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Mola Mola Pre/dac review compared to DAVE dac


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  • 9 months later...

Marcel,

 

I have a Benchmark DAC3 and it is a very good DAC. I was using it with the Benchmark AHB2 amp and Audience 1+1 V2 speaker in my home office. The DAC3L was also my preamp for volume. This system has an incredible noise floor and it has a sound like no other I have heard. It is like you are peering into the recording studio. I am moving to a bigger home and decided to look at the Magico A3 for the office. A system with more bass.

 

I took the Benchmark gear to a dealer and compared it with various ML gear and the Magico A3. I found the AHB2 amp is a great performer with the A3's. I also found the DAC3 was  not as good as Chord Dave DAC that was used with the ML seperates. I believe this is MAINLY because the ML preamp made the sound with more air around the instruments. this sounded better than the Benchmark DAC3 into the AHB2 driving the Magico A3. I never tried the Benchmark gear with the ML preamp. I wish I had tried that.

 

I then removed the Benchmark DAC3 and tried the Chord DAVE directly into the Benchmark AHB2. It sounded better than the DAC3 into the AHB2 but I still preferred having a ML preamp in the mix. I was testing with the $20Kish each ML preamps, amps, CD players, Chord DAVE.

 

After a lot of swaps I came to the conclusion that it was the ML preamp that was making the ML sound better than DAC direct into amp. So I decided the best cost effective option would be to go with the ML 585 integrated which has the built in DAC module. It was close to the sound of the ML seperates but better for me than either the Chord DAVE or DAC3 direct into the AHB2. 

 

The AHB2 in stereo mode had 190 watts to drive the A3 4 ohm load. The ML pre + Chord Dave + AHB2 was also very good and a tad clearer than the ML amps but it had a bit less separation between the performers. The dealer referred to this as 'air'. I am buying the Magico A3 and the ML 585 integrated because the overall sound was what I want when I am working in the office. 

 

I am going to buy another system in a few years for the living room. I will definitely make sure I have a preamp in the mix. The new super integrateds or preamps with built in DACs are going to be my first choices.

 

BTW - This is a R2R DAC that it is getting rave reviews by users world-wide.

https://www.mikepowellaudio.com/shop/denafrips-terminator-r2r-dac

 

Check out the Facebook page, A'gon threads, or watch the YouTube videos. 

https://darko.audio/2018/09/a-short-film-about-the-denafrips-terminator-dac/

 

I also heard the Vivid Kaya 90 about 30 minutes after I left the Magico A3 dealer at another dealer. The Vivid Kaya sounded very close to the more expensive Vivid Giya line I have heard in the past. It was purposefully driven by lower cost NAD amplification, total about $10K for the NAD gear. Some may prefer it to the ML 585 + Magico A3 that I choose.

 

 

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I use the Sonare microRendu to stream from my work (noisy internals) computer to my USB DAC via Ethernet-to-USB microRendu. This is a very high end device and I would thing it would be hard to tell if the streamers you have listed are better than the noisy computer to microRendu I have suggested.  Saying all of this I am interested in the Mola Mola DAC's direct Ethernet stream option from a network connected (noisy) computer. The benefit to this is that you remove the microRendu from the equation. Not sure how that will compare to the microRendu setup.

 

If the Mola Mola DAC supports ROON RATT (I think) and becomes a ROON end point you can use a Roon client device, computer, tablet, phone, to play the music files saved on the network (or Tidal stream) directly to the DAC.

 

Edit. I found this old conversation I had with the USA distributor of Mola Mola:

 

"Thanks for your interest in the Tambaqui.  The price is $11,900 and yes it allows streaming from Roon directly to the DAC."
 

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  • 1 month later...
16 minutes ago, Marcel073 said:

As several of these brands are US companies, have you tried one of those?

Especially the Benchmark AHB2 gets rave reviews, in- and outside the US, even from critical studio professionals as Mark Waldrep ...

I have owned the AHB2 and DAC3 together. It was paired with the KEF LS50 or Audience 1+1 V3 monitor speakers. The sound was very fast and resolving and non-fatiguing. With the Audience 1+1 it sounded like you were inside the recording studio. However, I ended up selling all of the gear except the KEF LS50. The reason for the sale was that I took the Benchmark DAC3 and AHB2 set to demo the Magico A3 speaker at a great dealer room. I was able to compare the DAC3 + AHB2 with various Mark Levinson pre-amp | amp | integrated combinations + Chrod DAVE DAC. The Mark Levinson gear had a much better ability to move the sound away from the speakers and better fill the sound stage. I did not notice this quality so much with the monitor speakers but with the floor stander Magico A3 I did. THe DAC3 + AHB2 was also not great at lower volumes while the ML gear was very good at low volumes.

