New USB DAC
Mar 22, 2005 at 8:21 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 32
Scrith

Scrith

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USB input means zero jitter (the data is asynchronous) and no CD read errors (since the data is coming from a hard drive, most likely). With this (or their more expensive version which has been out for awhile), a computer should now be inarguably the ultimate transport (well...assuming the DAC is decent, otherwise we'll have to wait for a Benchmark DAC or something similiar with asynchronous USB/Firewire/Ethernet input).

http://www.wavelengthaudio.com/news.html

The big question is...has anyone heard one and how does the DAC section compare to something like the Benchmark DAC1?
 
Mar 24, 2005 at 2:52 AM Post #4 of 32
More USB DACs on the way as well: the Perreaux SXD2 should be shipping any day now, and a DAC from PS Audio is in the works.

Has Benchmark given any indication that they're working on a followup to the DAC-1, say with USB input?
 
Mar 24, 2005 at 11:31 AM Post #5 of 32
When I asked the question about a USB DAC1 my Australian distributer told me there was no such thing he knew of in the pipeline. Hence I ordered the current model... which I'm still waiting for three weeks later... maybe there will be a DAC2 by the time my DAC1 arrives!!!

TonyAAA
 
Mar 24, 2005 at 2:46 PM Post #6 of 32
There's a lot of good press on the German Hifi Forum about the Aqvox UBS 2 DAC, which employs the new "LEF" (load-free-effect) and "CI" (current injection) technologies. Upon inquiry, I received an email which explained the LEF and CI in detail but I haven't had the time to read it yet. It's very long and in German but if anybody is interested I can forward that email to you.


Supposedly beats a lot of high end players including an Accuphase DP85 and a certain Burmester based on an audition. Impressions are impressions but the DAC might be worth a try for the price. Another headfier also has a unit for home audition at the moment. I'm sceptical about its performance due to the relatively low price but an audition probably won't hurt.

edit: http://www.aqvox.de/
 
Mar 24, 2005 at 3:00 PM Post #7 of 32
'The Brick' from wavelength audio looks very cool, if a little pricey. Here is some more information on that perreaux DAC that OracleGuy mentioned.

EDIT: Personally, I think that at MAC mini and a wavelength Brick would be an extremely sexy setup... may have to consider that down the road.
biggrin.gif
 
Mar 25, 2005 at 5:47 PM Post #8 of 32
Anyone have any experience with the Sutherland Engineering 12dAX7 USB DAC/preamplifier? It seems to be a better value than the wavelength Brick considering what you get for the same price. I read a review on it in Stereophile and is seems pretty promising.
cool.gif


EDIT: Linkage...
 
Mar 25, 2005 at 11:44 PM Post #10 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda
There's a lot of good press on the German Hifi Forum about the Aqvox UBS 2 DAC, which employs the new "LEF" (load-free-effect) and "CI" (current injection) technologies. Upon inquiry, I received an email which explained the LEF and CI in detail but I haven't had the time to read it yet. It's very long and in German but if anybody is interested I can forward that email to you.

Supposedly beats a lot of high end players including an Accuphase DP85 and a certain Burmester based on an audition. Impressions are impressions but the DAC might be worth a try for the price. Another headfier also has a unit for home audition at the moment.


That's me.
All I can say now after only one week is that my Benchmark DAC1 in direct comparison looks like the flavour of last month.
A few days ago plainsong wrote in another context Quote:

Musical and accurate shouldn't be mutually exclusive, they should mean the same thing. Notes don't happen indepentently of each other, sounds bleed together, so I wanted something that represented that.... without being muddy.


These sentences cut my first impressions quite nicely.
 
Mar 26, 2005 at 12:02 AM Post #11 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmopragma
That's me.
All I can say now after only one week is that my Benchmark DAC1 in direct comparison looks like the flavour of last month.
A few days ago plainsong wrote in another context These sentences cut my first impressions quite nicely.


That's good news or bad news depending on how you see it...
Are you going to keep the Aqvox USB?
I was really hoping that you'd say something negative about the Aqvox for wallet-related reasons.
 
Mar 26, 2005 at 12:14 AM Post #12 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda
That's good news or bad news depending on how you see it...
Are you going to keep the Aqvox USB?


I'll definitely keep the AQVOX.
Well, the Benchmark is still good enough for my second rig or due to it's semidecent built-in headphone amp and the good transportability a nice companion for travelling around.
 
Mar 26, 2005 at 12:27 AM Post #13 of 32
The AQVOX DAC looks very promising. Can anyone verify that it is using the asynchronous USB mode (some USB audio devices use the isochronous mode, meaning there is potential for jitter since the audio data D/A conversion runs at the rate that the input is received).

If any of these USB-based units can live up to the high-end non-USB DACs (like the Benchmark DAC1 and even the amazing Accuphase DP-85) this is definitely a great year in the history of audio...the computer has just become the ultimate digital transport.
 
Mar 26, 2005 at 12:32 AM Post #14 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda
I was really hoping that you'd say something negative about the Aqvox for wallet-related reasons.


Here's something negative:
The whole USB-section isn't really audiophile (K-mixer), but that is probably true for all current USB-inputs into DACs.
The built-in headphone amp is crap.
Some of the german fanboys seem to think this DAC is the end of all DACs as far as Redbook audio is concerned.Personally I like the Wadia I listened through better.
 
Mar 26, 2005 at 12:41 AM Post #15 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrith
The AQVOX DAC looks very promising. Can anyone verify that it is using the asynchronous USB mode (some USB audio devices use the isochronous mode, meaning there is potential for jitter since the audio data D/A conversion runs at the rate that the input is received).


AFAIK all USB-DACs using the Microsoft USB-Audio driver are running in isochronous mode.
Doesn't make that much of a difference since in a asynchronous resampling/reclocking DAC like the AQVOX, Benchmark or Apogee any input is asynchronous in a way.
My main concern is that there is no way to bypass K-mixer, Kernelstreaming or ASIO don't work with the USB-audio driver.
 
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