@nomorelands
Hopefully, the first of many posts!
Appreciate your sober, precise analysis of the merits of the UD-701-N. Few have heard the unit, yet, it appears. So your input is precious.
TEAC UD-701 vs NT-505 vs ?
I stream Quboz and Tidal via a Bluesound Vault 2. Vault transmits to Parasound JC2 to modded A21 to Vandersteen Quatro CTs. (See my profile for complete description of system.) Happy, really very happy, with Vault 2 but it is likely best point at which to upgrade my system.
Considering TEAC NT-505 ($2K) and new TEAC DAC/streamer UD-701 ($4K), which has some very attractive features: in-house-built discrete Delta-Sigma DAC with FPGA circuity, dual-mono signal path, four separate power supplies... Have seen enthusiastic reviews for NT-505 from owners here. Only one review by Moon Audio out about UD-701, and they are not an uninterested party. Curious if any out there have heard UD-701?
Open to other suggestions, including used with roughly $6K price ceiling. See TMR has used Aurender A-10s for sale. Used PS Audio Direct Wave DAC with bridge is another consideration, although I have seen owners comment negatively about the bridge.
Not wed to DAC/streamer combo but that has appeal to me because it eliminates a box, connecter, and power cord, all of which add to cost and connector makes signal path less direct.
Also not wed to SS but a tube DAC appears to me to introduce an additional source of distortion into my otherwise SS system, so it will then be affected by both SS and tube distortion.
Thoughts?
Bosssound
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- 119 posts total
Believe @nomorelandings has history of development of UD-701 correct. Saw thread on musetec-005 that you pointed to. Got my attention. Rave reviews. Lack of compatiblity with MQA and relatively new, unknown manufacturer without a US distributor give me hesitation. I listen mostly to Hi-Res via Quboz but once in a while the MQA version on TIDAL sounds better. Can't say that I have a lot of technical expertise but did spot that construction of circuit boards in Musetec unit is different from others. Cicuit board material is different- looks like a black foam board as opposed to typical stiff, green circuit board and connectors look plug-n-play as opposed to custom built. But to repeat I am no engineer or technician so I could be and very possibly am off-base on last comment.
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Here is my rub with the folks promoting the Musetec. They have absolutely no experience with the DAC that is being discussed, and they automatically imply that something other might be better than the DAC being discussed. But the DAC they promote is the best. Aurender makes a wide range of products. The A10 is a cheaper one with streamer and DAC together. It would be hard to believe that the all in one A10 would be better than the UD-701N. Don't understand why people post on stuff they have ZERO experience. Yeah, I have read and was very much interested in the Musetec. But the tone of some of the users and the way they shoot down non-Chinese competition got me thinking that there is something more going on. Funny enough - the Musetec is readily available, while the cheaper Okto DAC8 Stereo (European make) has been flying off the shelf and not available to order - even though they use the same chips. And normally you make in China to save $$$. Why should the Musetec cost so much more than the Okto? The Musetec costs almost near the Teac price range. Now lets wait for the rest of the Musetec gang to come up and defend their DAC or bash my post. I would really like to see some of these poster's system with that DAC in it. In the meanwhile please continue to post on the Teac UD-701N. I am interested too.
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Let me say that I have a TEAC UD-503 headphone/pre-amp, DAC which is capable of being used in a full blown system and it's very good soundwise and very well built and I would recommend it and it's later models to anyone looking for a reasonably priced good quality one box solution. Enter Aurender the UD-701 competes directly with the A10 and A100 servers/streamers. What I suggest and will always suggest, go and audition these servers because they really are great performers and will hold their price better in the used market than TEAC. Enter the Musetec 005. I know there's been a lot of talk on this forum about the 005 but that's because it's a watershed product. The product that made Chinese HIFI come of age. Most of the parts it uses if not all major items are imported. Mundorf capacitors from Germany, Amanero USB board from Italy, chips and oscillators from the US and I believe the transformer is from the UK. Point to point wiring. You owe it to yourself to hear this DAC. There is a US distributor and Aurender plays MQA but not ROON.
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- 119 posts total