 

I have decided to go for an integrated amp to power the Magico A3 or KEF Reference 1 I will get for my home office. I am trying to decide between the Mark Levinson 585 (or newer lower powered ML integrated line) or the Hegel H590. I have heard various Hegel demoed with KEF Blades (except H590) and my suspicion is I will select the Hegel over the Mark Levinson.

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Interesting that you were not impressed by the H590. I sent an email to the USA distributor earlier today to locate a west coast USA dealer so I can have a listen.

 

I am also big on system synergy now after years of using components from various vendors. That is why I am looking at integrated amps and in the past owned the Benchmark DAC3 + AHB2 combo. The Mola-Mola amp + DAC + preamp  would be the way I would go if I went Mola-Mola. However, I have decided to try something other than class D since I already owned a Peachtree Nova 150 integrated  (though not in the same standard  of the Mola-Mola). I will be upgrading that to a Nova 500 in Spring 2019.

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At one time, I was of the opinion that I did not need a preamp. I went DAC direct into my amp for several years with my office system. However, after some experimenting I found I preferred a analog preamp stage in my digital systems. That is why I am looking at integrated amps with a built-in DAC.  

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The reason I like an analog preamp is that I found the sound with a dedicated analog preamp better than without. The volume at low levels (which is important since I have a toddler and I work at home late at night) was not as good direct to amp from a DAC vs having  an analog volume control. I also have some analog inputs but even the digital streaming and flac files suffered the volume issue for me. 

 

Now I am someone who has been doing digital files since about 2004 and I have had many years of systems doing direct to preamp (Benchmark DACs) and also with a decent analog preamp (BAT VK-42SE). The preamp always made it sound fuller and the volume was better across all decibel levels.

 

When I recently did the head-to-head comparison with direct to amp vs the Mark Levinson stack gear I finally decided to go back to an analog preamp (put my stuff to sell the next day). I am actually going to go to high-end integrated as I believe in 2018 those maybe even better now than the corresponding separates.

 

Just my preference.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It will be interesting to hear feedback from actual owners. 

 

I got the following email from a dealer that I asked about the Tambaqui :

 

I spent the whole summer with it in prototype mode and you will see it is rather compact and comes in a nice flight case.  Therefore, I was able to take it around with me along with having clients bring their digital gear in.  I have heard it against the $90K+ MSB, dCS Vivaldi, Playback Design, Lampizator, D1 Esoteric, Mytek, Berkeley, Aqua , Weiss and a few more I am sure I am forgetting of course PS AUDIO and Auralic Vega.  In every case the Tambaqui was the sure favorite.  It is so lively and natural in the real sense.  There are no veils, there are no dynamic constrictions, there is no coloration, no electronic sound.  It is bigger sounding, more dynamic, truer to the natural scale and incredibly transparent.  It just sounds real and natural.  In my option there is no better DAC on the market whatsoever."

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  • 4 months later...
On 12/15/2018 at 12:24 PM, andervt said:

As the Norwegian Mola Mola distributor I do not whish to comment on the Mola Mola sound compared to other brands as a see this as not accountable.

But since I received the first Tambaqui`s ten days ago I have compared it to the Mola Mola Makua with dac option which have been my reference the last year.

I compared the Makua/dac and the Tambaqui both connected directly to the Mola Mola Kaluga amps and a pair of the fantastic Swedish speakers Respons Magna Musicum.

I find the Tambaqui delivering a blacker background, better resolution, more threedimensional soundstage, better low level definition and a mor organic and flowing sound compared to the Makua/dac.  As said the Makua/dac was my reference, and this tells a lot regarding the Tamabaui`s qualities. I am not telling that the differences are enormous, but they are there, and for a "high-ender" they are important.

Up front the Tambaqui I have been using a Paul Pang music server with OCXO clocks on SSD`s and motherboard - Sotm SMS-200 Ultra Neo - Sotm tx-USBultra connected with PPA usb cables and Roon as playback software.

Since Roon have not implemented the Tambaqui in their approved list yet, I have not had the opportunity to compare the Sotm/usb frontend with the Tambaqui ethernet input, but I am looking forward to do this comparison.

 

Terje



 

It seems there is some difference on opinion on what sounds better,  the Makua+DAC board vs the Tambaqui.  The dealer I am working with states "Tambaqui direct into the amp would not be nearly as good."  

 

I am trying to figure out which preamp to get (I have some analog sources that need to be connected).

 

1) The Makua + DAC board + Luxman m900u amp

2) The Tambaqui + Luxman c900u preamp + Luxman m900u amp

 

The Makua is expected to get the same streaming capabilities as the Tambaqui, not sure when.

 

Either choice I make is likely going to be excellent. I hope to read a few more comparisons  between the Makua + Tambaqui to help me along.

