[VaSpn]

Wondering if anyone's heard the Calyx Coffee yet? Just got released in Oz at Wicked Digital. Looks a fair bit like the Calyx Kong. Hoping someone might have heard it. 
 
 
The new Calyx Coffee is a 24bit/96kHz USB DAC that offers both line level RCA output for direct connection to your sound system or powered monitors, as well as headphone output capable of driving more difficult headphone loads.
 
 

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Coffee features an ESS Sabre DAC chipset that offers 112DB of dynamic range with patented Hyperstream architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator. The USB port offers plug and play simplicity via an asynchronous connection to your computer.

The line level outputs are muted when a headphone is inserted, allowing you to keep your system connected at all times.

In what is a first for a product of this kind, the Calyx Coffee offers control of the host source. So if you are running iTunes, Foobar or J-River on your computer, the top mounted controls of the Coffee will control the host application. If you have the Camera Connection Kit for your Apple iPad, you can control that too.

Finally, like it's more costly sibling, the Calyx DAC, Coffee is milled from a solid billet of aluminium making it a very solid and beautiful audio device to use.

Specifications
 

1. USB type: Asynchronous
2. Format: 24bit/96kHz
3. Outputs: 1 x Lineout, 1 x 3.5mm Headphone

 
Source: http://www.wickeddigital.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=joomlaplates.tpl&product_id=895&category_id=93&manufacturer_id=104&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53
 

 

[Dynobot]

Interesting Dac.
 
Cons:
USB powered
 
Pros:
Sabre Dac chip
Price
Size
 
Cons can be taken care of by using an AduM USB isolator doggle with seperate power supply, which will not only benefit the USB isolation issues but the clean power issue as well.  So all in all, nice.
 
However I would be more interested in Coffee's big brother which uses 8xSabre Dac chips.  I see Nuforce Dac-9 uses multiple Sabre chips as well.  I guess this is the new trend.  Sure hope Audio-gd catches wind of this and produces a multi-Sabre Dac.  Anedio would have been better off going this route rather than fooling around with USB.
 
Anyhow thanks for the heads up

 

[bobeau]

 
Quote:

 Coffee's big brother which uses 8xSabre Dac chips. 

I don't believe that's correct:
 
" The 9018 is a 8 channel DAC, that's 8 4 DAC per mono channel phase stacked in balanced mode [Edit: Got clarifications from Calyx Audio]"
 
http://www.digitalaudioblog.com/2011/02/review-calyx-dac-24192.html

 

[Dynobot]

Yeah I misunderstood their advertising.
 
I think the Nuforce Dac-9 has two Sabre chips though...for about the same price.

 

[bobeau]

 
Quote:

Yeah I misunderstood their advertising.
 
I think the Nuforce Dac-9 has two Sabre chips though...for about the same price.

Right... so technically, it is 16 DAC units altogether (in the same way that a dual or quad core has that many processing units embedded on die).
 
FWIW, there is one FS on Audiogon for $1200 right now.
 

 

[Dynobot]

Wow the Dac just came out, looks like the guy never even used it....

 

[bsn]

 
[size=13.0pt]I picked up the Calyx Coffee DAC on a whim today while I was visiting my friend Ron at Northwood’s Audio & Video.  I have only spent just a little time listening to the Coffee, so this is just an initial impression.  Keeping the $199 price range in mind, it’s a very nice DAC for the money.  In my opinion, so far, I would say that it is on par with my HRT II+, but costs less than the HRT II+. The Coffee has a slightly warm midrange; good treble that is smooth and not too bright, good bass that might be just slightly relaxed.  Overall, it is warm, smooth, with very good detail and soundstage. I can listen to this DAC without being fatigued.  While the unit has a headphone amp in it, I'm guessing that it is the opamp on the Sabre DAC chip. The volume control for the headphone amp just lowers the computer's volume, so I would personally not use the Coffee as a headphone amp, but it would work if you wanted to use it.  The build quality on the external case is very good it is apparently built out of a solid block of aluminum and it has a very hefty feel when you pick it up. [/size]
 

 
Macbook Pro -> Kimber Kable USB Cable -> Calyx Coffee -> Analysis Plus Silver Oval Cable -> Ray Samuels The Hornet Amp -> audio-technica ATH-M50 (closed cans to not disturb my wife). 
 
 
 
Edited to remove personal info from the computer screen.
 

 

[Larryonfire]

well, any more impressions on the Coffee the last 10 days?. Looks very nice on the pictures I found elsewhere. I just got a loaner on the Calyx Kong (The little brother). I find it have good soundstage  and drive my Sennheiser HD650 fine. I wil try to make a review in the coming 2 weeks.  The box it came in and the usb cable is not very impressive, retro 80´s stile if you want to put it in a polite way, but when you get the Kong in your hand it´s a pure "Apple"  moment. Heavy little thing cut out of a block of aluminium, yes Im talking about the Calyx Kong amp here

 

 

[Ronald Lee]

any user with this DAC can share their review on it? Pretty interested with this DAC.

 

[alphaman]

Quote:

any user with this DAC can share their review on it? Pretty interested with this DAC.

Sorry, no.
 
On another sad note ... it seems that NwAVGuy has ripped off the Calyx Coffee in his suspiciously-similar  ESS Sabre 9023-based project called "ODAC". NwAVGuy was justifiably banned from H-F (and I complete agree with the H-F mods on this!) and so I can't provide a link. You can Google for more info.

 

[MikeW]

Oh yeah, they use the same USB chip and Dac, it must be an exact copy

.. fact is, if you want a USB power dac that is 24 bit capable, and has 2V RMS output, you have very very few options. Many would have used the same reciever/dac for various reasons. your dumb.

 

[Smeckles]

Quote:

 
NwAVGuy was justifiably banned from H-F (and I complete agree with the H-F mods on this!) and so I can't provide a link. You can Google for more info.

Ah hahahahaha.  Not to get into justifications or specifics (this episode has been detailed ad nauseum)  but nowhere have I read that this was the reason why he was banned.  I have absolutely no idea why you brought this up in this thread.  But it did make actually laugh out loud.
 
Now I have to search your post history to find more of your comedy stylings. You're a funny guy, even if its unintentional.

 

[alphaman]

Quote:

Ah hahahahaha.  Not to get into justifications or specifics (this episode has been detailed ad nauseum)  but nowhere have I read that this was the reason why he was banned.  I have absolutely no idea why you brought this up in this thread.  But it did make actually laugh out loud.
 
Now I have to search your post history to find more of your comedy stylings. You're a funny guy, even if its unintentional.

Sorry for the confusion -- tho' the ability to be confused may entirely be on YOUR end  ... Yup: not banned for the reasons I'm SPECULATING ABOUT above -- these are new. Why mention the ban at all?  We're not "allowed" to talk about this charac. on H-F, so any mention of him must be "delimited" with notes on his ban.
Again, huge apologies for posting in my complex, for-rocket-scientists-only style! 

 

[Deathwish238]

Anymore thoughts on this DAC? The built in audio controls is interesting and a headphone amp too makes it a pretty good value

 

[sunninho]

Quote:

Anymore thoughts on this DAC? The built in audio controls is interesting and a headphone amp too makes it a pretty good value

 
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