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Model: | Altmann Attraction DAC |
Category: | DAC Processors |
Suggested Retail Price: | EUR 750,- |
Description: | non-oversampling, battery operated DAC up to 192kHz |
Manufacturer URL: | Altmann, Germany |
Model Picture: | View |
Review by Chuck (A) on November 29, 2006 at 11:31:42 IP Address: 129.237.61.31 | Add Your Review for the Altmann Attraction DAC |
Last night, after an extended listening session, I said, "I've just got to post a review of this fabulous dac." So here it is. I've had the Altmann Attraction for two months. It is easily the most detailed, musical, and satisfying digital source that I've heard. Someone once wrote that a good vinyl system combines a dynamism, tonal richness, and elegance of fine detail that digital reproduction can't match -- and I always thought that to be fundamentally true until I got the Attraction dac. This thing is just stunning. I can't claim to have heard everything out there, and I have not heard the really high-end contenders. But it is better than my previous dacs (heavily modded Art DI/O, Ack Dac 1.3, Ack Dac 2.0), and it is better than any digital front end that I've heard in audio shops while auditioning amps and preamps over the last several years.How is it better? In several ways: timing, detail retrieval, dynamics, extension, and purity of tone. In terms of timing and PRAT generally, the Altmann dac is punchy, with a great sense of real musical timing -- as one user reported here, you really can hear musicians playing off against each other in ways not typical of digital gear.
The Altmann's detail retrieval is amazing: I'm hearing subtle details far beyond what I've heard before from familiar recordings.
The dac also is remarkably dynamic: big orchestral swings and dynamic punches in rock almost slap one in the face. Everything -- everything! -- sounds more dynamic and alive through this dac.
Finally, the Altmann dac produces a purity and richness of tone that I had thought impossible in a digital front end. It approaches the musical tonality of my Grado Sonata cartridge (but isn't quite as good on tonality as that cartridge is with good vinyl). Female vocals are amazingly pure and without the minor hints of digital grunge that the wonderful Ack Dac still lets through.
With this dac, I've stopped looking for a digital upgrade.
Additional thoughts: 1) The JISCO (jitter reduction) circuit really works wonders. I have three modest digital cables (Bolder, DH-Labs D75, Ack Dac cable) and always could tell clear, even big differences between them with my other dacs. With the JISCO circuit on, I can't tell the difference between them. 2) The Altmann benefits from vibration isolation; I have ended up using sorbothane dots under the wood footers, and these on a sandbox, and the sandbox on felt pads on a good rack. 3) Purchasing a good car battery (Yellow-top) and charger added about $200 to the overall cost of the dac. 4) Charles Altmann excels not only at digital design but also at customer service: he responded to my every question very helpfully and with patience.
Finally, how does the Altmann compare to the Ack Dac 2.0? Although the Altmann is clearly better, there is a family resemblance of sorts; both are battery-powered NOS dacs, and thus both are exceptionally quiet, with details emerging from a black background. Both have that NOS timing & musicality thing down. The Altmann is clearly better in the areas of detail retrieval, PRAT, dynamics, and tonal richness. I won't go back, but I can also say that if I was forced to, I could very happily live with the Ack Dac 2.0. It is remarkably good for the price, and shares many of the qualities of the Altmann -- but just not to the Altmann's level.
Product Weakness: | It is a bare circuit board on a piece of wood -- at risk of damage from children, etc. But Altmann says the design is a key to the dac's musicality, and, if so, I say you gotta take the bitter with the sweet. |
Product Strengths: | Detail, PRAT, tonal richness, elegance of musical expression |
Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
Amplifier: | Nuforce 8.02 monos, input impedance modded (increased) to accommodate the tube pre |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Don Allen custom tube pre |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Vecteur D-2, Altmann Attraction Dac |
Speakers: | GR-Research Paradox 3's |
Cables/Interconnects: | Analog: DIY silver; digital: various -- see review |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | jazz; folk; classical; some rock |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 24 x 14 x 9 |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | 2 months |
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | PS Audio UPC-200; Jon Risch digital iso filter |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
Thanks for your review. What kinds of differences did you hear with different supports?
I should clarify: I've used the sandbox on felt pads on a decent stand under my dac for some time, and this preceded my getting the Altmann. When I first got the Altmann dac, I simply placed its wood footers on the top of the sandbox (which is MDF). The Ack dac had benefitted from separation from the sandbox's MDF -- even with the sand "vibration sink," the MDF vibrated a little from the bass. With the Ack, in the end, I settled on several mixed pucks consisting of cork and rubber, with a heavy weight on top of the dac. With the Altmann, because of its different construction, I tried the sorbothane pieces between the MDF and the Altmann dac's wood footers. The result was a small but noticeable improvement in clarity of leading edges of transients, of tonal liquidity, and of the tightness of images. I haven't tried anything else as a footer, because, to be honest, I'm so astounded with what I'm getting with this setup.
Thanks for your reply. It's often said that sorbothane and things like that kill PRaT and dynamics, but you have obviously a different experience.Actually, I have the Attraction DAC myself, but I have only placed it directly on the parqueted floor to begin with, and it's the time to see if I can find a better arrangement. But you have a much more revealing system that me, so I think I might as well wait until a get revealing headphones and a ditto headphone amp in a month or two. The same thing goes for analogue interconnects.
I had tried sorbothane as a turntable mat a few years ago and found that, in that application, it did muddy everything. In this application it didn't. Not sure why the difference. So far I'm quite happy with the configuration.
Nice review from a fellow dAck owner...Could you try an experiment whereby you quantify the effect of the wood block. I'm sure you have some scrap pine somewhere that could be
used in place of the existing one. I'm sure it would still sound very good but if it sounds significantly worse, I'll start buying Altmann wood :)
Nice review. I doubt there is a better DAC made for under US$2K.
Try the Oritek Audio DAC. It is nothing short of amazing. I did compare it to the Altmann and it walked all over it for far less money.
HiIt is indeed a great DAC and personally I have yet to hear a better DAC above 2K . I sold my Audio Note SIG 1.1X DAC and CDT One Transport and am very, very happy with the Altmann.
It is also extremely revealing of even the smallest of changes to ones system.
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