[shomie911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clutz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, you are totally wrong. Texas Instruments alone has dozens of different DAC chips, let alone Wolfson, Analog Devices, Phillips, etc - and there are huge differences between them. I've got an Alien DAC (and the Keces-151 is little more than a high performance Alien DAC) and it absolutely does not compare to either of my other two DIY DACs - one of which only cost about $200 in parts to build. I can hear differences between my two better DACs, not that I can clearly say which one sounds better to me - but just that they definitely sound different from each other.

I just bought the DA-151, it's on its way.

I have a hard time believing it's as terrible as you portray it.

Maybe it's not your taste but a lot of people like it here.

I hope it's good.

 

[Clutz]

I didn't say it was terrible, I said I didn't - don't misquote me. I said that it's remarkably unremarkable. It is basically a high performance Alien DAC. It has nothing to do with my taste, because I haven't heard it. Please, read before you reply.

 

[shomie911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clutz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't say it was terrible, I said I didn't - don't misquote me. I said that it's remarkably unremarkable. It is basically a high performance Alien DAC. It has nothing to do with my taste, because I haven't heard it. Please, read before you reply.

There was no underlying intentions with my reply, I just sincerely hope its a great DAC, I paid good money for it.

 

[cconnaker]

Hey guys - The Devilsound DAC is a much better than some people are guessing here. I highly suggest listening to the DAC before coming to conclusions. Yes, Devilsound is fairly new, but the guys there are really into great sound and are very very smart. They know what they are doing and are not trying put anything past anyone. The DAC is not gimmicky, I can assure you of that. It is just the first one on the market and fills this niche.

The DAC has a switching power converter, which is then filtered and down-regulated. This is what an external power supply does. Devilsound put a lot of effort into clean power. Don't confuse this DAC with tons of other USB devices.

As far as the price goes, $249 is very fair. Don't think you are getting "more DAC" because another product is bigger or more conventional. This one is NonOverSampled (NOS), thus different from many other DACs. The build quality on this DAC is really good as well. They used some nice cables and made the right decisions on a lot of things they could have skimped on.

As a side note, I don't have anything to gain by the success or failure of this product. Devilsound is not an advertiser on my site. I just want to get what I perceive as the correct information out to everyone.

If you have any questions about the sound I can certainly answer them. I spent a great deal of time with the DAC and can compare it to a few others.

 

[Clutz]

You're right, I was assuming that the DevilSound DAC was a PCM270x based DAC - but if it is a NONOS system, it's got to be something else. I stand corrected.

 

[Grey Massacre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cconnaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey guys - The Devilsound DAC is a much better than some people are guessing here. I highly suggest listening to the DAC before coming to conclusions. Yes, Devilsound is fairly new, but the guys there are really into great sound and are very very smart. They know what they are doing and are not trying put anything past anyone. The DAC is not gimmicky, I can assure you of that. It is just the first one on the market and fills this niche. The DAC has a switching power converter, which is then filtered and down-regulated. This is what an external power supply does. Devilsound put a lot of effort into clean power. Don't confuse this DAC with tons of other USB devices. As far as the price goes, $249 is very fair. Don't think you are getting "more DAC" because another product is bigger or more conventional. This one is NonOverSampled (NOS), thus different from many other DACs. The build quality on this DAC is really good as well. They used some nice cables and made the right decisions on a lot of things they could have skimped on. As a side note, I don't have anything to gain by the success or failure of this product. Devilsound is not an advertiser on my site. I just want to get what I perceive as the correct information out to everyone. If you have any questions about the sound I can certainly answer them. I spent a great deal of time with the DAC and can compare it to a few others.

Thanks for your comment!

 

[djembeplay]

Have you considered the Zero DAC/Headamp? Do a search on Ebay for it... There is a huge thread on it here and it has gotten some great feedback.

 

[Grey Massacre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by djembeplay /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you considered the Zero DAC/Headamp? Do a search on Ebay for it... There is a huge thread on it here and it has gotten some great feedback.

Seen those, looks interesting, especially the zero.

 

[phheld]

To those wondering about the Keces 151 - owned it for several months now.

I have a dedicated Vista pc running iTunes, apple lossless tunes, to the DAC, then direct to my tube amp (with nice Mullard tubes), to my B&W 602 s3 monitors. Not an expensive system, but a very solid music lovers system. The PC/DAC is running in parallel with my Rotel 1072 CD player, which is top rated for it's class ($800 player) and a recognized mid-audiophile player with classic British sound signature.

In short, the pc/DAC combo directly competes with if not exceeds the Rotel in every way from an audio perspective. I haven't turned on the Rotel for over a month.

Not a comment on the Keces relative to other DAC options (don't have any on hand) but a strong opionion from me on the VALUE of the Keces unit (not to mention the build quality and service provided - excellent)

2 cents from a music lover....thanks

 

[djembeplay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey Massacre /img/forum/go_quote.gif Seen those, looks interesting, especially the zero.

Oh, ya I didn't mean that as two different things... I.e., I wasn't saying check out the Zero and the Headamp... I was saying check out the Zero which is a DAC and a headphone amp.

You can swap the OPamps in both the DAC and the amp section, so people have been experimenting with different chips and reporting on their different sound signatures. Some combinations of chips sound ridiculously good, aparently. If you did this, you would have a unit worth multiples of what it costs.

Good luck!

 

[elrod-tom]

I'm interested in hearing from some folks who have actually heard this Devilsound DAC.

I don't know if it's something I'd use in my main system, but I certainly can see an application for it someplace where relative portability and clutter from power cords is an issue. Someplace like at work, for example.

 

[olblueyez]

I don't think the Predator and Pico are USB powered. They have Lithium batteries right?

 

[jrosenth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm interested in hearing from some folks who have actually heard this Devilsound DAC.

x2 - has anyone here yet heard this?

 

[cconnaker]

I'm listening to the Devilsound DAC right now

After reading this thread again and seeing the comment about hearing from someone who has actually used the DAC I decided to swap DACs for the night. Is there anything I can answer for you?

 

[the_eleven]

Hi Chris, refresh my memory, with a NOS DAC and iTunes, where does the down sampling occur when I listen to a high-res file?

What is the best way to this non-destructively?

Please contrast the "sound" of the Devilsound DAC, with a stock PS Audio Digital Link III, at 4 times the price.