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Massdrop: TEAC NT-503 DAC $700


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Yes. 

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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1 hour ago, watchdoc said:

I'm not sure how Massdrop works but I guess this deal is over???

Massdrop deals are typically only open for about five days. Sometimes, six months to a year or so later, they may repeat if the original was successful. You can also go to Massdrop and request that a deal be offered again. If enough people do that, and they can cut another deal with the manufacturer, they do sometimes repeat.

 

JC

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I bought a TEAC NT-503 DAC this week (thank you, Jud, for starting this thread).  I am very pleased with the sound quality it produces when using the PCM to DSD upconversion setting.

 

The DAC's DSD setting makes even Apple 256 files sound great.  The converted songs sound smooth and accurate.  I've played a wide range of music from classic rock to folk to electronic/ambient and it's all good with this DAC's DSD upconversion.

 

I was pleased with the DAC's PCM sound quality when listening to Robert Rich, Biosphere, etc., but I noticed that some old stuff from David Crosby, etc. sounded a bit dry and some of the electric guitar work sounded a little harsh and compressed.  So on a lark I tried the TEAC DAC's PCM to DSD upconversion setting and there it was!  The dryness and harshness were gone, replaced by sublime smoothness and rightness.  The added smoothness did not result in any noticeable smearing or loss of details.

 

I now use JRiver with all DSP processing turned off.  I also selected JRiver's Integer and Exclusive Access options.  These three changes result in the status button turning blue in the upper right corner; mousing over it shows a direct connection to the DAC.  I had to turn down the level on my subwoofer, but it is fine now.

 

PCM to DSD upconversion at the DAC and the changes I made in JRiver have resulted in a huge improvement in the sound quality I had been getting with my previous set up.

 

I was so surprised with the significant improvement from using a DAC to convert PCM to DSD that I then searched online and found several articles about the benefits.  Some said it creates distortion that counterintuitively results in euphonic, smooth, etc. sound quality.  With my system it works so well that I can finally stop tinkering with JRiver's settings and can now just enjoy the music.

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Hi Wilderness

 

Given that you are no longer using JRiver's DSP, have you considered not using its playback engine altogether? Despite this thread's title, the NT-503 is a network audio file player that happens to also have a very decent DAC, so it's not just a 'mere' DAC.

 

You can get the UPnP/DLNA supporting NT-503 to network stream and play the files with its own built-in player and relegate JRiver to just providing the original undecoded files via its built-in UPnP/DLNA media server. This will of course also mean the NT-503 no longer has to be USB cable tethered to your computer running JRiver. You can even go all the way and not bother with JRiver and the computer altogether, if you use a NAS that can run a decent UPnP/DLNA media server application such as MinimServer.

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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