Valab 4395 Platinum 24bit 192k Hi-Bit Re-data DAC USB

[gattari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by massivni /img/forum/go_quote.gif so what is the sonic character? darker or lighter.. thanks for those reviews

The sonic character ..... no dark no lighter
Akm Valab has a wide and open sound, exquisite on the midrange and vocals.
You can listen to with all the natural reverb of a piano.
Consider vital and important to appreciate the goodness of this Dac utilization hiface or musiland (Hiface is ever so slightly better).
But I would like the opinions of others.
I do not like having to be the only responsable to recommend this DAC.

Not write more on this tread if not see comments from other owners.
Ciao

 

[digger945]

Which Musiland product are you referring to gattari?
Audio output?

 

[gattari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digger945 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which Musiland product are you referring to gattari? Audio output?

I have a musiland 02 us and mytech hiface.
The valab akm native usb is no good.
Ciao

 

[berndy]

I am owner of a xindak dac-5 for 3 years and I am very satisfied with this product.

After reading about the valab 4395, I decide to buy and compare.

First impressions of the valab:

-heavy
-top component parts

After 2 weeks with several digital sources like Sony CD-339, DVD-Audio, PC and QLS QA 550 SD-Card Player I risk a personnel review:

- Clear and vital
- very detailed like headset-hearing
- bass full/light or I will say very exact with punch
- neutral but not cold or I will say well-balanced

But I have to say, this is the average of my hearing, cause music sounds different with different sources.

With the SD-Card Player - my best source - it is a little bit stressful after longer hearing, cause the valab transfer me in a studiolistener, hearing is like working.

Is this good or bad? I don't know. It is exciting, cause I take my favourite recordes for hearing new things and be astonished.

The Sony CD-Player - a very good transport - with new digitalcoax output, bring the music more relaxed, cause this source isn't so accurate like the SD-Cardplayer.

Comparison to my Xindak DAC-5:

Xindak is for listening on a high level without working - I mean without searching for the finest detail. I don't know, how to describe in a better way, cause my english is schoolenglish.

Another describtion, if i hear a classical performance, I prefer the Xindak, I close my eyes and listen music like a lover for bach, mozart etc.

If I want to hear music vital, powerful and very detailed, I prefer the valab 4395.

Conclusion:

The valab is a very good modern dac for less money, I don't know a product with this ability in a pricerange until 400€. The same product with a well-known name would cost a little bit more, I think 3x -5x.
I will make a comparison with my friend's benchmark dac-1 usb in 2 month.

Best regards

 

[gattari]

I believe that if you try a hiface or a musiland 02us attached to a PC, you would get the most out of this DAC.
I do not find it quite tiring, but I'm glad that finally someone else has expressed his opinion.
Thanks
Ciao

 

[berndy]

Don't think so.

The valab has adoptive usb with bb pcm 2706. Internal output is SPDIF, not I2S, what will be better.

Sound is good, but not great.

Only usb in asynchronous modus like wavelength is number 1.

I hope the china boys can do this job, it is very difficult to write the software. Gordon Rankin from wavelength need 2 years.

 

[gattari]

Hiface is asincronous and musiland is asincronous.

The cinese boys work and work and work and they are so many )
Ciao

 

[berndy]

hiface is not conclusive, if we talk about hifi/highend.

It is asynchronous, but the power supply is usb, this is reason for jitter.

At least i have conversion to SPDIF, this connection make jitter.

I think hiface is the answer for pc and notebooks and their moderate or bad soundcards and this is okay.

But for HighFi it is necessary to implement this circuit board inside a dac, connect it to this clean and stable power supply and go directly to the converter with I2S.

Maybe valab to this.

 

[Fujak]

Hello gattari,

first of all I want to thank you for your review/reporting concerning this DAC. This was the most convincing reason for me, to risk the order of the Valab 4395 Platinum.
Before the Valab I have had the Beresford Caiman, the Benchmark DAC-1 and the Meier-Audio Corda StageDac. After listening (and of course carefully breaking-in), I have to say, that the Valab 4395 Platinum is sincerely the best sounding DAC among these four DACs I have listened till now.
It unites the best aspects from all these DACs, and I can't hardly stop listening all my music-files to discover new aspects.
I can confirm the description of the sound-character as told by you but also patly by berndy.
Since I have a Asus EEE-PC-Netbook as Player, I connect it via USB TeraLink X2 to the Tos-Link of the Valab 4395 Platinum, and this works fine.
But: in total contrast to the exiting sound-experience I found the case of the DAC and its manufacturing a bit poor. It really looks like a diy-product. But perhaps I will mod the case, because the sound is really worth of it.

