I have
listened to your DAC amplifier in my audio system for about two weeks or so
and wanted to share with you some of my impressions thus far. From my point
of view as a music lover and audiophile, I must first congratulate you on
what is clearly a remarkable engineering achievement. As you know, I have
owned many amplifiers over the years including some that have earned the
distinction of being renowned as timeless classics. Every ten or twenty
years, I have found, a truly exceptional engineer shows up with a new design
that captures my attention. You and your DAC amplifier have done just that
and have shown that innovation in amplifier design is alive and well,
advancing the art of music reproduction.
Your DAC
amplifier successfully combines genuine musicality, reliability,
versatility, outstanding dynamics, and full range music reproduction in a
sensibly designed, easily managed, and compact package. The unit delivers
the music with transparent clarity, a natural sound, and all the authority
required to achieve a "live" sound.
Hooking
this amplifier up to my delicate electrostatic speakers is just about the
toughest test there is for an amplifier. First of all, it was
electronically stable at all times into this difficult and complex
load. Next, I found that I could safely turn the amp off or on, or change
interconnects and speaker cables at will, without any fear of damage
to these sensitive speakers. Your standby switch and internal protective
circuitry adds another level safety that assures protection for any
connected equipment. I like that and it further shows how well thought out
the design is.
The
amplifier effortlessly delivered all the subtle nuances and detail of
whatever recording I played. From the Paganini Caprices to
Bach's great organ works, it was all there, all the time.
What the
amplifier does not have is any pops or clicks, excess heat, unwieldy weight
or size, strange sounds, or annoying quirks that I have found in so many
other designs. It is a pleasure to use because once turned on, I am not
listening to an amplifier - I am listening to and enjoying music. Your
amplifier easily surpasses even the $30,000 amplifiers out there. I have
found that those units deliver only a fraction of the quality and power the
DAC amplifier provides.
Also,
congratulations on your patent for the engineering of this amplifier. It is
well deserved. I think this amplifier is absolutely extraordinary and know
you will have tremendous success with your technology.
Arthur
S, M.D. (Allentown, PA)
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The
amplifier itself is a straightforward design using patented switching amp
modules featuring CLDjam, a closed loop design. (See their web for full
description). It is equipped with an on/off switch, 15A breaker, xlr input,
binding posts and removable IEC plug on the rear of the unit. The AC plug is
terminated directly on the PCB board. Inside everything is neat and well
laid out with a 750v torroidal transformer (a 1500v is now offered as an
upgrade). The amp has thermal, shorted, voltage and over current protection,
which are indicated on the front of the unit with led’s for each channel.
Between them a standby / operate switch.
This review
was conducted in a minimalist system being fed by a Resolution Audio cd55
player with analogue volume control, thru VandenHul the second carbon fiber
interconnects to the amplifier and finally to diy 8’ axon cables feeding the
custom made monitors using the same Seas aluminum mid woofer as Joseph Audio
RM 7’s, an excel tweeter and the crossover design by Dennis Murphy and 1.5”
thick, braced walls on heavy 24”steel stands.
The DAC is
rated at 350w into 8ohms and almost 700w at 4ohms.The speakers are 87db
efficient and are 6ohm nominal. The DAC is a very powerful, yet efficient
(97%), amplifier and will play very low notes, below 20z, with authority,
detail and a vise like grip on the woofer. The treble never sounds strident,
on all but the worst recordings. It’s sonic signature is a natural sounding
timbre, very detailed, both micro and macro, with excellent speed, pace and
rhythm. The decay is very believable, while the attack and dynamics have to
be heard, to be believed! Its sound lies somewhere in between solid state
and tube amplification.
Rob
Wasserman’s Duets “Angel Eyes” is a great piece to test the dynamic
capability of amplifier/speaker. The plucked notes are very detailed and
clear, with a woody quality. Cheryl Bentyne’s voice has been captured with
extreme dynamics. The DAC presents this with incredible force without giving
up any of the hall reverb effects and various cues from the plucked bass, or
sounding stressed.
Ani
Difranco’s steely sounding guitar in “Garden of Simple” has crisp transients
with great decay, while “So What” has a very deep, detailed and punchy bass
line.
Ben Harpers
“Fight for your mind” title song, as well as “Burn one down” portrays the
drums with excellent speed and timbre. Impressive!
The Trinity
Session by Cowboy Junkies has some subsonic background noise, which requires
a powerful but detailed amplifier to create the proper balance of foundation
for Margo Timmins solo in “Mining for gold”. When the second track fades in
you can really notice the absence of background noise and the musical canvas
once again becomes totally black and silent.
Patricia
Barbers Modern Cool has a variety of well-recorded music. The “Company” song
at 2:45 offers an incredible drum solo. The DAC makes this song very
exciting with incredible speed and dynamics. But his doesn’t come at the
cost of accurate timbre. Rather a believable and crystal clear window of the
original event is presented.
Is the DAC
4800-A for you? While the amp does not posses that warm, liquid, syrupy
sound of a single ended triode, it is similar to an ultra linear tube design
in sound. It also does not sound like typical transistor output devices. Its
strengths are in delicate, detailed sound with lots of punch and authority.
From top to bottom, I am not aware of any tube amp that can compete with the
bass authority of the DAC at double the cost. The sound stage and imaging
are good, but for the ultimate, will benefit by the aid of a tube, somewhere
in the chain. I am presently pursuing this with a tube preamp or tube buffer
and passive volume. A little more depth and width are always welcome. If you
need the power, this amp must be considered a bargain. The
build is a little utilitarian. Solid to be sure. It looks like a workhorse,
but the minute you listen to it, you realize it is a magnificent show horse.
Gary T.
