Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC and Streamer Review

[urfaust]

You missed the Mola Mola is also a Streamer and headamp. And yes, the Element X is a much better value with the same functionalities, but that's not my point. Well, what you pay when your get such expensive unit is also the design, the high end feel, the lifetime warranty, the fact this is a boutique DAC etc. Definitely a different universe and target.

We saw a ton of times gears which come with a fantastic story behind and at the end measure like shit. That is snake oil and it is clearly not the case here. By the way, this is the best measurements of all boutique DACs reviewed here. And that isn't nothing.

I agree, it looks like a superb well built object, matched by performances at the top of the Sota. Totally respectable, even for that amount of money.

The problem is more about gears claiming insane, irrational audio things and getting beaten by small dongles.

 

[audiophile]

Spoken like a true @@audiophile

If I bought this I bet most people here would call me an audiophool

Well, what you pay when your get such expensive unit is also the design, the high end feel, the lifetime warranty, the fact this is a boutique DAC etc. Definitely a different universe and target.

In other words just marketing BS. I'd never pay that kind of money for something that does not improve sound quality.

 

[VintageFlanker]

In other words just marketing BS.

Not at all. You didn't get my point: Designing a boutique DAC with such performance requires an insanely competent engineering and can't be considered as BS. All the other factors are pure luxury. But for rich audiophiles out there, ready to spend that much, it better perform great... And it does.

I'd never pay that kind of money for something that does not improve sound quality.

Then don't. I would not either... In fact, I simply cannot. Problem solved.

 

[Xulonn]

Topping D90 - SINAD 120.5 - $699
Mola Mola - SINAD 121 - $11,500

$10,801 for an extra 0.5 of SINAD? Definitely, not snake oil.

Actually, most of us here would ridicule spending $12,000 for 35dB LESS SINAD in an el cheapo case. (TotalDAC?)

I appreciate the snark - but most of us recognize that the 0.5dB is not the real reason a financially well-off audiophile would buy the Mola Mola.

 

[mansr]

That group delay difference is not just latency. It is high frequencies more delayed than lower ones, aka phase shift.

With a linear phase filter, the delay is equal for all frequencies.

 

[audiophile]

35dB LESS SINAD

Is this audible?

 

[VintageFlanker]

Is this audible?

You probably noticed Amir's reviews are not ONLY about SINAD... In that specific case I would be worried more about the fucked-up IMD and SINAD vs Frequency... So, I guess it is.

 

[MRC01]

With a linear phase filter, the delay is equal for all frequencies.

When I measured mine, the sharp filter showed increasing group delay near the top of the passband, and the slow filter showed flat group delay, matching the the chip specifications. Their phase response shows corresponding differences. Both fast & slow linear phase filters have impulse response that is symmetric in time (before/after), where the minimum phase filters have asymmetric impulse response.
PS: I realize this violates the definition of "linear phase". I'm just reporting what the spec sheet said, and what I measured. With the WM8741, the slow roll off filters have linear phase response and flat group delay. The sharp filters do not (even though the spec sheet calls it "linear phase").

 

[JJB70]

Nobody needs a DAC like this.

The price is extremely high whichever way you look at it considering how little you need to pay for a transparent DAC. Once you achieve audible transparency then you have achieved the objective for a DAC.

I think if you want great build quality and support from a manufacturer with real provenance and great functionality which also performs superbly then RME do it all for an awful lot less, if you still want something a bit more expensive then Benchmark provide exceptionally well done DACs for an awful lot less than this one with market leading support and through life customer car.

I like premium build and superior design but I also think it should be balanced with what is delivered and even to access exceptional engineering and build this is very expensive.

So to be honest I really can't get excited about this, BUT, at least it does offer exceptional performance and is in a very different category to other boutique DACs from PS Audio, TotalDAC etc (and, God help us, Clueless.....).

 

[RayDunzl]

Nobody needs a DAC like this.

I'm glad I don't want one...

 

[Todesengel]

Nobody needs a DAC like this.

