ARCAM rDAC

Oh I nearly always type disclaimers...I hope it makes people realise it is just my (rather faulty) middle aged ears at work and not to take it all too seriously.

And in fairness it is opening up quite alot the last 25 hrs or so. I wouldn't say it is entirely resolved but certainly alot of the unpleasantness has passed.

You have minded me I must pop the hood and have a look underneath. I don't even know what op amps are in it.

Lots of great dacs out there. I reckon the Lavry Da10/11 takes alot of beating at $800-900 second hand.

The rDac is beginning to settle nicely and produce some good sound with strings. I am listening to Sinfonia Concertante in B Minor KV 364, Violin Concertos, The 5 - Kremer, Harmoncourt as I type and the ease and fluidity I spoke of earlier is present. Violin appears timbre accurate and without distortion. Orchestra is still a little confused - but I don't expect that to go away anytime soon.

This is a good dac for the money. Let's hope it continues to develop and the burn in issue (if that is what it was) I reported is nothing of note.

I'll be following your updates. Gonna wait till its available here, and also wait for the Rega DAC when (if) it comes out. I like my Apollo too much to not wait out a Rega DAC that's supposedly a month or two away.

The Apollo is a nice player. You would like the Arcam alot. It has similar traits. I am sure the Rega will perform very well indeed.

Happy hi fi and best wishes.

PS I encourage all people interested to buy an rDac and make up there own minds in their own systems

Here is (most of) a post I made over at head fi. Talk about shouting from the rooftops. Sigh.....

Righto - I have hit the 230hr mark. i think it is where it is going to get to.

This is what I can report: good clean competent mids. Bass is clean fast and tight if a little bloomy - but that may be Jadis. Highs with simple music are very nice. In fact all simple music is very nice. It leans to the analytical rather than musical IMHO. Great if you like detail, probably not one for the NOS and tube output fans. Although it is on the warmer side of analytical cf to the Benchmark.Which I like. I never warmed to the Benchmark and prefer the Lavry - so you see where I am coming from.

The issue I have with massed strings and orchestral in general continues. It is just plain poor with this type of music. It handles dynamic swings well. But suffers confusion and a lack of separation of instruments. But again so what?
Most dacs have this issue and certainly the budget one's do.It reflects it's price point and compromise on psu/output stage and design compromises: I mean to get a dac to market for USD400 it would have to be manufactured for no more than USD200-250 ; probably alot less. That doesn't leave much room for excellence. The good news is that the psu is easily upgraded if one is of a mind too. I am not.

My unit suffered some horrible periods during burn in. I know of another owner who couldn't listen to his for the first 4-5 days and then his opened up and he has had no further issues. Mine was bumpy for a day or two, settled down and then went very wrong @ 80-160hr mark. I can only conclude that with this unit burn in is a real issue and purchasers should be prepared for a bumpy ride for the first couple hundred hrs. Again so what - many dacs are like this: even eg Ayre and their QB9 state burn in is an issue with perhaps the resin used on their pcb being the culprit. Or it may be all in my head. The voices, the voices....

Disclaimer: Ok to try and stop the almost inevitable attacks these are only my personal musings...don't take anything from it than my own experience. Yours may be completely different. You may think it is the best thing since sliced bread. It is of course all subjective and reflects one's system, experience and what one is used to listening to. If you own or listen to a good competent mid - hi range dac this dac will be found wanting. If you own a DacMagic and want a warmer sound you would I suggest be very happy indeed. If you listen to rock/vocal/electronic it is great fun. If you listen to large scale orchestral then this isn't for you (or at least it isn't for me).

It's $400 - it has dCS tech and is pretty good. What is not to like? I'd suggest anyone who is curious (as I was) go buy one and try it out. Lots of fun to be had for not alot of $$.

Above all have fun and happy hi fi

Now if anyone wants a slightly used rDac PM me. I'm in Sydney.

Having said all that I would be delighted to hear others views and reviews. Happy to be completely contradicted and told I have cotton wool for ears. Probably true.

Cheerio
Andrew