DAC to the Future

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Fretless
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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Fretless »

slinger wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2023 1:41 pm Do you get the feeling that there's any degree of synergy from using components from the same manufacturer, Sabaj?
Certainly the unique styling of these units indicates that they are intended to be used together and my guess is that the amp circuits have been designed with the sound of their own DACs in mind.

Don't know if 'synergy' plays a big role but the combination (certainly in this price range) is exceptional.

I know of someone else who is using a Sabaj DAC/amp combi and he is also very satisfied with the results.

:grin:
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slinger (Wed Apr 05, 2023 7:22 pm)

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro, Monolith & AQ

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Lindsayt
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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Lindsayt »

Are the lids easy to take off, so we can see what's inside?

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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Fretless »

A20d

Image

A20a

Image

A10a

Image
These users thanked the author Fretless for the post (total 4):
slinger (Wed Apr 05, 2023 10:10 pm) • CycleCoach (Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:15 am) • George Hincapie (Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:25 am) • Lindsayt (Sun Apr 09, 2023 11:22 am)

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro, Monolith & AQ

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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Fretless »

My father spent most of his working life with a large construction company as a sort of management troubleshooter, sent in to get regions running profitably. This meant that we would, every 3 or 4 years have to move to another part of the country and set up home in a new, strange place.

One of these assignments was to then-colony Hong Kong. Which found me one time around 1980, still a teenager, on a train for a day-trip over the border into Communist China. This trip was to the village of Shenzhen, then a collection of wooden shacks around a picturesque lake in green, wooded hills. There were no cars but every hut had a TV antenna pointed towards the Western enclave of Hong Kong.

Shenzhen today is a huge industrial city with a population of millions and home to a vast number of electronics firms. 'Chi-Fi' has long been a derogatory term amongst audiophiles but the times they are a-changing and things there are developing at breakneck speed.

Not only do many established UK brands get their equipment assembled there but there is a home-grown assortment of hifi manufacturers emerging in China.
Fans of digital audio gear will be familiar with names like Topping and SMSL, just one look on AliExpress will baffle you with a plethora of brands and devices.

Separating the wheat from the chaff then becomes a confusing and frustrating experience, although (luckily) it probably won't cost you much money. Occasionally, though, you strike Gold and that is the case with Sabaj - who's products I have been raving about lately. Made with quality components, designed for maximum sonic purity and extremely affordable.

So, this evening I have been enjoying their A10d 2022 DAC driving my (equally Chinese) Monoprice M1060C planar headphones, source - an Allo DigiOne streamer (made in India!). Oh, and the UK-designed Ifi SPDIF reclocker was in there as well. This combo just redefined, for me, the level of reproduction that a 'budget' unit is capable of. Amazing!

:music-listening:



I have been playing more with PCM filters but I'll bore you all with that next time.

Happy Easter! :animals-bunny:
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George Hincapie (Fri Apr 07, 2023 11:51 pm) • caterham (Sat Apr 08, 2023 12:24 am) • antonio66 (Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:13 am) • Lindsayt (Sun Apr 09, 2023 11:24 am)

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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Fretless »

PCM filters again:

Image

The higher resolution that the A20d DAC provides over little brother A10d makes the effect of changing these filter settings more pronounced and tactile.

Seen on the graph above, the three groups of fast, intermediate and slow roll-off at high frequencies. Slow (higher freq. roll-off) settings give me an ultra-wide soundstage and brighter, lively dynamics but details are spread and somewhat smeared, imaging slightly loses focus.
Fast (lower freq. roll-off) tightens the soundfield to between the speakers creating a dense, intimacy that reminds me of the character of the (NOS) Metrum Musette.
The two intermediates look almost the same but where '1 Fast Linear' projects the instruments forward into the room, setting '3 Fast Min' opens up behind the speakers to create a spacious ambience.

This is, of course, very much dependent upon equipment, positioning, taste, etc. But shows how versatile the DAC is in being able to tailor it's presentation. The quality of the reproduction is simply breathtaking, the highest praise I can give is that it has me just listening to the music rather than the equipment.

Hey-ho, let's go! :character-beavisbutthead:
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CN211276 (Sun Apr 09, 2023 8:32 am) • Lindsayt (Sun Apr 09, 2023 11:25 am)

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro, Monolith & AQ

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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by CN211276 »

Multiple filter settings are very much the in thing on DACs these days. In comparison my Qutest is now something of an antique with only four. They are subtle but do have a noticeable effect. For me the roll off above the range of human hearing sounds best. Specifications are not provided so I do not know what the curve is. I have come to the opinion that any sudden cut off, no matter how high the frequency, has a detrimental impact on sound quality. I can't explain why. Not everyone agrees. There was a recent thread on the Chord Facebook page about the Qutest filters and the majority seemed to favour the white setting with no roll off. To me this introduces a bit of harshness and wonder if it compensates for deficiencies in systems which are less neutral.

The Mojo 2 in the second system fits in with the modern trend of multiple filters, but they are not ultrasonic. After much experimentation I found it sounds best with everything flat.
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Lindsayt (Sun Apr 09, 2023 11:25 am) • Fretless (Sun Apr 09, 2023 11:37 am)
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

RIP Doc

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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Fretless »

Image

The fanless ex-hospital PC returns to the Upstairs set up and what a difference! Silence is now silence, no mechanical whispering in the background.

In the pic, PC is sat next to the shelving unit, underneath the speaker.

