Hi,
I am sitting in my listening room, listening to some new music, watching a heavy snow turn the muted winter landscape white on the other side of the picture window . I've been meaning to write about the DAC I've been listening to for the last week or so, and now is a good time, as doing so is far more inviting than my impending date with the snow shovel.
--The Technical Details--
The Prism Sound Orpheus is a solid state, high-end, pro-audio digital to analog / analog to digital converter, with eight channels of analog inputs and eight channels of analog outputs. The analog inputs and outputs can operate with both balanced and unbalanced connections, and are switchable between -10 dBV and +4 dBu. The Orpheus connects to a PC via fire-wire, but also includes digital inputs and outputs on RCA (s/pdif or AES mode), and toslink. All inputs and outputs can operate at sampling rates from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz, with word lengths up to 24 bit.
The Orpheus includes two headphone outputs, each with separate analog volume controls. It sports a front panel attenuator that can be mapped to any or none of the analog outputs, but unlike the headphone level controls, this attenuator is digital. The Orpheus also includes a hardware sampling rate converter that is normally bypassed but can be configured to any of the usual sampling rates, but the SRC only works on the RCA or toslink digital inputs and outputs. For example, you cannot take a 44.1 kHz signal from the computer via fire-wire, run it through the SRC, and send the results to a pair of the analog outputs, although you could if you used the RCA or toslink digital input.
A few more technical aspects of the Orpheus before getting into its sound... I have not confirmed this with Prism, but I believe the Orpheus uses a fire-wire driver that can act in asynchronous mode. When listening via a PC, there are settings to slave the PC to the Orpheus clock, or one can slave the Orpheus to the computer clock. I find that slaving the PC to the Orpheus clock sounds better. The Orpheus can also be slaved to a transport via s/pdif, or slaved to an external clock. External devices can also be slaved to the Orpheus using a word clock, base clock, or 256x clock.
The Orpheus ASIO driver is not single client driver like the Lynx. More than one software package can access the ASIO driver at a given time.
The Orpheus can be used as a stand alone DAC. Settings are configured via the Orpheus control software, but are written to internal device memory when the front panel button is pressed to send the unit into stand-by mode. If the unit is powered up while not connected to the computer, its settings are loaded from internal memory. In this manner the Orpheus can be used as a DAC for a CD or DVD player transport. The Orpheus is also bit perfect as long as its internal hardware mixers and its digital volume control are not in the signal path. I have no idea of the bit depth at which the digital volume control operates when it is in the signal path. I have a note into Prism in hopes to learn more.
There are eight LED level indicators on the front panel of the Orpheus that can be turned off, configured to monitor the analog input channels, or configured to monitor the analog output channels. The LED's change color from blue, green and orange as signal level increases. A red LED is lit if the signal reaches -0.05dBFS, to show a near clip situation. It is kind of interesting to monitor the output channels with the level meters because they give instant feedback on the compression level of a recording. Good classical and jazz recordings will hang around the blue / green range, hitting orange and red on rare peaks. But play something like Dream Theater and watch the meters stay red through the entire recording, if you can bear to listen that long.
There is no turn-on or turn-off thumps or snaps coming through the Orpheus when it, or the computer its connected to, are powered on and off. Hence it would be an excellent DAC to use for a digital crossover because it won't send an accidental spike to your tweeters. There are a number of other features related to recording and monitoring, of which the Prism Sound web site will explain well.