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I need a preamp because I use an analog tuner(s) and also a Sony SCD-1 SACD player that is modified and can only output analog via XLR (digital output is removed).

 

I also have used a DAC as volume control, Benchmark DAC3 into AHB2 amp, and I did not like it as much as using a preamp. Low volume listening was not the best. In the past I had a BAT VK-42SE preamp that I found was better than direct to amps. It was not as clear in sound as the DAC3+AHB2 but the low volume was better

 

It is interesting that the feedback on the Tambaqui as a digital preamp is not unanimous on whether it is better than the Makua. Two dealers are stating the exact opposite view points, one on this thread and the other via my personal correspondence.

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I actually went to audition the Luxman 509x (store was using TAD ME1 speakers). I did not want to hear the c900u + m900u combo because of cost. However, I decided to have a quick listen and unfortunately I liked the separates a lot more than the 509x. The 509x does have an analog preamp so it would  be the sort of like the c900u route in terms of sound.

 

I think I actually preferred the Mark Levinson 585 (with internal DAC), from a prior audition, over the Luxman 509x,  but that was with different speakers so the comparison may not be fair.

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2 hours ago, barrows said:

@yyz, As you need a preamp, if I were you, I would not hesitate to go with the Makua with the DAC board.  The Mola Mola analog circuitry is about as close to transparent (no "sound" of its own) as one can get.  With your Luxman amp you already have the addition of the "Luxman" sound-but my preference is always for a simpler system when possible, and the Makua with DAC gets you one less box, one less interconnect and one less power cable...

If you are one who prefers more boxes and complexity, then go the separate DAC and preamp route...  

Thanks for your feedback. I have looked into at your posts to learn a thing or 2 about audio. I am in the camp of less is more.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, thyname said:

 

They better be better given the cost of the separates vs. the Integrated.

 

What worries me for Mola Mola Tambaqui is the resale value if I were to upgrade to something else down the road, given the brand name is not that popular in US

 

I found the difference in sound between the Mark Levinson separates vs the ML 585 integrated was less than the same comparison for the Luxman gear. I would have been happy with the 585 over the ML separates. The 585 was not as good as the separates but it was close.

 

I found the m900u to be my favorite amp out of the dozens of amps I have heard.

 

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  • 2 months later...
7 hours ago, john925 said:

Makua is going to have Roon Ready feature as the Tambaqui does?  

 

Yes, expected in around the end of 2019.

 

I was debating whether to take to trouble of getting a demo Makua for my home and compare with the m900u or just get the c900u, your posts pulls me to getting a demo unit.

 

On a side note, the Mola Mola gear seems a lot cheaper in the Netherlands than here in the USA.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9ff8a-mola-mola-maluga-and-makua-combination-solid-state

 

 

 

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Someone earlier on this thread mentioned interest in a comparison of the Benchmark LA4 preamp to the Makua. I was thinking about this tonight and came to the conclusion that I will try the 30 home trial of the LA4 before I spend a lot more on the Makua. It should be interesting to see if it has synergy with the Luxman m900u amp I will get. Got nothing to lose and a lot of savings to gain.

 

I owned the Benchmark AHB2 for a while and I was impressed with the silence of that amp. The LA4 preamp is supposedly even quieter than the AHB2. The design goals of the LA4 and the Makua seem similar, a simple quiet circuit.

 

The LA4 is currently sold out on Benchmarks online store. So there must be a few folks on here that have bought one. 

 

https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/reviews/la4-review-gary-l-beard-positive-feedback

 

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  • 1 year later...

Maybe 5 pages of posts ago (I think on this tread?) I am and someone else were wondering how the Benchmark LA4 would fair against the Makua. They both have the same design ethos, "do not add anything to the sound". The LA4 maybe even quieter than the Makua. Well I decided to get the Benchmark HPA4 to try. The HPA4 is the same as the LA4 with the additional THX based headphone amp. This and price were also other factors in favor of the HPA4 over the Makua. If the HPA4 was not to my satisfaction the Makua was the backup option but would take longer to save the pennies.

 

The HPA4 sounds pretty incredible to me even with a $1580 external Benchmark DAC3B. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to compare the Makua with the HPA4. My guess is that they are similar, especially after reading posts on "Whats Best Forum" where guys who owned $20K preamps and also bought the LA4, said that the LA4 was very close to the sound of their reference preamps. 

 

I want to get a second DAC for my system or a replacement DAC for the DAC3B. I am kind of happy with the DAC3B but my curiosity makes me want to try some others. The Tambaqui or the Denafrips Terminator Plus + GAIA are the 2 at the top of my list. The nice reports I am hearing on the RJ45 input of the Terminator can help with eliminating a streamer. A tube based DAC maybe also considered if I want to have a second DAC with a different sound signature.

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