DAC Archives - Positive Feedback

The Invisible DAC: My Listening Impressions of the dCS Varèse System

Lee Scoggins — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:55:50 +0000

The dCS Varèse DAC For some time now, I have enjoyed visiting my friend Scott Carpenter who owns Evolution Hi-Fi in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia. As my friends will tell you, I am a frequent visitor of hi-ﬁ shops, and I have a deep passion for the latest technology. Fortunately, Scott is not... Read More »

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Imersiv D1 DAC (now in Beta) and Audeze CRBN2 Headphones

Bob Katz — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 00:57:44 +0000

Bob Katz at work wearing the Audeze CRBN 2 Headphones, a portrait. (Photograph by Mary Kent.) Introduction Today I'm reviewing two remarkable products, both of which represent a new audio paradigm and a veritable redefinition of the state of the art! I know, this is an old audio cliché, but in this case I think... Read More »

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Euphony Audio's Stylus OS 4.0 (RC 24), in Combination with Mozzaik Upsampler, S.M.S.L.'s VMV D2R DAC, and a Peek at Exciting New Upcoming Euphony Hardware

Tom Gibbs — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 21:14:39 +0000

Over a decade ago, the late John Sunier of Audiophile Audition called me with a hardware review offer for the original AURALiC Aries streamer. I was clueless as to what a streamer was or what it was supposed to do, John was unable to offer any explanation of its function to me, and I only... Read More »

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Waters on the Hardware: The Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC

Dean Waters — Thu, 02 May 2024 19:43:42 +0000

Dean Waters at the Pacific Audio Fest, 2023: a portrait with cigar (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) The Tambaqui from Mola Mola represents the finest in high end DACs available for the serious audiophile who's looking for a no-compromise solution for digital-to-analog bliss. I've been listening to the Tambaqui for the last... Read More »

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Topping A90 Discrete Preamplifier/Headphone Amp Offers Exceptional and Affordable Performance

Tom Gibbs — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 17:14:39 +0000

Mid last year, I reviewed the Topping E70 Velvet DAC, which is a Delta-Sigma design that in my view offered astounding performance at a surprisingly low price point. Most of my love of the E70 Velvet revolved around its very cool implementation of the recent new production AKM chipsets, and its use of AKM's Velvet... Read More »

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Cen.Grand DSDAC1.0

John Hoffman — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 20:37:05 +0000

Digital playback technology is now commonly viewed as a mature field, where groundbreaking discoveries have already occurred, and the consumer can expect a higher level of performance, more features, and a lower price tag as the industry moves forward. After all, the first digital PCM recording was created in 1971 by NHK, and Sony and... Read More »

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PS Audio DirectStream DAC MK2

Dave Clark — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 21:14:17 +0000

"As good as it gets?" I dunno know anymore. Every time we get something here to listen to, and possibly review, we sit there and think just that. Which of course, we thought that the last time… that it was as good as it could get, but now, this time, it is better than that,... Read More »

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The Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD Player - Unicorn Sighting!

Jeff Day — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 22:01:16 +0000

Greeting friends, I hope you are doing well! This article is about the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player ($30,850 USD), a CD player that rewrites what kind of performance I thought was possible from CD players and the Red Book CD format. A unicorn is a mythical creature of ancient lore:... Read More »

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The iFi Neo Stream DAC - A Modern Musical Marvel for the Money!

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 22:21:21 +0000

The iFi Neo Stream network audio streamer is a sterling representation of smart audio design, boasting an open, musical delivery from a simple and compact chassis sporting clean angular lines and functional features. As such, it's a gleaming 21st Century take on form meets function, melding well with the natural and industrial elements of a... Read More »

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Topping E70 Velvet DAC: Bringing Delta-Sigma Playback of Native DSD to a Higher Level

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 29 May 2023 17:35:51 +0000

Back in February, I received a series of unsettling emails from Dalibor Kasac, my contact at Euphony Audio in Croatia, telling me about a discovery they'd made concerning how ESS Pro delta-sigma DAC chips process native DSD. And that Euphony had gotten a couple of the new Topping E70 Velvet DACs that incorporated the newest... Read More »

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The Grace Design m900: Vilfredo Pareto's Favorite "Budget" USB DAC

John Marks — Fri, 05 May 2023 22:59:24 +0000

The Grace m900 USB DAC Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) was an Italian civil engineer, sociologist, and economist. Pareto was primarily responsible for shifting the focus of economics from theories of "moral philosophy" to being a data-driven social science. Pareto was the first to use the term "elite" in economic and social analysis and criticism. Vilfredo Pareto... Read More »

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The Purity Audio Design J-DAC - A Customized Spin on Analog Sound!

