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

[joelha]

1 hour ago, bobflood said:

I too do not wish to be negative but I share the sentiment expressed here by those above about the pricing of these products. I read this very good review and then felt very sad at the end when I saw the price of these items. This kind of stuff just makes our hobby look like it is for a bunch of over privileged kooks to the rest of the world. It is no wonder that the high end of audio is shrinking away as those of us who are of a certain age naturally leave it. As there are fewer and fewer to buy at this level, the price will continue to rise as the sellers try to make more money from a shrinking base.

 

The future will eventually be that what we now would call mid-fidelity will be the new high end and the rest will be mass produced product of varying sound quality and build quality with low prices. Of course there will always be a few sellers of super expensive stuff and a few buyers for it but it won't be worth reviewing it either online or in print.

 

I don't mean to pick on this one particular seller because this is the trend now with nearly every seller of high end gear. They are all caught in the upward pricing spiral as their buyer base shrinks.

 

Sadly, I see no way out of it.

 

Bob,

 

I own the DSD-MR and DNP-SR and I think they're both fabulous and worth the money.

 

Just because products like this exist at these price-points doesn't mean there aren't other excellnnt alternatives at lower prices. The Schiit Yggdrasil being a great example.

 

Having been in the hobby since I was in high school (which was not recently), I've never seen a time when there have been more fantastic audio options than today. That we even have the option to buy products from Bulgaria, China or Poland for example, is evidence of this fact. And much of the great product available internationally can be purchased on-line. The market for products produced overseas only 10 years ago was nowhere near as good.

 

As for this high-priced product killing the industry, I have to respectfully disagree. How many people would you have to stop on the street before you could find someone who has ever heard of Magneplanar? They've been around forever and you'd have trouble finding a better value in audio. But the vast majority of people in this (or any) country have never heard of the name let alone aspired to owning their product.

 

I realize the apparent hypocrisy of my owning this product while telling others not to feel bad that they can't. I get it.

 

I also understand reading a phenomenal review like the one Chris has written, maybe getting a little excited about the product as i read the review, only to find at the end that it equals the price of a luxury car. But there are audio products I'd love to own and simply can't or won't spend the money to buy.

 

For those who care, APL has the DSD-SR DAC, very good I understand, at less than half the price. Yes, I know. Still a ton of money.

 

Finally, I’d strongly urge those who are able, to hear this dac. At the very least, I believe it offers a compelling benchmark for what one might want to hear when making other digital audio purchases.

 

Joel

[joelha]

Hey Marcin,

 

I'm glad you posted because I owe you a very big public "thank you" for introducing me to Alex Peychev and APL.

 

Spending time with you and hearing APL's components were absolutely the highlights of my visit to the Warsaw Show.

 

Thanks again.

 

Joel

[joelha]

Just an fyi for those who are going to Munich.

 

From APL HiFi's Facebook page:

 

"HIGH END 2019 Munich is only one month away and we are excited to be exhibiting alongside the stellar Davis Acoustics & Esprit Audio this year!

 

Come enjoy our sound in Atrium 4.2, Room 205, we look forward to seeing you all there!"

 

Joel

 

 

[joelha]

30 minutes ago, PYP said:

Many, many years ago, I had an Alex-modified Denon.  He simply used the transport and the rest was some of the most amazing point-to-point wiring I have ever seen (which he did himself).  It sounded great but became outdated when new formats were released.

 

I always found Alex to be interested in sound first and foremost.  I had the Denon modified more than once and on one occasion he shipped the unit without payment.  That is the kind of guy he is.  And, of course, he is a genius too.  

 

At some point, he wanted to see what was possible for CD playback in a cost-no-object design.  Seems like he has found out.  Congratulations, Alex.   

I have add my appreciation for who Alex is to this thread.

 

I've often believed there are two reasons to help someone advance their company. One of course is their product is exceptional.

 

And his most certainly is. I continue to be amazed by what he's done.

 

But a second is that the individual is exceptional. I'd be hard-pressed to name anyone I've met in the industry who is kinder and more of a gentleman than Alex Peychev.

 

In the past, I've had to be on my guard when making audio purchases over the years.

 

Not so with Alex.

 

Any prospective buyer should know they're not only getting exceptional audio components from APL, but they're also supporting one of the truly honest and nice guys in the industry.

 

Joel

[joelha]

As I want to be 100% accurate, I've got a request in for the answer.

 

As soon as I receive it, I'll post it.

 

Joel

[joelha]

While I understand that octaviars' question may have already been answered by Alex at APL, here's the answer I received from Alex:

 

"The DTR connection supports up to 384kHz/32bit PCM and up to DSD256 in NativeDSD format. DoP64 and DoP128 are also possible."

 

"However, if someone has a compatible DAC with USB Class 2 input, it is possible to stream up to DSD512 in NativeDSD format (not DoP) from the USB DAC connection of the streamer."

 

Joel