Airist Audio discrete R-2R DAC, at an unbelievable $350!!!!!

DSD is converted to PCM, but at this price, may not be an issue.

As far as I know, DSD started as PCM, maybe it's just coming home.

Cheers George

What makes this better than, say a Schiit Modi Mutibit?

Looks and tests like a winner! The only thing missing (aside from snob appeal) is an extra zero in the price! Lookout Schiit!

What makes this better than, say a Schiit Modi Mutibit?

No one said it did, but the Schit having a non audio based chip R2R converter that can't do dsd, and this having a discrete R2R converter, my money would go on the Airist. Time will tell when the reviews start coming out on how good it is, but these initial reviews 3 pages are very glowing.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/massdrop-x-airist-audio-r-2r-dac-a-discrete-resistor-ladder-dac-for-...


Cheers George

Thanks for sharing this. I was considering a Denafrips Ares as a second dac but this looks like a great option.

I have been trying to figure out what price point DAC I should get and I think I am going to order this one.  A bunch of people seem concerned that the ladder DAC design implementation is copied, but they have provided a side-by-side photo of several others and they are all so similar that I agree with their point that the real design is not the ladder layout which is very straightforward.

Would this dac provide a substantial audible improvement over my OL DAC; (using w/ Stax cans and Stax 313 solid state amp). My music source is iTunes files over Iphone 7; primarily live soundboards. Thx for your help. 

What " OL DAC" have you got make/model? some R2R old ones are very good still.

Cheers George

Thx George. JDS Labs current ol dac.

Hi mstrauss, sorry when you said ol dac I thought you meant an old R2R dac.
From what I found out the Ol Dac is not R2R multibit as it does 192 upsampling, so it’s most probably delta sigma.
To me R2R has it over delta sigma when converting redbook pcm. And for dsd what I found the Ol Dac can’t do it either.

Cheers George

The Massdrop on these, went ahead a few hours ago, interesting that 121 units have sold already!

Cheers George

I don't want to buy now and wait 6 months or until they finally get their production issues sorted out.  The guy who is claiming the design is his really missed an opportunity.  If he had product ready to go right now, he could have sold me one of those if he could have had it to me next week.

140 now!!! they'll sell out the 960 units by days end.

Cheers George

Thx George. I believe you are correct w my ol dac being delta sigma and as I don’t believe the files I import are pcm or dsd(not actually sure) I think I’ll pass on this r2r for now, tempting as it is. Appreciate your input. Cheers, Mike

Call me “cheap skate”, I’m in George...🙃and I thank you for heads up!
Cheers!   

I think it’s the six month wait that’s a deal buster for some of us. That’s a long time in the world of digital technology, and who knows what’s going to turrn up in the interim.

Only 187 sold so far.  I'm surprised no one has mentioned the dishonest response from the "designer" concerning the obvious copy of the Hibiki (Sosolar) design.  I'm not saying anything illegal has occurred, but the way it's been handled so far has been shameful in my opinion.

If it's the price you find appealing, there's also the Audio-Gd R2R DAC.
You can read about it here at Audio-gd's R2R 11 is another $350 R-2R DAC | Darko.Audio.

There's no half year waiting list and it's power supply is built in.

All the best,
Nonoise

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the dishonest response from the "designer" concerning the obvious copy of the Hibiki (Sosolar) design.
 

I have just spent some time perusing the massdrop communities forum
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-airist-audio-r-2r-dac/talk/2098625
And I must admit the case for plagiarism / intellectual theft is pretty strong.

It is my understanding that the quality of an R2R dac is determined by having very accurately matched resistors in its ladder design. How accurately matched can one expect the resistors to be for $350.00 total cost?

A firm that selling men'a accessories,cooking,watches and so on looks very suspicious to me to buy a DAC from them looks very suspicious for me .

If it's the price you find appealing, there's also the Audio-Gd R2R DAC..."

You missed the punchline - 'Discrete R-2R".

Ah, okay, indiscreet. 🤪

@itzhak1969 - massdrop collaborates with the corporate entity to bring to the market cheaper versions of established products based on confirmed orders and interests, the company knows exactly the demand and how many units they can sell, and buyers get established products at a cheaper price, basically they are labelled differently. Plenty of great companies released massdrop branded versions of their headphones and amps through massdrop collaborations. It’s basically like a kickstarter business model. Nothing illegitimate or suspicious about it.

Measurements:
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/airist-r2-r-dac-measurements.6418/

Sounds like this “gem” sucks at 11 bits or so of linearity. 
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/measurement-of-r2r-dac.2202/page-7#post-8...

Whole thread reads like a mass shill!

motokokusanagi"Whole thread reads like a mass shill!"
Actually in truth, reality, and fact the post directly above your's is contrary, critical, and judgmental so perhaps you should improve you're reading understanding, comprehension, and ability so that the claims you make are not so easily refuted, contradicted, and proven false and without basis.

...I'm talking about the headfi thread posted.....come on