And now I will continue listening to my music...

All the best from Germany
Fujak

 

[gattari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fujak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello gattari, first of all I want to thank you for your review/reporting concerning this DAC. This was the most convincing reason for me, to risk the order of the Valab 4395 Platinum. Before the Valab I have had the Beresford Caiman, the Benchmark DAC-1 and the Meier-Audio Corda StageDac. After listening (and of course carefully breaking-in), I have to say, that the Valab 4395 Platinum is sincerely the best sounding DAC among these four DACs I have listened till now. It unites the best aspects from all these DACs, and I can't hardly stop listening all my music-files to discover new aspects. I can confirm the description of the sound-character as told by you but also patly by berndy. Since I have a Asus EEE-PC-Netbook as Player, I connect it via USB TeraLink X2 to the Tos-Link of the Valab 4395 Platinum, and this works fine. But: in total contrast to the exiting sound-experience I found the case of the DAC and its manufacturing a bit poor. It really looks like a diy-product. But perhaps I will mod the case, because the sound is really worth of it. And now I will continue listening to my music... All the best from Germany Fujak

Fujak thanks for yuor feedback.
I have 3 interface
Hiface
Musiland 02 us
and now the Teralink x2
The teralink x2 is a step backwards compared to the hiface and the musiland 02us.
The teralink x2 with the ploytec drv approaching but does not match the hiface and musiland.

Ciao

 

[Fujak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gattari /img/forum/go_quote.gif Fujak thanks for yuor feedback. I have 3 interface Hiface Musiland 02 us and now the Teralink x2 The teralink x2 is a step backwards compared to the hiface and the musiland 02us. The teralink x2 with the ploytec drv approaching but does not match the hiface and musiland. Ciao

Ciao gattari,

that's interesting: please could you tell me how the audible difference is?

Which Interface would you prefer: Musiland or Hiface.

You mentioned the Ploytec Driver. Is it worth to buy it (concerning the audible difference)?

I know, these are many questions...

Best regards
Fujak

 

[gattari]

I prefer a little (very very little) bit the hiface over the musiland.
To understand this, it took me over a month, the differences are mostly in a little better definition of sound layers in the lower part of the audio spectrum.
I do not have try to connect the teralìnk x2 to the valab akm with tos-link,
I will do this test, I would be surprised

Download for free the ploytec drv, but you will have a beep every 15 seconds.
Ciao

 

[gattari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gattari /img/forum/go_quote.gif Fujak thanks for yuor feedback. I have 3 interface Hiface Musiland 02 us and now the Teralink x2 The teralink x2 is a step backwards compared to the hiface and the musiland 02us. The teralink x2 with the ploytec drv approaching but does not match the hiface and musiland. Ciao

Return on this subject as my opinion should be revised, because I had used the teralink x2 power directly from USB, and thus its inferiority was clear, especially in low-medium and low range, the sound seemed pasted on these frequencies.
I have said
let's try the teralinx x2 with power as it has this option even if the power supply is not provided, in practice with a lever you exclude the USB power.
Well guys the teralinx x2 have completely changed for the better and many more.
I did not think that the power was so crucial for this unit.
Goes splendidly well, I'm using in kernel streaming.

 

[gattari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fujak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello gattari, first of all I want to thank you for your review/reporting concerning this DAC. This was the most convincing reason for me, to risk the order of the Valab 4395 Platinum. ..... Since I have a Asus EEE-PC-Netbook as Player, I connect it via USB TeraLink X2 to the Tos-Link of the Valab 4395 Platinum, and this works fine. But: in total contrast to the exiting sound-experience I found the case of the DAC and its manufacturing a bit poor. It really looks like a diy-product. But perhaps I will mod the case, because the sound is really worth of it. And now I will continue listening to my music... All the best from Germany Fujak

Do you use the teralinx with an external power supply?
Today I tried an external power supply for teralinx and the result is very good.
Good result also with toslink + power supply.
Ciao

 

[Fujak]

Ciao gattari,

thanks for your updated review. I have written about my experiences with TeraLink at the TeraLink-Thread, and since you are engaged there too, probably you've already read it.

Saluti
Fujak