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weiss dac 202

Na, you need to re read it. I've never once said how it sounds or said it's crap. Sound is 100% subjective. My issue is the way it's marketed via forum dealers saying everything else is crap and a small tin box of chips and electronics is worth as much as a small S/H car.
 
I don't think that person ever said or implied that every other DAC was crap. With any hifi whether it be amps/speakers/source the more your willing to spend the better the results can be. Not everything hits the nail on the head and there's also the law of diminishing returns. I find it funny how you can criticise the price of the 202 so precisely and not take into account you could go spend £15k on a set of passlabs x600/krell FPB/ML 33's etc which are also just a box of chips and electronics but are widely regarded as some of the best amps made period. The 202 is £3.9k, add on another £500 for a mac mini and another £100 for a SSD then you've got one of the best sounding sources for £4.5k. You'd stuggle to find a Wadia 581se s/h for that money and thats s/h! All the top sources like Wadia/Krell/Esoteric/Moon/ARC cost twice that and then some. Whats the difference, they both play CD's. It's all down to the perceived value the buyer puts on things.

A small s/h car will have been mass produced and sold in the hundreds of thousands world wide which would cover the immense budget required for all the R&D to make the thing in the 1st place never mind the millions needed for building the factorys and employing all the staff. Sure the components of the 202 wouldn't add up to anything near £3.9k but when you factor in all the time/money/effort spent to make it the price then becomes a little more justified. Or are you a super genius with the knowledge/ability/resources to build one equal in quality and sound for much less? I for one get a lot more enjoyment out of my hifi than my small s/h car which cost less. Probably because my small s/h car is a necessity and enables me to go do the shopping. So for me my hifi is far better value for money as it actually puts a smile on my face and gives me many hours of enjoyment.

Keith's opinion was the 202 is the best DAC he has heard to date. He said that he and others preferred it to other DAC's that are commonly available. I'm pretty sure he would agree that the others listened to are all good in their own right and at no point would he comment on saying that any of them are crap. He's in a tricky position because he's a dealer and passes on his views about the gear that he is fortunate to be able to listen to which could be interpreted by some as trying to influence sales. If you look at the bigger picture most of the listening is done by himself and others so its not just a one sided opinion. There are many reviews of the 202 re-itterating whats Keiths said about it. I for one appreciate him taking the time of day to evaluate what he stocks and based on that not sell mutton dressed as lamb but quality kit that he believes in completely. At no point does he force you to buy anything and quite the reverse actually, he'll be good enough to arrange for a home demo for you to try the kit and if you don't like it the fine, send it back no worries. Just like the rest of us he is very enthusiastic about hifi and expresses his opinions about what he hears.

"I've never once said how it sounds or said it's crap". Thought this thread was started asking all about how it sounds? Have you actually heard it? Have you listed to it and other dacs in different systems as you pointed out thats how it should be done?
 
Sooner or later there will be a better dac than the 202, the new Wyred for Sound or the new M2Tech perhaps, I hope to have the Wavelength 'Crimson' here soon, the Metric Halo ULN8 was the best dac I had heard until the 202, design and implementation improve , competition drives prices down.
Ultimately it is all to our benefit.
keith.
 
hi keith,
perhaps as you are the most active online retailer on the forum you could post a bit about your experience in the industry and something about your expertise as your website has nothing on it and i don't know if you worked in the trade in anyway before setting up your newish business.
many thanks.

darryl.
 
