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Black Lion Audio White Sparrow DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 80 54.8%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 57 39.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 8 5.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 1 0.7%

  • Total voters
    146

RHO

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can you name a <$50 DAC that share similar features and performance?
Maybe not the features, but it seems the features it has don't even work as advertised.
 

nyxnyxnyx

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Maybe not the features, but it seems the features it has don't even work as advertised.
Fair enough. If we separate the price and just look at performance at least it stays in the above-average group. $2000 is too steep even if this DAC performed significantly better though.
 

mightycicadalord

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I think Black Lion is known more for modding other people's gear than for their own designs. This result doesn't give me confidence in their modding ability.

Go look how they present their mod differences, it's a joke. The company has always been filed under BS for me. Morons at gear space eat their BS up.
 

sarumbear

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@amirm as always, thank you for testing such a wide variety of equipment. The unit has rack mounts but the width doesn't look like 19" to me. Can you comment on what standard of rack the device adheres to?
 

juliangst

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Damn, that's one ugly DAC!
 

dfuller

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I wish someone would send you a Burl Bomber or Cranesong Solaris to test.

The Bomber isn't that much more money than the White Sparrow, and lots prettier. The Cranesong is the same price and similar styling.
B2-DAC-FRONT-200107.png



proxy-image
Isn't the Burl stuff deliberately designed to not be entirely transparent? I know their A/D is all transformer coupled so you can drive it hard for some character.

@amirm as always, thank you for testing such a wide variety of equipment. The unit has rack mounts but the width doesn't look like 19" to me. Can you comment on what standard of rack the device adheres to?
It looks like it's a half-rack design, why it has ears is beyond me.
 

simchaz

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Isn't the Burl stuff deliberately designed to not be entirely transparent? I know their A/D is all transformer coupled so you can drive it hard for some character.


It looks like it's a half-rack design, why it has ears is beyond me.
I assume so that you can rack two of them together.... Rupert Neve and several other companies use the same format for the same reason.
 

phoenixdogfan

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Designs aesthetics-wise, looks like the perfect DAC for guys who wear their broken eyeglasses with white masking tape on the nosebridge holding them together.

And $1999. o_O
 

sarumbear

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It looks like this was discontinued almost a decade ago and was in production for a few years by then. Saying it "costs" $1999 is misleading
It’s a vintage device. Even the Mk2 version is no longer available.
 

Balle Clorin

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Looks like DIY home made with very cheap chassis and poor finish, 2000usd? You can get better finish at 200 usd,
 
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