Aqua Audio Formula Optologic DAC

[Deleted member 65]

New Aqua Audio DAC to be presented at Axpona 2016:

- - > http://www.aquahifi.com/

- - > http://www.axpona.com/pressrelease_article.asp?id=1490
aqua – acoustic quality specializes in digital to analogue conversion technology. Their current product line consists of two DACS, La Voce S2 and La Scala D/A MkII, and a state-of-the-art cd transport, La Diva. After spending the last two years in research and development, the company will debut its new reference DAC, the Formula at AXPONA 2016. The Formula boasts a new proprietary D/A conversion system entitled Optologic, whose design surpasses the multibit R2R ladder circuitry of the Burr Brown PCM 1704-K. The results are breathtaking, reaching new heights in music reproduction from a digital source. The new conversion system reaches a sample rate of 384kHz, and presents music with unrivalled dynamics and a fluid realism that until now has only been achieved by the very best analogue based systems.

Anyone attending Axpona that can provide some more in depth insight on La Formula DAC? Few pictures exists on eg Mono&Stereo.

/Lars

 

[Purité Audio]

I don't really want my digital to sound like analogue, thanks though.
Keith.

 

[Deleted member 65]

I don't really want my digital to sound like analogue, thanks though.
Keith.

Appreciate your comment, Thx!

 

[RayDunzl]

Is it expensive?

OptoLogic is/was a trademark of Fairchild Semiconductor. Any relation there?

 

[Deleted member 65]

Nothing is yet revealed, to be announced @ Axpona

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

I don't really want my digital to sound like analogue, thanks though.
Keith.

I quite agree. It is live music that should be the reference, not analog recorded media.

 

[amirm]

Troy and I will be there and will take a listen and report back!

 

[Mivera]

Srajan should love it!

 

[Deleted member 65]

 

[Mivera]

If it only did DSD, it might be worth looking into. However, looks like a great design for an R2R.

 

[Phison Audio - Sonny]

New Aqua Audio DAC to be presented at Axpona 2016:

- - > http://www.aquahifi.com/

- - > http://www.axpona.com/pressrelease_article.asp?id=1490
aqua – acoustic quality specializes in digital to analogue conversion technology. Their current product line consists of two DACS, La Voce S2 and La Scala D/A MkII, and a state-of-the-art cd transport, La Diva. After spending the last two years in research and development, the company will debut its new reference DAC, the Formula at AXPONA 2016. The Formula boasts a new proprietary D/A conversion system entitled Optologic, whose design surpasses the multibit R2R ladder circuitry of the Burr Brown PCM 1704-K. The results are breathtaking, reaching new heights in music reproduction from a digital source. The new conversion system reaches a sample rate of 384kHz, and presents music with unrivalled dynamics and a fluid realism that until now has only been achieved by the very best analogue based systems.

Anyone attending Axpona that can provide some more in depth insight on La Formula DAC? Few pictures exists on eg Mono&Stereo.

/Lars

Do you work for Aqua?

How do they deal with the fact that opto's deteriorate over time, which is especially the case when you want them to switch fast like in digital circuits?

BR

Sonny

 

[Opus111]

The Formula boasts a new proprietary D/A conversion system entitled Optologic, whose design surpasses the multibit R2R ladder circuitry of the Burr Brown PCM 1704-K.

Are you going to set out with a little more detail how it is that a discrete design surpasses the PCM1704? I'm curious to know in what respects the design you're showing is an improvement over that part.

 

[Deleted member 65]

Troy and I will be there and will take a listen and report back!

Great Amir,

my main interest is the technology used in the DAC. Agree with Minerva concerning DSD support, Aqua Audio seems not to be a supporter of DSD but let's wait and see.

 

[Deleted member 65]

Are you going to set out with a little more detail how it is that a discrete design surpasses the PCM1704? I'm curious to know in what respects the design you're showing is an improvement over that part.

I'm impressed with the Mensa level of replies ... ;-)

Text from my original post is from Axpona's site.

 

[Mivera]

Great Amir,

my main interest is the technology used in the DAC. Agree with Minerva concerning DSD support, Aqua Audio seems not to be a supporter of DSD but let's wait and see.

R2R DAC's can't do DSD. I really can't see it beating a very good pure 1 bit DSD DAC combined with a server running Hqplayer upsampling PCM to DSD. If you read this thread here:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f...ogue-converter-8-direct-stream-digital-27935/

You can see that using a server running Hqplayer into the DSD section of the T+A DAC 8 DSD, it even kills the Chord Dave! And that's just a budget DAC. If they eliminated the PCM section it would probably only be a $2000 DAC. Then you also have a system that supports both PCM and DSD as well.

 

[Opus111]

I'm impressed with the Mensa level of replies ... ;-)

You mean you can tell MENSA never invited me to join ?

Text from my original post is from Axpona's site.

Fair enough, you're just a messenger here so I'll not try to shoot you....

 

[Deleted member 65]

R2R DAC's can't do DSD. I really can't see it beating a very good pure 1 bit DSD DAC combined with a server running Hqplayer upsampling PCM to DSD. If you read this thread here:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f...ogue-converter-8-direct-stream-digital-27935/

You can see that using a server running Hqplayer into the DSD section of the T+A DAC 8 DSD, it even kills the Chord Dave! And that's just a budget DAC. If they eliminated the PCM section it would probably only be a $2000 DAC. Then you also have a system that supports both PCM and DSD as well.

I have no disagreement with you concerning DSD & HQ Player, had a trial running it in my setup a while ago (Roon, HQ Player). Awaiting my crowdfunded DAC (LakeWest FDAC) which may be able to run NAA internally. Been crowdfunding the FDAC since 2012 so should turn up any year now
- - > http://mdac2.lakewestaudio.com/

 

[Purité Audio]

I sincerely hope Westlake does deliver a product, I fear the whole debacle could be just a huge 'Ponzi' scheme.
Keith.

 

[Mivera]

I have no disagreement with you concerning DSD & HQ Player, had a trial running it in my setup a while ago (Roon, HQ Player). Awaiting my crowdfunded DAC (LakeWest FDAC) which may be able to run NAA internally. Been crowdfunding the FDAC since 2012 so should turn up any year now
- - > http://mdac2.lakewestaudio.com/

But that DAC is going to have Sabre chips. There's no DSD bypass mode so you are forced to go through an extra modulator and filter section with multibit conversion for volume control. Hqplayer will probably make it better, but not the optimal design for it. For Hqplayer use, here's a list of the best DAC's.

http://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/1-bit-dsd-dac-implementations.129/

 

[Opus111]

Some more details are up on 6moons now - http://6moons.com/audioreviews2/aqua2/1.html

It's a balanced R2R ladder - the only potential advantage I can see over the Soekris DAC module is the opto isolation which probably introduces more problems than it solves. For example normal optoisolators distort pulse widths...