Digital Drive: REVIEW: Audio by Van Alstine, Inc. OmegaStar DAC Processors by erasmustazz

Model:	OmegaStar
Category:	DAC Processors
Suggested Retail Price:	$999
Description:	16 bit 4x Oversampling DAC
Manufacturer URL:	Audio by Van Alstine, Inc.
Model Picture:	View

Review by erasmustazz ( A ) on June 25, 2003 at 16:29:10
IP Address: 12.18.162.235

Add Your Review
for the OmegaStar

Like many inmates these days, I was sitting around upgrading my system whilst waiting for the CD situation to resolve itself. When I saw that reasonably priced CD players (under $2500) were beginning to appear, I started researching and auditioning. Then I read the review of the OmegaStar DAC in â€œThe Absolute Sound.â€ About a year ago I bought an Audio by Van Alstine Transcendence 7 preamp as part of my upgrading. I was very impressed by the clean, highly dynamic nature of this, my first purchase from Frank. Having about 400 16 bit CDs I figured, what the heck, and ordered an OmegaStar. I attached this to my Cambridge Audio D500 via an Acoustic Zen Silver Byte cable (I had already greatly improved the analog cables to Analysis + Solocrystal ICs). This combination produced extended, clear highs and reasonably tight bass, with a well fleshed out midrange but, alas, the slow pace of the D500 remained. So it was off into the used transport market. I finally bought an Audio Alchemy DDS Pro (I needed something with a BNC connector) and the improvement was, frankly astounding.

Product Weakness: Well, here I am writing another ad for Frank. I promised myself not to do this. So there are some caveats. In order to really hear what the OmegaStar is capable of it deserves to be surrounded by cables and a transport that can allow it to truly shine. Not that it wonâ€™t improve almost anything itâ€™s plugged into, itâ€™s just that its Fi is Hi and it fits very well into a highly resolving stem.
As usual with Van Alstine, the digital wire it comes with is a joke, it deserves, at the very least, something like a DH Labs D75. The power cord is also pretty cheesy and there is no IEC socket. A split ferrite bead will lower the noise floor audibly. What it really needs is a shielded line cord attached by a competent audio technician, otherwise the existing cable has to be carefully routed around amplifier outputs and other power supplies. It would also be esthetically more pleasing to have all good wiring.
Product Strengths: Authoritative, powerful tight bass. Clear, soaring highs. More importantly, the interior detail is sublime, smooth and holographic. But the real strength of this DAC lies in its wide dynamic range, if a track on a CD starts out pianissimo, donâ€™t turn the volume up, fortissimo may be coming up.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	NAD 218 (sub)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Van Alstine Transcendence &
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Audio Alchemy DDS Pro
Speakers:	Mackie HRS 824s, VMPS Sub.
Cables/Interconnects:	Whatever sounds good
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Everything
Room Size (LxWxH):	28 x 14 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	Dacron pillows under furniture
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Belkin Isolators (2)
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner