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Neko D100 Dac vrs Lynx L22

Posted by DBB (A) on July 13, 2009 at 19:22:30

The Neko D100

I’m currently about two weeks into a 30 day home trial of the Neko D100 Dac. I learned of this Dac from ads run on AA.

Neko means cat in Japanese, a play on words based on designer/manufacturer Wesley Miaw’s last name.

It has an interesting purist design that uses a passive output stage. The output voltage is 1v, which is, according to its designer down 6dB from typical RCA and -12dB from typical XLR. If you don’t use a pre amp, it seems possible that some amplifiers may not play at sufficient volume. I did not have a problem with getting more than enough volume from most files going direct from the balanced outs of the Dac to the unbalanced ins of my McIntosh MC402 amp.

According to the web site:
“Digital audio is processed by a Wolfson WM8804 which provides excellent jitter rejection. The signal is then fed to a pair of Burr-Brown PCM1794A chips operating in mono mode for the greatest dynamic range, highest signal-to-noise ratio, and complete channel separation. The majority of high-end audio DACs utilize an active analog output stage comprised of op-amps, feedback circuitry, and additional filters. In contrast the D100 output stage is entirely passive and consists of 0.1% resistors with Jensen JT-11-EMCF transformers—the output is a pure audio signal.”

I couldn’t hear jitter, which I interpret as a subtle fatiguing sharpness, even though I used a SPDIF coax connection.

According to its specs, it promises to have a state of the art absence of noise. The published S/N ratio specs on my Lynx L22 sound card is 117. According to Wesley Miaw, the D100 S/N ratio is unmeasured because of limitations in his test equipment but better than 130. This seems completely plausible since a 132 S/N ratio in claimed according to the Burr-Brown PCM1794A spec sheet for mono operation.

Frame of Reference

I have used a Lynx L22 pro sound card via analog outs for about 2 and ½ years and have been very happy with it. It beat my Sony SCD777es and costs only about $700. It has been describe here as very much like the Benchmark DAC 1. I have compared the Lynx to the Bel Canto Dac 3 in my system and thought the Lynx was superior in balance and detail. The D100 has been compared in sound as similar to the Havana Dac in a review. The Havana has been described in this forum as sounding similar to the Wavelength Cosecant v3.

Sound

Comparing the D100 to the Lynx was an exercise in discerning clear but subtle differences. The D100 has a musical character like the sound of Carnegie Hall, which is what I am looking for. It is clear and detailed, but warm and rounded. It is musical. I especially like the area of around 70 htz and below: cello and double bass range. I'm hearing bass lines more clearly. I do hear a blacker background between notes than with the L22. There is a rounder feel to music with more elegance. It is more delicate than the Lynx. Massed strings have ever so slightly less blur or congestion. The sound stage in ASIO is smooth with a solidity I appreciated over time. Generally the Lynx is equally revealing of detail and sound stage but not as dark. With some material the L22 occasionally was a little sharp sounding. I would say that the D100 is a step closer to analog.

In sum the D100 was not a night and day improvement in that I could easily walk into a room and not know instantly which was in use. Over time though, the D100 gives me more of what I am looking for: a solid warm nonfatiguing sound with excellent resolution and a vanishingly low noise floor.

Edits: 07/14/09 07/14/09

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