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Thread: NOS DACs

  1. #31
    Bigman80 Guest

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    What strikes me as funny, is how every one of us playing with DACs, want it to sound more Analogue. I already have analogue lol

  2. #32
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    DAC's can never sound analogue. They are digital!

    But I do know what people mean. Many DAC's sound a bit lean and 'in yer face'. Fortunately mine don't.

  3. #33
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    I think the word is misused. Non-fatiguing would maybe be better. Many digital systems tire your brain quickly. Maybe the brain needs to work harder with them. No doubt vinyl has stamina for longer listens. Easier on the mind
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  4. #34
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Yep, Grant, Geoff, I think you're right!

  5. #35
    Join Date: Jan 2008

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigman80 View Post
    What strikes me as funny, is how every one of us playing with DACs, want it to sound more Analogue. I already have analogue lol
    Not me, guv'nor.

    If I want my music to sound analog I'll eat some Rice Krispies while listening to streamed audio.

    Anyway, you can get bright, screechy and tiring vinyl playback in just the same way as you can get warm and cuddly digital.
    All options are available.
    .

  6. #36
    Join Date: Jan 2008

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    I've limited experience with NOS DACs, but my most recent example was the DAC3 by Starting Point Systems in France.
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-SPDIF...0AAOSwk1JWcsf8



    They typically seem to sell on eBay auction for around £100, which is excellent vfm in my view.

    I really liked it - but yes, quite a bit rolled off at the top with a meaty midrange and upper bass, and well defined imaging.
    Not the most startlingly dynamic or exciting sound - and it doesn't scintillate with detail - but very "musical" imo, in an analog kind of way.
    .

  7. #37
    Join Date: Jan 2013

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    I'm James.

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    A DAC's job is not to reconstruct the digital data into analogue but to recreate the original analogue waveform captured via a digital recording. As we hear in analogue, DAC's will never sound natural or truly "listenable" until they perform this function perfectly. They still have a way to go but the technology and chips which the DAC's are built around are still the limiting factor. I am encouraged that they are getting better as we have all heard through the evolution of digital audio in the last 30 years.

    However DAC design is very complicated and there are not that many folk out there who can design them, least of all make them sound musical.

  8. #38
    Join Date: Aug 2009

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    DAC's can never sound analogue. They are digital!
    They just output electricity with a varying voltage. Exactly like a phono stage, or a tape deck does. Why would eschewing oversampling make this sound 'more analogue?' (That's rhetorical because I know the answer will be 'It just does'). In a blind comparison between an unfamiliar nos dac and an unfamiliar oversampling dac would you really be able to tell which was which?

    If you want the sound of vinyl, listen to vinyl records!
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  9. #39
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    In a blind comparison between an unfamiliar nos dac and an unfamiliar oversampling dac would you really be able to tell which was which?
    Good question.

  10. #40
    Join Date: Apr 2008

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    Good question.
    Yes. I used to do blind tests with my DAC in NOS vs 2x oversampling (88.2 kHz) to correct the treble droop, which at 44.1kHz is -3.2dB at 20kHz. The rolloff is clearly audible, just listen to some cymbals, but for me, things were more musically correct and ‘together’ with no oversampling. In any case one can just apply DSP, like I do via JRIver, if one wants to try.

    The Foobar2000 ABX plugin is invaluable for blind testing, just encode one file at 44.1kHz, another at 88.2kHz, and compare. Try to avoid non-even oversampling like 96kHz or the original bits will not be preserved.
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

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