Paradisea+ just arrived - Page 2

Hi,
I have no interest in USB. Do you know when the V2 will be available? A model with "first come first served" switching for all inputs like the Great March 2 would be nice also - but I guess you can't have everything.
Thanks

A good DAC will have "soul" whether it's NOS, oversampling, or upsampling. The reason you didn't like Bel Canto DAC-2 'may' be because it's an upsampling (asynchronous) DAC, not b/c of "oversampling" per se.

My favorite DAC's are non-upsampling (especially asychronous to 92kHz, 192kHz, etc) but use simple "oversampling."

Thanks for the heads-up. I sent them an e-mail earlier today but have yet to get a reply.
BTW - on a scale of 1-10 how happy are you with your new acquisition?

Hi Jon,

What would those favorite DAC be and what DAC do you currently own?

Thanks!

Paul

I tend to like DAC's and CDP's with digital input that were made before the current trend of asynchronous upsampling.

These would include some Krells (KPS20 series, Reference 64 DA), Accuphase DP75V/65V, even the older Theta's. These tend to have very solid, dense sounds with tremendous detail and textures. They won't have the typical highly-asynch-upsampled (overly)"airy" and (unrealistically) liquid sound.

Some of the newer DAC's/CDP's that can upsample I like tend to use synchronous upsampling (88.2, 176.4kHz, etc) rather than asynchronous (96, 192, etc) and include Esoteric P03, Dodson 218, Gryphon, Meitner.

All these are very expensive, and I would probably never buy one even if I had the money b/c improvements you get per dollar spent is WAY less for digital than amp/speakers.

What do I use currently? Oritek Zhaolu with AD1852 DAC board. Is it as good as Meitner? Come on... This thing is like $400. However, I have no problem assembling a system around it (speaker and headphone) that is as musically satisfying as I can reasonably ask for... And yes, it also is a simple oversampling DAC.

Actually, to my taste and other who have tried it, the best is the Bendix 6385, however its very difficult to find and very expensive when you do find one. Compared to the we396a it gives a "cleaner" sound, instruments are better defined in the soundstage, a bit more detail and bass is a bit more controlled. I've tried several tubes but in the "high end models" after the Bendix 6385 I would say the Bendix 2C51, then the WE396a or the National 2C51 which are very close to each other.

It is really worth it to change the stock tube in the Paradisea and even the designer admits it in his description of the dac.

it looks as if it would be a nice pair as far as looksies are concerned: heed canamp...

anyone had a chance to test paradisea + agains old paradisea? i am curious what improvement a different PSU (based on a new transformer) brought.

Just a me too, but I found the Bendix tube to have more "clarity" to it than the we396a.

Paradisea +?

Sorry for the (perhaps) dumb question, but...

...where have you found the "+" version of Paradisea?

There is nothing about it on their web site (www.geocities.com/mhdtlab/ if this really is their web site).

I've contacted MHDT Labs via their yahoo address a couple of days ago asking about a possible Paradisea model with USB interface - and now I realize that such model already exist. Go figure...

How can you order it? Please do not tell me that I have to look at their eBay store and wait for "+" to appear?

V3

You have to look at their eBay store and wait for "+" to appear!
I wish these guys would update their website more often. It's almost as if they didn't want you buy their products. It must be some sort of reverse psychology marketing because I really want one of these.

I recently bought the Pardisea + to replace my Constantine USB. Changes/features of the Paradisea+ include (taken from Ebay):

-LM4562NA (with dip IC socket)

-Mhdt labs specially ordered flameproof military low noise resistors. These professional and military spec. resistors are manufactured by vacuum sputtering deposit metal film on high thermal conductivity ceramic rods.

-2oz copper fiber glass FR4 pcb, (usually 1.6oz, the thickness of copper)

-Mhdt labs specially ordered polypropylene film and aluminum Foil (film and foil) capacitors (not metallized ).

-Output coupling capacitors upgrade from 1.5u to 2.0u.

-Gold plated switches.

-Nichicon MUSE series top KZ grade and Fine Gold grade caps all over.

-115/230V power supply selectable from internal PCB jump pins setting.

-Stock with GE5670W NOS tube.

Some of this stuff is not neccarily a change (eg the tube, Film Foil caps, power supply). Perhaps there are a higher number of film/foil caps. Other stuff may or may not be a change from the original (resistors, pcb board). In my mind (I'm obviously not an electronics guru) the biggest changes are:

-The op amp- changed from a Burr Brown to the new National Semiconductor LM4652. From what I've read, this is a good thing. Also a dip socket added.
-More of the Nicichon caps-
-Increase of output caps from 1.5uf to 2.0 uf- not sure how much that might help?
-Change PS to torroidal- Some debate whether this is good or not. There is a therad on audiocircle where folks were discussing an issue with grounding or a low S/N ration. Some folks thought this to be no big deal (since volume was typically higher than normal listening levels before "hum"). Others thought it might be a design issue. I wrote MHDT and they indicated the hum issue has been resolved. Perhaps that was part of reason to chage to a toroidal??

Listening-
Out of the box it had bigger, more dimensional bass than the Constantine. The bass doesn't sound "tubby" to me. There is more detail in the middle frequencies. The soundtage is definitely deeper and wider (emphasis on deeper). This is something that is a clear improvement in my mind. Mine probably has 20 hours on it now. The vocals are very natural. I think there may be slightly less detail above 4k. It's not bad, but there is not as much "air" up there as I would like. I would have to plug in the Constantine to see if was there before. I really don't think it was so this isprobably more of a system issue. It has a more "natural" or "organic" sound than the Constatine. It is certainly easy to listen to (as was the Constantine). I'm enjoying it very much. I have a WE 396A on the way. I'll be interested to see what that does.

BTW, I'm listening through speakers, not phones. I'm using the coax in.


Jeff

I got email notice yesterday from ebay about favority search hit. I bought last one of that batch so under 4 hours from notice they were gone.