Sorry but what exactly is your point here ? Do you buy gear based on measurements only ?
Not quite sure how I see this as relevant ? there is more to sound than measurements alone - my apologies, not trying to start another objectivist war -
Not quite sure how I see this as relevant ? there is more to sound than measurements alone - my apologies, not trying to start another objectivist war -
Bigman80
Bigbottle Owner
Bigman80
Bigbottle Owner
Just made an observation, thenI was asked to provide evidence. That's all.
Carry on spending on what you desire
Musicraft
Trade: Musicraft
Just in from Soundstage Network Denafrips Ares II and Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC’s -
https://www.soundstageaccess.com/in...denafrips-ares-ii-digital-to-analog-converter
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/inde...s-terminator-plus-digital-to-analog-converter
And first review of the Terminator II DAC -
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/denafrips-terminator-ii-review-and-comparison-r1036/
https://www.soundstageaccess.com/in...denafrips-ares-ii-digital-to-analog-converter
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/inde...s-terminator-plus-digital-to-analog-converter
And first review of the Terminator II DAC -
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/denafrips-terminator-ii-review-and-comparison-r1036/
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
You may prefer the La Voce as it dosent use a valve..
Dave H.
Revolutionary relativist
I’d be interested to hear how you get on. I’m in a similar position of having a La Scala here but it’ll be going back because although it’s definitely good, I can’t quite get in with it. So I’m curious what difference you experience with the changed parts.
That's interesting, which DAC would it have been replacing and what didn't quite do it for you with the La Scala?
The way it was sold to me, I was expecting something markedly better than my Luxman.
It is certainly very good, but not good enough to justify the extra outlay.
Mac
Funny enough, that did cross my mind and something to discuss with the dealer.
Mac
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
I find that mass produced factory built from a big brand will often have better build quality over bespoke boutique..If you want build quality comparison, look at some Audio Note Dacs, they have often seemed to me like they have been put together in someones shed
I find that mass produced factory built from a big brand will often have better build quality over bespoke boutique..If you want build quality comparison, look at some Audio Note Dacs, they have often seemed to me like they have been put together in someones shed
Certainly not the case with my “bespoke boutique” brand. Also something not mentioned is the quality of the parts used. Although the build of the Luxman is good and well above average, there is nothing special about the audio parts used.
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
Aqua probably say the same about theirs, but yes I can see your point regarding the parts used, but if it sounds good, why does it need more expensive parts?
Dave H.
Revolutionary relativist
Ive been auditioning DACs for a long time now, seeking an upgrade from a decidedly humble Starting Point Systems DAC 3 (so R2R NOS, but comparatively cheap and based on an old chip rather than discrete resistors etc as is de rigeur nowadays).
The La Scala was one of the few to be clearly a better DAC (as opposed to just different, or better in some areas but with compromises). And one of the conclusions I’ve reached is that it’s better to make a big jump up the ladder, rather than to expect substantive leaps in quality from just the next model up. Differences which may suit preferences may well crop up, but big jumps in overall quality are less likely. So if moving from a 4K Luxman you may find something you prefer, but even at that level I think I’d consider saving longer and going bigger to get something substantially better across the board. Unless of course the valve change does the trick, hence being curious.
But for me the La Scala still has a bit too much energy higher up the frequency range. It seems I may actually need some of the frequently derided NOS roll off to be happy. So the clearest issue for me with a lot of DACs is that hi-hats are too prominent, and fatigue quickly ensues. The La Scala was better than others in this regard, and really good in other aspects (bass extension, clarity, presence of central vocals in live recordings and things like that). But to my extremely fatigue-intolerant ears, just a bit too toppy.
Clearly that’s not the case for a lot of people, it just shows the importance of hearing for yourself.
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
The Aqua build quality is excellent imo, at the very least it does not contain a piece of wood like the Border Patrol DAC
The modular design means that boards can be replaced if they ever fail, and they can also be upgraded, future proofing the unit rather than it becoming a door stop if it fails. I doubt the Luxman can do this.
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Dave, you make some very valid points, particularly about the jump up in quality as you go up the ladder, no pun intended and that has certainly crossed my mind, whether to wait until I can perhaps afford the Aqua Formula in the future, or the more expensive models from the likes of MSB or Metrum... trouble is with that is that by the time I'm in a position to buy one of them, something else has come along!
Must admit, in my set up, I didn't find the La Scala to be too bright, but I do have tone controls on the amp which may well have solved that.
Mac
Yes, the Luxman has excellent build quality, very solid, nicely shaped and assuringly weighty, but you may well be right about it's audio parts, thus why I'm trying to find something better.
The Aqua isn't of a poor quality, but I don't particularly like the style of switches on the front, a bit flimsy to me, and when you lift it, one side is heavier than the other, so feels a little unbalanced... visually I'm sure it's very nice, but as I can't see, it's not a big deal to me, it's more about the feel and of course the sound.
Mac
Aqua seems to be well made from the internal images I have seen. They have the right idea, and the implementation using good linear power supplies and separate transformers is the right approach for good sound.
The parts quality makes a huge difference to the sound of a product. The better the design of the part, the bigger they tend to be, therefore they generally end up being more expensive. Especially boutique parts where the production volume is low. Some good sounding parts can be cheap like certain diodes and resistors etc, but generally the best sounding parts like coupling capacitors can be expensive, there is no denying that.