[sygnus21]

  I would be hesitant to buy another Teac DAC
 
I have the 501 and it has an issue with its clock.  It has difficulty locking into a setting, and it will often go from DSD to white noise randomly.
 
I have seen posts on other sites that others have this issue and the suggestion that firmware would likely fix this.
 
However, Teac has never issued any firmware updates.

Yeah I might be hesitant replace defective items too... if I didn't understand nothing is ever perfect. That if it's made by man, it can break or be defective. Sometimes defective items slip by QC. It happens, and NO ONE is immune... even those not branded Teac

 
That said, there are many of us here who doesn't/haven't had issues, and the unit works perfectly fine. Perhaps we're the exception?
 
Anyway if the unit is bad, simply have it replaced. Period. Yeah, it's a pain in the @ss when you get a defective unit, but it's not like you're likely to get a second defective unit. And who's the say the unit wasn't damaged during shipping???  That happens as well.
 
My two cents.

 

[AudioQuality777]

I would be hesitant to buy another Teac DAC

I have the 501 and it has an issue with its clock.  It has difficulty locking into a setting, and it will often go from DSD to white noise randomly.

I have seen posts on other sites that others have this issue and the suggestion that firmware would likely fix this.

However, Teac has never issued any firmware updates.

The 503 problems with the sync, no! 501 old model!

 

[Lord Raven]

Hi Guys,
 
I am new to Teac products, willing to upgrade from my Geek Pulse SFi, which is a dual mono DAC with Femto clocks and bla bla bla. What do you suggest?
 
I have read some great reviews on other websites about Teac 501. I was just wondering if anyone having Geek and a Teac has compared them both. Please feel free to PM if it is off topic about 501.
 
Thanks
LR

 

[mainaman]

I have had the 503 for two months(after five months waiting time!) now,but i will not post more in-depth impressions before August,because it was on burn-in for two weeks,then a month trial on head-fi duties(superb with the modest HD595) with my housemate and it is currently being used mostly as an analogue pre for my vinyl setup.

I dont have an audiophile PC/server/transport,i sold my active USB cable several months ago and i havent gotten an Intona yet,but as with the 501,there are no vices(harsh highs,dryness,etc),unlike the HQ Reference(with Lundahls) and the NAD M51,which were simply unlistenable without the Breeze DDC.The con is that the detail is not quite there yet,but it is connected to a noisy PC with a cheap Belkin USB cable and i havent ventured beyond DSD128 yet,an Intona is definitively on my list.

It is an excellent analogue preamplifier and it sounds better as a pre than as a DAC and pre,but my vinyl components retail for around 6000 pounds,so it is not surprising that my LPs sound better than my DSD files.

 

[music_man]

lord raven the teac is very good but the loaded geek pulse is better than the 501 and 503. it is not my favorite because they had to crowd fund their "cheap" dac which think is a bs business move but the loaded geek pulse is still a higher end dac. it is not like the very expensive lh but still higher end dac than the teac imo. however it all depends what you like. there really is no better or best here. listen to it. if you like it better no problem.

 

[mainaman]

  lord raven the teac is very good but the loaded geek pulse is better than the 501 and 503. it is not my favorite because they had to crowd fund their "cheap" dac which think is a bs business move but the loaded geek pulse is still a higher end dac. it is not like the very expensive lh but still higher end dac than the teac imo. however it all depends what you like. there really is no better or best here. listen to it. if you like it better no problem.

You mean the X Infinity?With headphones or speakers?

 

[music_man]

with speakers when i heard it but i am not entirely sure teac's headamp is better either. f of course i could not honestly comment on that. i am just guessing all around that is going to be better than the teac looking at the topology of the board. of course specs really have no bearing on sound. or what you would like. as i said and always say, you must listen for yourself. just buy on credit card with 30 day return and try it.

 

[JoeDoe]

New (to me) 503 owner checking in.

First impressions:

Great build quality and size. Very compact and desktop friendly.

More menu options than a 98% redbook user knows what to do with!

Surprisingly strong head amp section. Giving my alpha primes plenty of juice through the normal SE out.

Lots more 'plankton' to be heard here than my recently sold Mojo, DC-1, or Dragonfly Red.

Will keep listening and get back to you guys!

 

[mainaman]

with speakers when i heard it but i am not entirely sure teac's headamp is better either. f of course i could not honestly comment on that. i am just guessing all around that is going to be better than the teac looking at the topology of the board. of course specs really have no bearing on sound. or what you would like. as i said and always say, you must listen for yourself. just buy on credit card with 30 day return and try it.

Thanks,I dont even have headphones.It could be better,i dont know.I am happy with the Teac and it has analogue inputs.

BTW,Whathifi tested it recently and it didnt fare too well,while the big Audiolab DAC was highly praised,but that magazine's credentials are probably the lowest among the hi-fi press.The Hi-Fi News review was very disappointing(the review,not the DAC),it came as a half-arsed attempt and it was evaluated with headphones only.

 

[music_man]

the lh is probably a better dac than the teac with speakers. don't know about headphones. i do own many pairs of very high end headphones but i fell in love with my newer loudspeakers. that is odd too because even though they are high end speakers i have better. they are the current sonus faber extremas. on their page look under limited editions if you wish. the only thing i do not like is you have to adjust the "brake" on them the teac is a very good dac for the price though. nothing for that price is as good. the lh is more money loaded.

 

[mainaman]

  the lh is probably a better dac than the teac with speakers. don't know about headphones. i do own many pairs of very high end headphones but i fell in love with my newer loudspeakers. that is odd too because even though they are high end speakers i have better. they are the current sonus faber extremas. on their page look under limited editions if you wish. the only thing i do not like is you have to adjust the "brake" on them the teac is a very good dac for the price though. nothing for that price is as good. the lh is more money loaded.

Very nice speakers,to say the least.And you say you have better?Mine are not bad(Quadral Aurum Phonologue Titan VII),but not in the same league.Why are you bothering with these cheap DACs,the Extremas are probably 40 times more expensive than the 503

 

[music_man]

i just like to test stuff out. the 503 is not the dac i have on the sonus fabers lol. i am using an ayre codex simply because i do not have room. i have a diamond dac v downstairs. your speakers are plenty good. you also really need a better dac than this. i completely understand if you have a budget though. you could consider the codex or a bryston or something. i do not like the nad. that is personal of course.

 

[JoeDoe]

Question regarding terminations for an adapter. If I wanted to make an adapter to connect my 4pin Alpha Primes to the dual 1/4" outs of the 503, how would the wires have to be soldered inside the TRS plugs? Or does the Teac somehow accept mono plugs when running balanced?

 

[mainaman]

i just like to test stuff out. the 503 is not the dac i have on the sonus fabers lol. i am using an ayre codex simply because i do not have room. i have a diamond dac v downstairs. your speakers are plenty good. you also really need a better dac than this. i completely understand if you have a budget though. you could consider the codex or a bryston or something. i do not like the nad. that is personal of course.

I have been thinking about the Codex,but it lacks analogue inputs and i would have to add an analogue linestage or go back to an integrated amplifier.The Brooklyn has got everything,but i am not sure it would be a big step up.I will evaluate the 503 with an Intona next month and i will have better idea about its capabilities.I gave up on the Yggdrasil,because it was PCM only.

 

[music_man]

the manhattan would probably be your ticket. the codex is much better than the 503 but i use an ax-5 twenty with it. since you are correct it lacks an analog input plus i am powering loudspeakers with it.