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Singxer SDA-2 DAC and Headphone Amplifier Review

gvl

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No, it is 44.1 kHz. If you look at the DAC chip specs, you see almost all of them target 24 kHz bandwidth for 44.1 kHz sampling. This allows them to use a more gentle filter.

Aliasing is not a huge issue here since music content doesn't have a lot of amplitude above 20 kHz so not much reflects back.

Is it a compromise to reduce ringing to keep audiophiles happy?
 

ayane

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Here is the AKM datasheet:
View attachment 36854
Wow. That stopband is just asinine. It's not even 24.0 kHz.

I think we're better off upsampling to 50 kHz or higher in software and then playing it on the DAC. I'm actually curious how much of an improvement the SINAD would have with a better filter or using client-side resampling.
 

Blumlein 88

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Pretty good bordering on great results. Value for the money is pretty off the charts.

I know what Shenzhen audio needs however. They are bollockings up a most important part of their products.

Each one needs an older guy, almost like a monk of some sort. Living high in a mountain temple. Doing videos explaining the philosophy of life and nature that leads to such products. How the amalgamation of modern technology and Eastern sensitivities is coming together for the first time to allow products like this to be born and go forth into the audio wilderness to show the way. A running story of a search ending in finding just what one needs right where one looked. Assuming one looks in the right place.
 

bequietjk

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Nice to see a Singxer product high up on the list ^.^

Thank you, Amir!
 

ZeDestructor

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It's so odd most all filters aim for 24 kHz ... I guess, not an audible issue? There remains the 'why', though.

Related to movies perhaps? DVD, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD all seem to use 24bit/48kHz as the sampling rate and bit depth of choice, regardless of codec and channel count.
 

Veri

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Related to movies perhaps? DVD, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD all seem to use 24bit/48kHz as the sampling rate and bit depth of choice, regardless of codec and channel count.
Then they will use the filters for 48Khz though :) Amir measured the 44k filters. That's what makes it weird!
 

Sabotender

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Thanks Amirm.

Tell me what version of the DAC you had in testing ?

Note:
Standard version: SDA-2A, USB part of the clock using the United States ACCUSILICON femtosecond crystal oscillator AS318, with rubber feet;
Advanced version: SDA-2C, USB part of the clock uses the US Crystek femtosecond crystal oscillator CCHD-575, with solid aluminum pad;
 

Veri

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Thanks Amirm.

Tell me what version of the DAC you had in testing ?

Note:
Standard version: SDA-2A, USB part of the clock using the United States ACCUSILICON femtosecond crystal oscillator AS318, with rubber feet;
Advanced version: SDA-2C, USB part of the clock uses the US Crystek femtosecond crystal oscillator CCHD-575, with solid aluminum pad;

I think the feet are solid aluminium here. Not rubber feet.
 

Sabotender

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I think the feet are solid aluminium here. Not rubber feet.
Thanks. Apparently it is. I didn't pay attention to this point in the description.
I think this DAC will be a good choice when connecting it to a PC, because a competent USB input is implemented.
 

Music1969

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Wow. That stopband is just asinine. It's not even 24.0 kHz.

I think we're better off upsampling to 50 kHz or higher in software and then playing it on the DAC. I'm actually curious how much of an improvement the SINAD would have with a better filter or using client-side resampling.

Maybe @WolfX-700 could test this?

He saw measured SINAD improvement when Holo Spring 2 DAC was fed DSD256.
 

ayane

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He saw measured SINAD improvement when Holo Spring 2 DAC was fed DSD256.
I'm starting to think that incompetent filter design is holding back SINAD too, not just the analog stage. Benchmark is the only company that produces a DAC with a reliable filter as far as I know. A DAC with multiple selectable filters is really a toy and not a serious DAC. The only "choice" between filters, if there is one, should be high accuracy (for playback) and low-latency (for real-time applications like MIDI or monitoring).
 

Veri

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A DAC with multiple selectable filters is really a toy and not a serious DAC. The only "choice" between filters, if there is one, should be high accuracy (for playback) and low-latency (for real-time applications like MIDI or monitoring).
I really do agree :)
 
Last edited:

Migel83

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When you must compare,what Dac/amp are better this amp or the Questyle Cma400i?
The two amps i find are technical not bad,use the same Akm chip.But the Amp section are different.

what do think about?
 

someAudioDude

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I bought this unit and I don't know what to think of it. It sounds stellar via XLR output, the single ended output is not good at all which I think is kinda normal if it's a truly balanced design? The single ended output buzzes which is audible in my headphones, I don't understand why it's not mentioned anywhere. The buzz seems to be exactly the same buzz which is coming from the unit itself, probably from the transformer. Strangely the buzz isn't audible via XLR.

What is quite strange is that the unit is really warm all the time even if it's in standby mode it's warm as a radiator. Is this normal? The only way to actually switch it off is to press the switch on the backside.

All in all I'm not sure what to do maybe i should send it back. I can't find an all in one balanced dac/amp with a preamp. Would gladly buy the topping dx7pro but the output impedance is a joke (like seriously, what the f. is this?) and I have a fostex massdrop which has a low impedance so it doesn't seem like a good match from what I understand.
 

Veri

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I bought this unit and I don't know what to think of it. It sounds stellar via XLR output, the single ended output is not good at all which I think is kinda normal if it's a truly balanced design? The single ended output buzzes which is audible in my headphones, I don't understand why it's not mentioned anywhere. The buzz seems to be exactly the same buzz which is coming from the unit itself, probably from the transformer. Strangely the buzz isn't audible via XLR.

What is quite strange is that the unit is really warm all the time even if it's in standby mode it's warm as a radiator. Is this normal? The only way to actually switch it off is to press the switch on the backside.

All in all I'm not sure what to do maybe i should send it back. I can't find an all in one balanced dac/amp with a preamp. Would gladly buy the topping dx7pro but the output impedance is a joke (like seriously, what the f. is this?) and I have a fostex massdrop which has a low impedance so it doesn't seem like a good match from what I understand.

Topping A90 with any good DAC(doesn't need to be too expensive) should give stellar amp and pre-amp. If it's in your budget. If you can return the SDA I would go this route.
 
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