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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.
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verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio OP
1,469 posts
 
@david_ten This is tough in that I don't have a Holo May and will not comment on that exact product.  But I do understand your point.  There are a few other brands I can think of (that will remain unnamed) that deliver experience over accuracy.  This is not bad, and clearly, lots of people like this.  It is a choice.  What is unfortunate is that folks can get caught up in enthusiasm around a product and end up with something that is not to their liking and not know why.  

I am not sure you can make an industry wide generalization though. I think that the core brands mentioned here, Chord, Rockna/Audiobyte, Bricasti, Weiss and I would add in MSB, dCS & Playback Designs are committed to delivery of an accurate listening experience.  The deviations between these brands sound profile is real and obvious, but not so extreme that it is challenging to build a system with them as a source and get a great result.  

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,233 posts
 
@in_shore,
Thanks. I suspected this would be the case. More often than not if a component can reproduce high quality midrange with human voice it will excel with unamplified/acoustic musical instruments. This is not an easily accomplished task. Kudos to the Audiobyte Hydro Vox.
Charles 
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@verdantaudio  Thanks.  

Temporal reference shift...AND shifts in definitions of "accuracy" by audiophiles are areas I've been reflecting on.

I believe this is part and parcel of the human condition, it's growth, and it's engagement with the world at large. One example of many, for illustration purposes: consider the differences in movies from the 1950s to those of today. 

It's a steady, inexorable creep... mostly unnoticed as the changes are incremental and softened by time. Add Up they do.

We are, in my opinion/reflection, at a point where "natural / realistic" [accurate] as "understood" say 40 years ago, would be identified as tilted to experience (using your word) if one were to be transported from that time to today.

Of the core brands you mention, I'd expect many to be found in the experience column...based on the above hypothetical.

I think that the core brands mentioned here, Chord, Rockna/Audiobyte, Bricasti, Weiss and I would add in MSB, dCS & Playback Designs are committed to delivery of an accurate listening experience.

Bringing this up since you've spent a significant amount of time understanding differences in this component type within your system chains. 

Perhaps you and others from the industry can comment?

Having a relative, flexible and general understanding of what's natural, realistic, accurate would be helpful. For the many, versus the one. Wishful hope?  : )
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,233 posts
 
@david_ten,
The vintage movies versus current movie themes and production is a good analogy. I believe that there’s always been a sincere effort in High End audio to pursue sonic "accuracy ". How would one consensusly define this goal of accuracy is an entirely different matter.

No doubt that the definition and means of obtaining it via audio components has changed or evolved over the ensuing decades.l believe that the manufacturers of the various DACs presented in this thread are honestly aiming for their interpretation of digital accuracy in reproducing music in the homes of their customers.

As The OP has clearly and tirelessly demonstrated, very definite sonic presentations/signatures exist in the relentless quest for accuracy.
Charles
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,610 posts
 
it is hard to know what sound is exactly accurate, it is also hard to know who’s rendition of an accurate, ’high fidelity’ sound presentation is most true, even if a number of different designers/firms are trying to achieve that same goal (and not a purposely 'beautified' presentation)

some traits can be quickly called out as unwanted and defining of poor implementation - such as a noticeable grain, or electronic haze, or clearly rolled off or smeared frequencies... but there are various presentations that avoid these pitfalls but still sound rather different

i suppose in the end, which version is most accurate becomes unimportant, what matters is what pleases a particular user in their system, their room
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