DAW-S250NC Follow Up:
Couple thoughts on mine after a few months of daily use as a very early adopter (maybe the 1st in the US?).
I like the unit a lot. It does just about everything I wanted. Looks great, sounds great, remote control is good, all the inputs work (haven't tried the sub/pre-amp). Customer Support helped when I had questions/issues thanks!
I don't want to sound like I am complaining first, so props to Audiophonics. I am new to "digital hi-fi", so this is just my opinion.
Things I think could be improved.
RJ45 ethernet port (Gb). This would simplify and solve issue and would pay dividends. Support, programing & networking is much easier. "Always use a cable when available" - Said Every Network Engineer Ever
It does not get very loud (at least mine doesn't). I have 6ohm speakers (Revel), don't know if that makes a difference on output.
PCM and bit rate are lower than expected using and input (BT/Wi-Fi/OPT/USB). This could be limited on my side, but I cannot figure out how to adjust. My subscriptions (Spotify Premium /Tidal Hi-Fi/KEXP/BandCamp) are running @ 96khz over Bluetooth. The WiiM app over Wi-Fi (802.11ax / WPA3) is running @ 44khz (was 96?). USB connect via Ubuntu or Fedora are running @ 48khz. I assume some of this might be the devices that are connecting, however the Wi-Fi should be native and request and receive the highest possible.
No EQ function (would be nice to have something)
No real documentation or manuals. This is typical recently, documentation is the lost leader. None were supplied and I was sent some as PDF from support, but they are not great or detailed.
User serviceable. I would love to update/flash mine to stop the switching noise, however I don't feel like trying to do it myself and it's seems like a long trip back to France to update. I really wish this was an option. Most things digital need to user serviceable for upgrading, bug fixes and most importantly security patching.
The WiiM app seemed like a cool thing until I had it. Not impressed. Initially mine was non-functional. I worked with Audiophonics Support to reset and gain access to the module so I could reset and program it. If I wasn't a network engineer with an enterprise network/lab at home, it could have been a mess for a non-tech person. If you don't have any digital streamer, I see the appeal of a inexpensive option like WiiM. I also understand the benefit for Audiophonics to not have to develop and support software in-house. Easier to just use the Native Apps via Bluetooth from my tablet and the sound quality is not much different to my ears.
I hope this helps some people.
I am a happy customer. This is the device I have wanted for a while and probably skunks the competition. It is definaetly better than the ones I demoed last year (Cambridge/BlueSound/Naim/Etc) especially in price/performance
PS: I would send my to Amir for testing if 2-way shipping and insurance is not all on me
PSS:
@Audiophonics sorry about the world cup
I felt bad emailing you guys for support during the tournament. -Pedro
View attachment 260143Thanks a lot for posting your experience with this amp! I’ve considered one a long time but it’s hard to form an opinion without any reviews. I am thinking about getting the one without built in wiim and use a separate streamer, based on what you wrote that seems to be a good choice. No hassle to activate modules and (maybe) avoiding problems with bit rate.