level 9
VERY GOOD STUFF
#1
Audio GD Master 7 (i2s from OR5 with USB cut +5V line and AMB Sigma11 power supply feeding the OR5)
#1
Bricasti M1 (USB)
#2
Berkeley Alpha Series 2 (Alpha USB or OR5)
#3
PS Audio PWD2 (AES from Lynx / i2s from OR5 USB Converter / Coax from a Vintage Denon CDP)
#4
PS Audio PWD2 (USB)
#5
Audio GD Master 7 (USB - new 8/14/2014 driver and firmware)
The new USB driver and firmware update is a significant improvement over the original USB firmware the DAC came with. I did not believe it possible, but Kingwa has pulled it off. The stridency, mushy bass, and just the overall feel of "the USB sucks" is now gone. I'd say it's now the equivalent of a decent USB to SPDIF converter solution. Tonally, everything now seems right. It is also slightly more open (deeper stage) and lively sounding. This makes the Master 7 a serious consideration even without an expensive converter or transport.
#5
Audio GD Master 7 (Coax OR5 or vintage Denon CDP)
Vocals to die for! Great bass pitch differentiation and texture while being able to sustain power. Natural treble, if not a little rolled in the air region. Best vocals of any DAC we've heard here to date (along with the Metrum and Gungnir). Very engaging, lively, seductive vocal harmonics. Rich in natural vocal timbre. Perhaps a a bit warmer sound as you might find with typical R2R DACs. The transparency window opens up with both USB and PS upgrades on the front end of I2S/AES converters. Without the OR5 i2s, the soundstage was pushed very far back and compressed in terms of depth; and the imaging is not as stable and precise as the above DACs.
GOOD STUFF
#6
Schiit Gungnir Gen2 USB Board (USB)
#7
Auralic Vega (USB EXACT Clock)
#8
Lynx Hilo (USB)
#8
Auralic Vega (USB Coarse / Fine Clock)
#9
Schiit Bifrost Uber Gen 2 USB (USB)
#10
Schiit Gungnir Gen1 USB Board (USB)
#11
Audio GD Master 7 (USB - older firmware)
#11
Lavry DA11 (USB)
#11
Matrix X-Sabre (USB)
Dynamic, precise tight rendering of midrange and treble. Clear sounding with great blackground. Good openness with wide imaging not quite as tight or deep as the best DACs in the list. Highly resolving: better than DA11 and Gungnir above and matching M51. Overall tonality tends toward the very slightly lean side and only in comparison to most the other DACs in this list. Solid piece of aluminum can be used as a weapon. A rather polite and laid back sounding DAC; however as with all SABRE based DACs, there are issues with the treble and bass rendering: the mid/high treble is spitty, the bass while quick, explosive and punchy, tends to lack pitch differentiation and texture. Personally, I didn't have much trouble with the X-Sabre's treble rendering, but I know others who had. Feeding the X-Sabre DSD via DoP sounds slightly better. We recommend converting PCM content to DSD. Don't let the relatively low personal ranking of ours discourage you from trying the X-Sabre out, especially if you are OK with the current sigma-delta DAC kind of sound.
#12
AMB Gamma2 (USB)
#12
Metrum Quad (Coax or OR5)
2016年01月12日 03点01分
