T+A HiFi - DAC 200 - Official Discussion Thread
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Vangelis
100+ Head-Fier
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Is the fuse iside the DAC200 accessble? Anyone know the spec on the fuse?
ChJL
500+ Head-Fier
How would you compare the DAC200/HA200 to similarly priced R2R DACs? If you have listening experience with both of course.
Personal preference aside, for which use case/type of music would you choose one over the other? If that's a thing for you.
I'm under the impression that type of music is most sane determining factor of which gear to buy, for HPs for sure. Without listening beforehand!
Hard to get objective opinions. Whatever thread you're in, that's THE device/brand to got for
.
Other then that, if I do not use a PC/Software, DSD "half of the DAC" seems to be for nothing. Considering true 1 bit DSD is a strong selling point and probably the reason to get it in the first place?
Personal preference aside, for which use case/type of music would you choose one over the other? If that's a thing for you.
I'm under the impression that type of music is most sane determining factor of which gear to buy, for HPs for sure. Without listening beforehand!
Hard to get objective opinions. Whatever thread you're in, that's THE device/brand to got for
. Other then that, if I do not use a PC/Software, DSD "half of the DAC" seems to be for nothing. Considering true 1 bit DSD is a strong selling point and probably the reason to get it in the first place?
Soundguy123
Head-Fier
After many months with the T+A DAC 200, all I can say is it is a total game changer - everything sounds right, more detailed than anything I have heard - even low level sounds jump out of the soundstage without any digital glare. It isn’t smooth or veiled at all - every nuance and detail is there effortlessly - it doesn’t ever sound harsh either - honestly I thought digital was fundamentally flawed somehow and could never approach the sound of great vinyl - that is until I heard this DAC. I think this is the last DAC I will ever need - my 27 years of frustrations with digital are finally over. (Digital sounded good and better than vinyl in many ways but it always had a problem of harshness to my ears)How would you compare the DAC200/HA200 to similarly priced R2R DACs? If you have listening experience with both of course.
Personal preference aside, for which use case/type of music would you choose one over the other? If that's a thing for you.
I'm under the impression that type of music is most sane determining factor of which gear to buy, for HPs for sure. Without listening beforehand!
Hard to get objective opinions. Whatever thread you're in, that's THE device/brand to got for
Other than that, if I do not use a PC/Software, DSD "half of the DAC" seems to be for nothing. Considering true 1 bit DSD is a strong selling point and probably the reason to get it in the first place?
ChJL
500+ Head-Fier
27 years, I see... someone mentioned "best DAC under 20k" a few pages back... heard similar opinions a few times now!
Compared to that I've just started and kind of want to be at a good place in 7 minus 2 years or so!
How do you feed it? Pc or streamer? Hi res, DSD, FLAC, or streaming service?
Soundguy123
Head-Fier
I upsample to DSD256 in Roon and feed the USB input but honestly it sounds great at PCM 192 with bez2 filter or DSD 64. I think the key is to upsample Redbook by at least 4x, after 4x it is diminishing returns for increased oversampling but can still sound slightly better at the very highest rates (Not 100% certain on this last point but I believe it to be so - could be bias confirmation)
ChJL
500+ Head-Fier
that's what I meant earlier. The strongest point of it seems to be what you described. DSD, PC and upsampling Software.
Thanks!
Soundguy123
Head-Fier
The weakest point of this DAC is still better than anything I have heard.
newToAudio100
100+ Head-Fier
Yes dac200 for me is a game changer. Leagues over the yggdrasil og. Incredible detail and timbre. The sound is natural, effortless, and three dimensional. It makes the yggdrasil og sound flat. The resolution is extremely high and I can pick out background sounds that escaped my ears in the past with the yggy.
This dac creates an incredible soundstage and listening to music I know well really is shocking. Even playing video games is something special.
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Some months ago I borrowed the DAC200 from a dealer - see earlier posts in this thread.
It is a very fine sounding DAC indeed, in its price class for sure. On its own (so no external upsampling) it leans a little towards the analytical side, super-detailed but a little "dry".
Since I did the direct comparison to my own Venus II DAC by Denafrips, I added in my chain a DDC and updated the DAC's firmware, which results in a quite remarkable uplift in sound quality.
All the DDC does is reduce input jitter (and maybe remove some USB noise), while the newer firmware with revised upsampling in the DAC is the "game changer" with my setup.
Therefore - I can fully understand that most people feel that external upsampling is key to success with the DAC200. From my point of view it would be even more desirable thought to have "perfect" upsampling done inside the DAC, not having to rely on external upsampling.
In my opinion there is more potential to do hardware intensive processes before the DAC.
ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
Imo T+As Bezier Upsampling filter is the best one on the market.
While I don't have the DAC200 the filter itself should be nearly identical on my unit
Soundguy123
Head-Fier
Agreed. Most DAC filters are of the type with equiripple in the pass band (this gives best specs but results in a tiny sinusoidal passband ripple which creates also tiny echoes). I did not appreciate the importance of a passband without a uniform ripple until recently especially as a speaker pass band is anything but smooth - it is an example of a time domain effect the industry does not measure because very tiny echoes were assumed to be inaudible when in fact as a pre-echo they are)
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ChJL
500+ Head-Fier
What's the top 2, 3 followers you've heard owned? are referring to?
ChJL
500+ Head-Fier
Is that filter for PCM section of it?
Isn't that what the Bezier filter is in intented to be?
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