Article: APL Hi-Fi DSD-MR DAC and DNP-SR Streamer Full Review

[Albrecht]

On 3/28/2019 at 6:25 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

Thanks for the kind words and comments. Alex suggested I use DSD128 for better transients as well. It’s all about engineering trade offs. No DAC is perfect. Over all I like what DSD256 gave me more than what it may have taken away from a more perfect transient response. 

 

All good. What a product. I feel like I’ve been driving a Ferrari for the last couple months. 

Thanks for your excellent review. I am an old customer of Alex and I have one of the APL universal players from 2004 that is still going strong and sounds wonderful. Alex installed a digital coax input for me, and hopefully I will still have many years of great sound ahead. Having spent a bunch of time with Alex in his shop in Fremont, and (later) in Dixon, CA., - I've had the opportunity to hear many iterations of his early work, - all sounding amazing.... The VRDS project is notable for its quality. Alex was kind enough to get me set up with NAS based, USB playback a looooong time ago with a custom USB to SPDIF converter. Yes, his flagship product(s) sound amazing, - but so do the other products throughout his line. I have no doubt that the DSD-S, is amazing as well. I remember hearing one of his killer "just-for-fun" stereo tube amps that were easily the equal of some of the very best that I've heard from VAC or LAMM..... 

I could go on, - but i just wanted to say that it sure is great to read your review, - and simply put, - I am glad that you had a great time listening...

[Albrecht]

On 3/28/2019 at 4:28 PM, mrvco said:

 

A flagship or halo product should serve a valuable purpose, bringing attention to a brand and providing trickle-down technology and manufacturing expertise that can be executed in more cost-effective products... rather than simply enabling conspicuous consumption for status seekers.

I think that it's possible to have several purposes. There's also the consideration of making a total statement, SOTA, product. And (based exclusively on the review) it approaches that. How much money do (what some consider) the best speakers ever made? What is the price of the best sounding amplifier? I don't know all the parts costs here, - but at least in the past, - Alex's "cost-to-build" parts were more than 1/2 of the retail price: which is both unheard of, and which no one pays anyway.