Weiss DAC501 Streamer and DAC Review

[Overseas]

I kid you not but first of all I am grateful to the owner for the lending the 10k beast for testing. Fun around pricing is inevitable but having access to a 3rd party test done by Amir (100tx!) is great.

 

[chesebert]

But how does it sound as a dac - arguably the most important aspect of a piece of equipment meant for home audio reproduction? The headphone out is just an afterthought like dCS and Chord dacs, so that portion of the listening impression can be safely disregarded.

 

[amirm]

Any additional updates?

Nothing to report yet other than an idea of trying something in the way I am measuring... Haven't had time to try it yet. Hope to do so today.

 

[amirm]

But how does it sound as a dac - arguably the most important aspect of a piece of equipment meant for home audio reproduction? The headphone out is just an afterthought like dCS and Chord dacs, so that portion of the listening impression can be safely disregarded.

The DAC is what drives the headphone amp so I am testing both. It sounds excellent if you don't push the headphone amp (and hence only hearing the DAC). As I reported in the review though, there is no special sauce that I am hearing.

 

[chesebert]

The DAC is what drives the headphone amp so I am testing both. It sounds excellent if you don't push the headphone amp (and hence only hearing the DAC). As I reported in the review though, there is no special sauce that I am hearing.

You can do way better on the amp side. Why don't you run the dac in your speaker setup? How does the dac sound compared with Mola Mola or Linn Akurate DSM?

 

[617]

Can I filter the reviews page to exclude DACs

 

[amirm]

You can do way better on the amp side. Why don't you run the dac in your speaker setup?

Because that is a much less accurate way to determine fidelity when it comes to small impairments. My headphones block outside noise, and let me turn up volume to levels that are not possible with a speaker system. These enable you to hear deep into small details of what is being played. For this reason, headphones are almost exclusively used in audio research into such things as audio compression. Don't listen to lay audiophiles who claim speakers are better, and that they are hearing this and that imaging. Those are fantasies.

 

[Timcognito]

Can I filter the reviews page to exclude DACs

On the review page click on audio electronics in the header, then click on device types at the top of the first column and everything will group alphabetically. That's the best one can do.

 

[Tano]

A DAC with built-in EQ is nice for those of us who don’t use a computer as a source.

However this is way overpriced. An RME ADI-2 DAC is a much more affordable option.

As you said, the ADI 2 is a way better and cheaper option. You still can get a good streamer and buy a car with the leftover money.

 

[bmwr75]

I can think of 9500+ reasons not to buy this unit.

 

[MadRiver]

I also bought a Weiss DAC205 in June. But it was shipped to me in June and I've been happily listening to it since then. I got a call from Vintage King at that time asking if there was anything I was interested in. It turns out that I was interested in replacing a Chord Qutest with the DAC205 and using its XLR output and maximum 7.5 volts into a Benchmark HPA4 and AHB2, with the AHB2 on the lowest gain setting. (Qutest, into an RCA input of the HPA4 "sounded better" at 2v vs. its maximum 3v. Going between the lowest and middle gain settings on the AHB2, I settled on middle. It seemed to sound better.) Anyway, subjectively, I think it's great. I had been using a Denafrips Iris DDC even with the Qutest, despite the Qutest's USB input. Music seemed to sound better using the Iris vs. USB directly into the Qutest. (I don't dare mention changes in power supplies, cables, etc.!!!) I was surprised to see that the price has been jacked up so dramatically. Vintage King sold it to me for $1350! Maybe I should flip it. Amir: Give it some good measurements, please!!!!!!

Nice to hear your feedback. I listened to it all day today and liked what I heard. Simplest setup: Old Denon DCD-3520 CDP SPDIF> DAC205 XLR> Neumann kh310. No attenuation or pre. and mostly Chesky recordings - I was enthralled. Then I switched back and forth from to the Topping E30 - the difference might have been imagined, but with the Weiss I didn't feel fatigued, and the woodwinds and upright bass sounded more like wood. Regardless of how testing turns out, I'm happy with it for what I paid - the body of Weiss's work and contributions to the industry add some value. I am hoping this gets sorted out. Pricing on the other hand... c'mon.

 

[MacClintock]

Nice to hear your feedback. I listened to it all day today and liked what I heard. Simplest setup: Old Denon DCD-3520 CDP SPDIF> DAC205 XLR> Neumann kh310. No attenuation or pre. and mostly Chesky recordings - I was enthralled. Then I switched back and forth from to the Topping E30 - the difference might have been imagined, but with the Weiss I didn't feel fatigued, and the woodwinds and upright bass sounded more like wood. Regardless of how testing turns out, I'm happy with it for what I paid - the body of Weiss's work and contributions to the industry add some value. I am hoping this gets sorted out. Pricing on the other hand... c'mon.

There it is, we finally have it, "fatigue", one of the most beloved words of the subjectivists. Maybe you should work out more?

 

[MadRiver]

There it is, we finally have it, "fatigue", one of the most beloved words of the subjectivists. Maybe you should work out more?

