NuPrime DAC-9x

NuPrime DAC-9x - The nearly All in One DAC-AMP

NuPrime is an entirely HIFI audio manufacturer. It started in 2014 to provide the best wide, dynamic music. Well, today we are gonna try their NuPrime DAC 9x. Do they deliver what they promise? we shall find out more on the upcoming segments.

DISCLAIMER- The NuPrime DAC 9x was sent to me by the Indian distributor of Nuprime products - Vivid Hifi. With that said all my opinions are my own and I haven’t been influenced by anything except my brain, heart and ears . All thanks to Vivid hifi, to trust me and send me this wonderful product. You can visit this link to buy it(not affiliated- but if you mention that my review helped in any way, I could gain more trust with them and bring you more reviews of new products ) - here

SPECS-
DAC- Dual ESS9028Q2M
Inputs: Rear panel

• USB: Type B 2.0 Hi-Speed, Windows OS: data stream up to 384KHz/24Bit and Native DSD 256.
  USB: Type B 2.0 Hi-Speed, Mac / Linux OS: data stream up to 384KHz/24Bit and DOP DSD 128.
• IIS/DSD: Supports PCM 44.1KHz ~ 384KHz/32Bit and DSD 64 ~ DSD 256 data streams.
• OPTICAL: Supports PCM 44.1KHz ~ 192KHz/24Bit and DOP 64.
• COAXIAL: Supports PCM 44.1KHz ~ 384KHz/24Bit and DOP 64 and 128.
• RCA: Up to 1 Vrms audio signal.
• EXTENSION: Supports PCM 44.1KHz ~ 192KHz/24Bit.

Outputs: Front panel

• TRS 6.3mm headphone out
  Output power: 1700 mW, 32 ohms, <0.01% THD (watts per channel).
  Output power: 135 mW, 600 ohms, <0.005% THD (watts per channel).

Outputs: Rear panel

• RCA unbalanced outputs: 4 Vrms
• XLR balanced outputs: 8 Vrms
• Optical S/PDIF out (PCM up to 192KHz supporting DoP format DSD64)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 KHz / ±0.3 dB.
• SNR: > 110 dB.
• THD+N: < 0.0005%.
• Dimensions: 235 mm W x 281 mm D x 60 mm H (including feet)
• Weight: 2.5Kg
• Worldwide AC voltage: (90VAC~130VAC // 210VAC~ 250VAC) With Voltage Select Switch
• AC Fuse: Slow-blow, 2.5A, 250VA

Native MQA decoding support is added (if you care for it)

“NuPrime defined an USB Type-A port to carry S/PDIF data and 5V power for connecting to external wireless audio receiver using just one standard USB cable. The NuPrime Omnia WR-1, BTR-HD, Stream Mini, and Stream Mini DAC wireless receivers have a micro USB port that is compatible with this specification. This allows a standard off-the-shelf USB-A to micro USB cable to be used for power for the receiver as well as wireless audio data transfer in S/PDIF format.”

Taken off their site, seems like any good cable will do the job

PRICE- 1425 EUR / 1.41 LAKHS (WEW)

Spoiler: Spoiler

(P.S-they do discounts too )

UNBOXING EXPERIENCE
The package is quite big. But opening it, you are greeted with an beautiful blue manual haha. Now keep it it will be handy when trying the different options in the DAC. After the manual, you get the beautiful machined silver DAC-AMP (a little resistant to fingers ). Besides that, you get the remote, the USB B to A cable and the 3 pin power cable like you use with your PC power supply.



BUILD-
Solid, dense and quite heavy. It seems to be made of machined aluminium and does have a brushed metallic feel to it. There is good labelling of inputs and volume controls. The volume and input selection dials are also pretty great and they forever rotate haha. The feets are quite big and help to keep the DAC-AMP off the table.

The remote feels like any Chinese remote and takes 2x AAA batteries. It is quite light and the buttons feel good to click. It ain't mushy at all. But, I would have loved to see a way to decrease the volume faster with the remote than by clicking the vol(-) button 99 times.



USAGE-

• It's pretty straight - install the USB driver on your PC or MAC or LINUX.
• Similarly to switch it on just hold the input wheel for 2-3sec and the LED will blink and it will switch ON.
• The led is quite bright and will disturb sleep if you wanna use it as a bedside all in one, but you have an ON/OFF switch at the back, so just turn it off haha.
• To mute, you could use the remote or just press on the volume wheel.
• For MQA colors refer to the manual.

POWER OUTPUT-

• I don’t own many power hungry iems or headphones at all. But with what I have that is Headphones- Beyerdynamic TYGR 300R, Focal CLEAR, Sennheiser HD558 AND Hifiman DEVA , IEMS- EARSONICS GRACE, PENON FAN, KINERA URD AND BLON BL03. But it drove everything pretty easy and it has 1700mw of power, so it's an all in one except when you get the big guns haha
• For every input option the volume set is maintained, so no readjusting the volume a thousand times when you change input.
• For every volume requirement I have put the pic with that volume. If i missed it somewhere i will mention it for sure.

NOTE- THESE ARE MY IMPRESSIONS AND I GAVE AN OVERALL IMPRESSION AFTER TRYING OUT MY IEMS AND HEADPHONES. YOUR IMPRESSIONS MIGHT VARY FROM MINE BUT KEEP ON ENJOYING THE MUSIC.

OVERALL SOUND IMPRESSIONS- (Using as an DAC-AMP)- P.S-This is subjective and may not match with yours )

MY PLAYLIST TO TRY- Enjoy

SUB-BASS-
Sub-bass is highly dependent on the iem, headphones or speakers that you are using, but the presence of it is dictated by the DAC-AMP you are using. With that said, here it's a mature yet energetic sub-bass experience. There is great dynamics as the extension changes quite frequently in sudden addition of sub-bass in the song. The energy in the sub-bass is quite controlled yet pulls up in songs where it is required without breaking a sweat. The notes extension is quite neutral, giving you a sense of projection of the notes. It goes quite deep at-least it could be felt with the different end devices i had. The tonality is quite neutral to warm, in the bass region but the attack is quite fast. The decay as already mentioned is quite balanced. Similarly the timbre is quite balanced too. The notes separation even with mid-low tier iems, is quite evident and provides you a sense of space that made me wonder “ What have i gotten myself into”- in--short, I wanna try top end DAC-AMPs more haha!!! The grittiness of the bass guitar felt really good showing the beautiful texture that this DAC delivers. Overall, a really good sounding beauty.



BASS-
What is a sub-bass without a good punchy bass as a companion? Well, this doesn’t disappoint either. The bass is punchy, dynamic and quite deep. The attack is quite fast but the decay is natural. The tonality is quite natural and a little dominant on the warm side. Quite smooth delivery of the timbre of the instruments, slightly fast but very near to the natural side. The bass goes quite deep and makes you feel it. You will fall for it . The tonality differences between instruments are great. Notes have quite a big body and the extension is quite balanced giving you that projection yet no mixing up with the other notes. There is quite a good deal of separation that will just keep you amazed. The width of the stage will keep you engaged pretty much in looking where the instruments are so beautifully placed. Use a large head-stage Hp or iem and I am pretty sure, you will be impressed.

MIDS-
VOCALS-
Vocals as I always mention are the soul of the song. Mix them up and they will break the feel that you get while listening to songs. This DAC nails the feeling of the song entirely. Let's start with the female vocals (Ladies first right ), the vocals have the right balance between body and the extension of the notes. Sharpness in the voice ain't there at all, rather it's quite smooth but texture pops in easily too. There is a good amount of air in the voices too, especially when listening to Renne Olstead songs. Her voice has a ‘ssss’ extension but this DAC handles it so naturally that you would hear it for a second and then it's gone in an instant, like when someone sings in front of you. The texture of the voices comes out beautifully too. The highs in the female voices are handled wonderfully too. Tonally it's quite balanced.

Male vocals will fill your heart so much in case of thick vocalists that you would forget to evaluate haha (true story-I tried for 7 days and i was just listening to music and time just went by ). The thickness of the voices of the male vocals are beautifully mastered (try this song Innocence- Gabriels- Bloodline). It still doesn't disappoint when the male vocalists extend their voices since you can feel the headroom this thing has. Plus the instruments surrounding the vocalists fill up the headstage differently giving the before statement more credibility. The tonally different male vocalists are also separated wonderfully. The notes are feel separated entirely when different vocalist song all together and the separation from the instruments also make it a enjoyable experience (time to forget the world exists haha).

INSTRUMENTS IN THE MIDS-
Well do I need to mention more on this, it's quite obvious by now haha!!! The DAC will help you skip the entire world easily. Instruments have that energy and dynamism that engages you easily in the songs. There is a neutral tonality overall, with slightly more energy to the upper mids. But the upper mids extra energy doesn’t feel sharp at all, rather adds more height to the guitar notes in the head-stage, making it more obvious. But the texture and tonal differences between different instruments are so smoothly delivered that, even with my blons I was abacked. The notes texture is quite obvious but the timbre is on the slightly faster than natural side. Quite obvious, they kept the separation of the instruments on the mind while tuning, as this was meant to be used as an DAC separately with your choice of amp on the end (more on that later down the review). The separation of the notes of the instruments are beautifully executed. Each note has its own extension, down the horizontal and vertical plane, and some, provide the projection to give a feeling of 3D space. Even the notes of the same instrument are separated, giving the body of the notes their own separation and their extension further separation when they end. You would expect not to feel this with low end iems but you would still get a part of it, alas with a proper headphone or iem, you will feel it for sure. The separation from the vocals are also beautifully executed.

TREBLE-
Treble is quite smooth but energetic when needed. It’s quite energetic and sparkly especially when the upper treble dominant instruments like SAX and trumpets come into the picture to give you that sudden jump. The dynamics are quite beautiful. There is faster attack and neutral decay to the notes of the instruments, but the timbre is slightly on the faster side. The tonality is on the neutral side but the tonal differences are beautifully mastered. Notes are separated easily between the body and extension of the notes. The treble isn’t sharp at all but rather it will complement the headphone or iems or speakers frequency response. This DAC might cut out a bit of sharpness in metallic instruments but in some cases, like my FOCAL CLEAR, it feels a little bit too energetic when a crash cymbal is hit. But, that wasn’t the case with the Hifiman DEVA or the iems either. What you will like, is the texture that, added with the separation of the notes is the most beautiful thing that you will listen to, mostly when listening to electric guitar solos ( try Eruption- Van Halen).

HEADSTAGE-
It’s not a wide stage per say as it depends on the end item mostly, but it does enhance the horizontal staging. The vertical staging is enhanced with the difference in notes height of the different instruments present. But the most important is the depth in the Z axis that is somewhat introduced with this DAC-AMP. Even the vertical depth (-ve Yaxis) has some improvement. Mostly the culmination of the stage, imaging, resolution and separation is at work to make the music more wonderful. Overall the headstage is on a horizontal straight line in front of you, but there is quite a lot of headroom and the imaging of the instruments makes it more of a 3D surround experience.

IMAGING, RESOLUTION AND SEPARATION-
We will start with something that I knowingly left out of the sound impressions, since I wanted it to be a separate part of this review. To be honest, this is the best part of the DAC-AMP, THE IMAGING. The imaging of the different instruments present is so precisely done that it makes it an entirely different experience. The presence of the instruments at different parts of your headspace is what makes this an engaging listen with any iem or headphone, even my meagre old speakers loved this. Add this with near perfect separation, the notes of instruments add such a wonderful amount of clarity that I just stopped taking notes and started listening and enjoying. I said it “as near perfect”, because I heard the burson conductor 3x and that outperformed this not by a lot but an appreciable amount for sure. Resolution is cherry on the cake. Adds more to the entire song by making it easy to listen to without breaking a sweat. Also, it adds the resolution in such a way that it's not ear piercing or too obvious. The cohesion is always maintained and musicality never breaks. Dynamics are added to the resolution and texture of the instruments too (haven’t yet owned any DAC-AMP that can do this).

COMPARISONS-
NOTE- BEFORE I START THIS SECTION OF THE REVIEW, I SHOULD MENTION THIS - THE ONLY DAC-AMPS I HAVE TRIED I HAVE MENTIONED, OTHERS THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO TRY AT HEADPHONE CONNECT, KOLKATA AREN'T MENTIONED. ONLY THE DIFFERENCES ARE MENTIONED.



CAYIN N6II
This ain't a DAC-AMP per se but with the modules, it becomes one haha. So I am gonna compare it for sure.



PAIRINGS-
IEMS- For Every one of them, the volume was from 5-10, plus the iems are way too small so felt bad to take a pic with the DAC haha


HEADPHONES-


WITH AMPS-
Some good things to note, you can control the volume from both the DAC 9x and also the external AMP giving you more control for low sensitivity headphones/iems.
Plus one feature that helped me a lot while comparing-

The AMP section of the Nuprime DAC 9x remains on even when an external AMP is connected, and once you remove the headphone from the 6.35mm jack of the Nuprime DAC 9x , the external AMP starts playing music. So A/B ing between the AMP section and external AMPS, was made really easy.



CONCLUSION-
Even though the price is quite high, the sound impression made me a fan of it. It delivers an excellent all in one choice. Now I haven't gone through multiple high end DAC-AMPS yet, but from what I tried recently at Headphone Connect KOLKATA, I am pretty sure this holds its own ground. As for the plethora of input and output options, this is quite adaptive. If only BT would have been added right into the DAC-AMP, it would be an all in one device. Would I recommend this ? Yes for sure. And if you find my review helpful while making a purchasing decision for this DAC-AMP, do let them know, so that I can get new stuff from them to try out