Audioexcels
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 31, 2006
- Posts
- 390
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- 12
I first want to thank SCMS (http://www.scmsinc.com) for the exceptional work they did with getting the Yellowtec PUC-2 Lite into my hands in excellent fashion. This is a very top notch company with a host of professionals working together. If you are considering purchasing this unit, definitely go with them as my experience with the few Yellowtec dealers in the US was the very best.
First of all, the Analog+Digital PUC-2 unit received a lot of praise a good few years back in a Swedish Hi-Fi circle. Using Google translation and also viewing the internals from the photos in the thread had me wondering about the unit. If you do a simple search for Yellowtec and Audiophellio, you will see a review in recent time done between these two devices. After studying both the recent review and the Swedish forum, I decided to try out the PUC-2 Lite. The PUC-2 Lite is the digital only variation of the PUC-2. In brief, the PUC-2 is a dac and USB converter in one, much like any other dac+usb converter out on the market. The PUC-2 Lite takes out the analog section and makes leaves only the digital section of the unit inside the enclosure.
Fit and finish of the unit is excellent. I have had numerous converters from the hot rodded Off-Ramp 4 to Jkeny modded devices to the very simple USB sticks from Hiface, and this one is very stout in build, much alike the Off-Ramp that is in a nice enclosure. All connections are very well placed and feel rugged/strong. Being that this is a pro-sound device, meant for the pro-sound audio world, it is likely why the unit takes on a much finer finishing touch than what you normally see in the consumer world of things.
On with the sound of this unit. For reference, I had the Audiophilleo 2 stock (non pure power), both versions of the Hiface devices, the Xonar ST and STX sound cards, and a few regular cd/dvd/blue ray platters. I can only go on memory of what the Off-Ramp 4 sounded like.
The Yellowtec is highly resolving and exceptional in all the technical areas like detail-soundstage-etc. What sets it apart from the AP2 is the tonality/heft/and "natural" sound. It sounds absolutely beautiful where the AP2 is certainly good, but just not in the same league. This may just be my own system, but I had the same exact response when I had the loaded Off-Ramp in the system. There is something fundamentally correct about the Yellowtec that I do not hear with the AP2. It could be greater effortlessness of the resolution-detail-tones-etc. I cannot quite pinpoint precisely what it is, but it is like adding a few more cylinders to a car. The Yellowtec flat out revs harder, cleaner, and smoother than the AP2.
Conclusion: There are many converters on the market, many different price points, and many that I have tried. I have not tried Pat's latest Legato II or the latest Sonic Weld Diverter, but I know the Off-Ramp should be at least competitive, if not subjectively superior to these others. To say that I would like to put the Yellowtec PUC-2 Lite against the Off-Ramp or any of these others should give some perspective as to how good I feel the Yellowtec PUC-2 Lite converter is.
I will make an update to this review whenever I have a chance to do a nice comparison of the Yellowtec and the Off-Ramp 5.
For those on the fence about what transport/converter to purchase, the Yellowtec has to be high on your list.
If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me.
Thank You!
System used:
Pioneer S1EX Speakers (Essentially the same as the Tad Evolution Ones)
Oritek Audio Pre-Dac
Dynaco MKIII's w/Ori's Mod
Oritek Audio Cabling
First of all, the Analog+Digital PUC-2 unit received a lot of praise a good few years back in a Swedish Hi-Fi circle. Using Google translation and also viewing the internals from the photos in the thread had me wondering about the unit. If you do a simple search for Yellowtec and Audiophellio, you will see a review in recent time done between these two devices. After studying both the recent review and the Swedish forum, I decided to try out the PUC-2 Lite. The PUC-2 Lite is the digital only variation of the PUC-2. In brief, the PUC-2 is a dac and USB converter in one, much like any other dac+usb converter out on the market. The PUC-2 Lite takes out the analog section and makes leaves only the digital section of the unit inside the enclosure.
Fit and finish of the unit is excellent. I have had numerous converters from the hot rodded Off-Ramp 4 to Jkeny modded devices to the very simple USB sticks from Hiface, and this one is very stout in build, much alike the Off-Ramp that is in a nice enclosure. All connections are very well placed and feel rugged/strong. Being that this is a pro-sound device, meant for the pro-sound audio world, it is likely why the unit takes on a much finer finishing touch than what you normally see in the consumer world of things.
On with the sound of this unit. For reference, I had the Audiophilleo 2 stock (non pure power), both versions of the Hiface devices, the Xonar ST and STX sound cards, and a few regular cd/dvd/blue ray platters. I can only go on memory of what the Off-Ramp 4 sounded like.
The Yellowtec is highly resolving and exceptional in all the technical areas like detail-soundstage-etc. What sets it apart from the AP2 is the tonality/heft/and "natural" sound. It sounds absolutely beautiful where the AP2 is certainly good, but just not in the same league. This may just be my own system, but I had the same exact response when I had the loaded Off-Ramp in the system. There is something fundamentally correct about the Yellowtec that I do not hear with the AP2. It could be greater effortlessness of the resolution-detail-tones-etc. I cannot quite pinpoint precisely what it is, but it is like adding a few more cylinders to a car. The Yellowtec flat out revs harder, cleaner, and smoother than the AP2.
Conclusion: There are many converters on the market, many different price points, and many that I have tried. I have not tried Pat's latest Legato II or the latest Sonic Weld Diverter, but I know the Off-Ramp should be at least competitive, if not subjectively superior to these others. To say that I would like to put the Yellowtec PUC-2 Lite against the Off-Ramp or any of these others should give some perspective as to how good I feel the Yellowtec PUC-2 Lite converter is.
I will make an update to this review whenever I have a chance to do a nice comparison of the Yellowtec and the Off-Ramp 5.
For those on the fence about what transport/converter to purchase, the Yellowtec has to be high on your list.
If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me.
Thank You!
System used:
Pioneer S1EX Speakers (Essentially the same as the Tad Evolution Ones)
Oritek Audio Pre-Dac
Dynaco MKIII's w/Ori's Mod
Oritek Audio Cabling
)) Funny how back in the day, you type a certain website url and it just gave a blank non-existing page. But for a while now, you type even something entirely random and you get feedback (aka some website/ads/...a dictionary
).
