Okay….TT2 vs HydraVox vs Wavelight vs M3
Please note, I am using the AVM A5.2 integrated amplifier which is a Class D with a tube input stage. This is the German company AVM and has nothing to do with and is not affiliated with Anthem in any way. If you have read my other posts you will know that I am a huge fan of this brand and this amp. My opinion only improved as a result of this testing as this amp was really up to the task of properly driving these speakers and highlighting differences in DAC performance. The Vivid Kaya 45 is not the easiest speaker in the world to drive with a min impedance of 2.8 ohms. This was a brilliant combo.
I listened to the TT2 first following the AVM
internal DAC and the Hugo 2. I was actually not certain I was going to
hear a huge difference between the Hugo 2 and the TT2. The TT2 has
"double the taps" of the Hugo 2 but I had a lot of faith in the Hugo
2. I was wrong. The TT2 and other
three DACs in this class are demonstrably better than the rung down in every
way.
I like all four of these DACs very much. Each does many things very, very well and I could be happy with any of them assuming they are in the correct system. And that is the key to remember. This is my observation using a very particular integrated amp and pair of speakers. They happen to be very competent but have their own unique characteristics. In all cases, instrument separation was very good. Very little smearing and air around strings and cymbals was first rate. Some things may sound negative. For example the TT2 has the narrowest soundstage of these four. It is still massive compared to a step down, just different than its peers.
The TT2 was the most accurate / precise of the four
and this could be perceived as cold and bright. In the wrong system this
could be extremely unpleasant. In the right system, it creates an image
that is very accurate. In the AVM/Vivid combo, the sound is
realistic. Tonally, the instruments
sound just as they should. It did
present a touch of sibilance with Sting’s voice in Be Still my Beating Heart
and a few moments during Liberty as well.
The soundstage is realistic but flat. The image is stable and relatively wide, but the central image lacked depth. The soundstage is presented to the listener. It is in front of them to observe rather than a feeling of immersion. The colder tones that show up as accuracy in jazz and vocal presentation were completely absent in classical. This DAC presented the soul of the string instruments in a way that borders on impossible to explain. It captured the emotion of Berg’s quartet and if more people heard classical music with this DAC there would be more classical music fans. The soundstage was intimate and this DAC shined like the sun. This was clearly the best of the four with the chamber music in this system and in some ways, the best of the four with Duende.
The Hugo TT2 showed a level of competence that was simply absent from the Hugo 2 and on-board AVM. Not that they are bad, just not in the same league as the Chord.
I then switched to the M3. Talk about contrast. You immediately notice the M3 has a greater emphasis on bass and the soundstage is massive. This is not a soundstage presented to you but one that immerses you in the listening experience. It does not have the same tonal accuracy as the Chord and sounds a hair colored. This comes across as incredibly soulful, especially with female voices and horns. So much so that I had to depart from the five songs only program and listen to Jewel’s You Were Meant for Me which, when presented well, is one of the most incredible vocal pieces I have heard. The M3 met my extremely high expectations.
The M3 has a greater emphasis on bass which I am guessing is contributing to the massive soundstage it delivers. Be Still my Geating Heart is the song with the largest soundstage of these five. The Chord presented an image that extended maybe 8’ beyond the outside of the Vivids. I struggle to quantify how large the image seemed. It had to be double what the Chord presented and portions of the soundstage were coming behind me.
On the other hand, the bass was a little much on Duende for my taste and the intimacy of the Berg piece was lost. It sounded too big and beyond a chamber piece. Tonally, the emotion of the strings were lost a bit for me compared to the Chord. If the amp was a hair brighter
These two DACs are like comparing BMW and Lexus. Both are exceptional at what they have chosen to do but are opposites in terms of style. If I was to sit down and listen to Prokofiev’s Lt Kije Suite or Beethoven’s 9th, I would choose the TT2 without question in this system. If I was to listen to Black Sabbath’s Volume 4 or Peter Gabriel’s So, the M3 would be my choice.
Music style is one part but system matching is also critical. I say that in this system. If I had Raidho speakers which have a reputation for delivering a massive image, the Bricasti might be too much a good thing and the Chord might fit just right. My own Blackthorn speakers are accurate and clinical and doubling down on that would be dreadful with the Chord and the M3 would be an ideal match.
This brings us to the other two. If Chord and Bricasti are BMW and Lexus, Audiobyte and Rockna are Infinity and Lincoln. Different flavors in the middle. Equally extraordinary, but different.
The Rockna was the next that I listened too and at first, I was shocked at how poor it sounded. There are four filters and they sound like completely different DACs. I used hybrid and linear. I found minimum and NOS to be unpleasant with this system. Minimum in particular drifted too bright for my taste. This DAC also has a slight emphasis on bass the way the Bricasti does which lends itself to delivering a big, deep soundstage, albeit not quite as big as the Bricasti.
This is the ladder DAC of the four and it sounded very, very good. This had the least amount of sparkle and the warmest presentation of the four. If you like a warmer presentation or you are struggling with brightness or glare in a system, this is a brilliant option. It struck a nice balance where there was no sibilance in Sting’s voice or during Liberty but there is still top level sparkle in the piano. The intimacy of the Berg piece was lost a touch, but sounded more like a large room rather than a concert hall.
I have a lot of experience with this DAC. Part of what makes it remarkable is that it is un-remarkable. It simply works in a lot of systems and just sounds great. It is easier to describe than its big brother, the Wavedream Signature (we will get to that later), but especially if your tastes cross many genres of music, this is a “Goldilocks” DAC for a lot of systems. Additionally, this is the only DAC among these four with an analog input and home-theater bypass available so it can be used with a turntable (yes, it sounds very good) or an AVR/PrePro.
And finally the Audiobyte. This is definitely closer to the Chord in terms of sound profile. It is coincidentally also an FPGA. This is the most detailed presentation of the four however it is less accurate than the Chord. Tonally the Chord is perfect in this system, there is a tinge of warmth that comes across with the Audiobyte. It could be its greater emphasis on bass vs Chord.
The image is larger and deeper than the Chord but smaller and shallower than the Wavelight and Bricastit. This had the best separation of instruments among the four which was generally very good and it also had the best air around cymbals and strings. Although the TT2 was best with the opening bass solo in Duende, the slightly stronger bottom-end of the Audiobyte.delivered and overall better presentation. There is a very complex underlying bass line during the song that the Chord did not present and was muddy on the Bricasti and Wavelight, that came through clearly on the Audiobyte. It also delivered details and effects that remained inaudible during Liberty. These were quite audible on the M1 SE and Wavedream Signature.
There was more top-end sparkle in piano with the Audiobyte compared to the Wavelight. It maintained a very nice level of intimacy on the Berg piece. This also has the potential to be a “Goldilocks” DAC in a lot of systems. Especially those that are not challenged with brightness and place an emphasis on detail.
In the end, all four of these DACs are awesome and do so many great things. The priority needs to be on system matching and making sure that the DAC meets your needs and appeals to your taste. You would think with the rather significant investment each of these units commands there would be less compromise involved and you could simply buy anyone and be happy but that is definitely not the case. A good evaluation of your system and your own tastes will deliver a great match though as one of these is certain to deliver against everyone’s needs.
I will follow up with my wife's opinion of these but that will stretch out over days.