Rupert Neve Designs Fidelice Precision DAC

[89reksal]

This is a new "state of the art" dac/preamp/headphone amp from Rupert Neve's new Fidelice line. I could only dream of actually owning a product like this but I sure can still enjoy reading about them.

Maybe I could sell a kidney and be able to provide a first hand user report.

 

Here's a link to a first written review:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1019/Rupert_Neve_Fidelice_DAC_Review.htm

 

Here's a link to a first impressions YouTube video:

 

[semente]

It looks like it was designed in the 80s...

[4est]

4 hours ago, semente said:

It looks like it was designed in the 80s...

Most of their stuff is pretty pedestrian looking. One could state that they aren't wasting money on "bling".

[semente]

6 minutes ago, 4est said:

Most of their stuff is pretty pedestrian looking. One could state that they aren't wasting money on "bling".

 

That's not an excuse, they could have done a lot better for the same cost...

[4est]

29 minutes ago, semente said:

 

That's not an excuse, they could have done a lot better for the same cost...

I do not agree and to each his own. I sorta like how it looks. I think that 80's look is kinda cool and would look great sitting atop a desk as it seems to be intended. In a rack, I agree with you. I doubt Neve feels the need for an excuse, regardless I do not care for a lot of bling, bells or whistles. This seems to be a straight forward design that would be easy to service. I respect that as a designer myself. I am sure they will not fail if you don't decide to purchase one...

[89reksal]

The looks weren't a factor at for me at all when I first saw pictures of this. Although I was previously looking at buying his "Rupert Neve RNHP" headphone amp and the appearance didn't cross my mind there either. I ended up buying the Little Labs Monotor headphone amp which is also very utilitarian looking. Personally I'd rather put my money into the functioning bits instead of spending on unnecessary cosmetic enhancements. My main system components are black Bryston preamp/dac and amp so maybe I'm simply predisposed to this more basic appearance.

[exdmd]

I would love to see a "DAC-off" comparison between the Yggdrasil A2, Fidelice and the new Holo Audio May.

[matthias]

19 hours ago, exdmd said:

I would love to see a "DAC-off" comparison between the Yggdrasil A2, Fidelice and the new Holo Audio May.

 

BTW, maybe there will be an Yggdrasil 2 next year to complete the DAC-off?

 

Matt

[exdmd]

@matthias I would not bet on it. Jason has always said the form factor of Yggdrasil would not change. Yggdrasil is their flagship product and they seem committed to supporting current owners with changes to the boards only. There is a USB board update to Unison that is expected next month. Many beta testers have already been using the updated Unison USB receiver for over 12 months. Those owners who are comfortable taking a 25 pound DAC apart and know what they are doing (proper grounding, etc.) will probably be able to buy the board and do it themselves. Others might elect to send their Yggdrasil back to Schiit for the swap.

[matthias]

14 minutes ago, exdmd said:

@matthias I would not bet on it. Jason has always said the form factor of Yggdrasil would not change. Yggdrasil is their flagship product and they seem committed to supporting current owners with changes to the boards only. There is a USB board update to Unison that is expected next month. Many beta testers have already been using the updated Unison USB receiver for over 12 months. Those owners who are comfortable taking a 25 pound DAC apart and know what they are doing (proper grounding, etc.) will probably be able to buy the board and do it themselves. Others might elect to send their Yggdrasil back to Schiit for the swap.

 

So no Autonomy Architecture like Bifrost2 for Yggdrasil?

Thanks

 

Matt

[exdmd]

That would require a complete redesign of Yggdrasil, not sure if it is even possible. Jason has already said he does not want to hurt resale value of Yggdrasil for present owners by coming out with a Yggdrasil 2. I think Mike would have to come up with a really compelling reason in terms of improving sound quality for that to happen.

 

Quote

Depending on how Autonomy is received, it may or may not find its way up the line. However, it almost certainly won’t result in an Yggdrasil 2. Yggdrasil is a significant investment. We want to protect your investment. So, while we will be working to ensure that as many Yggdrasil upgrades as possible don’t require a factory visit, we’re not a fan of burning the current architecture to the ground and starting over. So, I’d expect that if you’d like an Yggdrasil with remote control, you won’t have to sell your current DAC in order to get it. Eventually.

 

Source:

Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up. 2019, Chapter 12: Passing the Torch

[matthias]

18 minutes ago, exdmd said:

That would require a complete redesign of Yggdrasil, not sure if it is even possible. Jason has already said he does not want to hurt resale value of Yggdrasil for present owners by coming out with a Yggdrasil 2. I think Mike would have to come up with a really compelling reason in terms of improving sound quality for that to happen.

 

But may I suppose that the next year Yggdrasil will have Unison as standard?

Thanks

 

Matt

[exdmd]

Sure. The Unison USB board has already been extensively beta tested in Yggdrasil so expect it to become standard sometime early next year. I have heard January mentioned.

 

Quote

And yes, all of our upgradeable DACs will get Unison USB as an upgrade when Windows 7 officially dies. Again, remember: no drivers for Windows 7, so that upgrade may not be for you

 

End of life for upgrades for Windows 7 is January, 2020.

[Middy]

Any word on the head amp, i asked and its £600+ more than the original but no reviews i can see but early days...

I hope its a bit more than a new case..