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Digital Drive Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. |
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Digital Drive Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. |
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In Reply to: RE: IF you want a DAC to play normal "redbook" cds then you shouldn't buy the latest and greatest... posted by flood2 on April 15, 2014 at 20:05:19:
I have owned TWO different DACs that use the Anagram Technolgies digital filters: An Audio Aero Prima DAC (this is the DAC section from their Capitole 24/192 cd player) and a OEM supplied version + high precision clock.
I have compared the Audio Aero Prima DAC (which uses the Analog Devices AD1853 sigma/delta 24/192 DAC) to my Monarchy Audio M24 (BB PCM63K) and my Kinergetics KCD55 Ultra (Analog Devices D20400). The Audio Aero has a very robust and well regulated power supply and uses subminiature tubes as the output stage. The same DAC is in the Capitole 24/192, which was highly regarded. The resolution of the AA was quite good and tone was also pretty nice. It got weird though when it came to imaging and soundstageing (air but diffuse) and I strongly preferred the Ladder DAC implementation, which despite one being tube and the other discrete transistor, sound more similar than different. I kept the AA about 3 months and then had enough of it and got a good deal trading it away.
The other OEM filter/DAC/clock has a similar character to the AA in terms of resolution and smoothness even though it is using a different DAC chipset (AD1855 I think). It lacks the dynamics of the AA, which are good but still not to the ladder DAC standard. This lack of dynamic contrast leads it to sound refined but somewhat boring. Bland very bland.
The more recent OEM setup is the exact same digital filter that is now used in the Audio Aero La Source as is the clock. I think they use a different DAC but maybe that is the same too. THe only difference is the power supply (important) and the output stage (also important). The AA La Source sounded quite good when I heard it at shows but the first listen with the AA Prima DAC is also pretty impressive. THe cracks show with time...
Needless to say the older DACs sound MORE like my very good vinyl setup than the Audio Aero implementation.
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Follow Ups
- RE: IF you want a DAC to play normal "redbook" cds then you shouldn't buy the latest and greatest... - morricab 05:55:31 04/16/14 (2)
- RE: IF you want a DAC to play normal "redbook" cds then you shouldn't buy the latest and greatest... - flood2 15:32:44 04/16/14 (1)
- RE: IF you want a DAC to play normal "redbook" cds then you shouldn't buy the latest and greatest... - morricab 17:10:00 04/16/14 (0)
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