DACoff - Coventry Sunday 14th October

[ian917]

I'm looking to run a friendly comparison (1 hour each) of half a dozen DACs using CD and streamer. Room for 8 between 11:00 and 19:00. I will provide pizza, tea/coffee and fruit juice.

I have a few decent DACs - DiDiT 212SE, Bryston BDA-2, Chevron Audio ddDAC1794 and a DIY single board DDDAC - which we could use along with whatever attendees want to bring along. We can decide what to use closer to the day.

Attendees:
Ian (ian917) -> DiDiT 212SE + Bryston BDA-2 + Phison PD2SE
Nick (fourlegs) -> Chord DAVE
Des (hap hazzard) + Colin -> Chevron Audio ddDAC1794S + possibly Colin's latest prototype DAC
Spencer (spen ago) -> DIY DDDAC with RPi
Jayce (black_flag PFM) -> Bricasti M1SE + Phasure NOS1a
Cameron (dohraeme) -> Meitner MA1
Wayne (crimsondonkey) -> Custom DDDAC

 

[Fourlegs]

Great idea. Put me down please.

I can bring Chord Dave DAC and then add in the Chord Blu Mk 2 MScaler. As an aside I can show the effect of changing the digital cables between the Dave and MScaler (that only takes 4 minutes to convert non believers).

Unfortunately wouldn't be able to stay the full time because I have something later in the afternoon.

 

[Hap Hazzard]

I'd be interested in this Ian917.  

Meatball Pizza .  

 

[whitehart]

Bit too far for me to travel, but will be interested in outcome

Mac

 

[Fourlegs]

I have a few decent DACs - DiDiT 212SE, Bryston BDA-2, Chevron Audio ddDAC1794 and a DIY single board DDDAC

Out of interest what is the rest of your system?

 

[Hap Hazzard]

 

Out of interest what is the rest of your system?



 

xD  

He's in selling / clearout mode again, but you can guarantee it will be good.  :^

 

[Spen ago]

Hi Ian, please can I come along? Thanks to your advice I have just taken on Des's DDDAC so I could bring that, but you might have that angle covered. I am over the moon with it, coupled with the i2s connected Pi with Roon makes a huge difference to my system, so I owe you one yoda

 

[ian917]

Hi Ian, please can I come along? Thanks to your advice I have just taken on Des's DDDAC so I could bring that, but you might have that angle covered. I am over the moon with it, coupled with the i2s connected Pi with Roon makes a huge difference to my system, so I owe you one yoda

Bring your DDDAC. 

 

[eddie-baby]

op:

This could be interesting, can we have a full report please  :^  

 

[Hap Hazzard]

Colin has been playing around with a few things on his twist on the DDDAC, he asked if i wanted to try them a little while back to evaluate and feedback to him, so i may take him up on it if he still has the time to change them. He may want to come, i'll ask him. I could also bring my Helios 1 cdp converted to DAC only, but it may not be in the same league as the rest of the company of dacs but who knows i still like it. It uses a Crystal 4328 chip from around 1999. It might be good to see how if anything, things might have moved on.

Des.

 

[Hap Hazzard]

op:

This could be interesting, can we have a full report please  :^  

Ian can do the review, he can write properly  He wrote a good DAC review before on here and he knows his own system best.

 

[ian917]

Colin has been playing around with a few things on his twist on the DDDAC, he asked if i wanted to try them a little while back to evaluate and feedback to him, so i may take him up on it if he still has the time to change them. He may want to come, i'll ask him. I could also bring my Helios 1 cdp converted to DAC only, but it may not be in the same league as the rest of the company of dacs but who knows i still like it. It uses a Crystal 4328 chip from around 1999. It might be good to see how if anything, things might have moved on.

Des.

Do you know what he's planning to change? 

Colin is most welcome anytime.

 

[ian917]

Ian can do the review, he can write properly  He wrote a good DAC review before on here and he knows his own system best.

My system is undergoing major change but it is sounding pretty good atm.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

You should try and get a loan PS Audio direct stream DAC for your event, as it’s close to the DAVE according to my friend who has tried both. Takes everything to dsd. Ive had the DAVE on my system but my mate is going to come over soon with the ps audio. 

Id love to come and I could bring my Qutest and PSU and cyrus dac xp Signature but I’m in Sussex and too far away. If there is a way around it I will come.

When you do the tests a good idea is to give everyone the chance to hear the same tracks just for a minute or so, as it’s often difficult in these bake-offs with lots of people chatting etc. Also decent familiarity with the ‘base dac’ before you swap over . The difficulty of familiarity narrows the gap which otherwise doesn’t exist on your own kit you know really well, which is a problem in drawing any consensus. 

 

[Hap Hazzard]

Do you know what he's planning to change? 

Colin is most welcome anytime.

I'm not too sure Ian, the last time i spoke to him, he asked me if i wanted to try some changes to my Dac as he was trying out some new mods to it that he was finding may change the sound a bit, i think he wanted an opinon as to whether i found it better or just different in my system. At that time i think my system was packed away due to decoration, so i couldn't take the offer up, but i'll chat to him soon to see if we can maybe revisit it again.

I'll let Colin know about the invite, but i know he likes to play golf on Sundays, so i'll give him advance warning. :^

 

[Fourlegs]

You should try and get a loan PS Audio direct stream DAC for your event, as it’s close to the DAVE according to my friend who has tried both. Takes everything to dsd. Ive had the DAVE on my system but my mate is going to come over soon with the ps audio.

When you do the tests a good idea is to give everyone the chance to hear the same tracks just for a minute or so, as it’s often difficult in these bake-offs with lots of people chatting etc. Also decent familiarity with the ‘base dac’ before you swap over . The difficulty of familiarity narrows the gap which otherwise doesn’t exist on your own kit you know really well, which is a problem in drawing any consensus. 

A PS Audio directstream would be interesting. I have heard one (Redcloud firmware) side by side against my Dave and preferred the Dave by some margin but the PS Audio is a fine DAC.

Agreed that selecting two or three tracks to be used throughout the day is a good idea.

Really looking forward to it.

I forgot to mention that the Colston Bassett Stilton dairy is near my house so I will bring some as a present from Leicestershre (well I am in Leicestershire but the dairy only half a mile away is in Nottinghamshire).

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

I reckon you are right on the chord and reading between the lines of what I’ve read too.

But if you own the chord you are probably not going to say the ps audio at a lower price is better or very similar, and equally like my friend, if you own the ps audio you want it to be as good as the chord so you’d be playing down differences.

He was kind of saying the chord was better marginally, which tends to mean it is better, when you account human reasons like the above.

I wonder if you could get any other DAC reputed at a similar level, that in a bake off people reach a consensus it is better than the chord?

 

[ian917]

I've opened it up to PFM as there doesn't seem to be enough interest here.

 

[Hap Hazzard]

Colin is most welcome anytime.  

Talked to Colin, he said he'll come with me.  :^ Thanks.