SMSL D3 new flagship R2R dac coming out in August

[AudioLibiertarian]

37 minutes ago, Iluzun said:

Well, a tad ‘sweet & flashy’, I can live with.  Matches up well with the augmented 10” in the DW’s.

Here’sthe only internal pics I could find of the D2…. I think the Rotel Tribute CD player I own also uses a TI chip,  its very musical and robust in its presentation.  Not quite as ‘flashy’ as the D2…(-;  Ohh, I really dislike the pointed feet & pucks, a pain to fiddle with.  The D3 looks to have a better set-up.

Cool listening room I must say!

 

The D3 uses just small rubber feet, so i am using Mod Squad feet under it, those are made of special Sorbothane I believe, and will be placing the unit on 2 inch thick Delrin base.   The Delrin base on its brass feet will extract another 10-15 %  further out of D3.   In place of the factory spikes you can buy Walker Audio Valid Points set  of 3 and it will improve D2s sound even further.

[AudioLibiertarian]

35 minutes ago, Iluzun said:

Well, a tad ‘sweet & flashy’, I can live with.  Matches up well with the augmented 10” in the DW’s.

Here’sthe only internal pics I could find of the D2…. I think the Rotel Tribute CD player I own also uses a TI chip,  its very musical and robust in its presentation.  Not quite as ‘flashy’ as the D2…(-;  Ohh, I really dislike the pointed feet & pucks, a pain to fiddle with.  The D3 looks to have a better set-up.

Also, I have noticed you are using Audio Magic Nexus power filter, those are probably the best current production power filter devices on the market! 👍👍👍

 

Great LP collection as well!

[Iluzun]

The D2 is turning out to be a ‘real honey’ of a dac.  Running an intel nuc w/Roon’s dsp direct, the 256dsd setting, is really quite special.  

 

Yet the units clock frequency selections has me confused…. 

• Clock frequency: 10MHz/ 11.2896MHz/ 12.288MHz/ 16.9344MHz/ 25MHz/ 27MHz/ 33.8688MHz
• ‘What is what’ so to speak.  The 11.2896MHz seems to optimize the 256dsd.  16.9344MHz with 96/192/384.  The 10MHz to synch an external clock?  The others?  Not much I can find on line other than dsd direct requires precise clocking to optimize sound related to phasing.  The 12.288mhz, 25mhz, 27mhz, 33.8688mhz don’t align with anything I can find.  Any suggestions?  Both the 256 & 512 upsamples run fine on the nuc with multiple cores.  The 512 a bit under Roons optimal 2 at 1.7 utilization, and the 256 over 3.  No skips or glitches.  I’ve set the clock mode to wide, vs narrow.  Been running the steep, minimal phase but really all the sample rate conversion filters are livable and sound very good, still sorting thru that.  The D2 is really setup to encourage long listening sessions, very open and spacious, with excellent detail retrieval.  Classical and electronic music sound excellent, it’s a fun listen and the usb performance is great.  No idea what the I2S hookup would bring over the Nuc/Nexus hookup.  Any suggestions?  The AKM 4499 seems to be optimized for DSD Direct and the D2 does sound excellent, the various clock frequencies just have me a bit confused on ‘what is what’.  Does the D3 R2R have anything similar?  
   

[Iluzun]

Forgot the 256fs auto, which is selectable frequency from menu but not listed above.  What is that?

[AudioLibiertarian]

I'm not using the I2 interface, as there are no audiophile cables worth their salt in that format, so its  dual USB cable out of Mac book and Battery power supply. I don't play any DSD files , so can't comment on that either. The D3 is has very basic settings aside for the external clock sync feature,   I only use its internal clock....

[Iluzun]

AudioLibiertaria r u using Roon on your MacBook?  I’m running Roon Roc on an intel nuc and it easily upsamples DSD or PCM to their max settings and feeds the D2 in native mode.  I’m really loving this dac as it has a rich spacious sound with lots of detail and slam.  Definitely organic with plenty of propulsion.  It’s a sweet unit and the idea of being able to add a DDC and 10M clock r really nice paths forward.  Looks as if the Gustard U18 may be what I try out next, as it looks to be compatible as far as I can tell and will get me into the I2S connection.  SMSLmakes a streamer SD-9 I’m also considering.  It’s hard to tell without being able to try out either unit. Hope your D3 has settled in and you are enjoying it as I the D2.  The high end R2R units seem to utilize the same disaggregated technics of reclocking and DDC’s to top out their performance, so as good as the D2 is, and it really is very good, I’m glad it has provisions for even more performance.  Maybe someone else here will try one some day…