Juan C. Ayllon — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 21:13:09 +0000

Dialing in this DAC conjures an enchanted eye exam—however, instead of an optometrist switching lenses in a phoropter and asking, "Better or worse?", you swap 12AU7 tubes and focus on how they affect your music experience. As with eyeglasses, the optimal fit varies with each individual. It depends on a variety of factors—the room's acoustics,... Read More »

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Wide Open Spaces - Canor Audio DAC 2.10

Michael Laurance — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 20:51:21 +0000

It used to be that when traveling out of state, I would tell people I was from Chicago. But in reality, it couldn't be further from the truth. I live in a suburb more than an hour north of Chicago and largely avoid going into the city. Lately, I have begun to be more truthful,... Read More »

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HIFIMAN EF400 DAC/Headphone Amplifier

Malcolm J. Gomes — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 20:30:50 +0000

One of the more commercially successful combinations in the audiophile sphere, over the past decade, has been the amplifier/digital to analog converter combo. You can now choose this combo component from dozens of brands from prices that vary very widely from a few hundred dollars for a basic, no-frills component, to models like the Boulder... Read More »

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Downsizing Journey Update: Four Years with the Playback Designs MPD-8

Rushton Paul — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 20:19:42 +0000

We started our downsizing journey four years ago. I've written about that journey in four parts beginning HERE. I thought that after four years of experience with our all-digital, headphones-only listening system, an update might be worth sharing. As we headed into the realm of digital-files-only listening, my heels were dug firmly into the dirt trying... Read More »

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Matrix Audio X-SABRE 3 DAC/Streamer

John Hoffman — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 17:43:56 +0000

The world of digital audio progresses through a perpetual cycle of change, with a continual improvement process occurring that allows a listener to experience a degree of sonic excellence that was only hinted at when the compact disc was first introduced. In some cases these changes are driven by increasing sophistication of chip sets or... Read More »

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Swiss with a Flourish! The Merason frerot DAC

Larry Cox — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 22:06:20 +0000

Together in Bits and Pieces. First Bit. The least expensive way to get great sound out of your system is to "cheat." Don't buy new gear, buy really well recorded music. The sound your system exhibited with pedestrian recordings will now sound much better, because the source is literally better. This is no joke. Sure,... Read More »

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The New Apartment Lounge: Mola Mola's Grooving Tambaqui DAC

Maurice Jeffries — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 19:55:25 +0000

Design as Art Readers who've followed this column know that I hold Dutch firm Mola Mola's svelte line of hip twenty-first century electronics in extremely high regard. Elegant in form, compact in dimensions, pragmatically intuitive in set-up and day-to-day operation, and blessed with reference-caliber sonics, the Mola Mola lineup offers just about everything the audiophile... Read More »

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iFi xDSD Gryphon Portable DAC and Headphone Amp

Michael Wechsberg — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 17:46:10 +0000

iFi Audio has been on my radar for a couple of years mainly due to the excellent reviews for their affordable DACs, streamers, amps, and other digital accessories. The digital portion of my home audio system is currently in a transition phase. I had to give up my reference AURALIC Vega DAC, reviewed in Positive... Read More »

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iFi Audio GO blu - Another Perspective

Francisco Duran — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:29:26 +0000

Did you ever see an audio product that you thought you didn't need but once you looked into it you just had to have it? Such is the case with the iFi GO blu. As of late I have been rethinking my headphone/amp set up, and leaning more to adding an amp than a DAC.... Read More »

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Musician Audio's Draco DAC

John Hoffman — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:09:11 +0000

In the realm of digital to analog converters there has been an ongoing trend of increasingly advanced circuitry, the addition of layer upon layer of "lifestyle" convenience features, and the promise of higher sound quality at increasingly lower prices. Certainly this sounds like the best of times for the cost conscious audiophile, but is that... Read More »

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iFi GO blu Mobile Bluetooth Headphone Amp/DAC

Malcolm J. Gomes — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 21:35:22 +0000

"Honey, I shrunk the headphone amplifier and DAC," is what the engineers at iFi probably told their marketing counterparts when they first showed them the prototype of the GO blu, and that is hardly an overstatement! When I received the GO blu in the mail, and unpacked the unit, I encountered a component that is... Read More »

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Impressions: Final notes on the aqua Formula xHD Rev. 2 DAC

David W. Robinson — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 16:43:27 +0000

Ye Olde Editor lighting a contemplative stick: a portrait. Spring, 2021, Happy Valley, OR. (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde Himself.) The past year…another year of the plague…has been a very tragic time for humankind in general, and quite strange here at PF Central. I've known very many who've been seriously ill... Read More »

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Questyle M12 Mobile Phone Headphone Amp and DAC - Great HiFi On the Go

Juan C. Ayllon — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 17:32:20 +0000

Chances are, you spend a lot of time either behind a desk, on a computer, or out and about without access to a quality home high fidelity stereo. Or, if you're like me this past season, your system is out of commission, tucked away in storage while renovations are being performed in your home. That's... Read More »

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Meitner Audio MA3 Integrated Hi-Res DAC

Editors at Positive Feedback — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 22:11:15 +0000

Outstanding performance and value! Review By Phil Gold With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music where Phil Gold shares his thoughts on the Meitner Audio MA3 Integrated Hi-Res DAC. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief The industry is converging around integrated digital front ends—something to access streaming services such as Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify,... Read More »

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