Matrix X-Sabre DAC review and impression thread

[project86]

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Seems like the X-Sabre left some people impressed .

 
Links for those of us too inept to find it ourselves?

 

[khaine1711]

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Links for those of us too inept to find it ourselves?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/662707/canlanta-2013-may-4th-meet-impressions

 

[Theogenes]

On the Canlanta impressions, make sure you take note that some of the people leaving impressions had it backwards, thinking the W4S was the Matrix and vice versa. They say it somewhere in the thread, but I didn't want someone to just read one or two posts and get the wrong idea.

 

[Girls Generation]

I've had the Gungnir, and I have now a demo X-Sabre. Will report with findings in a few, gotta borrow a Mjolnir before I say anything.

 

[Girls Generation]

I'm pretty sure W4S DAC1 came out around the same time the Benchmark DAC1 did. 
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Hmmm... it's been a long time since I've heard the W4S unit, but I know some people who swear by it. Not bad company to be in I suppose. But can we please decide right now that no more products should be called the "DAC-anything"? Benchmark can still do it, but everyone else needs to think of a new name. 

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I'm completely on-board with you.  It's very similar to the auto industry...these arbitrary numbers for models.  Give the piece of gear a freaking identity that people can relate to and immediately associate with.  These number-based models get extremely confusing, especially when reading reviews (professional and user alike). 

 

[project86]

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I'm pretty sure W4S DAC1 came out around the same time the Benchmark DAC1 did. 

 
Nope. Wyred 4 Sound as a company didn't even exist until roughly 2008 (though prior they had been around for a long time under the name Cullen Circuits, building gear for other audio companies). They launched their DAC1 in 2010.
 
Benchmark launched their DAC1 way back in 2003 if I remember correctly. I know it won Stereophile's "Product of the Year" in 2004. It's been revised and redone as the DAC1 Pre, DAC1 USB, and DAC1 HDR, but the core design is the same. 

 

[Girls Generation]

Oh yes, got the HDR and the original dates mixed up.
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Nope. Wyred 4 Sound as a company didn't even exist until roughly 2008 (though prior they had been around for a long time under the name Cullen Circuits, building gear for other audio companies). They launched their DAC1 in 2010.
 
Benchmark launched their DAC1 way back in 2003 if I remember correctly. I know it won Stereophile's "Product of the Year" in 2004. It's been revised and redone as the DAC1 Pre, DAC1 USB, and DAC1 HDR, but the core design is the same. 

 

[Esprit]

The european price will be 899,00€.
I would like to read some comparative tests (Yulong vs. Matrix) before buy one of the two.

 

[project86]

Quote:

The european price will be 899,00€.
I would like to read some comparative tests (Yulong vs. Matrix) before buy one of the two.

 
I think a lot of people are waiting for this comparison. I hope to make it happen ASAP. 
 
In the meantime, I'm still loving the X-Sabre! 

 

[Esprit]

According to information from manufacturers:
The X-Sabre has the USB input galvanically isolated (to verify).
The DA8 no (sure).
 
We still don't know the price of DA8 in Europe

 

[colour97]

last sat , i had 30 min audition of x-sabre at a audio shop: .
 
cd transport is  little dot latest model: cdp3
headamp : phonitor
ph: hd 800
dac: x-sabre.
 
my quick impression is : narrow soundstage, so-so (not impressive)  details, .  Treble , mid and bass, like teac 501, this price-range, you will expect to get the stuff at this price-range.
 
as a pre- yulong d18 user, i will prefer d18 ,  

 

[EraserXIV]

Quote:

last sat , i had 30 min audition of x-sabre at a audio shop: .
 
cd transport is  little dot latest model: cdp3
headamp : phonitor
ph: hd 800
dac: x-sabre.
 
my quick impression is : narrow soundstage, so-so (not impressive)  details, .  Treble , mid and bass, like teac 501, this price-range, you will expect to get the stuff at this price-range.
 
as a pre- yulong d18 user, i will prefer d18 ,  

 
Thanks for the input, it's nice to hear some more comparisons about these DACs. Are you saying the TEAC 501 and the X-sabre have a similar sound?

 

[colour97]

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Thanks for the input, it's nice to hear some more comparisons about these DACs. Are you saying the TEAC 501 and the X-sabre have a similar sound?

no. i also had teac 501 1 month ago. it is also weaker at all around impression.
 
what i want to point out is dsd is not a miracle to make sound better, the most important is the dac itself, no matter it can or cannot decode  dsd,  the dac sound quality itself is
most important . i like d18(without dsd decoder)  because only 1/2 price can out-perform above 2 dac . 
 
i will go to have audition of yulong da8 next week to see if this is giant killer.  i am using korg mr-2000 to record my own dsd so i need dsd dac . 

 

[project86]

Thanks for the impressions. It's always nice to have more data points - but I'd caution against making any serious judgments, positive or negative, based on brief listens in unfamiliar systems with (potentially) excessive background noise. I think it's more useful for a headphone where you can in fact get a general idea of the sound signature. DACs are far more subtle in their differences and require more time to really figure them out. 
 
If I heard that system and was unimpressed, I'd blame the Phonitor before the X-Sabre. Never been a huge fan of that amp or the Auditor. 

 

[Maxvla]

Everyone who has heard mine says the soundstage is quite wide. I would agree with John that the Phonitor is to blame.