[Iluzun]

Here’s a link to a recommended I2S cable/hdmi that is recommended in my search on the Gustard U18 DDC.  It’s a a bit confusing but is supposed to be worth the effort.  I’m looking at the 1m and need to find which of the 4 custom configs works between the Gustard and the D2.  The Gustard has the next level Accusilicon clocks versus both the D2 & D3, the 338’s.  The D2 is already performing at a very high level, but adding an external DDC to utilize the I2S connector is highly recommended on the Soundnews website which reviews the SMSL D2.  It’s already an exceptional dac.  I would suggest that the D3 would benefit likewise…

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000255873784.html

[Iluzun]

I’ve also brought up my Daedalus speakers to temporarily replace the ZU’s to better see ‘what’s what’.  Run alongside my little 1sc ProAc’s I’ve a pretty good sense of just how good the D2 is performing through its usb input.  A person could live a long time with the unit ‘as is’.  Both tubes and solid state prove a satisfying pairing playing thru the Athena preamp.  I even hooked up a pair of ADS 880’s off to the side and am enjoying those rather well.  Warm, musical and detailed the D2 already offers up a deep and spacious presentation and the little Denafrips amp, Hyperion, easily has driven the DW’s and the Daedalus floorstanders.  Both can ‘rock out’ but the Daedalus offers can offer up more ‘fireworks’, being a multi-way and at 4 times the cost with a pair of 8”’s they should, but the 10” Zu’s really do nothing wrong.  Their biggest sin is a bit of ‘box noise’ one notices in direct comparison.  The Daedalus r just quieter, so the notes float out of a blocker background and subtle details appear more easily.  Like the small 1sc, the quality of the cabinets can be heard, or unheard, as both r relatively inert.  I would expect the newer ZU Soul 6 to be/have a similar advantage with their new cabinet designs.  
The D2 reveals enough subtle detail in its presentation that one can make such determinations about speaker build quality, which for me anyway, wasn’t/hasn’t always been apparent…

[sandston]

1 hour ago, Iluzun said:

Here’s a link to a recommended I2S cable/hdmi that is recommended in my search on the Gustard U18 DDC.  It’s a a bit confusing but is supposed to be worth the effort.  I’m looking at the 1m and need to find which of the 4 custom configs works between the Gustard and the D2.  The Gustard has the next level Accusilicon clocks versus both the D2 & D3, the 338’s.  The D2 is already performing at a very high level, but adding an external DDC to utilize the I2S connector is highly recommended on the Soundnews website which reviews the SMSL D2.  It’s already an exceptional dac.  I would suggest that the D3 would benefit likewise…

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000255873784.html

I picked up that i2S cable on a lark. Stumbled across it when doing my own research. It actually comes with a couple strands of silver wire for testing. Not sure how one does that but I like the enthusiasm of the seller. I was immediately non-plussed by the cables HDMI connectors. They are quite cheap looking and feeling and what appears to be a gold plated end is some cheap yellowish metal. I have tried to get the connector open to see if the wire is indeed solid silver but I have not been able to without destroying it. No idea what the contacts are made of. Treid to look in there with a magnifying glass but they are just too dam small.  I mentioned as much on the sellers site and they were quick to write back saying they were looking into sourcing a higher quality connectors and would like to send me a new cable for comparison when the y do. Yes Please! Last night I replaced the 1/2m DHLabs Silversonic HDMI with this cable and I have to say out of the gate there seemed to be a nice little uplift in upper resolution in the higher registers. Being a solid silver wire cable I heard no harshness and experienced no fatigue. Had a nice long listening session with a friend into the wee hours and everything just seemed effortless. I use this cable to connect my newly acquired Denafrips Hermes / Terminator II combination. All I can say about the Denafrips stack is WOW!!!! I will let the cable burn in a bit and switch back to the Silversonic. But initially impressed. For $60 this cable is worth a try. Maybe wait to see what the new connectors look like but my guess is the price will go up.

[Iluzun]

Thnx sandston, 4 the heads-up.  Please add an update as your impressions evolve. Your Denafrips stack has gotta be at the top of what one can expect of digital playback and I bet you try several different cables to determine which you prefer, should be an interesting comparison…

[Vhond]

Anyone compared the Gustard X26 Pro versus the SMSL VMV D2?