Now experimenting with a different I/c link between DAC and monoblocks.
More soon.

:greetings-cya:
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George Hincapie (Mon Apr 10, 2023 1:19 pm)

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro, Monolith & AQ

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Fretless
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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Fretless »

Get thee behind me Satan! :angelic-red:

Yesterday afternoon, Easter Sunday, settled down in front of the TV with an episode of 'Midsomer Murders' and a bowl of crisps to munch on, an insistent voice starts murmuring in my ear - the 'What If .... ' monster is back on my shoulder.

"... You know that amp and DAC upstairs, What If they could sound better?"

"They sound great, now go away and leave me alone." I reply, mentally.

"Yes ... but they could sound better."

"No they couldn't, get lost!"

"What If you changed the interconnect?"

"To what? That XLR lead is sounding just fine."

"That's as maybe - but What If you already have something better."

"Oh yeah?"

"One name - DH Labs ....." :happy-jumpgreen:


Oh shit - he's right! There is a better interconnect in the house and it is in use in the downstairs rig, DH Labs Air Matrix. Up to now the clearest, most 'organic' link I have heard. Two sets; running DAC -> preamp and pre -> power amps.

Okay, let's test this out, just for the sake of experimentation. So I took out the set from the Denafrips DAC and installed them on the Sabaj rig, these Air Matrix have RCA plugs so I could put them in parallel to the Mogami XLR and switch over via the microswitches on the back of the monoblocks. Not much switching was needed as, basically, one listen was enough to convince me.

The Air Matrix is an incredible cable, ultra-low capacitance, reasonably priced (in comparison to high-end esoterica) and a sonic ability to die for. Most notably the richly-detailed realistic effortlessness it imparts to the music.

Problem is that the RCA sockets on the power amps are already designated for the phono connection, with XLR connecting the DAC.

"What If there is an XLR version?".

'Oh **** off, you're going to cost me money!"

5 minutes later I have pulled up the Estonian webshop that I have used before: DH Labs Air Matrix 50cm XLR. In stock!

Ordered.

That should shut Mr. What If up for a while ....


" ...... What If there's a next time?"


Aaarrrgggghhh! :angry-screaming:
These users thanked the author Fretless for the post (total 3):
slinger (Mon Apr 10, 2023 4:14 pm) • Latteman (Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:47 pm) • antonio66 (Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:45 am)

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
Downstairs:
Vinyl
Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
Headphones: German Maestro, Monolith & AQ

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Latteman
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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by Latteman »

Nutter 😂
“I heard hifi ghosts “
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Fretless (Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:58 pm) • slinger (Mon Apr 10, 2023 7:57 pm)
Analogue Source -
Denon DP47f- Ortofon mc20 supreme
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- IfI stream, Ifi Neo idsd Dac; Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 30vdc mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources

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George Hincapie
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Re: DAC to the Future

Unread post by George Hincapie »

Fretless wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 2:27 pm Get thee behind me Satan! :angelic-red:

Yesterday afternoon, Easter Sunday, settled down in front of the TV with an episode of 'Midsomer Murders' and a bowl of crisps to munch on, an insistent voice starts murmuring in my ear - the 'What If .... ' monster is back on my shoulder.

"... You know that amp and DAC upstairs, What If they could sound better?"

"They sound great, now go away and leave me alone." I reply, mentally.

"Yes ... but they could sound better."

"No they couldn't, get lost!"

"What If you changed the interconnect?"

"To what? That XLR lead is sounding just fine."

"That's as maybe - but What If you already have something better."

"Oh yeah?"

"One name - DH Labs ....." :happy-jumpgreen:


Oh shit - he's right! There is a better interconnect in the house and it is in use in the downstairs rig, DH Labs Air Matrix. Up to now the clearest, most 'organic' link I have heard. Two sets; running DAC -> preamp and pre -> power amps.

Okay, let's test this out, just for the sake of experimentation. So I took out the set from the Denafrips DAC and installed them on the Sabaj rig, these Air Matrix have RCA plugs so I could put them in parallel to the Mogami XLR and switch over via the microswitches on the back of the monoblocks. Not much switching was needed as, basically, one listen was enough to convince me.

The Air Matrix is an incredible cable, ultra-low capacitance, reasonably priced (in comparison to high-end esoterica) and a sonic ability to die for. Most notably the richly-detailed realistic effortlessness it imparts to the music.

Problem is that the RCA sockets on the power amps are already designated for the phono connection, with XLR connecting the DAC.

"What If there is an XLR version?".

'Oh **** off, you're going to cost me money!"

5 minutes later I have pulled up the Estonian webshop that I have used before: DH Labs Air Matrix 50cm XLR. In stock!

Ordered.

That should shut Mr. What If up for a while ....


" ...... What If there's a next time?"


Aaarrrgggghhh! :angry-screaming:
Is the pricing the same as US direct?
Headphone Amplification
Linear Tube Audio MZ3

Headphones
HifiMan Sundara • HiFiMan Arya Stealth Edition • ZMF Vérité Closed Ltd (Stabilised) • ZMF Atrium Open Ltd (Hawaiian Koa) • ZMF Aeolus Ltd (Mexican Bocote)

Digital
Audial S5 • Pi2AES 2.0

Cables
Forza Audio Works • Blue Jeans • DH Labs • Periapt

Power
Farad • Tomanek

Sources
Roon • Tidal • Qobuz

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