A kazoo in your ear, objectively or subjectively fatiguing? I walked right into ridicule for that choice of words here. Consider a different context that is not subjective for an individual. As someone with tinnitus and misophonia sounds can be genuinely "fatiguing", sometimes maddening - I wouldn't wish these conditions on anyone. It's changed how and what I can listen to and prompted me to look for change my equipment recently to and enjoy recordings again. Yes, it might be psychological, or a difference in gain that could be worked out to make both DACs equal, or maybe some form of compression, or details omitted in conversion that makes sounds feel less like noise for some ears. Part of the value of this forum is being able to see a measured result to help sort some of this out objectively, to the extent that it can be done on the equipment side, as some of us work on the listener and hearing side. E.g. horns gone, Neumanns in, less hearing fatigue.
More than just rhetoric, I think we see terms like 'fatique' show up so frequently in part because aging and hearing and our own sound processing issues are a strong factor in the market - I am sure there is a strong correlation with age and people willing to spend crazy dollars trying to chase an experience with listening they may never get back fully or to reduce the effects of conditions like misophonia. This makes a lot high-dollar 'audiophilia' seem kind of sad and enables some of these crazy prices we see such as the product that was reviewed here.

 

[voodooless]

So, if the DAC section costs < 2000~2500, why does a CPU, a DSP and some networking chips cost another 7500~8000 ?

 

[JSmith]

So, if the DAC section costs < 2000~2500, why does a CPU, a DSP and some networking chips cost another 7500~8000 ?

Big houses, nice boats, a few Porsches in the garage... that sort of thing.


JSmith

 

[Purité Audio]

Just like any other properly engineered dac.
Keith

Nice to hear your feedback. I listened to it all day today and liked what I heard. Simplest setup: Old Denon DCD-3520 CDP SPDIF> DAC205 XLR> Neumann kh310. No attenuation or pre. and mostly Chesky recordings - I was enthralled. Then I switched back and forth from to the Topping E30 - the difference might have been imagined, but with the Weiss I didn't feel fatigued, and the woodwinds and upright bass sounded more like wood. Regardless of how testing turns out, I'm happy with it for what I paid - the body of Weiss's work and contributions to the industry add some value. I am hoping this gets sorted out. Pricing on the other hand... c'mon.

Sadly most likely your imagination, one of the very first unsighted/level matched comparisons I made was between a Weiss Medea ( their then top of the range dac) and a Benchmark dac3 it was revelatory.
If you know which dac you are listening to you will never make a valid comparison.
Keith

 

[daniboun]

Nice to hear your feedback. I listened to it all day today and liked what I heard. Simplest setup: Old Denon DCD-3520 CDP SPDIF> DAC205 XLR> Neumann kh310. No attenuation or pre. and mostly Chesky recordings - I was enthralled. Then I switched back and forth from to the Topping E30 - the difference might have been imagined, but with the Weiss I didn't feel fatigued, and the woodwinds and upright bass sounded more like wood. Regardless of how testing turns out, I'm happy with it for what I paid - the body of Weiss's work and contributions to the industry add some value. I am hoping this gets sorted out. Pricing on the other hand... c'mon.

In essence, when we compare two elements without measurements, we remain in the most total subjectivity. And I reassure you this is normal behavior) The reason for ASR's existence is also to help us distinguish the true from the false, and to erase any subjective nuance thanks to theoretical arguments.
I suggest you wait for Amir's review of the DAC205 )

I remember having this same attitude when I listened to the Premium Audio Mini Gan... and a few months later it was tested by Amir... I understood my mistake)

 

[Kegemusha]

It seems to be a Weiss DAC 501/502 MK2 out, no way I will pay these prices for Swiss tech, I rather to buy a fondue from there instead.

 

[daniboun]

Found something interesting )

But before continuing, I share what was said by Daniel Weiss: "Both DAC204 / DAC205 use the same DAC board.
For the S/PDIF inputs we use the S/PDIF receiver built into the DAC chip. The DAC chip has an async SRC built in. We use that for de-jittering purposes.
As for the USB input the master clock comes from our USB interface. The USB interface is connected via I2S to the DAC chip which again uses the SRC for de-jittering.
So the USB interface may be better in terms of jitter performance – although that depends on the S/PDIF signal source. If that is low jitter then the S/PDIF input can also be very good."

So after some research : DAC502 is based on ESS 9038 PRO and the DA205 on ES9018S.
You will see that the Jitter performance of the DA204 is not good via the USB port

In my humble opinion the $2500 announced for the DA205 is not worth the effort).....

Full measurements here :

Source :

Weiss DAC204 Measurements - GoldenSound

The Weiss DAC204 is much more affordable than the 502, but unfortunately the surprisingly mediocre performance makes it tough to justify.

goldensound.audio

WEISS DAC204 :

 

[ocinn]

True but the price is more $1600 + Measurement and correction via Dirac Live requires the use of a MiniDSP UMIK-1 microphone sold separately
Ain't sure the DIRAC live licence is included as well....
But anyway, a good alternative.

For USD $1299 (to my door) the SHD comes with the UMIK1, and full fledged Dirac… not sure where the $1600 number comes from.

The Flex doesn’t have streaming nor true 2-way Dirac processing (meaning Dirac Bass Control and Active Room Treatment are totally out of the picture) even under future updates.

Not saying the flex is a bad product, I have one, but that the SHD is the clear best competitor to this.