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DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend

Okay...in another thread I promised to do a side-by-side evaluation of the Audiobyte HydraVox/Zap vs the Rockna Wavelight. Due to the astonishing incompetence of DHL this has been delayed. At the moment, I have a plethora of DACs here and am going to do a broader comparison.

I am going to do a compare of the Rockna Wavelight, Rockna Wavedream Signature, Audiobyte HydraVox/Zap, Chord Hugo 2, Chord Hugo TT2, Bricasti M3, Bricasti M1 Special Edition, Weiss 501 and the internal DAC card for an AVM A 5.2 Integrated amp as a baseline.

For sake of consistency, I am going to use that same AVM integrated amp driving Vivid Kaya 45s. I may branch out and do some listening on other speakers (Verdant Nightshade of Blackthorn and/or Wilson Benesch Vertexes) but want to use the Vivids for every compare as they are the fullest range speakers I have here. For sake of consistency I will use a Chord 2Go/2Yu connected via an Audioquest Diamond USB as a renderer. The only exception is the Hugo 2 which has a 2Go directly attached to it. I will use a Roon Nucleus+ as a server in all cases.

My plan is to use the same five songs on every DAC; In a Sentimental Mood from Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, Be Still My Beating Heart from Sting, Liberty from Anette Askvik, Duende from Bozzio Levin Stevens and Part 1 of Mozart String Quartet No 14 in G Major from the Alban Berg Quartet. The intent is to touch on different music types without going crazy.

I will take extensive notes on each listening session and write up a POV on the strengths of each unit. I am going to start this this Friday/Saturday and will be writing things up over the next month or so. If you have thoughts, comments or requests, I will be happy to try and accommodate. The one thing I am not going to do is make the list of songs longer as that has an exponential impact on this and make everything much harder. If and when other DACs come in on trade I may add to the list through time.
128x128verdantaudio
chorus
976 posts
 
Bottom line:

The best is yet to come. 
And for 1/2 the price of today.

So, if you can wait you will be rewarded.
If you can't wait buy the Bricasti !


jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,610 posts
 
@chorus 

Bottom line:

The best is yet to come.
And for 1/2 the price of today.

So, if you can wait you will be rewarded.
If you can't wait buy the Bricasti !

haha - unfortunate corollary...  'in the long term we are all dead'  😩 😩 😩

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio OP
1,469 posts
 
@treebeard1 - I have never heard the DSD Jr.  I had the DSD which is definitely competitive with this range.  I sold that DAC about 15 months ago so I am going on distant memory.  

The DSD sounded pretty big to me and extended well beyond the boundaries of my speakers.  The Bricasti sounds MASSIVE.  It has, by far, the biggest soundstage of the DACs I have tested.  

I would start thinking about speaker placement before we go to actually buying a new DAC unless you just want one.  What speakers and what amp?  How far apart are your speakers? What have you done in terms of toeing and positioning?  How far off the front wall and side walls are they?  This all matters very much. 

Regarding performance, my M3 does not have the network card.  The M1 SE has the network card.  Both my direct experience and everything I have heard and everyone has told me is the internal network card is the best way to get sound to your Bricasti.  I used a 2Go and 2Yu with an AQ Diamond USB.  It is very good.  Not as good as network direct on the M1 SE with an AQ Cinnamon direct from my router.  

So that makes it a huge win.  It is less expensive than any decent renderer I am aware of and is only $1000 when added to the DAC.  Seems like a no brainer to me.  
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio OP
1,469 posts
 
yyzsantabarbara - all of the DACs tested produced what sounded like a clear bass line.  It was only in comparison that I realized that it could be better than what I was hearing.

I am not saying that either your Gustard or Benchmark can't do this.  Unless I was able to do the test side-by-side with these, I can't be certain.  I merely am saying I was surprised how much more info was available and wasn't showing up, even among these rather expensive units.  The Rockna Wavedream Signature executed this better than any of the units, by far and it was illuminating.  

 
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