Sabaj A10d 2022 Version Review (DAC & Amp)

[sprellemannen]

I wonder who those three members who voted as Poor?

Staff from PS Audio, maybe?

 

[Gremlins]

Hello everyone
This dac seems to have a gain setting ?

Is the gain setting on the xlr output to ne used as a preamp in front of a class D amp?

 

[Garrincha]

Made in Germany has changed its meaning from bad to good over the last hundred years. Maybe one day the same will happen to Made in China. Made in Germany does not mean that every chip or every transistor was made in Germany, so it's all relative. I wouldn't put much stock in it. The fact is that quality problems are reported from time to time with e.g. Topping devices (this is also my experience). But I have also read that for devices from Schiit (Made in USA).

As long as you don't have any statistics, you can't say much about it. The best devices in terms of measurement are certainly not the best devices at all. Everyone should apply their own criteria:

• measurements
• price
• design
• functions
• (assumed or proven) longevity
• environmentally friendly production
• support
• working conditions of the workers
• and so on

I personally can get an impression or information about most of these points via the discussions in this forum here. This is worth a lot to me.

Correct, one buys the whole package and where everyone lays his focus on are individual preferences. But just the fact that chinese audio products over the last, say, 10 years managed to take the lead in measurements is a feat in itself. I also wish they now would enter in a phase of improving product quality, better support and the like, but I am not that pessimistic that it will happen. You know that 'made in Germany' started as a warning sign and turned into a claim of excellence, so China might very well be on the road to it (unfortunately not in humean rights, but this is another topic).

 

[AudioSceptic]

Do they really? Have you ever owned a Chord or dCS product or are you just assuming this? The Chord build quality looks nothing special to me and the design is just outrageously ugly. I have heard not great things about costumer service as well.

For the prices they charge, I'd expect a personal visit from a senior employee if I had any issues at all.

As it happens, I like Chord styling, even though most of our audio gear is in self-effacing black boxes.

 

[celloh]

Does this have a pre amp capability for active monitors?

 

[Berwhale]

Yeah, I thought those rack handles looked a bit silly too. What does this thing weigh, a few pounds?

My Topping EX5 moves around a lot when I change headphones, I have to push down on the top to stop it from slipping around. Those handles on the A10d could be useful...

 

[dwkdnvr]

Does this have a pre amp capability for active monitors?

I would guess so, since the Sabaj D5 does (well, it's switchble between fixed and variable). It would be nice to have confirmation, though.

 

[hestejoe]

Add Bluetooth (or some other wireless), perhaps some kind of EQ and it would literally be the one DAC/AMP you could recommend to anyone that listens with active speakers and headphones.

Edit: Seems like it actually has Bluetooth too. Really looks like a nice package.

 

[HammerSandwich]

But just the fact that chinese audio products over the last, say, 10 years managed to take the lead in measurements is a feat in itself. I also wish they now would enter in a phase of improving product quality, better support and the like...

Support's the big one for me. I'm casually looking for exactly this sort of DAC/amp, and the price/performance sure seem solid. Possibly dealing with overseas shipping for a warranty issue, though...

The first Chinese company to increase prices by $10 while spending $5 on local service centers will have an enormous advantage.

 

[celloh]

Is the XLR out truly balanced or is it like the hpa out where its not true balanced it just provides more power?

 

[Veri]

Is the XLR out truly balanced or is it like the hpa out where its not true balanced it just provides more power?

The DAC XLR out is 4Vrms which is absolutely balanced (2x the RCA output voltage, after all). A headamp that is not "really" balanced will have the same output oower over single ended, there is the catch. As you see, not the case on the DAC side so it's fine, truly balanced..

 

[Spocko]

Let it sink in that this beautiful, nice little unit for $300 beats the $14,000 hideous Chord Dave in every measurement I have seen.....

And I doubt anybody could tell the difference in a double blind test

 

[Spocko]

I was going to order the SMSL DO100 but at this rate, I'll just wait until the end of the year to see what else happens for under $300.
Let's see what Schiit does

 

[SuicideSquid]

Very impressive unit overall, without factoring in the price. For the price, this thing is remarkable.

If I were running this company and had no scruples, I'd ship the internals to someone in Germany to assemble there in a high-end looking case, smack a bunch of audiophile nonsense on the advertising, and sell it to that market for $5,000 per unit. We'd make mint!

 

[Garrincha]

And I doubt anybody could tell the difference in a double blind test

A blind test is definitely required for the Dave, as it is abominably hideous

 

[GeekyBastard]

Clarity?
For example compare sennheiser hd 600 with DCA Stealth.
You can EQ hd600 as much as you want still there is a big gap between these two headphones.

Compare them and you will know what is clarity.

You do realize this is the Audio Science Review forum, right?

You don't just make bogus claims and ask people to find the evidence themselves.

At least try to be scientific about this, provide data or researches, otherwise there's no value in our discussion.

 

[amirm]

Hello everyone
This dac seems to have a gain setting ?

Is the gain setting on the xlr output to ne used as a preamp in front of a class D amp?

Hi there. Gain setting is for headphone output, not XLR. But if you don't need the headphone output, you could use it to drive amplifiers.

 

[PeteL]

yeah to me the way the Chinese are doing this belies that sort of belief that "chi-fi" is inferior to Japanese or Western products at many multiples of the cost.

I wonder what the Chinese are doing correct and others.... arent.

I think it's not a case of western manufacturer not being able to engineer those high performing products, It's about the fact that trying to squeeze maximum performance of these chips, It's simply not worth trying because you can't compete in price, so you won't sell any unless you run on your reputation. Let's not forget tough that in the end ESS, TI, THX are American, AKM is Japanese, Hypex, Purifi are European... The actual innovations that allows these performances is not Chinese, But you can't do these kind of products in the western world at these prices, so why even try to put out products, you add no value to the market, So western brands I guess rather chose to differentiate themselves with appealing to a different crowd than the measurments geeks, cause those same rational and objective type of people, by definition, will also value price because, well, they choose rationally... So its a lost battle from the get go. Nobody want to be in the business producing these types of products, the offer is already over saturated with performance that whatever you do you can only equal but not beat.

 

[Loathecliff]

The performance at the phone out of EX5 and DX5 is much better tho

Unfortunately they are Topping products.
An outfit at the top of my Avoid list, and likely to remain so unless it can demonstrate an understanding of integrity.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

You do realize this is the Audio Science Review forum, right?

You don't just make bogus claims and ask people to find the evidence themselves.

At least try to be scientific about this, provide data or researches, otherwise there's no value in our discussion.

Lol. Good luck.

Ps. Sorry for triggering you.
I won't disturb you anymore.
I forgot that it's SCIENCE