Darryl Hi, before Purite the only ' industry experience' was thirty years of buying kit and receiving a fair amount of not such good advice from 'dealers', the opportunity arose to distribute Ralph's speakers and that's how it started.
The interest in dacs and later 'computer audio' began when Andy from 'Sound Tools' bought around his Lavry 924 which ( although not a cheap dac ) was clearly superior to my Meridian 808 .
Keith.
 
doug2507 said:
In my opinion, after having just read this whole thread there's not one constructive or justified piece of criticism thats come from your keyboard nor is there anything good to say about the 202. You've obviously compared it with the many other DAC's out there and also compared them all in different systems to reach your negative conclusion about it....or is that me just assuming you have by all your backseat comments?
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What you need to appreciate is that raj and keith have this argument on a weekly basis, not just on this thread. Keith will say that the Benchmark is 'ordinary' and that it offers poor VFM and raj reacts to this as he has one and rates it highly. Keith will then say the Weiss is much better and raj says so it should be for the price etc. Repeat. :)
 
Doug is just upset cos he bought one from Keith for £4000 and needs to justify the cost :D. Keith knows as well as many do, it's all tounge'n'cheek healthy banter...as the only thing that matters is the opinion of the owner and his/her experience of long term ownership.
 
as the only thing that matters is the opinion of the owner and his/her experience of long term ownership.
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Well said !

On another note, my DAC2 ownership experience has been excellent during its time with me and Daniel Weiss has been very responsive with any questions i've had (specifically earthing with Naim kit) as indeed has Keith.

I look forward to the same experience with the 202 :)

James
 
spacey said:
Doug is just upset cos he bought one from Keith for £4000 and needs to justify the cost :D. Keith knows as well as many do, it's all tounge'n'cheek healthy banter...as the only thing that matters is the opinion of the owner and his/her experience of long term ownership.
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Not at all. I just thought you were having a pop at the 202 for no real just reason and then again at Keith. My response was given without knowing it was all tongue and cheek and thought you were being serious with the comments. The only justification i need with my kit is the sound it produces and the grin factor thereafter.:)
 
But you felt it necessary to move to the other end of the country just to avoid a DAC bake off!!!
As to the Benchmark being 'ordinary' I don't ever recollect saying it was that good!
VB Keith.
 
Dear all,
Thanks for this very valuable thread.
I am very tempted by the Weiss DAC202.
But I am a bit frightened : I ma an audio enthusiast, not a computer engineer ! I have no idea of the sampling rate, etc. and I don't want to spend my time installing new softwares. I just want ultimate quality.
So a few questions :
1) How do I copy my CDs/SACDs on my Mac ? Is there a requires software ?
2) Is the DAC202 easy to use ? I don't want to have to go through menus, etc. each time I want a play de file.
3) Is Amarra required ? (It seems it allows an automatic change of the sampling rate ???)
Many thanks for your valuable help !!!
Aurel.
 
Aurel Hi, just place a CD into the mac, in 'import settings' choose an uncompressed format ,I would use AIFF and tick the 'error correction ON' , tick 'get album artwork, track titles'.
There is a bit of software to load for the Weiss, it is very straightforward, you have to go to 'Audio Midi' ( Applications,utilities) and drop the loudspeaker icon into the Weiss illuminated pane.
Amarrais not required,although I would play every file in it's native resolution, you can experiment for yourself.
Keith.
 
hi keith ,
have you tried the prism , grace, lexicon or any other pro converters?
firewire or usb (ignoring the async stuff being told to you by resellers!).
 
Darryl Hi, yes prism DA2 and the newer Orpheus, DAD,Lavry, Weiss pro Metric halo,quick listen only to Antelope,not Grace or lexicon.
Keith.
 
i'm suprised you found the weiss superior to the prism models.
maybe i should retry the weiss , food for thought ....although john westlakes new dacs are deffo the ones to listen too as the pink triangle da capo was pretty damn awesome and not bettered by anything in the domestic dac field imho.
 
Darryl Hi, looks like we will have to agree to disagree, I found the Weiss far more neutral than the Prism ( DAD too for that matter ) and the two Da Capo's I have heard have been poor,( and easily bettered ) perhaps they were good in their time?
Keith.
 
Purite Audio said:
Darryl Hi, looks like we will have to agree to disagree, I found the Weiss far more neutral than the Prism ( DAD too for that matter ) and the two Da Capo's I have heard have been poor,( and easily bettered ) perhaps they were good in their time?
Keith.
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Keith,

did you try the M2Tech Vaughan vs. Weiss Dac202 ?

matthias
 
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