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Review: Concert Fidelity DAC-040 DA converter

Category: Digital

Starting in 2005 I worked myself up the chain of the very fine DACS built by Accustic Arts of Germany, finally ending up with their Reference Tube Hybrid. I have auditioned over six very highly regarded DACS in the last couple of years and found them to be quite good, but none of them exceeded the performance of the AA Reference Tube Hybrid in my system. I do not use high resolution material, only Redbood CDs, so these auditions were only based on this format because my large collection of music is composed totally of this material. Well, I know nothing is the "BEST" in high end audio, there are many fine pieces of gear when you get to a certain level of excellence. However, I thought that maybe the evolution of DACS that play the standard format had got to the point that it could not get really that much better. Each DAC might offer different slight flavors but not a qualitative shift to a much higher level of performance. It has turned out that I was very wrong regarding this assumption after auditioning what has become my new reference, the Concert Fidelity DAC-040.

The designer of the CF DAC-040, Mr. Masa Tsuda believes in very short and clean circuits in all of his designs. The analog section of this DAC is very similar to what he uses in his highly regarded reference LS-080 linestage. They both use 12AU7's and a 6CA4/EZ81 full-wave rectifier tube. It took over two years of on-going listening tests for Mr. Tsuda to find the NOS DAC chips to use in his DAC, there is no over or up sampling and any type of digital filters to be found any were in this piece, that delivered the sonics he was looking for. Which DAC chips he finally decided on are confidential and not disclosed. All the Concert Fidelity and Silicon Arts, same company, pieces are beautifully built to an exemplatory level including the DAC-040.

Why was I taken so aback by the sonic performance of the CF DAC-040, here's the reasons:

1) By far the most natural timbres and harmonic colors I have ever heard coming from a digital front end.

2) The microdynamics and prat of this DAC are amazing, yet it still allows the listener to relax into the music without giving up the punch and kick of the music.

3) What I refer to as image density or a 3D quality, what most would just call palpability, of each player with air around them on a layered soundstage was the best I have ever had in my system.

4) The CF DAC-040 creates a very open and deep soundstage with great layering in a natural way that allows you to have the illusion that your in that acoustic space.

Believe me, the AA Reference Tube Hybrid DAC is no slouch in these sonic qualities, yet, it was no were close to having these special attributes that the CF DAC-040 was providing in my system. To use very subjective terms this DAC has the most musicality/naturalness that I have experienced that just draws you into the music. Dare I say that a lot of listeners could be fooled into thinking that they were hearing an analog front end, instead of a digital source, I think so.

I end all my reviews by sharing that there is no "BEST" piece of any kind of gear, but many terrific ones. Personal taste and system synergy always comes into play. If your looking for one of the best Redbook DACS around today I highly recommend you audition Mr.Tsuda's "baby", you will be in for a sonic treat.

Associated gear
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teajay
teajay OP
1,696 posts
 
Hello to everybody on this thread,

For my website hometheaterreview.com where I'm a staff reviewer I have been going through a very extensive reviewing process on racks, footers, and isolation platforms. So far their has been a very big winner regarding replacing the stock footers on the CF DAC-040 to beautifully increase its performance in such areas as transparency/micro-details, more overall liquidity, tighter more extended bass, a larger more precisely layered sound stage.

The footers that created these beautiful changes are from the company Krolo Design, they come in sets of three and are very reasonable priced at $250.00. Mr Tsuda has always said that the stock tubes/footers is just to get you started and to experiment with footers/isolation devices to achieve ultimate performance. Regardless of what rack or isolation platform I used the Krolo footers on I got the same great results, with no negatives at all. If you own this DAC I highly recommend you audition these footers as soon as you can.
ps68
230 posts
 
Thanks Teajay, I'll check them out..
teajay OP
1,696 posts
 
Hello everybody,

I have recently received many E-mails regrading my post on my impressions of the new battery powered version of the Concert Fidelity DAC-040. There seems to be either a misunderstanding or a distortion of my position by these readers of what I wrote. So, let me be as clear as possible:

1) The upgrade of the battery power supply took the CF DAC-040, that I believe is one of the finest if not the most musical redbook DAC on the market today, to even a higher level of performance. The major changes were in the areas of transparency, decay trails, even more liquidity and an ease to the overall sonic perspective, slightly more air and extension on top and finally a touch more refinement in the layering of the sound stage and the position of players on the stage.

2) Yes, the above stated are real improvements, however these are refinements of what the CF DAC-040 already offered at a very high level, so it's an evolution of this piece, not a revolution. However, this seems to have been misinterpreted by some folks that the battery powered power supply upgrade was not a step up in performance of the DAC when I clearly stated that it was. Remember, when you start at the reference level of performance that the CF DAC-040 offered already the changes are subtle not whole sale differences, because if they were that would imply something was quite left out or was wrong to begin with in the piece.

3) Mr. Tsuda will never make a change in his pieces unless he believes/hears that it leads to a higher degree of refinement and musicality. Unlike other companies that come out with a new generation very quickly because they did not take the time to get it right the first time when they released their product or it is time to promote their "latest and greatest" for marketing proposes, Concert Fidelity and Mr. Tsuda over time keeps working on refinement and the evolution of the performance of his gear. So, when he comes out with an upgrade to his pieces they really do offer a qualitative improvement.

Well, I hope the above stated comments clear up any misunderstandings of my original statements regarding the new version of the CF DAC-040. My system with the non battery powered version of this DAC still provides me with a wonderful musical experience every day. However, as soon as it's in my budget, I will be purchasing the new battery powered version to get the refinements it has to offer to me in my system.
prawax
71 posts
 
Hi TeaJay,

thank you so much for your precious update.

All the best,
lyd4711
3 posts
 
Hi; After careful planning, and reading this thread, I have landed on the following setup: Sonos (modified by Dr. Gert Volk) - CF DAC 040 and the onwards. I stream lossless from WIMP (similar library as Spotify, but in lossless). The end result is MAGNIFICENT in my humble opinion, and the selection of music is satisfying. HiRez is fine, but mostly I find the music selection of little interest. The pleasure of jumping to WIKI and finding new music and then play it in lossless over DAC 040 opens up a brand new world. Thank you very much to the good people, who's shared info on this thread, and helped me to achieve MY musical Nirvana !!
Best regards. Ola
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