Serious Question: How can DAC's have a SOUND SIGNATURE if they measure as transparent? Are that many confused?

[TSX]

Subjective review at avforums, they seem happy with it.

Thanks, but I was hoping for something different on ASR Subjective reviews says zero about real performance. They rate it 10/10. Compared today what? What about BB chips in general?

Thanks

 

[Jimbob54]

Its a 300 euro balanced dac with bluetooth. I'd say in this day and age its going to struggle. Its pretty much guaranteed it will have that patented spray of harmonic distortion that almost every ifi device has too, so it wont score well if reviewed here. Some might like such a profile.

 

[TSX]

Its a 300 euro balanced dac with bluetooth. I'd say in this day and age its going to struggle. Its pretty much guaranteed it will have that patented spray of harmonic distortion that almost every ifi device has too, so it wont score well if reviewed here. Some might like such a profile.

It’s actually 349€, but that makes it even worse I suppose. Why is buying a DAC in 2022 such a hassle

 

[TSX]

I found this https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...g-converter-measurements&catid=434&Itemid=577

Am I reading the measurements right, by placing this DAC in the 100-110 range of DACs?

Thanks

 

[Music1969]

Am I reading the measurements right, by placing this DAC in the 100-110 range of DACs?

SINAD? No it's around 92dB SINAD.

 

[TSX]

SINAD? No it's around 92dB SINAD.

Holy smoly. That's not much, and not very impressive or competitive compared to other much cheaper DACs

 

[Music1969]

Holy smoly. That's not much, and not very impressive or competitive compared to other much cheaper DACs

Well the good thing about iFi is they are pretty honest.

That article compares iFi specs and SoundStage measurement, and it's mostly similar.

Amir has measured iFi here and in numerous products, they perform close to advertised specs.

So that's a good thing about iFi (to me) - they seem honest in specs. We can't say the same for many other manufacturers.

 

[Jeff Feldstein]

I’ve just replaced my Zen One Signature for a Sabaj A20d 2002, and I’m very glad I did. The Zen One is not even remotely bad, but with my Peachtree nova300 driving LS50 Metas, the Zen One just couldn’t open up. Quiet and clean, but limited in frequency balance and soundstage. That’s a Burr Brown issue. For a near field setup, with my now sold LSX’s, the Zen One did its job admirably. But we’ve moved, my office is larger. I needed more powah and depth.

Zen Stream to the A20d to the nova300 to the LS50’s… all is very, very well.

 

[TSX]

I’ve just replaced my Zen One Signature for a Sabaj A20d 2002, and I’m very glad I did. The Zen One is not even remotely bad, but with my Peachtree nova300 driving LS50 Metas, the Zen One just couldn’t open up. Quiet and clean, but limited in frequency balance and soundstage. That’s a Burr Brown issue. For a near field setup, with my now sold LSX’s, the Zen One did its job admirably. But we’ve moved, my office is larger. I needed more powah and depth.

Zen Stream to the A20d to the nova300 to the LS50’s… all is very, very well.

Can you disable the preamp, and use it as DAC only?

 

[Jeff Feldstein]

Can you disable the preamp, and use it as DAC only?

In the Zen One? It’s a dac only, no preamp.

With the A20d, yes, it’ll do fixed output, which is what I’m doing.

 

[TSX]

In the Zen One? It’s a dac only, no preamp.

With the A20d, yes, it’ll do fixed output, which is what I’m doing.

I know. I meant on the Sabaj.

 

[NikJi]

All things constant, the one thing that CAN make the DACs sound different is their method of interpolation. Every DAC has to do it. Listening to pure 44.1Khz PCM would be a sawtooth experience .

 

[zepplock]

All things constant, the one thing that CAN make the DACs sound different is their method of interpolation. Every DAC has to do it. Listening to pure 44.1Khz PCM would be a sawtooth experience .

does it make you tap your feet 44100 times a second?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

All things constant, the one thing that CAN make the DACs sound different is their method of interpolation. Every DAC has to do it. Listening to pure 44.1Khz PCM would be a sawtooth experience .

Bogus. Look up the video here on the forum on how digital audio works.

 

[NikJi]

Bogus. Look up the video here on the forum on how digital audio works.

Please. If you don’t understand digital, stop trying to explain.

 

[Killingbeans]

All things constant, the one thing that CAN make the DACs sound different is their method of interpolation. Every DAC has to do it. Listening to pure 44.1Khz PCM would be a sawtooth experience .

Here's Monty... one more time:

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Please. If you don’t understand digital, stop trying to explain.

Watch the video linked above, it will explain all you need to know.

 

[NikJi]

Here's Monty... one more time:

Good one! Now listen to this dude who represents a bit differently. Skip to 23:35

 

[mansr]

Good one! Now listen to this dude who represents a bit differently. Skip to 23:35

If he disagrees with Monty on this topic, he's clearly wrong.

 

[krabapple]

If hope this fuss isn't over the fact that DACs must include a reconstruction step, by design. No one ever listens to 'stairsteps' nor was anyone ever meant to.