spw1880
100+ Head-Fier
Thank you so much for sharing in great detail. Some of the dacs you compared the dac7 to is way above my price range. But thats a good thing that it can hold its own despite being cheaper. And can i assume your impressions have been done using the utopia, hifiman 1000, he6, audeze lcd3 not speakers? I am not into 2 channel speaker audio thats why i ask.Equipment Used: Emm Labs NS1 (streamer), Emm Labs DAC2xV2 (dac only), Linn Klimax DS/1 (streamer/dac), Linn Akurate DS/3 (streamer), Headamp GSX mk2, CFA3
Headphones used: NDH30, Utopia 2022, HD800S
Cable: Audio Envy AES, DNM RCA, Hart Audio, Virtual Dynamics, Mogami Gold AES
Music Genres: jazz (small ensemble and big band), symphony, Jpop, Cpop, electronic, solo instruments.
Test Config: Emm Labs NS1 -> Mogami AES -> DAC 7
Burn-in time: 2-5 days. The dac initially sounded dynamic and fairly natural but you can hear a bit of digital edge. After 2 days of continuous playing that was mostly remedied and the bass was both deeper and more tuneful. In other words, when I first got the dac, it sounded like a very good DS dac, but after 2-3 days, it sounded like an excellent dac.
Prior experience with DS dacs: I heard everything from the cheap Topping to Bricasti M1 to the equally good Weiss to my own Linn Klimax DS the and overpriced Solution dac. Other dacs I have heard includes everything from the form favorites like May, TT2 and Dave to dCS Rossini, Bartok, MSB Select, BAD reference, PBD MPD5, and many others.
When you talk about sound quality, the Dac 7 stands out as neutral and natural. Right off the bat, it might not wow you like the dCS or MSB, which often amp up certain sound features. Unlike other dacs, the Dac 7 doesn't try to fake warmth or make things sound more "analog." Take a few Sara K tracks, for instance. Her voice on the Dac 7 is clear, natural and upfront, making the music feel effortless with great flow. But when I tried the same tracks on the Linn Klimax DS, they seemed a touch less authentic and a bit less natural. Now, neither dac feels digital, but the Dac 7 just brings out the natural tones in voices and instruments a bit more. Putting it against Emm Labs is tougher. While the Dac 7 holds its own, Emm Labs edges it out in sound density, micro dynamics, naturalness and depth. It's like you're hearing every part of Sara K, from her voice's weight to its nuance. And this isn't just about vocals; it's the same with instruments, be it a double bass or a piano. All in all, I'd bet the Dac 7 is one of the top dacs under $10k for delivering such genuine sound.
Another thing that surprised me about the Dac 7 was its soundstage. Normally, I find DS dacs a bit blurry when it comes to pinpointing instruments or rendering an accurate and massive soundstage, making it harder to sense the space between them. But with the Dac 7, whether it's a solo or a symphony, you can tell exactly where everything is, even down to the distance between mic and solo instrument. I thought the Klimax DS was a standout in this area, but the Dac 7 took it up a notch, letting me dive deeper into the music and sense more of the "void" around instruments and between instruments. What's cool is this clarity doesn't mess with the music's natural vibe, ease and flow. The Dac 7 and Emm Labs are pretty neck-and-neck, but Emm Labs has a slight edge in capturing those finer details, especially for background instruments.
In other sound aspects, like bass, PRaT and dynamics, the Dac 7 is on par with the Linn Klimax DS. So it's top-notch.
Lastly, let's talk price. At $2300, the performance you get from the Dac 7 seems unreal, especially when you consider that the NS1/Dac7 combo goes for $6800, and others like the Linn Klimax DS/1 ($15k) and Akurate DS/3/Emm Labs combo ($25k) are priced way higher. So, is the Dac 7 punching way above its weight? Absolutely.
Edit: I paid $2300 for the dac and the dealer said I could send it back for a full refund for any reason. I am not sending this one back
Thank you
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