tsv_1
Well-known member
Heck... at that price for new, I'd consider buying them just to try them out knowing that resale should be fairly painless (in the event they don't give goosebumps).
New DAC what should I get??
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Heck... at that price for new, I'd consider buying them just to try them out knowing that resale should be fairly painless (in the event they don't give goosebumps).
churchill
Well-known member
I received my DAC2 on Monday and haven't had much time yet to listen, hopefully tonight!
It's a very well built unit (like a tank).
It's a very well built unit (like a tank).
repman
Well-known member
Nice let me know what you think after you spend some time with it
tsv_1
Well-known member
Yes... one of those behemoth town snowplow trucks blew-out a tire last night by my house. He needed a jack-stand for the front-axle, I loaned him my DAC2.
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Bernard
Well-known member
Todd, your hearing is shot. When the guy said jack you heard DAC!Yes... one of those behemoth town snowplow trucks blew-out a tire last night by my house. He needed a jack-stand for the front-axle, I loaned him my DAC2.
tsv_1
Well-known member
guess what I thought I heard when he actually said "truck is stuck".... my eyebrows are still de-arching from that.
Ahhh - that's why he thinks those CLXs sound so good. Time to sell them to a member here at a huge discount I mean they are used.
Bernard
Well-known member
If I were in the market for a DAC I would probably pass on the DAC2 from WFS. Why? Because the damn power switch is in the back. I used to have a CAL Delta transport and Sigma DAC (both of which had power switches in the back), and swore I would never again buy a component that had a power switch at the back. It was a royal PITA to have to reach around the components to power them on and off; I think I got a few scratches in the process.
tsv_1
Well-known member
Hi Bernard,
The damned power switch is indeed on the back of the DAC2, however switching it on simply places it in standby mode (the unit does not remain fully powered up). You would then use the angelic front power button to wake things up.
It's true you would want to switch the unit off via the damned switch when you're off to Aruba (or wherever), but many components are similar to this... and in my case, I unplug everything from the wall during long LOAs anyway.
Waiting to hear from Churchill on his impressions as well.
Cheers, Todd
churchill
Well-known member
Well, I finally got some time in with the DAC2 and like the sound that I'm hearing! I've used it with my squeezebox and CDP so far and have maybe 25 hours on it. Still lots of burn in time needed but sounds great right out of the box! Seems a tad more mellow than the PS Audio DL III but in a good way. I'm liking how the vocals sound, especially female!
I'll report more as I get more time on it..
tsv_1
Well-known member
Have you noticed any change in the bass? The one thing I noticed immediately with the DAC2 (when compared to the analog out of my Olive) is that the base became markedly tighter and better defined.
churchill
Well-known member
I did, but maybe not as much as other areas. I thought my DL III handled bass pretty well.
I am also in the market for a new DAC and decided to jump on the OPs wagon. I currently run Summits via a Sonos source, TADAC tube DAC and also have on hand a Parasound Halo C2 whose DACs I sometimes use to test, compare etc. While I like both, the TADAC is superior - more lush, clear, musical but VERY clearly gives up several Bass points to the Halo C2.
I have now added an MBL 7008 Integrated, which will drive a second set of MBL 11e speakers. Need a new DAC for that. Source will remain Sonos running FLACs although I intend to upgrade to a Cullen-Mod Sonos.
I don't the DAC to have volume or remote control, server ability, HT by pass etc. I want to spend the money on the best sounding DAC IDEALLY with 3 Coax/optical inputs for my Sonos, cable and DVD player. Have shortlisted the following:
1. PSA DL III, modified by Cullen ($1.1k). Leaning towards this. Would love impressions on what (aside from features) I will sacrifice in this class of DACs?
2. W4S DAC 1 or 2. ($1k or $1.5k). Besides the added features, does the DAC2 improve the sound or is the sound on these two essentially the same?
3. PSA PW ($2k): If I dont care about the server abillity, what will this add in terms of sound that I wont get with the PSA DL III?
4. Weiss/Berkeley ($5k): Suppose I say screw it and spend the $5k on these, what besides added features will they contribute - JUST to the sound?
I value transparency, with just a touch of warmness/musicality (but just a touch).
as always, would love others impressions especially if you tried these different DACs.
thanks
adanny
Bernard
Well-known member
In the review of the WFS DAC in the latest TAS, Steven Stone makes the following comment:
"And then there is this: No matter how expensive and beautifully made a five-year-old DAC may be, its performance will be challenged by many far-less expensive current-production DACs. Sorry, but that’s the way technology works. For me, it makes more sense to spend big money on components that will not be eclipsed in six months or a year, such as a power amplifier or speakers, rather than a DAC."
