North Star M192 DAC first impressions
Apr 25, 2006 at 4:34 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 35

EdipisReks

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i've got a few hours on the DAC, and i'm comfortable making my very early, first impressions known. first, a couple pics i got from google images. i'll try to get my hands on a digicam and post pics of how the DAC looks in my rig as soon as possible.

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the DAC is full rack length and about half the depth of a typical CD player. it weighs quite a bit for its size, and feels like it is one solid piece of metal. i think it looks great. the only complaint i have is that the LEDs are bright, but i don't sit directly in front when i listen, so it's no big deal.

now, to the sound. i haven't listened long enough to feel comfortable going into too much detail, but this DAC is great. it's super dynamic, with the blackest background i've ever heard with my set up. the amp is very smooth, but it's smoothness that comes from a complete lack of grain or glare, not the smoothness that comes from lack of dynamics. imaging is spot on. listening to a string quartet, for instance, the positioning of each instrument is completely intuitive.

the sound stage is broad (that's really saying something, since i use Grados), but it never seems artificial or incoherent. detail is out of this world but, as there is no inherent harshness or etch, the detail doesn't smack you in the face the way it does with some sources. the general tone is very rich, but it isn't overly warm or sweet. basically, i would say that the tone is very natural in general.

this amp has PRaT in spades. bass lines are easy to follow, even in busy music, and the bass itself is deep and super tight, but capable of being absolutely huge when the music calls for it. snare drums snap and cymbals sparkle. picked guitars pop just right at the beginning of each note, and the initial tonguing of reed instruments sounds like what i remember from sitting in orchestras. one thing i very much enjoy about it, so far, is the fact that the bass, mids and treble flow together with no breaks. many otherwise fine sources i've heard exhibit this break, with the mids and treble sounding slightly apart from each other. balance and naturalness are the words i would use with this DAC. the DAC just kind of disappears into the music without seeming to really impart a signature of its own. in that way it's very much like the HP-2s. i love it.

i'll post more specific details as i get to know the nuances better.
 
Apr 26, 2006 at 8:54 AM Post #6 of 35
Yes, the I2S should make a night/day difference according to reviews. I'd contact EmpiricalAudio in order to see if is possible to get a money-back deal on their USB-I2S converters.

Congratulations and please keep impressions coming. I'm interested on I2S DACs .

Cheers
 
Apr 28, 2006 at 5:58 AM Post #8 of 35
your bunny looks more like a tarsier, or something.
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you need to move the ears a bit closer together. regarding the price of the north star, they are $2500 retail. since they aren't a popular brand here in the US there isn't a lot of demand, so they usually go for about half that. i found a dealer who needed the space on one of his demo racks more than the money and got it for a cool $850.
wink.gif
 
Apr 28, 2006 at 5:59 AM Post #9 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSloth
What does this cost? Oh, and look, it's a bunny dominated thread! Why is my bunny different from your bunnies?


Yours is on the drugs, thats what the Meth does to you
wink.gif
 
Dec 25, 2006 at 9:16 PM Post #13 of 35
I have found one of these for ~$1000. If I'm lucky.

Should I get one?
There is a lot of other dacs in that price range. Are they better or worse?
I haven't heard so much about this DAC, that's why I'm asking.
I noticed it has an IS2 input. Will the difference by using a usb->Is2 converter ($1100 at www.empiricalaudio.com) be worth it over regular s/pdif from my computer?

I don't want anything to bright, as that wont go well with my RS2.

Edit: I can get a DAC-1 for the same price here in sweden. Is that a better buy?
 
Dec 25, 2006 at 9:53 PM Post #14 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by Alucard /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I have found one of these for ~$1000. If I'm lucky.

Should I get one?
There is a lot of other dacs in that price range. Are they better or worse?
I haven't heard so much about this DAC, that's why I'm asking.
I noticed it has an IS2 input. Will the difference by using a usb->Is2 converter ($1100 at www.empiricalaudio.com) be worth it over regular s/pdif from my computer?

I don't want anything to bright, as that wont go well with my RS2.

Edit: I can get a DAC-1 for the same price here in sweden. Is that a better buy?



I2S makes all the difference in the world, BUT only if you mod the I2S on both the transport and DAC first.

What you dont realize is that the 192 has the potential to be one of the finest DAC's on the planet. I have modded a few of these and the customers simply love them. The mods are relatively cheap too. It is so good that the US Bastani dealer will only sell his speakers with the modded Northstar I2S combo. Bastani speakers are so revealing that any deficiency in the source can be heard.

This DAC has the combination of the CS4396 D/A chip and a well-engineered SIMPLE discrete output stage - DC-coupled.

As for comparing the Transport to the Off-Ramp I2S, there is a review being finalized for 6-moons that compares the Empirical Audio modded Benchmark DAC-1 driven by Off-Ramp I2S to the Northstar 192 driven by the Off-Ramp I2S as well as the Northstar Transport (all modded). I have not seen the review yet, but I think the results will be very interesting.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
 
Dec 26, 2006 at 12:02 AM Post #15 of 35
I made some reading on the Empirical Audio forum and it seems very interesting. But the Benchmark DAC-1 seems to be better when modded (but more expensive?).

I'm looking forward to hearing 6moons review.

I will send the guy an email to see if the dac still is available and if I can get a good price on it.
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If I'm not going to use the I2S interface I'm still a little worried though about how this dac will perform in the competition. As it's like 5-6+ years old.
 

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