[Iluzun]

Just an update on how pleased I am as to the performance of the D2 dac, it really is a stellar performer.  With the recent addition of a Gustard U18 DDC and a 1.5 meter Gustard I2S cable the unit really shines on an entirely new level.  Smooth, open, airy and detailed.  I’ve spent several months now running a half dozen different pairs of speakers thru the system to verify such.  An interesting finding is in how the effects really emphasis and are proportional to the type of designs incorporated in each set of speakers.  A speaker with a complex crossover/multi driver such as my Daedalus benefits more than say the Zu DWs.  A pr. of Andrew Jones designed Elac DFR with 3 similar mid drivers displays the real benefits of such a three way design.  A speakers personality becomes easier to differentiate and enjoy.  The U18 may not measure with the best, but it sure sounds great for such a modest investment matched to the D2.  It’s a great match.  Even without the DDC, running a Rotel Tribute CD11’s digital out into the D2, directly feeding a Mystere PA11, driving a pair of ProAc 1SC is a stunning combination.  The leading edge attack and totally open and airy presentation creates a vivid ‘alive’ feeling.  Magic indeed, and it makes one wonder ‘how’?  How can a small, two, way, mini monitor, create such a huge vividly alive presentation.  One, well positioned Rel T9i, and call it good.  That’s without the DDC!  It’s pretty remarkable and I can only state that the SMSL VMV D2 can be the heart of a remarkable delta sigma based system.  If you’re looking at the better known Gustard X26, you might want to consider this also, the D2 is a really, really nice dac on its own.  Adding a DDC thru it’s I2S inputs is nothing but amazing…

[MarcelNL]

check if your output is intended for long length I2S, I2S format usally benefits from short stretches (think 30cm). There are ways to increase max length but the majority of manufacturers implement I2S that works best in short stretches.

[Iluzun]

Thnx 4 the input, but I’ve been down that rabbit hole.  The Gustard cable is very well made and as far as I can tell not available currently in shorter lengths.  Sides’, I like a bit of placement flexibility.  The 1.5 sounds great and I like to live with a config so I know it well.  When I come across a .5, I’ll think of giving it a try, but I’m pretty over the ‘directional fuse’ crowd who r ready to change out a piece of gear before its even settled into their rig.  I’ve 6 dedicated lines on their own sub panel.  U can ‘uck up a digital system by inadvertent line noise, mixing this or that, nine ways to Sunday more than that extra meter of quality cable will induce added phase distortion.  Of course I’ve been wrong b4.  Have you done any direct comparisons yourself?  With what equipment?  

[MarcelNL]

Just read up on what I2S was designed for to start off with, it;s an Inter IC connection originally, never designed for connecting boxes...I was just trying to make you aware of it's limitations rather than saying it's a directional fuse.

I have experimented with I2S since the late 80-ies BUT most recently with a DAC where it is implemented differently and cable length is less important (Metrum), it's perfectly doable to make your own I2S cable with good result so no need for high $$ cables. In previous designs cable length was limited to 20-30cm. 

[Iluzun]

Thnx Marcel, didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.  I’ll keep an eye out for a .5 meter.

[MarcelNL]

no problem!

 

Just build one, it's a bitch to solder HDMi, and the pinout is a bit of a puzzle but doable....get some DIy HDMi connectors, a couple of meters of solid strand Neotech UPOCC. or Jupiter copper in cotton, make some twisted pairs and you'll never have to look back at high $$ cables. Or simply get a Belden Blue jeans 40cm for a few bucks (shipping cost me more than the cable (the DIY sounded better but it was good)

[Jakenz]

On 5/31/2022 at 3:47 AM, Iluzun said:

u emphasis and are proportional to the type of designs incorporated in each set of speakers.  A speaker with a complex crossover/multi driver such as my Daedalus benefits more than say the Zu DWs.  A pr. of Andrew Jones designed Elac DFR with 3 similar mid drivers displays the real benefits of such a three way design.  A speakers personality becomes easier to differentiate and enjoy.  The U18 may not measure with the best, but it sure sounds great for such a modest investment matched to the D2.  It’s a great match.  Even without the DDC, running a Rotel Tribute CD11’s digital out into the D2, directly feeding a Mystere PA11, driving a pair of ProAc 1SC is a stunning combination.  The leading edge attack and totally open and airy presentation creates a vivid ‘alive’ feeling.  Magic indeed, and it makes one wonder ‘how’?  How can a small, two, way, mini monitor, create such a huge vividly alive presentation.  One, well positioned Rel T9i, and call it good.  That’s without the DDC!  It’s pretty remarkable and I can only state that the SMSL VMV D2 can be the heart of a remarkable delta sigma based system.  If you’re looking at the better known Gustard X26, you might want to consider this also, the D2 is a really, really nice dac on its own.  Adding a DDC thru it’s I2S inputs is nothing but amazing…

