Davidny Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 I just re read this interview of Bruno Putseys from April 2014 in which he describes how he came upon the design of his DAC and some hints about how it works. https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/general-interest-interviews-menu/465-searching-for-the-extreme-bruno-putzeys-of-mola-mola-hypex-and-grimm-audio-part-two And 4 2/3 years later it’s finally available! LOL, it was worth the wait... Link to comment
Davidny Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 I’ve been really enjoying my Tambaqui since I got it in December. Tonight I upgraded the firmware to their latest Version 1.0. A pleasantly surprising enhancement in performance. Improved clarity and depth of soundstage Highly recommended. Link to comment
Davidny Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 I have the Mola Mola App, which you can download off of their webbsite, on my iPad. The app can set all of the Tambaqui functions, control volume (i’m running Direct since I use a presmp) and download software. The Tambaqui communicates via Bluetooth with my iPad, so there’s no need to connect the Tambaqui directly to the internet for new software. Clever design... PYP 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 On 4/30/2019 at 5:40 PM, guiltyboxswapper said: Have any Tambaqui or Makua DAC owners tried HQPlayer with this DAC? Given the design does it reap much benefits? I experimented with HQPlayer and Roon on a MacBook Pro connected by USB to a PS Audio Directstream DAC, which upsamples internally to 20X DSD. I had fun playing wit HQPlayer but after trying countless combinations I concluded the Directstream DAC sounded best without any processing by either HQPlayer or Roon. Here’s a link that discusses the issues with pre processing before inputting to a DAC. https://www.psaudio.com/article/this-is-the-article-title-here/ In the Tambaqui “...all incoming digital audio is upsampled to 3.125MHz/32 bits and converted to noise shaped PWM” Given this internal processing, which seems unique and to my ears makes the Tambaqui sound very special, I doubt that pre processing the digital signal with add anything, and more likely will subtract from the end result. But if you try HQP let us know what you hear, one never knows unless you try it for yourself. Link to comment
Davidny Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Interesting review of the Tambiqui http://www.audiophile-magazine.com/bancs-d-essais/mola-mola-tambaqui/ Matias 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 I think Mola Mola designed the Makua and Tambaqui thoughtfully, in order of increasing performance, and of course price Tambagui = straight to power amp Makua = preamp with integrated DAC Tambaqui = to external preamp And of course selection of input / output & power cables makes a big difference. By the way Mola Mols just introduced a major software upgrade for the Tambaqui and the control app (for your iPad) which is much more user friendly. PYP 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted April 29, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 29, 2020 Review from David Robinson of Positive Feedback https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-the-mola-mola-tambaqui-dac/ PYP and opus101 1 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted July 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 30, 2020 Another very positive review of the Tambaqui DAC. http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0820/Mola_Mola_Tambaqui_Hi_Res_Stereo_DAC_Review.htm PYP and Matias 1 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted August 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted August 2, 2020 Greg Weaver relly likes the Tambaqui. audio.bill and Matias 2 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted September 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted September 19, 2020 Another video on the Tambaqui Matias and PYP 2 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted September 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted September 22, 2020 My Tambaqui sounded good fresh out of the box. After 2 weeks I got a good sense of its potential. After 4 weeks I forgot about comparisons and just enjoyed the music. barrows, opus101, ehoz and 1 other 4 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted October 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted October 2, 2020 No argument on the transparency point. Alternatively, Harry Pearson defined the Absolute Sound as “the sound of actual instruments playing in real space.” But your system is limited by the weakest link in the chain. All of this could be debated endlessly, but these are objectives to be aim for in our audio systems. The fact that the Tambaqui has gotten so many positive reviews, from reviewers using a wide array of different equipment both upstream and downstream of the DAC, speaks to the versatility of the Tambaqui and its ability to deliver a consistently enjoyable listening experience. I’ve also listened several times to the Tambaqui used in this room at GTT Audio in NJ. As impressive as this room looks, the music sounds even better. I’m always impressed that a $13,400 DAC is being used to drive $X00K of audio equipment. And the Tabaqui is not the weakest link in the chain. I’ve owned a Tambaqui for almost two years. And as I’ve tweaked my system, I’ve never felt that the Tambaqui has been a constraint in what my system can deliver. In fact it has delivered more as I’ve improved my system upstream and downstream of the DAC. I hope that helps. Ultimately there’s no substitute for listening to one in your system. PYP and Summit 1 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 I use an Audionet Stern preamp. I think the Tambaqui’s performance can be enhanced significantly depending on the equipment and cabling used to accompany it. Here is a good video on the impact a good preamp can have on a DAC Link to comment
Davidny Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 3 minutes ago, ehoz said: @Davidny can you tell me the kind of cabling you have? Kubala Sosna Realization power cord, analog interconnects to my preamp, and USB cable. Expensive but in my opinion worth it. Link to comment
Davidny Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Eye opening story about a “modded” Tambaqui Matias 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Hans B finally got around to reviewing the Tambaqui soares 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Here’s a description, particularly at the beginning and very end of the video, of the difference between using the Tambaqui directly into your amplifier and using a preamp. In my experience if you’re seeking the best possible sound and can afford the investment a good preamp will make a big, positive difference. Link to comment
Davidny Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Any idea of what software improvements have been made? Are you hearing anything different post the update? I haven’t had time to perform the update yet. Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted August 23, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted August 23, 2021 Another review of the Tambaqui fds, Urs, Stereophilus and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Run music through it 24/7 for at least a month. It will gradually improve. PYP 1 Link to comment
Davidny Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Another enthusiastic review https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/mola-mola-ambaqui-dac/ Link to comment
Davidny Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 12 minutes ago, zerung said: I realised there is a Facebook site for MM and no owners there….. https://m.facebook.com/molamolaaudio/ This link is more up to date https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Electronics/Mola-Mola-international-573176019871165/ zerung 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Davidny Posted August 6, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted August 6, 2023 I too use a preamp and a 6 volt setting. The Tambaqui is very revealing of all of your system’s attributes. Changes in cabling and everything upstream of the DAC are easily discernible. Although I’ve been enjoying my Tambaqui for many years, here’s a setting I only recently discovered that I thought some might be worth sharing. in the mola mola remote app I’m using preset #3 which is the USB input in Direct mode. If you hit the Edit Preset 3 button, I adjusted the Volume Offset to -2dB. I recently made some changes to my network switch which significantly increased resolution, but made me notice some higher frequency noise. This setting eliminated that. Bill at GTT told me this is the “standard setting” he recommends. PYP and yellowblue 2 Link to comment
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