer to a 20db drop in volume along with the hiss through the tweeter.

 

It happens on v2 and v2.1firmwares.

[Kilauea50]

I will do that.  I have never updated it since receiving it so it has the firmware that was on it when I got it last August.  I am one of those that goes by if it isn't broke, leave it alone mentality.  I have never had any playback issues since receiving it.  I don't have a large DSD library but do have a few DSD128 files. 

[Dr Tone]

14 minutes ago, Kilauea50 said:

I have never updated it since receiving it so it has the firmware that was on it when I got it last August.

 

That would explain it if it does work fine.

 

PS) The Veritas isn't moving me like the Mirus Pro did, I might have to double up the bones for the big boy.  Sigh!

[Dr Tone]

Bit the bullet and ordered the Invicta Mirus Pro.  I new if I went with the Veritas I'd just sit and wish I had the Mirus Pro.

 

Now I can start saving for a new preamp.

[Dr Tone]

Well after a month with the new Mirus Pro DAC I think I've found a happy formula.  It took some running music through it 24/7 to get it sounding as good as my dealer's demo model.

 

PCM->PCM poly-sinc-xtr, NS5 with auto rate on.

DSD64 pass through.

[Norton]

I've had a loan Mirus ( not pro) in my system for just over a week now.  I can't stop listening to it, the SQ from the SD card input is just stunning.  I've owned  Hugo 1 and Esoteric DACs amongst others, but  I'm still hearing some low level detail for the first time, while the overall texture and 3D sense of the music is a notable step up, bass in particular is superb.

 

I suspect I will end up buying  one.  Wondering if it would be even better direct into a balanced  power amp and if so what would be a good choice?  My Klipsch speakers don't need much power, thinking maybe something from Pass Labs.

 

I tried it with HQP,  (44 x 128, xtr2s, ADSM7) but wasn't overly impressed.  On the version I have at least, unlike the Esoteric,  you can't disable the internal  filters, just choose between them.  Maybe that is sub-par for HQP?

[Dr Tone]

4 hours ago, Norton said:

I tried it with HQP,  (44 x 128, xtr2s, ADSM7) but wasn't overly impressed.  On the version I have at least, unlike the Esoteric,  you can't disable the internal  filters, just choose between them.  Maybe that is sub-par for HQP?

 

By sending DSD 128 the filters, should be out of the picture.  That said I prefer DSD7 to ADSM7 but I'm running it without HQP right now and using the internal Linear Phase Apodizing Filter.  Try upconverting to PCM with the XTR filter and auto rate on.

 

Also try the DAC's Minimum Phase Slow Roll off if you haven't, I think it's the next best thing to the apodizing linear phase.  A little warmer and slightly rolled off at the top as you would expect.

 

Here's the latest review from project86:

 

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/08/resonessence-labs-invicta-mirus-pro-review/

[Norton]

Thanks.  Are you using (like me)  with a preamp or direct to power amp?  I wonder if latter might be better?

[Dr Tone]

2 minutes ago, Norton said:

Thanks.  Are you using (like me)  with a preamp or direct to power amp?  I wonder if latter might be better?

 

McIntosh pre.  Thought about trying without but don’t want to lose the “McIntosh” sound. 

[johndoe21ro]

I think you should give it a try, Dr. Tone!