 

Hi Iluzun, I very recently got a D2 to compare with a Gustard R26 which is en route, and so far my impressions mirror yours - it's terrific sounding. Early days so still probably burning in. I'm using the U18 DDC with it too, which is gave it a nice performance lift. I also got a LHY OCK-1 clock which has taken things to another level again in terms of dynamics, soundstage, resolution etc. Highly recommended. 

[Iluzun]

Thnx 4 the update Jakenz.  I was considering the clock update also, and may purchase the LHY-OCK-1 also.  Which bnc clock cable r u using?  Look forward to your comments regarding the R26, should be fun…!

[Iluzun]

I’ve rolled in another pair of speakers to the mix also.  The Musician Knight 1’s, and they aren’t going anywhere soon.  If you can live with a two way, these r stellar performers.  They’re clean, spacious and airy.  Way open, w/meat on their bones.  They really respond well to an amp with a bit of umphhh!  A 40wpc tube amp is nice, as is the Denafrips 80wpc Hyperion,  but gawd my Yamaha A-S2000 never sounded better.  The things a 55lb beast and I’m running a Denafrips Athena into its ‘amp in’,w/the VMV D2 & U18.   Dynamic as all get out!  Clean, clear, beautiful.  Just make sure Athena has ‘room to breathe’, not on a shared line or conditioner that restricts her in any way.  Damn, Coltrane Blue Trane is just swinging away w/loads of PRAT & timbre/texture out the hinny… (-;

Clean, even handed, neutral power, and these bad boys come to life.  Tone, texture and loads of air, very nicely transparent to the source and amp.  Worth playing around to get it right, took me awhile to trying the Yamaha, but the two go together really quiet well, special even.  A 2200 or 3200 would likely be killer.  The ‘darker’ amps just slow the Knights down a bit, still very nice but these guys r fast and expressive w/a rich tone and respond like throughbreds.  Well sorted vinyl sounds spectacular even through the Yamahas preamp, not just ‘toe tapping’ but ‘leg swinging’, ‘air guitar’ stuff.  A Rotel Tribute CD11 seems to propel the big Yamaha in a way that has the Knight 1’s expressing the musical message in an enthusiastic manner that outperforms my other speakers, you get PRAT w/big fat bass lines, just twist the tone control up a bit, or add that Rel sub for that little extra.  Even naked, sans sub, the Knight 1s impress.  Adding an outboard clock, especially an affordable one, sounds to be a fun step.  That Gustard R2R dac is tempting as the D2 is already a very musical, dynamic, open and airy dac.  The SMSL direct into the Yamaha ‘amp in’ is also very good.  Any trouble getting the new clock hooked up properly into the mix?  It would be new territory 4 me…

[GUTB]

You guys are making large claims about a DAC which uses tiny opamps for the analog circuit. Additionally, the engineering seems to maximize common measurement output which tells me sound quality takes a hit and is marketed towards audiosencereview consumers.

[Iluzun]