(Ontario, Canada)
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I've had
Pass Labs, Nuforce, Nakamichi PA-7 (stasis), and many more amplifiers
including tube. The DAC amplifier is spatial, with proper rhythm and pace,
is very quiet and well built , not to mention brute power to drive any
speaker. The DAC amplifier ends my quest for Audio Nirvana, I absolutely
love it!
...I'm getting
marvelous results using a custom built passive with two DACT CT-1's. The
transparency is amazing and really allows the DAC to reveal every minute
detail without a hint of glare. Great job on the amplifiers. I've had a lot
of very good amplifiers, Yours is my favorite over all. And definitely a
best buy. I appreciate you and your teams hard work.
Greg W.
(Green Valley, AZ)
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I have compared the DAC 4800A to
some high end tube equipment and some solid state on various speakers and
the clarity and detail that I hear with your amp is better than I have heard
with any other. On complicated Orchestra passages it delivers the punch that
is needed and the instruments stand out. It also does not leave me with that
hollow feeling. Somehow you have overcome the shortcomings that plague most
solid state amps.
...I was delivering a pair of Quad ESL 57s when I was introduced to DAC. By
the equipment list you can tell, I am a tube guy. I love female vocals and
an acoustic guitar, Mid range and warmth. I like my lows firm but not
overbearing and my highs clear and crisp. Digital and SS have always left me
feeling hollow. I played the DAC4800A along side my Cary Slam100's. I
started with Red Rose Music vol 1 track 6 - twenty-third psalm. The Japanese
and Korean temple bells were vibrant. They hold a long single vibrating
sound. The DAC produced it clear from beginning to end. I could feel Shane
Cattralls lips as she spoke each syllable. Granted it is an excellent
recording and you should be able to hear these sounds. But the DAC did not
sound shallow or hollow or tinny. Next The Belfast Harp Orchestra playing
Earth Water Wind and Fire. The clarity and separation of each note was
clear. The strumming of the harps was full. Tack 5 of the McIntosh Test Disc
is "Voices of Angels". I was able to separate voices in the choir and hear
the finishing of words with the "tse" sound. On the David Manley recordings
#8 Cantos de los Gitanos the Depth of percussion the clarity of the piano
and the smoothness of the violin were evident. A violin will often sound
screechy with a poor SS unit. It grates on me . Not on the DAC or the Cary's
for that matter. I went on to play Diana Krall, more jazz, piano by Tsuyoshi
Yamamoto, and complicated tracts by the Boston Pops and Cincinnati Orchestra
and of course some Pink Floyd at loud volumes. The DAC delivered clarity to
each instrument and when a punch was needed it delivered it. Side by side to
my Slams I found the DAC very similar. It was clearer and slightly less
warm. But it had a fullness to it that is missing from most non tube amps.
The one area that the SLAMS clearly outperformed was in listening to Eva
Cassidy. Eva does jazz and solo acoustic guitar incredibly well. I found on
"you take my breath away" that the DAC was not as warm or engaging. Dare I
say a little harsh in the vocals. But that is only because of the beautiful
reproduction by the Cary's. Hard may be a better word than harsh because I
still found the sound pleasing. And the difference could be that of the
recording, a burned cd from my computer. After 2 weeks of side by side
listening I have to say I am impressed and enjoy listening to the DAC4800A.
So impressed that it is now part of my system. I will be listening to it as
much as my Cary's. DAC has done a great job. If you get a chance to listen
to one take it.
Associated gear:
Shanling T200A SACD Player
Ohm5 mkii speakers
Advent lg speakers
Bose sub/sat system
Similar products:
Conrad Johnson CAV 50 int tube amp
Manley Stingray int tube amp
Cary Slam100 mono blocks
Gerry M. (Springfield, VT)
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Amazing specs! No wonder they sound
so good. Typical THD curves of top-end class AB amps look like crap
(starting out at 1% distortion at low wattage).
William B. (San Diego, CA)
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When I listened to the amp, it
reminded me of being in front on a live band. There was a timber and
richness in the sound that I had never experienced with other amplifiers. In
a side by side comparison using the same audio track, the DAC amplifier was
the hands-down winner relative to clean power and overall sound quality. The
amp truly made you feel like there was a liver performer right in front of
you. I was also amazed by the small size of the DAC amp as compared to
traditional amps. It’s obvious that DAC’s technology is simply more
efficient, and does not require the large heat sinks used in past amplifier
designs. As a result, the DAC design allows more audio power to the user,
rather than wasting heat energy in the environment.
Robert M. (Wayne, PA)
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Here are the listening tracks and
some comments from the group:
We've put (at least) the following through it so far, using a MacIntosh tube
pre-amp (I forget the model), and through a pair of "adequate" Hafler 300
Series speakers.
Dire Straights - Love over Gold and greatest hits ("Telegraph Road" live
thru the DAC amp sounds great!)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon - Breathe ("Soaring and clear through the
intro. Harmonies sounded more vibrant.")
Cowboy Junkies - Trinity Sessions - "Mining for Gold" and "Misguided Angel"
- ("Great imaging - felt like I was in the church")
Portishead - Dummy - "Mysterons" - ("We could hear every warble and nuance
of the theremin part. The reverb from the kick drum did NOT override the
vocals. Scratchy guitar came across especially clear.")
Peter Murphy - Deep - "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem" - ("Warm rendering
of the music, nice contrast with Murphy's distinctive vocals")
Yello - (can't remember the album name)
Everything but the Girl - (ditto)
Peter Gabiel - Shaking the Tree
Monster Magnet - God Says No
Radiohead - Kid A
Delerium - Poem - "Aria" ("Clear, distinctive harmonies")
Tom S. (Chandler, AZ)
