I did not like a DAC. Can I generalize . . . ?

Digital Drive

Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

Posted by dave789 (A) on November 8, 2014 at 18:28:10

I am returning Peachtree Dacitx.

Its high frequency sounds harsh to me. I made careful comparison multiple times with the Audioengine D1 which I have been using for about two years. Of course, I also took account of the difference in the output levels: that Peachtree is about 0.3 dB quieter than my Audioengine.

With Dacitx, I often I felt like shutting down the music due to high frequency. This was consistent from various ways of comparison. A/B and B/A with very short time in between, with long time in between, A/B/A and B/A/B, . . . .

The dac was connected to Mac mini with optical cable.

The listening test result is opposite to my expectation. My strong prejudice was the following. A computer is not a low jitter source. Hence, a dac with better jitter rejection (e.g. one with new technology such as Sabre HyperstreamTM architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator) should sound smoother and more fatigue free in my system.

Anyway, my conclusion is that Dacitx is not of my taste. Of course, assuming that I did not have a defective one.

Now this is the question.
Can I generalize this experience as follows?
A dac with Sabre D/A chip will not be of my taste.

I am asking this to save time in my future auditions. For this Dacitx, I spent very much time, especially because I was trying to get a listening test result that is consistent with the prejudice described above.

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Topic - I did not like a DAC. Can I generalize . . . ? - dave789 18:28:10 11/08/14 (17)

nope: the D to A conversion process is just one part - Sordidman 12:07:11 11/10/14 (0)

I decided to gor for a Schiit Bifrost over the Peachtree - G Squared 19:25:27 11/09/14 (4)

RE: I decided to gor for a Schiit Bifrost over the Peachtree - Todd Krieger 22:53:54 11/09/14 (3)

RE: I decided to gor for a Schiit Bifrost over the Peachtree - beppe61 05:14:52 11/15/14 (0)

I could have lived with the Scott Nixon DAC - G Squared 18:22:58 11/11/14 (0)

AKM chips? -t - jusbe 21:30:58 11/10/14 (0)

I Guess - Awe-d-o-file 08:30:35 11/09/14 (0)

RE: I did not like a DAC. Can I generalize . . . ? - Todd Krieger 20:21:38 11/08/14 (4)

RE: I did not like a DAC. Can I generalize . . . ? - dave789 20:50:46 11/08/14 (3)

Good news and bad news. - knewton 06:41:23 11/09/14 (1)

Agreed. Mature, older technologies. - jusbe 16:37:03 11/09/14 (0)

RE: I did not like a DAC. Can I generalize . . . ? - Todd Krieger 21:21:56 11/08/14 (0)

RE: I did not like a DAC. Can I generalize . . . ? - pictureguy 19:22:11 11/08/14 (4)

Note on DacMagic - LWR 06:36:42 11/09/14 (3)

RE: Note on DacMagic - flood2 16:35:23 11/15/14 (0)

RE: Note on DacMagic - pictureguy 09:23:11 11/09/14 (1)

I had the original - LWR 09:46:55 11/09/14 (0)

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