GUTB, yes of course, all reasonably priced dacs have their limits.  I lived with several top end Naim CD players, my Yamaha CDS-2000 sacd player, my Modwright Transporter and it’s myriad tube config, and have maintained my own music libraries for close to 2 decades.  I haven’t yet purchased a R2R dac.  Oh, I forgot my Benchmarck Dac3 preamp which was the heart of my system for more than a few years.  Today I am dac curious, but cash limited.  I wanted to explore/experience the AKM 4499 ‘Velvet Sound’ and the SMSL VMV D2 is a feature rich dac that has not disappointed.  AKM and ESS dacs sound different.  So do Burr Brown chip CD players, as does the Rotel Tribute.  The character of the music, like a nicely set up turntable with a mc cart, a step up transformer, and a nice tube/ss pre, flavors the perspective.  For most, audio is a journey, not a destination, enjoy the view, follow your map, but be prepared to change direction.  There is no ‘one size fits all’.  No simple absolutes.  Like finding a new artist, most dacs or systems tend to favor a particular style, yes that opamp output stage may not measure up against more costly implementations, but it still sounds damn nice.  There is a ‘presence’, a bit of seduction, in the vocal range, that can be very relaxing, rich and inviting, yet the presentation is spacious, airy.  The unit itself offers a very modern extensive feature set, 1 bit dsd processing, hdmi input which allows the DDC/clocking inputs, a very nice remote, top level blue tooth implementation,  a very nice preamp implementation with enough voltage gain to really drive amps directly that sounds really good.  Opamps, yes,but they seem a benign trade off in the overall package, the input and processing stages are top notch, the output stage does nothing to ‘uck’ that up, no deviating colorations, like a tube output for instance.  You probably give up that last bit of bloom or tonal richness.  It’s still a very nice dac to live with, responds well to the addition of a DDC, and I’m curious as to the effects of the outboard OXCs.  One box digital?  Those have been expensive, the Gustard DDC can b had for $450, the clock we r talking of, somewhere near that.  Of course one can spend thousands for similar or better, it’s just a hobby and as always there is more than ‘one way 2 skin a cat’, or many ways to ‘uck’ up an audio system, the hobby is full of black holes, goblins, and consumer branding zealots, ready to tell/sell you what is the best, in the end it’s all play, make believe.  Yet any child, or family pet reminds, often the cheapest toys delight the most, offer the most fun and surprise and as someone wise once noted, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’, he should have been an audiophile…

[Jakenz]

23 hours ago, Iluzun said:

Thnx 4 the update Jakenz.  I was considering the clock update also, and may purchase the LHY-OCK-1 also.  Which bnc clock cable r u using?  Look forward to your comments regarding the R26, should be fun…!

 

It seems I'm one of the early adopters of the OCK-1, bit of a discussion over at Headfi, seems it measures (in terms of the key metric of phase noise at 1hz offset) at or better than the level of -110db @ 1hz clocks such as the Gustard C18 or Afterdark Emperor Signature. I use the Gustard C2 cable  based on recommendations and its supposed 50ohm/75ohn impedance balancing capabilities - certainly was a big step up over the generic digital coax cable I was using. It's a bit spendy so a suggested high quality but better priced alternative is the Cybershaft 50 ohm BNC cable - I'll probably get one of those.

 

I can't recommend the OC-1 strongly enough - for USD450 it is significantly elevated the performance of the D2 in terms of transient impact, soundstage, naturalness of notes and decay. Say >50% if quantifying sound characteristics, but subjectively I'd say the effect is its twice as enjoyable. Not claiming it'd sound as good as a DAC twice the price, I'd have no idea. This is true whether connected to the D2 or to the U18 (connected to D2 via I2s), but so far direct to D2 sounds a little more 'analogue.

 

Next step is to connect the clock to both D2 and U18, which is supposedly optimal, with decent/matching cables (I briefly tried doing this with my existing non-matching cables and it sounded noticeably worse - go figure). 

 

9 hours ago, GUTB said:

You guys are making large claims about a DAC which uses tiny opamps for the analog circuit. Additionally, the engineering seems to maximize common measurement output which tells me sound quality takes a hit and is marketed towards audiosencereview consumers.

 

I can only speak for myself, not sure I've made large claims, have just said it sounds terrific - which needless to say is subjective and relative to my experience (which I've not yet outlined). I commented here as Iluzun is one of the very few D2 owners who've provided written reviews in any detail. I was well aware of the op-amps vs discrete point when ordering, and suspect this may account for the limited reviews/demand.  But as we know hifi gear is more than just the sum of its parts and so based on a small number of extremely positive online reviews (incl Sound News) that indicated it was one of if not the best AK4499 implementations folk had heard regardless of price, I thought I'd give it a go. I'm coming back into separates after a time with all in one actives, so I don't have experience with any equivalently priced DACs with discrete output stages.

 

My WIP separates system with Focal Sopras leans revealing so it seemed like AK4499 or R2R-based DAcs would be a better fit than ESS Sabre DACs. Indeed the D2 destroys the E50 Topping I picked up as a bridging measure (far more dynamic, weighty, holographic, organic etc etc) - as it should given the price differential. A more fair and interesting (and I'm sure, tough) comparison will be against the Gustard R2R whenever it arrives. 

