Model: Vega Category: DAC Processors Suggested Retail Price: $3595 Description: DAC Manufacturer URL: Auralic
Review by bullethead on May 30, 2016 at 09:37:37
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for the VegaAuralic Vega Digital Processor Review
Many months ago I had the opportunity to purchase an Auralic Vega DAC. Since that point I have added the Auralic Aries streamer on top of it. However this review will focus on the DAC, I have to say the Aries was important in my evaluation of the system as it is the best source I have. Most listening was done through the Aries as PCM as well as a laptop loaded with Daphile Linux operating system for playback of PCM files upsampled to DSD 128 via USB and the Linux system software.
The sound of the Auralic Vega is extremely liquid, especially when playing high resolution PCM files. Velvety texture to the presence, very three dimensional and a word I like to use a lot, holographic.
The surprise to me when playing back CD quality at 16bit 44.1 is the presence is not fatiguing at all, this is when hooked up to a CD player or playback from the Aries or a Modded Sonos Connect or a Laptop. I can easily listen all day and not get tired of the sound. What this DAC does is extremely good to all kinds of music. I am using the balanced outputs into a Bel Canto Pre3 preamplifier then into a Merrill Audio Taranis Hypex NCore amplifier into Anthony Gallo Nucleus Reference 3.5 loudspeakers (which are also powered by a 2nd Gallo Amplifier for the 2nd voice coil of the woofers as the system can get down to about 22hz).
As I said velvety liquid presence to the sound. I set the clock setting to exact a lot and find the best sound from that clock setting. Auto clock setting is also very nice for laptop playback. The built in sound filters make it work very well and you get to tune the settings to pleasant sounding playback using them. I stick to the basic filters as I tend to like neutral sound however you can set the filters to really sound out of this world and help enhance the sound of the digital sources.
I tend to prefer high resolution PCM sound to DSD but it is nice to know you can playback DSD files should you have any or wish to upsample PCM to DSD. DXD playback also is another way to gather extreme high resolution playback as this DAC supports DXD as well.
As there are many professional reviews of this unit I will not get into the details of the hardware other than to say this is a brilliant piece of engineering and is one of the best sounding DACs in the world today. I am fortunate to have this DAC in my system.
Product Weakness: None for the price Product Strengths: Sound quality Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Merrill Audio Taranis Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Bel Canto Pre3 Sources (CDP/Turntable): Auralic Aries Speakers: Gallo Ref 3.5 Cables/Interconnects: Various Music Used (Genre/Selections): Various Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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Topic - REVIEW: Auralic Vega DAC Processors - bullethead 09:37:37 05/30/16 (5)
- My review of the Vega - TGT 12:25:42 05/30/16 (4)
- this DAC with CD - bullethead 09:34:36 06/02/16 (0)
- So, records versus VG red book, what is your verdict? - jedrider 09:14:07 05/31/16 (2)
- I listen to CD most of the time for ease of use. The better sound is from my LPs... - Smelly_Socks 21:44:52 05/31/16 (0)
- RE: So, records versus VG red book, what is your verdict? - milpai 11:34:41 05/31/16 (0)