[Funklezen]

Well I owned the Zodiac+ for a couple of years so I know it well. In saying that, I haven't heard it for nearly a year so can't compare them side by side. Regardless:
I personally think the DA8 is better. The Zodiac+ is a pretty special DAC though. It's digital section is second to none and it has a certain refinement up top that is unique, in fact the DA8 is the only DAC I've heard that comes close in that regard. Unfortunately the power supply section of the Zodiac+ is terrible, just a cheap walwart. And it shows in the presentation. It just misses out on that heft and blackness you get with a great linear psu. 
So if you went with a great linear psu for the Zodiac+ (which I didn't) I'm sure it would narrow the gap substantially but research will confirm this. As stand alone units, performance wise it could be somewhat close but I would definitely go for the DA8. Considering it's half the price of the Zodiac+ makes it far better value too.
Hope that helps mate.

 
Thanks for the reply. I think I bought the Zodiac at the same time as you, and also had a welborne psu made for it, liked it but sold all my gear to finance a new car. Now with all the great impressions the biggest question is whether to make the jump on the DA8 or wait for the D8, which prolly will be quite a beast, but then again without the headphone amp And btw: last time I wrote with him he mentioned a set price (A8/D8) of about 4500US and no batch production, and price wasnt final yet.

 

[customNuts]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the reply. I think I bought the Zodiac at the same time as you, and also had a welborne psu made for it, liked it but sold all my gear to finance a new car. Now with all the great impressions the biggest question is whether to make the jump on the DA8 or wait for the D8, which prolly will be quite a beast, but then again without the headphone amp And btw: last time I wrote with him he mentioned a set price (A8/D8) of about 4500US and no batch production, and price wasnt final yet.

No worries, I didn't have the luxury of having a psu made for mine and as it stands, I simply would choose the DA8. It is every bit as refined - if not more - (off memory) yet more musical & enjoyable. This really is a stunning dac. Running a synergistic headphone straight out of it's highly impressive headphone amp and you have end game performance (if there is such a thing).
 
Also, not sure if you know this but the D8/A8 aren't for sale any more. The were open for pre order some time back for a short period. The DA8 is basically the toned down version for the public. 
 
With regards to the Audio-gd Ref 7.1 - I sold it a while back so it's also of memory. I actually sold it when I bought the D18. I was so impressed with the musicality of it I let the 7.1 go. Now the 7.1 was technically a slightly superior DAC and your musical preferences could sway you in either direction. 
 
The 7.1 is in some ways the opposite of the Zodiac+. It is heavily over engineered with amazing power supplies etc & weighting in at probably 5x the zodiac+. I personally don't like NOS DAC's as much as a well implemented sigma-delta, technology has moved forward a lot in 20 years.  So the 7.1 has beautiful tonality, pitch black background, endless, gentle extension either way and wonderful heft down low. Its a great hi-end DAC that could suit some people down to the ground.  
Well the DA8 imo hit's both marks. Has the cutting edge digital side, great psu but most of all, Yulong manages a bit of voodoo with his implementation, producing a very detailed, yet musical dac.  & it's rare imo to get both of these quality's so right at the same time. I would choose the DA8 over the 7.1. (espec considering the DA8 costs far less than the other 2)
 
God knows what the D8/A8 combos will sound like - it will be christmas all over again!
 
Hope that helps a bit.

 

[Gordian]

That definitely helps. I think we have more or less the same ears/experience and you finally convince me to pull the trigger
 
thanks for that

 

[rubenpp]

Very happy with customNuts recommendation of the DA8 . I just wish my DA8 didn't have the DSD issue

 

[mrcasey]

I believe only one person has mentioned some issues with DSD playback.  It is probably (?) a little premature to conclude that the DA8 has a DSD playback “issue”.  I have played hours of DSD (64 and 128) and DXD with the DA8 and switched on the fly between these and other formats many times.  I have encountered zero issues.  The DSD and DXD playback is outstanding on the DA8.  Perhaps we should wait for some more feedback before we decide that the DA8 has any issues with DSD playback. 