 

Re SMSL doing ASR spec-baiting - I rather doubt that's behind their op-amp choice as there's much cheaper ESS9038 Toppings with similar SINAD. Suspect it was building to a price point.

 

8 hours ago, Iluzun said:

GUTB, yes of course, all reasonably priced dacs have their limits.  I lived with several top end Naim CD players, my Yamaha CDS-2000 sacd player, my Modwright Transporter and it’s myriad tube config, and have maintained my own music libraries for close to 2 decades.  I haven’t yet purchased a R2R dac.  Oh, I forgot my Benchmarck Dac3 preamp which was the heart of my system for more than a few years.  Today I am dac curious, but cash limited.  I wanted to explore/experience the AKM 4499 ‘Velvet Sound’ and the SMSL VMV D2 is a feature rich dac that has not disappointed.  AKM and ESS dacs sound different.  So do Burr Brown chip CD players, as does the Rotel Tribute.  The character of the music, like a nicely set up turntable with a mc cart, a step up transformer, and a nice tube/ss pre, flavors the perspective.  For most, audio is a journey, not a destination, enjoy the view, follow your map, but be prepared to change direction.  There is no ‘one size fits all’.  No simple absolutes.  Like finding a new artist, most dacs or systems tend to favor a particular style, yes that opamp output stage may not measure up against more costly implementations, but it still sounds damn nice.  There is a ‘presence’, a bit of seduction, in the vocal range, that can be very relaxing, rich and inviting, yet the presentation is spacious, airy.  The unit itself offers a very modern extensive feature set, 1 bit dsd processing, hdmi input which allows the DDC/clocking inputs, a very nice remote, top level blue tooth implementation,  a very nice preamp implementation with enough voltage gain to really drive amps directly that sounds really good.  Opamps, yes,but they seem a benign trade off in the overall package, the input and processing stages are top notch, the output stage does nothing to ‘uck’ that up, no deviating colorations, like a tube output for instance.  You probably give up that last bit of bloom or tonal richness.  It’s still a very nice dac to live with, responds well to the addition of a DDC, and I’m curious as to the effects of the outboard OXCs.  One box digital?  Those have been expensive, the Gustard DDC can b had for $450, the clock we r talking of, somewhere near that.  Of course one can spend thousands for similar or better, it’s just a hobby and as always there is more than ‘one way 2 skin a cat’, or many ways to ‘uck’ up an audio system, the hobby is full of black holes, goblins, and consumer branding zealots, ready to tell/sell you what is the best, in the end it’s all play, make believe.  Yet any child, or family pet reminds, often the cheapest toys delight the most, offer the most fun and surprise and as someone wise once noted, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’, he should have been an audiophile…

 

@IluzunYou said what was I was trying to get at above far more eloquently drawing on your greater experience. That there's few absolutes in this game. Another line I'm increasingly finding holds true, is 'everything matters' - incl power and every step of the digital chain. 

[Iluzun]

Late to the party but, just dropped an OCK-2 w/matching 50ohm cables into the Gustard DDC/SMSL VMV D2 setup…

So far, so good, as all of the associated qualities of doing such r showing themselves.  A bit cleaner, a bit more relaxed, better defined highs and lows, a bit more depth and fleshed out soundstage.  Gonna make it hard to justify upgrading the dac.  I’m running the Musician Knight 1s w/a pr. of Rel T9i’s, fed thru a Denafrips Athena’s XLR4 outputs driving a Yamaha A-S2000 amp and it’s a super clean combo.  No complaints.  Would like to hear the new Gustard A26 implementation but that must wait.  Initial thoughts were a 5% improvement but after a couple hours I’d say closer to 10%.  The OCK-2 is just settling in nicely.  Cables seem a very good match and everything came together on the first try.  The ability to crank the volume seems endless, absolutely no grit or grain.  It’s a different type of ‘upgrade’ as it doesn’t change the tonal character of the setup,I’m tempted to call its overall gestalt, more PRAT, it’s cleaner, a darker background, and has a boogie factor.  Let’s see how things shape up over the next few weeks, as of now it seems to just bring out a bit more of the existing dacs character, so if that’s good to begin with, you gets mo’ better… (-;  Acoustic instruments sound really good, everything has a bit more definition, a touch more richness, a bit more snap.

[Iluzun]

Wow, just wow! (-;