"And then there is this: No matter how expensive and beautifully made a five-year-old DAC may be, its performance will be challenged by many far-less expensive current-production DACs. Sorry, but that’s the way technology works. For me, it makes more sense to spend big money on components that will not be eclipsed in six months or a year, such as a power amplifier or speakers, rather than a DAC."
excellent point. exactly how I have viewed components. Speakers and amps have 5-10 year life cycles. DACs - 2-3 years at most. HT processors - 3-4 years.
tsv_1
Well-known member
Yup... that's why I "settled" for the W4S DAC2. It has the latest D/A conversion, well engineered analog discreet output and all the features most anyone could want (excepting special HDMI buses, etc)... and it sounds incredible - irrespective of price (though I'm certainly jazzed it's only $1500).
Plus, I think it's one handsome little devil too. Oh, and on the question about DAC1 vs DAC2... while they both employ the same D/A, the DAC2 includes other higher quality build components (more and better caps at least).
Attachments
I called W4S and got a very helpful call back from a tech expert. Gist was:
a) DAC1 can be upgraded for $50 to have exactly the same parts, caps etc as a DAC2. So sonically they would become the same except for USB where the DAC2 is asynchronous 24/192 versus 24/96 for the DAC1 and, to quote, "DAC2 sounds appreciably better via USB than DAC1 but the same in the other inputs if you upgrade the caps". I don't use a USB today (although I might for high-res songs) so this isn't fully relevant but interesting nevertheless
b) DAC2 has a balanced and an I2S input which DAC1 doesn't. Of course, there is the remote and the HT pass thru etc
But the biggest disapointment was that even the DAC2 remote doesnt have a discrete code to select the input (i.e. Coax 1/2, Tos 1/2, I2S etc). You need to circle through the inputs. Does that mean that you cannot use a Universal remote with this DAC? Thats pretty limiting isn't it?
Have any of you tried to make it work with a Universal remote?
What the W4S expert said was that the DAC will cycle and pick the active input but if there are 2 active inputs, you will have to manually select one. If my Sonos system is always active (which I think it is but am not sure), then using the Universal remote will be a PITA with this DAC
a) DAC1 can be upgraded for $50 to have exactly the same parts, caps etc as a DAC2. So sonically they would become the same except for USB where the DAC2 is asynchronous 24/192 versus 24/96 for the DAC1 and, to quote, "DAC2 sounds appreciably better via USB than DAC1 but the same in the other inputs if you upgrade the caps". I don't use a USB today (although I might for high-res songs) so this isn't fully relevant but interesting nevertheless
b) DAC2 has a balanced and an I2S input which DAC1 doesn't. Of course, there is the remote and the HT pass thru etc
But the biggest disapointment was that even the DAC2 remote doesnt have a discrete code to select the input (i.e. Coax 1/2, Tos 1/2, I2S etc). You need to circle through the inputs. Does that mean that you cannot use a Universal remote with this DAC? Thats pretty limiting isn't it?
Have any of you tried to make it work with a Universal remote?
What the W4S expert said was that the DAC will cycle and pick the active input but if there are 2 active inputs, you will have to manually select one. If my Sonos system is always active (which I think it is but am not sure), then using the Universal remote will be a PITA with this DAC
tsv_1
Well-known member
Sorry, no... I'm not using it as a pre-amp and actually have never even touched it's remote. Good luck with your decision.
I've also decided to get the W4S Dac2. Will be here late in Feb.
Decision of Dac2 versus Dac1 essentially came down to additional functionality of having a balanced input, also an I2S in, and a remote. Having asynchronous 24/192 USB input, volume control and HT pass thru also provides some future proofing.
Since all my listening is from a Sonos platform, I have also ordered two W4S modded Sonos boxes - one with an I2S output which is a new innovation they have done (not yet on their web site), and the second one with a 96k reclocker which is their standard Sonos mod. The logic of the I2S is that it takes the signal directly from the DAC board and transmits it to the DAC - bypassing the SPDIF path altogether which apparently is what causes jitter, noise and a longer signal path.
I will be testing both, including comparisons against the unmodded Sonos box, and sending back one. Will be fun to test this DAC and these different Sonos mod boxes in my Summit <- Bel-Canto amp and MBL<-MBL integrated amp systems
Decision of Dac2 versus Dac1 essentially came down to additional functionality of having a balanced input, also an I2S in, and a remote. Having asynchronous 24/192 USB input, volume control and HT pass thru also provides some future proofing.
Since all my listening is from a Sonos platform, I have also ordered two W4S modded Sonos boxes - one with an I2S output which is a new innovation they have done (not yet on their web site), and the second one with a 96k reclocker which is their standard Sonos mod. The logic of the I2S is that it takes the signal directly from the DAC board and transmits it to the DAC - bypassing the SPDIF path altogether which apparently is what causes jitter, noise and a longer signal path.
I will be testing both, including comparisons against the unmodded Sonos box, and sending back one. Will be fun to test this DAC and these different Sonos mod boxes in my Summit <- Bel-Canto amp and MBL<-MBL integrated amp systems
sleepysurf
Well-known member
It's a shame the W4S DAC2 doesn't have a headphone output, as that's the only thing keeping me from getting one.
