[mikemav]

Curious has anyone compared this directly to the Oppo HA-1? Bluetooth might be useful but not a deal-breaker. Wondering with them planning to close up shop if it would be advisable to pick up an Oppo (wondering about support/warranty down the line with their current woes?)

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Curious has anyone compared this directly to the Oppo HA-1? Bluetooth might be useful but not a deal-breaker. Wondering with them planning to close up shop if it would be advisable to pick up an Oppo (wondering about support/warranty down the line with their current woes?)

I have tested them both, the HA-1 with it's internal DAC in use is a little on the leaner side of sound, the Keces is more balanced and maybe a tad fuller. The HA-1 is excellent but for me the sound of the Keces is better. Yes the Oppo's screen is lovely, and bluetooth may be handy for some, but the sound is borderline bright for me anyway.

I really wanted a HA-1, and had the opportunity to get one at an excellent price, but when I got the Keces the HA-1 just wasn't as nice to listen to.

 

[Baten]

Anyone have one of these? Any thoughts? It looks like a beautiful, well-crafted device the only thing that bothers me is the ESS9026Pro chip, which is middle-of-the-line in all aspects. Why it does not have anything better is a mystery to me considering the price range.

On the other hand, none of the massdrop buyers, none of the regular buyers seem to offering these as second hand units. I don't find ANY open box units lol. It must be really good if not a single person I've seen has gotten rid of it. Makes me wonder!

 

[yoktjah]

Hi,

I still have this DAC. Very underrated and doesn't seem to sound like another DAC I have which uses a similar ESS. Neutral but not boring is how I describe it. You won't find any coloring of the sound. I use it as a pre amp to power kef ls50 monitors and some other custom bookshelves which are a lot pricier and the keces handles them well. I loved it with headphones but I use primarily speakers and I like it equally as well. I'm not getting rid of mine, sorry lol

 

[project86]

I wouldn't worry too much about the use of ES9026Pro versus a higher model. The actual chip itself is merely one aspect among many that contribute to the final sound. You've also got power supply, clock, analog output stage, volume solution, reclocking circuitry, USB implementation, and on and on. I've heard superb sound out of devices using ancient/obsolete DAC chips, and I've heard crap sound from units sporting one or more of the latest/greatest chips.

I haven't heard the S3, but it does appear to have a good design in many of the above listed aspects. So I would not be surprised if it outperformed certain others using "higher end" DAC chips.

 

[project86]

My review of the Keces S3, if anyone is interested in checking it out. Summary: excellent all-in-one device, with tons of features that many people want. I don't think it will ever become as popular as something like a Mytek Brooklyn, but I would take the S3 over the Mytek any day (and yes that includes the newer Brooklyn+). Definitely a more coherent sound signature from top to bottom, and the headphone output is good enough to do justice to high-end cans... Brooklyn is merely "ok" at best imho.

 

[project86]

Oops, forgot the link: https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/keces-s3-dacheadphone-amplifierpreamplifier-review

 

[ostewart]

My review of the Keces S3, if anyone is interested in checking it out. Summary: excellent all-in-one device, with tons of features that many people want. I don't think it will ever become as popular as something like a Mytek Brooklyn, but I would take the S3 over the Mytek any day (and yes that includes the newer Brooklyn+). Definitely a more coherent sound signature from top to bottom, and the headphone output is good enough to do justice to high-end cans... Brooklyn is merely "ok" at best imho.

Glad to see you like the S3, it still gets plenty of use in my system. The Brooklyn has a few more features and gimmicks but I totally agree that the S3 is better when it comes to overall sound quality.

 

[yoktjah]

I still have mine as well and no plans to upgrade since I got it a year and a half ago.

Here's a new review with a video as well of the s3

https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/keces-s3-beauty-in-black/

 

[DarKu]

I still have mine as well and no plans to upgrade since I got it a year and a half ago.

Here's a new review with a video as well of the s3

https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/keces-s3-beauty-in-black/

Hey, thanks for sharing my article!
So far this is my favorite DAC/headphone amp unit.

 

[project86]

The Keces S3 will be $1120 from 11/27 to 12/2. Link is here https://power-holdings-inc.com/Keces-S3-DAC-Headphone-Amplifier-&-Preamplifier-p137031938 but it's not live yet. That's a solid discount from the regular $1400 price.

I still think the S3 is among the very best true all-in-one devices that is actually useful in all three roles.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I made a video review about the Keces S3!

I tried my best to compare it with a few other products, but I also tried to be as objective as possible towards it, pretty pricey, but does what it promises pretty nicely!!

 

[project86]

Keces S3 is a fantastic combo device, very underappreciated imho.

 

[Dobrescu George]

It is time that I got back from my trip around Romania's Mountains and got back to reviewing!~!!

This time I do a full in-depth take on S3, the mighty organic sounding DAC/AMP from KECES Audio, something I used to warm up and power both Sennheiser HD800 and HIFIMAN HE6SE, giving a whole new perspective on how enjoyable my trip in audio can be

I take the time to compare the S3 with pretty much all of the other high-end DAC/AMPs I reviewed lately, including stuff that's far more expensive, and well, I'm impressed to say it holds its ground

More info and full info in the written review, here:

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2...ed-amp-preamp-my-favorite-warm-performer.html