--The Sound--
Anyone who is familiar with my past posts may be aware that, while I appreciate solid engineering and good specifications, I care more about my ability to connect and respond to the sound coming out of my system. Hence, in my otherwise all solid state system, I tend to go for DACs that are more musical than accurate. While I've listened to a lot of DACs over the years, both inexpensive and expensive, my three favorite DACs have been the inexpensive E-Mu 0404 USB, the medium priced MHDT Labs Havana, and the expensive (in my opinion) Wavelength Cosecant V3. Having spent a lot of time with prosumer DACs from M-Audio, Lynx and Benchmark, it was with some trepidation that I approached the idea of getting an Orpheus for trial, as the Orpheus is considered a "transparent" DAC suitable for mastering duties. I don't think the Lynx and the Benchmark as bad products, but I find the sound quality of the Lynx to be heavily dependant upon the quality of the PC it is housed in, and the Benchmark doesn't suit my system nor my tastes. Jerry S did a recent review of the Orpheus on 10Audio.com, and mentioned that the out-of-the-box sound was thin, taking about three hundred hours to break in. Although I think he was mainly reviewing the DAC on its merits as an analog to digital converter and phono preamp for his turntable set-up, I did not feel that three hundred hours was necessary. Given that the Orpheus measures exceptionally well, I wasn't really expecting much from it in terms musical enjoyment, especially coming from the slightly colored but beautifully listenable 24 bit Wavelength. I did think the front panel lights looked pretty cool, so I knew it wouldn't be a total waste of my time.
I was surprised when I first put the Orpheus in my system. I expected low bass response from a solid state DAC, and low bass response is what I got, so that is not what surprised me. I was expecting high frequency extension from the DAC, and high frequency extension was what I got, so that didn't surprise me. I was expecting a thin midrange and some hardness in the upper midrange and lower treble, but that isn't what I got. What I got was smooth upper frequencies and a full midrange along with bass performance I've never heard the likes of. To put this into perspective, the midrange is not quite as full as the Wavelength or the MHDT Havana, but the midrange does not sound tonally thin like many other solid state DACs I've used. The high frequencies are smoother and more listenable than any DAC I've had in the system. Solid state DACs like the Benchmark have good low bass control. The Orpheus takes that low bass control and adds impact, transient definition, and mid-bass fullness.
One of the aspects I really like about the Wavelength and the Havana is that the tube output stage tends to portray a nice bit of sound-stage dimensionality. The Orpheus, in comparison, will throw a dimensionally deeper sound-stage on naturally recorded acoustic music, like live jazz and orchestral works, but sometimes it gives a slightly flatter sound-stage on studio recordings. I suppose that the Orpheus is more transparent to the recording in this regard, and that the tube output stages of the other DACs give the studio recordings a little additive help. But this brings up a conundrum in my thoughts regarding the Orpheus: the DAC seems very transparent - in that I can hear deeper into the sound-stage with more separation than all other DACs I've tried - yet I can't really consider the Orpheus as "transparent", because the the upper mids and high frequencies sound too good across too wide a wide range of recordings. Most solid state DACs I've tried will sound quite good on very good recordings, and sound like purgatory on less well recorded music. The Orpheus tends to sound sweet on a wide range of recordings. I don't mean to say that the Orpheus will make all recordings sound good, as there are a good number of abysmal recordings in my collection, but I just don't hear the upper frequency glare that I am used to hearing with solid state DACs. This aspect of the Orpheus is probably not beneficial to a mastering studio, but it works very well in my system.
--Direct to Amp via Digital Attenuation vs Preamp--
I generally like to use a preamp in between my source and amplifiers. Well, let me rephrase that statement. I like to use the H2O Audio Fire between my source and amplifiers. The other preamplifiers I've tried don't have the linearity and transparency of the Fire, so I would otherwise try to skip the preamplifier stage if I were able. My amplifiers have a low-ish input impedance, so the preamp is needed with certain source components, specifically those with a tube output stage. I ran the Orpheus directly into the amps via an unbalanced connection at the -10 dBV setting, and compared this to running the Orpheus into the Fire with the digital volume control bypassed. I ran the Orpheus at the -10 dBV setting so that I would not have to use as much digital attenuation while running directly into the amps. There may be slight differences in the sound between the two but they are very difficult to pick out. Running the Orpheus direct may give up a little dynamics compared to the Fire, and the Fire may add a smidgen of warmth and hence a slight reduction in air around the instruments. Both manners sound excellent, so the output stage of the Orpheus seems to be very good. To add some perspective, I can hear more of a difference between running the Orpheus direct to the amps via balanced Mogami cables compared to running direct to amp via the unbalanced to balanced interconnects that I received from Pass, even though the gain is automatically adjusted between the balanced and unbalanced outputs.
