• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Monoprice Liquid Spark DAC by Alex Cavalli Review

Taddpole

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
334
Likes
453
With a volume control it would be a preamplifier as well. That is indeed how I use my RME ADI-2 DAC, straight into my power amplifier, and it works very well.
Hardly surprising that it would have less functionality than device costing 8 times as much.

Would think integrated amplifier more common than power so possibly wider market for it.

Just seems you are faulting a horse for not being a zebra.
 

Wombat

Master Contributor
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
6,722
Likes
6,459
Location
Australia
Lets test my theory- if this DAC was built into your power amp for , lets say , £50 more than the price of the amp without, would you have bought that instead?

Possibly a bad example as you would still need something to control the volume. So lets say £70 extra with a remote digital volume control. The key being you know the level of performance of the DAC portion.

The 'look at my DAC' cred would be gone. o_O
 

Taddpole

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
334
Likes
453
Lets test my theory- if this DAC was built into your power amp for , lets say , £50 more than the price of the amp without, would you have bought that instead?

Possibly a bad example as you would still need something to control the volume. So lets say £70 extra with a remote digital volume control. The key being you know the level of performance of the DAC portion.

But there are many amplifiers that people already own that just lack DAC, is wasteful to not have something that adds such functionality rather than throwing it out and starting again.
 

Willem

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
3,654
Likes
5,276
Lets test my theory- if this DAC was built into your power amp for , lets say , £50 more than the price of the amp without, would you have bought that instead?
Turning it into a modern integrated? Maybe yes, but I already had the Quad 606-2 power amp. Before this I was using a Quad 33 pre amplifier with the Q606-2 power amp, so when I decided to replace the various built-in DACs of my sources I decided it was time to get something excellent to replace the somewhat outdated Quad preamp from 1970 that did not measure that well by modern standards. Hence the ADI-2.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
nicely between modi-3 and E30 in functionality and price.
Smaller: perhaps the E1DA9038d is competitive ?

Different looks, fits with its amp.

Doesn't beat E30 which for (almost) the same money also comes with filter options, remote and volume control and measures slightly better.
But at least AC picked the better filter as a fixed one.

At least more choice in affordable DACs.
 
Last edited:

Willem

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
3,654
Likes
5,276
But there are many amplifiers that people already own that just lack DAC, is wasteful to not have something that adds such functionality rather than throwing it out and starting again.
I agree that it is a great way to update legacy gear like a beefy 1970's Japanese receiver. I have done similar things with other audio sets in the house. My desktop system shows the potential and the issues with such solutions: desktop computer as a source, ODAC usb DAC, Emotiva Control Freak volume control, Quad 405-2 power amplifier. At the time, there were no affordable decent usb DACs with volume control, hence the combination of ODAC and Control Freak.
 

pavuol

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
Messages
1,562
Likes
3,950
Location
EU next to warzone :.(
"Liquid Spark", ugh, who comes up with all these names?

Israel!
SA7290107280761.jpg
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
The E30 costs 130$, this one 99. It competes against the D10S.

Yep the D10S would be more correct, but for a little bit more you do get a display, remote and filter options, the D10S only has a display and only USBin. In Europe the D10S and E30 are only 20 Euros apart.

Anyway.. a nice different form factor option in a nice price class and performance.
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,697
where did the measurements go wrong? higher sinad than d10 and two more inputs at the same price. yet its not highly recommended?

Nothing new or innovative. Highly recommended panther I think needs to either break boundaries price or performance wise. But its a fuzzy beast!
 

Helicopter

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 13, 2020
Messages
2,693
Likes
3,941
Location
Michigan
Thanks for the Review. I'm impressed it did slightly better than the E30, and I do like the look of these, but a topping or Schiit stack is still going to perform better due to better amps and this one would look really bad with anything that wasn't Monolith. Agree they are quite late to the game here, so doing a little better should be expected.
 

Azathoth

Active Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2020
Messages
112
Likes
255
"Liquid Spark", ugh, who comes up with all these names?

Yeah, sorta reminds me of a health hazard

Good specs, haven't heard the Cavalli name in a while, I think it was a headphone amp where I first heard the name.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
The 60Hz is down -135dB in order for this to become audible you would be bleeding from your ears when you hit the play button :cool:
SINAD is irrelevant at these levels... you can still rank them but then again you can rank everything if you want.

Multitone is more important indicator which is excellent (even better than E30) and even there it remains below -115dB SPL
At 60 Hz you need 40dB SPL for it to become just audible so 155dB peaks in music would need to be present.

On top of that, this is in Amir's setup. It may be better or worse in someone's setup
 

3125b

Major Contributor
Joined
May 18, 2020
Messages
1,352
Likes
2,204
Location
Germany
The performance is there, as are the looks, however I'm really not a fan of the wall wart power supply for a DAC.
There are so many transparent desktop DACs now right around that 100$ price point, it's really just a question of feature and design preferences.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom