[hitmanx]

Hi, apologize if there are existing threads about Bladelius USB DAC, but I could hardly find any reviews here from searching.
 
To me, it's a quite portable, well designed and manufactured DAC, its portability is clearly what I'm after. But also, I want a asynchronous USB DAC that could be a good replacement for my current Apogee Minidac & Hifiman-801 sound wise, since most of the time I only use them in USB mode. And I do hear people talk on other forums about despite its small size, its performance is competitive to some desktop DACs. 
 
While I don't have opportunities to try it myself, I'm asking for the advice of anyone here who has experience with it, and especially want to know how it compares with my current two DACs.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[ADD]

I would be quite surprised if you get many answers on this. I have been interested in the DAC as well and like you I have been frustrated by the relative lack of reviews and feedback from owners.
 
In my personal experience, however, the customer service from Bladelius and it's resellers is sufficiently poor that I would not consider purchasing one in any case. Infact, not one email I have sent to anyone asking about this DAC has been answered, let alone a request to audition one. 

 

[hitmanx]

Quote:

I would be quite surprised if you get many answers on this. I have been interested in the DAC as well and like you I have been frustrated by the relative lack of reviews and feedback from owners.
 
In my personal experience, however, the customer service from Bladelius and it's resellers is sufficiently poor that I would not consider purchasing one in any case. Infact, not one email I have sent to anyone asking about this DAC has been answered, let alone a request to audition one. 

Thanks ADD. Well, now I see the insufficient attention here is for a reason. The information on its official website is quite lacking, with only the basic description of products, no purchasing methods no resellers information what so ever.
 
For a DAC that is not that popular, I would definitely want to have an audition myself. I'm currently in Canberra, the only reseller I found within AUS was here. Does anyone here have experience with them? I'll ask them whether they can provide money back guarantee.

 

[ADD]

I did not realise you were based in Australia as well. I wish you luck - my questions and requests got me nowhere, Even a walk-in dealer did not bother to respond. Based on what I do know about the product, there is no way I would even contemplate buying it without either an extended audition before purchase (on my own existing equipment) or the money-back guarantee as you say. My main reservation is the proprietary minimum phase filter. I have never heard a minimum phase filter that I liked the sound of - in every case I have always much prefered a linear phase filter, with all minimum phase filters sounding nice to begin with (open, airy, etc), but fatiguing in the long run compared to linear phase. This is especially the case with upsampling, and this DAC of course upsamples.

 

[Philharmoniker]

Quote:

I did not realise you were based in Australia as well. I wish you luck - my questions and requests got me nowhere, Even a walk-in dealer did not bother to respond. Based on what I do know about the product, there is no way I would even contemplate buying it without either an extended audition before purchase (on my own existing equipment) or the money-back guarantee as you say. My main reservation is the proprietary minimum phase filter. I have never heard a minimum phase filter that I liked the sound of - in every case I have always much prefered a linear phase filter, with all minimum phase filters sounding nice to begin with (open, airy, etc), but fatiguing in the long run compared to linear phase. This is especially the case with upsampling, and this DAC of course upsamples.

At least you guys have dealers, here in Philadelphia there is simply niente and nulla about HIFI.(I am talking about in the city, not the suburbs.)
 

 

[kiteki]

 
I'm interested in this DAC too.
 
 
It seems like that Nexus place you linked is only 10 minutes away from where I live.
 

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

I asked about this DAC a couple weeks back. At the very least you could use it as a weapon to hit someone in the head if they tried to break into your house, those sharp edges could do some damage! Seriously though it looks to have some potential even if overhyped, but I'll wait for some reviews. You live in Melbourne kiteki? I suspected you lived in Australia from some other posts I read.
 
Joshua

 

[rx79ez08]

I got one and I brought it along to the last Melbourne meet (not the mini one, but the Auguest one).  If you remember it was the setup with the WA6.

 

[rx79ez08]

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/audio-reviews/digital-source-reviews/item/267-bladelius-design-group-usb-dac
I agree with the review, and found it match quite well with tube amps, especially for vocal performance which are my style of music.
 
It does use its own driver for Windows, so it is not exactly plug and play, but once the driver is install it gave me no problem, which is far better then some DACs which have problems locking onto USB in my computer.
 
 

 

[ADD]

Hi,
 
Where did you buy it from if you don't mind me asking? Also, how do you find the sound of that minimum phase filter? I really wish there was a way to audition this DAC in my system, as it is priced in the sweet spot and is one of the few reasonably priced USB only DACs in this country with full 24/192 capability (though I only need it to go to 96 khz). 

 

[rx79ez08]

I got it from Nexus Technology in Melbourne:
http://nexus.com.au/myonlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=1378&products_id=17986
I think for the form factor and the price the unit is hard to beat.  It is quite rich in sound and goes quite well with tube amps.

 

[Szadzik]

Quote:

I got it from Nexus Technology in Melbourne:
http://nexus.com.au/myonlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=1378&products_id=17986
I think for the form factor and the price the unit is hard to beat.  It is quite rich in sound and goes quite well with tube amps.

 
What is the sound signature of this DAC? Neutral and detailed, veiled, warm etc.?

 

[rx79ez08]

I think it is quite a warm sounding DAC, in my setup it work quite well with a WA6 and a LCD-2 rev1.
But it is a bit much for the WA6 and the W3000ANV.

 

[Szadzik]

Thanks for the reply.

 

[tankman]

To me its in the warm side but not too warm. A little Sweet sounding box. Lord seemed you were asking about the small device everywhere, got any idea now?a really excellent usb dac better any of others I owned within the price range.