--Comparisons to other DACs On-hand--
Wavelength Cosecant V3 with 24 bit module: I can't tell which of these DACs I like better. There are differences to be sure, but both sound excellent in there own way. The Wavelength gives a slightly more tangible presence to certain instruments, probably because of its tube flavored midrange, and adds a bit of warmth to the lower midrange. The Wavelength is highly resolving of low level musical details and offers pace that draws me into the music. Its an extremely pleasant DAC to listen to. Surprisingly, the Orpheus gives up only a little to the Wavelength in terms of midrange fullness, and adds extension and sweetness on both ends. I would like to be able to say that each DAC excels at presenting a particular type of music, but I can't. They sound different, but each sounds great with a wide range of music. I can say that I fairly consistently prefer the Orpheus on large scale orchestral arrangements because the low bass control and low bass dynamics are better than that of the Wavelength. However, there is plenty of air via the 24 bit Cosecant, and the Wavelength gives the most realistic rendition of cymbals and stringed instruments like guitar and violin that I've yet heard.
Modwright Logitech Transporter with "Platinum Truth" modifications: I hear a fair amount of glare and hardness in the upper midrange and a bloated and confused mid-bass and rolled off low bass in the Modwright Transporter when compared to the Orpheus. The Orpheus is smoother, more resolving, and more analog-like sounding. The person who owned the Transporter had swapped out the stock tubes so maybe its original incarnation sounds better than what I was hearing.
Lynx Studio 2B and Benchmark DAC-1: The Orpheus is far more expensive than either of these two DACs, so its not really fair to compare them, but both are well known entities so its probably worth a sentence or two. Both the Lynx and the Benchmark sound similar to me, with the Benchmark being a touch cleaner and a touch thinner sounding than the Lynx. The Orpheus offers more midrange fullness than both DACs, with better resolution, noticeably better transient response, more resolution and impact in the low frequencies, and a "sweeter" sound throughout the frequency range.
--Summary--
The Prism Sound Orpheus offers solid state control, frequency extension and dynamics, adds in a sprinkling of tube-like fullness, and keeps the results sweet across the frequency range. The DAC is expensive, but if you consider that it has amazingly good analog to digital converters, RIAA equalisation, and a very good output stage, it pretty much negates the need for a preamp and phono preamp. It has eight output channels so it can also negate the need for an external crossover if you use subs or speakers that require an active crossover. In other words, it offers far more features for your money than a typical "audiophile" DAC, yet sounds better than most and on par with the best I've heard.
--Typical Music Listened to in the Review--
Lots of Pat Methany incarnations
Lots of Brad Mehldau Trio
Lots of Lynne Arrial Trio
Julianna Raye - Dominoes
Eiji Oue - Minnesota Orchestra - Stravinsky
Arvo Part - various
Caroline Goulding (self titled)
Zuill Bailey and Simone Dinnerstein - Beethovan
Wagner / Dressler - The Symphonic Ring (192 kHz master)
Daby Toure and Skip McDonnald - In Session
Kings of Convenience - various
Fleet Foxes (self titled)
Speed Caravan - Kalashnik Love
Transatlantic - Whirlwind
Etcetera, etcetera, on and on it goes......
--Equipment used in my review (not including comparison DACs)--
Local System:
- H2O Audio Fire preamplifier
- Pass Labs XA 100.5 amplifiers
- Avalon Opus speakers
Bedroom System:
- DIY Pass Labs B1 buffer (acting as a preamplifier)
- Squeezebox Duet
- B&K ST 202 Plus amplifier
- Marantz analog tuner
- Home built Ellis Audio 1801b speakers
- Home built sub (Selah Audio Whomp design)
Buddy's System:
- Audiovalve Eclipse preamplifier
- Pass Labs XA 100.5 amplifiers
- Wilson Audio Sophia II speakers
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