Topping D70s MQA Review (DAC)

[nhs]

@nhs

I believe you are on something: the D70S measured 28°C in stand-by and 38°C during operations.

Thank you

 

[DeepSpace57]

Original board of D70s was housing AK4118. Do you think the board was revised due to scarcity of AK Chips? @JohnYang1997

 

[JohnYang1997]

Original board of D70s was housing AK4118. Do you think the board was revised due to scarcity of AK Chips? @JohnYang1997

D70s will continue to use ak4118.

 

[MBL'er]

D70s will continue to use ak4118.

Hi @JohnYang1997, wasn't AK4497 ?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Hi @JohnYang1997, wasn't AK4497 ?

AK4118 is a spdif receiver chip.

 

[MBL'er]

AK4118 is a spdif receiver chip.

Thanks @JohnYang1997 !

 

[DeepSpace57]

Anyway, shot at D70s by the current AliExpress Sale. Let's see how this will sound.

 

[MBL'er]

Anyway, shot at D70s by the current AliExpress Sale. Let's see how this will sound.

I bet you will be happy.

Glad to check your feedback.

 

[DeepSpace57]

I bet you will be happy.

Glad to check your feedback.

I thought much time on Ares II, but Nah! numbers brought me here...

 

[MBL'er]

I thought much time on Ares II, but Nah! numbers brought me here...

Same. I was fascinated by the R2R concept.

Then a friend who design and builds tube amps bought and dissected a D70S (after having almost dissected my Soncoz SGD1), and advidsed me to buy the D70S - which I did.

A few weeks ago another friend put for sale an Yggdrasil and a Pontus (Ares' bigger brother) and we, i.e. myself and my tube friend, made an extensive blind, level matched and subjective test of D70S, Yggdrasil and Pontus. The type of test some people love to hate.

Pontus came out very badly compared to the D70S on ALL "metrics". I must admit I was secretely disappointed, as I tried hard to like the Pontus being prepared to buy it. But there was no match with the D70S. I suppose the Ares performs in the same ballpark.

Therefore, I am happily stuck with the D70S.

M

 

[EddieFreak]

My wife just bought me the D70s on Amazon for $585 (fathers day gift) I'm wondering if it's legit.

 

[mozzarella]

Just bought one. Now anxiously waiting for delivery. Hopefully I won't be disappointed

 

[DeepSpace57]

@AdamG247 can you move all this thread to Digital To Analog (DAC) Review and Discussion? This only appears on the list

 

[AdamG]

@AdamG247 can you move all this thread to Digital To Analog (DAC) Review and Discussion? This only appears on the list

I’m not certain I understand what you are asking me to do here? Please clarify if you can.

 

[DeepSpace57]

I’m not certain I understand what you are asking me to do here? Please clarify if you can.

This thread should be in the Section `Digital To Analog (DAC) Review and Discussion` like D10s or D90SE`. When you click on that section, you will end up having nothing about D70s cause the thread had been created somewhere else. It appears on the global list but not the Section `Digital To Analog (DAC) Review and Discussion`.

 

[AdamG]

This thread should be in the Section `Digital To Analog (DAC) Review and Discussion` like D10s or D90SE`. When you click on that section, you will end up having nothing about D70s cause the thread had been created somewhere else. It appears on the global list but not the Section `Digital To Analog (DAC) Review and Discussion`.

Hi DeepSpace57,

This is Amir’s review thread. Therefore we need to pull @amirm into the conversation for him to consider what you suggest.

 

[DeepSpace57]

A sideline follow-up. Yesterday, while still under a bad reaction to the Moderna 2nd shot, so probably not yet thinking clearly enough, I bought a Musician Pegasus R2R, a sort of Ares cousin manufactured in the Denafrips plant probably with some shared components, with a 30 days no questions return window.

I will test the Pegasus side-by-side the D70S mainly to understand why some people consider R2R more "analogue like" than DS. But also to triangulate bloggers' reviews I've read / viewed so far (6 extremely favourable, 1 skeptical, 1 outright negative): maybe some where somewhat "propelled". Then I will decide if to add the Pegasus to my "junkyard" or return it.

There is a test made by WolfX-700 here in ASR, with not really a positive outcome (wors-ish than Ares).

Ok, I know, the above is of zero interest, but my brain is still a bit foggy.

I believe Wolf likely did a cold-run test; that's why Pegasus measures worse than Ares II. I had not included Pegasus in my list as many had reported Pegasus has pretty weak at low frequency. I do not think so a DAC with puffy drums/bass deserves a tag of 1000 USD.

 

[Veri]

I believe Wolf likely did a cold-run test; that's why Pegasus measures worse than Ares II.

Doubtful.

 

[Angsty]

Is there evidence to suggest that the D70s would be superior at reproducing Red Book CD audio than the humble Schiit Modi 3 as a pure DAC?

I get the difference in other features, but given the S/N limitations of 16-bit/44.1 kHz audio, how could it benefit?

I bought one to find out. It costs 6.5 times more than my Modi 3. It does not play music 6.5 times better. The SINAD performance is more than 5 times better (15 dB).

The measurements show technical superiority and I like it better, even when using my CD player. My Modi was indistinguishable from my 16 year-old reference, but the D70s is not.

I’m not sending it back.

 

[NJC]

I bought one to find out. It costs 6.5 times more than my Modi 3. It does not play music 6.5 times better. The SINAD performance is more than 5 times better (15 dB).

The measurements show technical superiority and I like it better, even when using my CD player. My Modi was indistinguishable from my 16 year-old reference, but the D70s is not.

I’m not sending it back.

Glad to hear that but would like to know how it would sound compared to a Bitfrost 2, or even a Modi MB?