[Baten]

Only one?

The new $4k Holo May DAC measured as good as ESS 9038Pro while being all R2R.

The holo spring has 120+dB SNR which is also really good and can be found below $1k used.

So yeah it can be implemented tremendously well but at high cost.

 

[alpovs]

So, two? The same company.

 

[Sapientiam]

https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

Using this tone generator, @ 30hz I can hear what sounds like a faint sawtooth wave (sharp) on top of the sine wave, present in both channels but just barely to the right -- turn volume up to pick it up.

I tried 30Hz with my DAC, couldn't hear the faint sawtooth so I guess most likely it is your DAC. I can hear distortion at higher frequencies though with my DAC - not sure if that's the DAC, the amp, my headphones or my ears....

 

[ustinj]

I tried 30Hz with my DAC, couldn't hear the faint sawtooth so I guess most likely it is your DAC. I can hear distortion at higher frequencies though with my DAC - not sure if that's the DAC, the amp, my headphones or my ears....

Are you using the Airist R-2R? I know my other DAC does not have the issue.

 

[Sapientiam]

No, I'm using a multibit DAC of my own design.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Hola Folks,

I know this thread has slowed down but I finally made the move from the mimby/eitr combo to this awesome dac.
It's a huge step up imo. The Rdac reminds me of one of my favorite dacs of all time. The Theta Pro Gen V.
Very open and airy with great resolution and detail retrieval. The realism is stunning! Music just breathes emotion. The imaging is ridiculously good. Very 3D with fantastic depth. What surprised me the most is the inky black background that music just flows from.

I picked up the Rdac for under $300 on the used market. What a steal even at the drop price. It's mind boggling what you get for your money these days.
Anyone on the fence who owns a mimby/eitr. Do yourself a favor and get one of these dacs. You will not be disappointed!

All subjective though. Ymmv

Cheers!

 

[Zachik]

Glad you like it my friend
I got to audition it as a pre-production unit, and thought it punched well above its price!!

 

[Guidostrunk]

I absolutely agree in that it punches well above its price. I honestly wasn't expecting it to pretty much demolish the mimby/eitr combo. I figured it would just be a different flavor but close in performance. Imo it's not even close.
In comparison the mimby combo is closed in, dry, a lot less air, grainy, and the PRAT is off. Imaging is more of a 3 blob presentation and smears during complex passages.

The Rdac has what I call the hanging spider effect lol. Notes have this sense of float/suspension in a very dimensional space. It does it so effortlessly. The only other dacs that gave me that same effect were both of my Thetas.
You know it's good when notes can sneak up on you and startle you. Lol

Glad you like it my friend
I got to audition it as a pre-production unit, and thought it punched well above its price!!

 

[robo24]

I got one of these used for $250 and I definitely prefer the sound compared to my SMSL-SU8, which is also excellent. I was hesitant after reading how it measured poorly, so to enjoy it more than the SMSL which measures amazingly well for the price surprised me. I’m not great at describing, but it’s a warmer sound and somehow just more pleasant. I think it’s a nice balance to more bright solid state amps and will give warm tube amps a little extra of what they’re already good at.

 

[kid vic]

I got one of these used for $250 and I definitely prefer the sound compared to my SMSL-SU8, which is also excellent. I was hesitant after reading how it measured poorly, so to enjoy it more than the SMSL which measures amazingly well for the price surprised me. I’m not great at describing, but it’s a warmer sound and somehow just more pleasant. I think it’s a nice balance to more bright solid state amps and will give warm tube amps a little extra of what they’re already good at.

You just found out what a lot of head-fiers don't want to admit: measurements don't correlate to pleasure. Thats why people like tube amps and turntables still.

 

[Marlowe]

You just found out what a lot of head-fiers don't want to admit: measurements don't correlate to pleasure. Thats why people like tube amps and turntables still.

I think plenty on Head-fi will agree. It's the cultists on another site (which will remain nameless) that regard measurements as the only relevant criteria for audio gear. FWIW, I use a SMSL SU-8, which they love, in my primary music setup and a Schiit Modi Multibit, which they hate based solely on measurements, in my TV/Blu-ray setup. Both sound great. (I'm planning to save up for an R2R DAC, probably the Denafrips Ares II, though I'd consider the Airist if it ever becomes available new again.)

 

[kid vic]

I think plenty on Head-fi will agree. It's the cultists on another site (which will remain nameless) that regard measurements as the only relevant criteria for audio gear. FWIW, I use a SMSL SU-8, which they love, in my primary music setup and a Schiit Modi Multibit, which they hate based solely on measurements, in my TV/Blu-ray setup. Both sound great. (I'm planning to save up for an R2R DAC, probably the Denafrips Ares II, though I'd consider the Airist if it ever becomes available new again.)

Trust me, they are here too. Speak ill of Chord or endorse a product that is known to measure poorly and they will appear in no time flat.
I understand and respect the theory they pursue but its an oversimplification.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Well..... I figured I'd get an external LPS for the Rdac since I have one for my MCTH.
With the MCTH the results of an external linear power supply resulted in a completely different amplifier. It was pretty mind blowing how much better the amp was across the board. Especially in noise floor and bass slam.
The power supply purchased was an Acopian A28MT500 for the MCTH.
So I picked up an Acopian VA5MT510 on ebay for a little under $60 shipped new in the box. Both of these supplies retail for $300+ each on the Acopian website.

The results with the Rdac are on par with the results of the MCTH. I'm completely blown away again. I thought the background black before. It's ridiculously black now. Everything has become more expansive in sound stage, especially in depth.
Much more precision in imaging, and so much more texture in the notes. Bass has more impact and slam, with better extension.
Everything just sounds more real lol.

I really haven't seen many people do this with the Rdac. If anyone is interested in giving it a go. Here's where I bought mine. He'll accept $40 on the offer button.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/272627087024

Cheers!

 

[ksorota]

PC>USB into Airist R2R>CMA600i amp/ZDT Jr amp>hd800

It could be the interconnects / cables, but my first assumption was the dac.

It is not an issue with M9xx or cma600i's dac.

I have two RDACs on hand and one has a similar sound you are describing except mine only happens in the right channel. Part off me thinks that their is a grounding issue on some part of the circuit which I want to hunt down.

What I find odd is that it does not increase in volume on step with the music when I turn up the amp, which makes me think it's not one of the resistors... But I could be wrong of course. Any thoughts... It's audible under all listening levels and can almost be ignored but since I know it's their it cannot be.

My other RDAC has an inky black background without a hint of noise.

 

[PointyFox]

Well..... I figured I'd get an external LPS for the Rdac since I have one for my MCTH.
With the MCTH the results of an external linear power supply resulted in a completely different amplifier. It was pretty mind blowing how much better the amp was across the board. Especially in noise floor and bass slam.
The power supply purchased was an Acopian A28MT500 for the MCTH.
So I picked up an Acopian VA5MT510 on ebay for a little under $60 shipped new in the box. Both of these supplies retail for $300+ each on the Acopian website.

The results with the Rdac are on par with the results of the MCTH. I'm completely blown away again. I thought the background black before. It's ridiculously black now. Everything has become more expansive in sound stage, especially in depth.
Much more precision in imaging, and so much more texture in the notes. Bass has more impact and slam, with better extension.
Everything just sounds more real lol.

I really haven't seen many people do this with the Rdac. If anyone is interested in giving it a go. Here's where I bought mine. He'll accept $40 on the offer button.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/272627087024

Cheers!

If the background is so much blacker now, you should have been able to hear noise when you connect to your amplifier without music playing.