The price is extremely high whichever way you look at it considering how little you need to pay for a transparent DAC. Once you achieve audible transparency then you have achieved the objective for a DAC.

I like premium build and superior design but I also think it should be balanced with what is delivered and even to access exceptional engineering and build this is very expensive.

You know the best thing about a free market? The consumer can decide whether they want to purchase it or not. Judging the tenure of Mola Mola, I would say they are meeting their revenue goals and appropriately priced their gear for the target market they want.

I like the premium build and design of Bugattis but I think it should be balanced with what is delivered. Bugattis are very expensive considering a Tesla Model S has an even quicker 0-60 time and costs several orders of magnitude less.

So to be honest, I can't really even get excited about Bugattis. In fact if one was gifted to me I would probably just flat out decline it, the value proposition just isn't there and I don't want to feed the evil machine of capitalism

 

[JJB70]

You know the best thing about a free market? The consumer can decide whether they want to purchase it or not. Judging the tenure of Mola Mola, I would say they are meeting their revenue goals and appropriately priced their gear for the target market they want.

I like the premium build and design of Bugattis but I think it should be balanced with what is delivered. Bugattis are very expensive considering a Tesla Model S has an even quicker 0-60 time and costs several orders of magnitude less.

So to be honest, I can't really even get excited about Bugattis. In fact if one was gifted to me I would probably just flat out decline it, the value proposition just isn't there and I don't want to feed the evil machine of capitalism

Where did I question the right of a consumer to decide what they want to buy? If people want to blow $10k on a DAC that's entirely there choice. Personally I wouldn't buy a Bugatti either, although comparing a Bugatti with a Tesla is more equivalent to a comparison between vinyl and digital, yesterdays technology vs. todays technology.

But here's the thing, if I was to buy a Bugatti and I hired a track I could take it out and do stuff that would be impossible with a cheap city car. The 250mph+ top speed and acceleration are utterly pointless on a public road but it can nevertheless do it and the engineering necessary to do it isn't cheap. A £10k DAC on the other hand does nothing that cheap entry level DACs can't do and the differences in a level matched test between excellent and mediocre DACs are trivial even where discernible.

Personally, I see marked similarities between DACs and cables, there is a market for products in each category costing $$$$$$$$$$$$s and if people like audio jewellery then fair enough but I can't see the point.

 

[Todesengel]

Where did I question the right of a consumer to decide what they want to buy?

I never insinuated you questioned the consumer's right to buy what they want. You clearly stated that "Nobody needs a DAC like this" and went on to list various manufacturers that are cheaper who can't match the measured performance of the Tambaqui. My point was that there is clearly a market for the Tambaqui or it wouldn't exist.

But here's the thing, if I was to buy a Bugatti and I hired a track I could take it out and do stuff that would be impossible with a cheap city car.

The Tesla is a 'cheap city car' compared to the Bugatti. We are talking over an order of magnitude difference in price. Just like the Tambaqui is an order of magnitude more expensive than the cheaper DACs that can't match its performance.

I just think its funny to see people whine about pricing. What is the point? If you can't afford it or you can afford but don't see the value- then don't buy it.

 

[Deleted member 9286]

This is clearly a very well designed DAC, there’s no disputing that. The headphone out measurements were not SOTA though. I must admit I am surprised by the number of very positive comments on this thread, given the price and a couple of small short comings found.

The designer seems popular on here and I’m sure for good reason, but I can’t help thinking if this had been a Chord or PS Audio DAC measuring like this, the reception would have been luke warm at best, with most comments picking at the small short comings and claiming the price ridiculous.

One of the main reasons I came across to here from Headfi was being sick of people being up the backside of the designers who contributed there.

My hope is that more and more people who are beginning their hifi journey land at ASR early and get an objective view of a products value and performance. That’s not just down to Amir, it needs to be woven throughout the discussions too. Consistency is key I feel, no matter who the designer/manufacturer.

Ok, I’ll step off my box now.