 

[rubenpp]

I can only speak of my DA8 , that has the DSD playback issue or whatever is it that you want to call it. 

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Customnuts, thanks for that comparison. I'd love to be able to compare one to the master 7. That's still the best dad I've heard, besting the D2 IMO. I'll have to see how project86 compares it to the d2 since using that as my reference will be better since I owned it for quite some time

 

[cwtim01]

I just tried DSD with my DA8 also and it worked flawlessly for me, there is no issue in switching between PCM, DSD64 or DSD128 - basically it's completely automatic. It's probably worth noting that I'm using MPD in a linux rig, and have not tried in Windows or MAC (and most likely will not).

 

[jtam]

Hi Folks,
 
This is Jeffrey from Tam Audio. I am sorry that I have to disable the coupon codes for Yulong DA8 for some reason. I know it’s a sad news for the folks who is still planning to buy one, but I think it is fair for the audiophiles who bought it from other distributors already. Therefore, we decided to exclude only Yulong DA8 from this round of promotion. We do apologize for the inconvenience and confusion. However, the Yulong DA8 is a great product and it’s worth more than the price. If you are still planning to buy one, you can find more information about DA8 and dealer information from the official website of Yulong at:
 
http://www.audio-sz.com/en/index.asp

 

[customNuts]

Quote:

Customnuts, thanks for that comparison. I'd love to be able to compare one to the master 7. That's still the best dad I've heard, besting the D2 IMO. I'll have to see how project86 compares it to the d2 since using that as my reference will be better since I owned it for quite some time

My pleasure mate, I never had the luxury of trying the new & improved Master 7 DAC. I'm sure it's pretty special, albeit a different beast to the DA8. Audio_gd make some nice gear for sure & I thoroughly enjoyed owning the 7.1 & Master 5 combo. In Fact the new Master 8 amp would be a stunning companion to the DA8. When I tried mine with the D18, there was some serious synergy. It really came together well. If it wasn't for my D8 coming, I would probably buy the Master 8 again as it was a step above the A18 (as you'd expect for the price difference.) A18 was a bit more fun though.

 

[slingshot80]

I think its unfair to renege on the deal when it was stated it was good until the end of the month. I had been thinking of buying one, but if I do, I will buy it elsewhere.

 

[Gordian]

unless this is because of other distributors who put pressure on Jeffrey that he has to stop the discount. Think twice

 

[slingshot80]

Not sure why you want me to "think twice'". What type of pressure would the other distributors put on him?
The point is he should have given some notice. For example, he could have stated that he was ending the promotion in five (or some other amount) more days.
I was waiting to the end of the month to decide due to numerous reasons. Rubennpp states he has some issues with the DSD mode. Other people don't. I wanted to read more reviews of it and I am researching other DACs in the same price range. Also I will have more money to buy it at the end of the month. A merchant has one chance to make good impression and he blew it.

 

[Gordian]

For some brands (I don't say that is the case for Yulong) , I know that distributors have to stick to the official price otherwise they will loose the right to deal the brand.
'think twice' because Jeffrey is possibly not responsible for the choice

 

[mrcasey]

Quote:

I can only speak of my DA8 , that has the DSD playback issue or whatever is it that you want to call it. 

 
My bad rubenpp.  I apologize for my comment.  I incorrectly thought you were a prospective owner who had come to the conclusion that because of one person’s experiences, the  DA8 had a universal DSD playback issue.  Had I paid more attention I would have realised that you are the person who is having problems with the DA8 and DSD. 
 
For the record, I am using JRiver 18, Windows 7.  As cwtim01 mentioned he is using a linux rrig.
 
What player/OS are you using?  Perhaps the DA8 does not play well with a certain hardware/software combo?  Have you tried reinstalling the Yulong driver?  Double checked all settings?