SW1X DAC II Special Review

[bumpy]

SW1X DAC II Special Review

Just a few sentences to put this review in context. I only review kit that I own, and I have been listening to Hi Fi for 55 years with speakers spanning from Yamaha NS1000s to Lowther Hedlund horns, amplifiers from Naim to EAR 861, and sources from Linn Sondek to computers.

Over the last ten years, my opinion of Hi Fi has become somewhat jaundiced by the assault on my ears, typified by 90% of what I hear at Hi Fi shows and dealers. For me, kit is voiced (and dressed up) to impress at demos and generally brings about listening fatigue after a few hours. My sympathies are with the young generation who have grown up believing this is as good as it gets.

Enter SW1X Audio Design, a business set up by Slawa Roschkow. Anyone who has read my postings will know I am a fan, in particular of his NOS DACS. My current system is full of either Slawa's original kit or other established brands that Slawa has breathed life into. Its worth mentioning that my system is loaded with silver wiring throughout. This makes it ultra transparent and can reveal weaknesses that exist anywhere in the chain by throwing an unflattering spot light on imperfections. Many people turn away from silver for this reason.

I have lived with the DAC 1 Signature for about 18 months and have loved the lively, engaging sound that it produces, but once I had heard the DAC II, then it was somewhat inevitable that I would eventually own one. So I opted for the DAC II Special version where Slawa has hand picked components and assembled them by voicing and harmonising each component in the circuit. I have watched this painstaking process which involves swapping bits, such as capacitors, transistors and diodes, for endless hours, with each change evaluated by listening. Even the direction of internal parts and the choice of solder is optimised.

This process of optimising components only really only works at the manufacturing scale that Slawa currently operates at. One doubts if such scrutiny can be maintained by mass producers like Audionote, except perhaps with their very exotic (expensive) gear. For that reason, these early SW1X models may one day become collector’s items.

For those that need a bit of technical stuff. The DAC II Special contains 2 x PCM56K instead of 1 x TDA1543 of the DAC I, (directly heated) valve rectified power supply, specially selected diodes, active I/V based on Germanium transistors in the I/V and their power supply, fine silver & copper wiring (50/50%), Jensen Copper PIO caps, 1 & 2W AB resistors throughout

The chassis is a simple but attractive box with brushed aluminium face containing just a single neon together with black casework. It has ample breathing slots for the valves within and measures 140mm tall, 340mm wide and 400mm deep. It is totally noiseless with ear pushed against my sensitive speakers. Equally during operation it barely gets warm to the touch

After 2 weeks of bedding in, during which time it evolved into the light, I will try and sum up what the DAC II Special is all about in a series of words – holographic, well balanced across the frequencies, entrancing, lifelike, smooth, energetic, addictive, analogue-like, natural harmonics, relaxing, but above all refined and very, very enjoyable.

It takes 10-15 minutes from turn-on when cold to come fully on song, which is a bonus if you are against leaving your kit turned on 24/7.

This DAC has similar character whether I listen at life-like volumes or low volumes late at night. It has the ability to surprise me with its dynamics when a new voice or instrument enters the music and the ability to transfer some dynamics out of the room making me think it’s someone at the front door or that the wife is calling. Altogether a bit unnerving.

The singer is firmly placed centre stage when expected, but the ‘image’ spreads both between, above, and outside the speakers.

The reader may think that I listen to simple, unchallenging music. Well, I hate jazz and gravitate towards Irish, Country, Pop, Film Tracks, Reggae, Musicals and 1940’s/1950s classics. The transparency of the DAC II Special means that not all tracks are homogenised to sound perfect, but all music is definitely presented for my maximum enjoyment.

There is absolutely no listener fatigue.

Heartily recommended.

http://sw1xad.co.uk/