 

[da Choge]

I haven't chimed into this thread, admittedly, because I haven't kept up with it recently and haven't read the last several days' of posts. But, for a brief period the Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC had the highest tested SINAD and it was #1 in the standings. And then it vanished. What happened? Was it taken off because it is so expensive? -- Maybe I need to read the rest of the previous posts that I've missed (but I've been so curious about why it's not there anymore that it caused me to enter this quite impulsive post tonight). It's omission from the master list, now, causes me some pause. Why was it removed? I assume there were some other valid reasons to take the Mola Mola off the SINAD ratings that I haven't caught up on as of yet, but I really hope it had nothing to do with pricing. I, for one, am all about value, but if some crazy over-priced component tests better than all the rest, it should still be acknowledged. Eliminating these "boutique" highly-priced components from being recognized on the charts (if they genuinely test that well), just gives the price-obsessed "audiophiles" more to complain about concerning the validity of ASR. I've been thinking about this for the past week, but only now posted. Of course, I may have had one too many martinis tonight . Someone, please, set me straight

 

[amirm]

@pozz is the chief editor.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I haven't chimed into this thread, admittedly, because I haven't kept up with it recently and haven't read the last several days' of posts. But, for a brief period the Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC had the highest tested SINAD and it was #1 in the standings. And then it vanished. What happened? Was it taken off because it is so expensive? -- Maybe I need to read the rest of the previous posts that I've missed (but I've been so curious about why it's not there anymore that it caused me to enter this quite impulsive post tonight). It's omission from the master list, now, causes me some pause. Why was it removed? I assume there were some other valid reasons to take the Mola Mola off the SINAD ratings that I haven't caught up on as of yet, but I really hope it had nothing to do with pricing. I, for one, am all about value, but if some crazy over-priced component tests better than all the rest, it should still be acknowledged. Eliminating these "boutique" highly-priced components from being recognized on the charts (if they genuinely test that well), just gives the price-obsessed "audiophiles" more to complain about concerning the validity of ASR. I've been thinking about this for the past week, but only now posted. Of course, I may have had one too many martinis tonight . Someone, please, set me straight

I don't think anyone is hiding anything regardless of cost on ASR. So I'm guessing a mistake.

 

[da Choge]

I don't think anyone is hiding anything regardless of cost on ASR. So I'm guessing a mistake.

I'll be the first to second that! I believe most everyone here just wants to figure out what is really is going on -- there's just so much diversity and disparity in good-to-high-end audio right now; some good, some bad; some really crazy. I love some of the high-end stuff (and I think others who maybe have purchased Mark Levinsons in the past, may have loved it too, at one time). We're all here to figure it out; what's worth it (despite our own individual affordabilty scales) and what's not. I'm a huge supporter of Amir's site ever since I discovered it. I'm just an electronics aficianado from a very young age and don't have the engineering expertise or credentials that many of you here have, so I appreciate this endeavor and all of your contributions and really hope it becomes a standard. So, @pozz, what about the Tambaqui; does it deserve a mention on the SINAD ratings?

- john

 

[Matias]

SINAD ranking maintained by pozz was outdated and currently being upgraded, so wait a few more days/weeks and it will be there, along with all the others.

The "problem" is our host measures so many devices that it is hard for volunteers to keep up.

 

[pozz]

@da Choge If you look at the master compilation threads you'll see there are notes attached saying the thread is on hold and another which says the date it was last updated.

SINAD ranking maintained by pozz was outdated and currently being upgraded, so wait a few more days/weeks and it will be there, along with all the others.

The "problem" is our host measures so many devices that it is hard for volunteers to keep up.

Exactly. I used a text-based index for reviews (just a long organized list in a thread, basically) and a spreadsheet for generating graphics. That become outmoded fast (within months).

At this point I just have to finish the initial data entry stage for the database, take a while to test it, and then create a front end. Expect one for measurements by the end of February, and one just for reviews soon. Beta versions in each case of course.