[Gwarmi]

 
 
 Just a quick review detailing a few aspects of this brand new addition to my audio arsenal..
 
 Purpose:-
 
 I initially wanted to replace my Auzentech soundcard for a dedicated stand-a-lone DAC
 that could transfer 24/96 over USB.
 
 Construction & Offerings:-
 
 Very nice. The aluminum shell is quite weighty and clean, it exudes a certain 'Apple' like quality
 in it's finish. No doubt Arcam were aiming this squarely at the Apple fanboys. For the record I'm
 using this on a fairly clapped out 4Gb RAM Intel Core 2 Duo Tower machine.
 
 Inside the box it is fairly sparse, you will find the DAC, the powerpack, Euro/USA/Asia adaptors
 and a manual.
 
 
 
Installation was a breeze with the native driver via USB (for the purpose of this review I have no need to
delve into the optical or coax connectivity) it instantly installed and I was able to find it straight away
in Media Monkey and Foobar. One thing of note, the source volume is set to 100%, already I am
finding that the volume only requires 9-10 o clock settings on my amplifier using a pair of Grado
325i's on the other end. The K601's take a quarter turn more.
 
Initial Impressions & Recommendations :-
 

 

 
Very sweet and musical, if you are coming off the back of a decent soundcard like the Auzentech Bravura
or ASUS Essence ST/STX then the added detail and refined layering will not jump out at you. The depth
and extra extension appears after a few tracks as your ears climbatize to the new source. Anyone
coming from standard on-board is in for a real surprise of the pleasant variety.
 
I don't want to jump the gun just yet as the unit is barely clocking past the 4 hour mark but I will
say this, anyone with an already warm setup such as a Senn HD 650 and Burson Audio 160 would
be wise to audition this DAC before purchasing. I was able to test it at the place of purchase
(Addictedtoaudio.com.au in Melbourne) using a Burson 160 and a pair of Ultrasone 580's.
 
My initial reaction was that it was far too laid back, luckily my naturally bright amplifier and
Grados came to the rescue at home to balance things out nicely. That said, any 325i owner
should consider this DAC as a way of taming the treble on some persistently shrilly tracks.
 
I will update a few more impressions as time goes on...
 
Price paid :- $598AUD
 
Please feel free to post your thoughts!

 

[129207]

Nice first impressions! You could maybe post some photos of the front and back panel? Looking forward to your final thoughts on it's SQ compared to your Auzentech. 

 

[Gwarmi]

@Negakinu
 
That would be a good idea wouldn't it - can't believe I forgot. Here they are, apologies in advance, it doesn't look like I'll
be winning any photography competitions any time soon.
 
Back panel
 

 
Front panel
 

 

 

[Gwarmi]

 
*UPDATE* Impressions @ 24 hours / All testing done with the Grado 325i on L-cush pads.
 
Let the Arcam unit burn in overnight playing a wide selection of material ranging from Jean Michel Jarre, The Who
to Fleetwood Mac.
 
The sound now appears to have opened up, the following recordings I believe really do reflect good reference
material for evaluating any new piece of gear.
 
Hans Zimmer - The Dark Knight OST 16bit/44Khz
 
First thing that strikes me with this recording is the profound depth, a real sensation that the sound-stage
has grown deeper, not necessarily taller or wider but effects appear out of the abyss and build up to
their crescendo without the slightest hint of harshness. This recording is complex with plenty of
opportunity for sub-bass, here it now feels richer, reaching lower than the Auzentech ever could
manage. Lastly, this recording did sound very muddled at times on the soundcard, as if it could
not keep up with the barrage of audio being thrown at it. I'm sure things could improve beyond the
Arcam but there is a definite added sense of layering and separation nonetheless.
 
Keith Richards - Main Offender Vinyl rip 24bit / 96Khz
 
One of my reference rock recordings for the simple fact that the production behind this is first
class - Keith did not cut corners and it shows here. Percussion is tight and snare-like, sub-bass
is layered and nuanced instead of being a single shade of rumble on 'Words of Wonder'.
On 'Bodytalks' the visceral intro of the high hat cymbal and bass guitar is simply glorious
and live sounding. Exactly how this record should sound.
 
The Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disc Volume #2 Vinyl rip 24bit / 96Khz
 
Intro track 'Concerto for Bassoon 3rd movement' digs up some details I have not noticed
before such as a little xylophone medley in the background, I have not mentioned much
regarding detail retrieval in comparison to the Auzentech - the added detail is there but
perhaps my ears are still concentrating on the deepened sound-stage and immediacy
of the percussion and leading guitar notes. 'Angel of Harlem' again feels like a quiet,
street corner rendition of this barber shop classic.
 
It might sound simplistic in terms of expression, but these recordings along with
others sound very 'live' - I'm occasionally fooled that they are in fact studio recordings.
 
I'll probably conclude with a 100 hour final thoughts addition down the track..
 
I will say this, there is the slightest hum, ever so slightly audible when not playing music
- the background is not completely black. On the Auzentech, it was completely
silent.
 
Thanks for reading.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Gwarmi]

Final impressions @ 100 hours+
 
Ok, final post on the Arcam rDAC.
 
So is it worth the 300 pounds or $400-ish USD outlay?
 
Only those who've auditioned it or have owned/listened to many DACs
will be able to answer definitively. Rest assured that I feel it is a much
more practical, detailed, bass defined unit compared to my PCI
Auzentech Bravura 7.1. It has also smoothed out many recordings
with my Grados where the Auzentech (oem) op-amps failed.
 
I'll never know how far the Auzentech could've gone with an
omp amp upgrade, I am also only really familiar with the
Burson 160D as a competitor DAC - again, that unit
is difficult to judge for it's DAC because I find the
amp section so warm, I can say that the DAC section
in the Burson does not brighten things up and for
me the Arcam is the superior unit - especially if
using via USB for the 24/96 connectivity.
 
That's all folks - I'll stay fairly neutral on my
recommendations and say that it deserves
strong consideration in it's price range and
that anyone with a bright setup needing
a little warmth then perhaps the rDAC
is worth a shot.
 

 

[espandon]

Nice review, cheers.

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 Even though my little rDAC is long gone - I'm still surprised that this i-Device savvy looking DAC never received the reception it deserved.
 
 Micro detail enthusiasts or those seeking absolute neutrality would never like this widget from Arcam, but the overall sound did work
 with modern pop, 80's spandex rock (think Motley Crue, Poison, Aerosmith) and other dynamic genres that are not necessarily well recorded or
 brimming with detail artefacts.

 

[vladinecko]

I've had mine for about 5 days now and it's also paired with a Burson HA-160 powering my Senns HD 700. it's hooked up via both USB and optical to an old Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro running Audirvana (free) and VLC. I have yet to form a sound opinion since I've only listened to it for 5-6 hours but I'd like to comment on the setup. When connected via USB, the playback in VLC is tolerable and it's outright digitized and choppy in Audirvana. The computer has more than enough power to decode FLAC at whatever resolution and depth so I really didn't understand why that was happening. After switching to optical (which ruled out 88.2 kHz formats, though 96 kHz is available despite of what the manual states), the playback was smooth as butter in both players. However, Audirvana annoyingly switches everything else to the next available output so going between the two players is a nuisance. Again, I can't give a critical review of the sound quality just yet and/or compare optical vs USB inputs, except the choppiness issue, but I just wanted to chime in with my initial impressions to see if anyone else is having performance issues when connected via USB.

 

[vladinecko]

Quote:

 
 Even though my little rDAC is long gone - I'm still surprised that this i-Device savvy looking DAC never received the reception it deserved.

 
if you really enjoyed it, I'd be curious to know why you got rid of it. What did you replace it with? 

 

[Bloodflowerz]

Thanks for the review! I totally agree, this thing should have received much more recognition.

It's using a flagship Wolfson Dac (WM8741) and I've always liked Wolfson Dacs for their bass performance,

I'm seriously considering the rDAC to warm up my Beyer T1's and add some bass authority to it. I could then add a neutral amp to complete the setup.

Strangely, stock seems to have dried out in the UK. Not sure if this is a sign of a replacement model or manufacturing upgrade to the product?

Thanks again!