View Full Version : DPA SX512 Pulse Array DAC - Anyone have experience with one?
Anyone ever heard the flagship DACs from DPA in the late 90's? Any dealers from the day have any memories?
SX512 was the last incarnation but I guess PCM1024 before it was similar in using the Pulse Array.
I err... might have bought one of the very rare SX512s, an impulse purchase at a great price so am wondering what to expect!
Spectral Morn
03-03-2014, 10:50
Anyone ever heard the flagship DACs from DPA in the late 90's? Any dealers from the day have any memories?
SX512 was the last incarnation but I guess PCM1024 before it was similar in using the Pulse Array.
I err... might have bought one of the very rare SX512s, an impulse purchase at a great price so am wondering what to expect!
I must say I didn't like any of the original DPA DACs, particularly the bit stream ones. I preferred multi bit DACs so sat very much in the Marantz multi bit CD camp. at the time nothing I tried came close to the sound of my CD94mk2 which beat off everything I tried and I tried every DAC that came into the shop - at any price point. Only one came close was the Tricord Pulsar DAC and PSU but it wasn't quite there so I didn't buy it - shortly after that 1995 I was made redundant and thus missed the tail end of DPA before they folded.
However those I heard before then I found somewhat flat sounding and lacking in the ability to convey dynamic shading, that's not to say they were warm and cuddly there was just something about the Bitstream sound that just was lacking compared to multibit.
However many don't agree with me re the inherent character of Bitstream and I didn't like Meridian, Micomega, Rotel etc implementations of Bitstream either, so not just DPA.
The more recent DPA DAC (new company) isn't like that and I quite enjoyed hearing one a little while ago. I will be interested to read what you think when you get it and photos would be nice too.
Lots of info here on DPA DACs http://www.acoustica.org.uk/DPA/deltec.html
Regards Neil
I had a DPA PDM2 for a while and it's strengths were speed and detail really but lacked some of the more relaxed richness you can get.. That was touted as Bitstream done correctly so kind of gave me the idea too that bitstream in the usual way gets to a dead end.
My favourite at the moment is mulitbit via UltraAnalogue chips like in Audio Synthesis DAX and also a Mark Levinson something or other.
This SX512 and the PDM1024 before it are supposed to be something different though, using an array of pulses somehow... All bespoke programmed FPGAs. Was an £8k DAC and only 30 made apparently.
All bespoke programmed FPGAs. Was an £8k DAC and only 30 made apparently.
Well I really look forward to hearing your thoughts, love little cult items like this...
Spectral Morn
03-03-2014, 14:55
I had a DPA PDM2 for a while and it's strengths were speed and detail really but lacked some of the more relaxed richness you can get.. That was touted as Bitstream done correctly so kind of gave me the idea too that bitstream in the usual way gets to a dead end.
My favourite at the moment is mulitbit via UltraAnalogue chips like in Audio Synthesis DAX and also a Mark Levinson something or other.
This SX512 and the PDM1024 before it are supposed to be something different though, using an array of pulses somehow... All bespoke programmed FPGAs. Was an £8k DAC and only 30 made apparently.
Always wanted to hear the Mark Levinson DACs and transports but I never got the opportunity - the shop I worked in never dealt with the distributor and S/H ones never came in either.
How you describe Bitstream isn't how I recall the sound......
Regards Neil
Always wanted to hear the Mark Levinson DACs and transports but I never got the opportunity - the shop I worked in never dealt with the distributor and S/H ones never came in either.
How you describe Bitstream isn't how I recall the sound......
Regards Neil
I was probably more describing the sound of the DPA PDM2 then. I've had other bitstream but mainly Meridian at the higher end (I do have a CD63 KI) which almost has a house sound. Definately more lush and lacking the PDM2's speed and vibrancy. Just goes to show sound is more often down to implementation than technology. Although some do say that bitstream has harshness associated with treble which limits its ability in top end sweetness, accuracy and therefore soundstaging - one person to say this was Robert Watts (the guy who designed this SX512 coming my way, and that PDM2).
I've had an Audio Sythesis DAX before and now have a Manley/Langevin DAC Junior 20 (well, had it first actually) both of which use the UltraAnalogue chips. The Mark Levinson No 30 was the long term reference of many which also used those chips.
Well I really look forward to hearing your thoughts, love little cult items like this...
Me too... Something where effort hasn't been spared and even great when those efforts were a waste sonically, normally nice items are made nontheless.
Robeeert1
05-03-2014, 14:58
Congratulations of this purchase. Nice find really, I'm just wondering how it sounds. I love ultraAnalog chips as well which are in my Sonic Frontiers Processor3 gear.
I owned DX64 some time back, as I remember there was a problem with treble for me. It was too bright sound to my ears.
I'm looking foward to hearing your impressions about this flagship DPA.
Regards, Robert
Robeeert1
05-03-2014, 19:48
I'm interested in Chord QBD-76 DAC. I wonder if someone compared it with any of the old sx series. If so, what are the results? Thank you guys for any info.
Two very different schools of DAC indeed...
Congratulations of this purchase. Nice find really, I'm just wondering how it sounds. I love ultraAnalog chips as well which are in my Sonic Frontiers Processor3 gear.
Is the Sonic Frontier with a valve output stage in that one? I've always been fascinated to hear the Manley Reference or Stax X1t but they are too rare and expensive when for sale.
I bought some Weiss BW102 mastering processor 20 bit output modules last year because they also contain UltraAnalogue chips so have a future project there to build a NOS UltraAnalogue, valve output DAC... might be a little way into the future though, especially if I distract myself with things like the SX512.
Robeeert1
07-03-2014, 07:35
Is the Sonic Frontier with a valve output stage in that one? I've always been fascinated to hear the Manley Reference or Stax X1t but they are too rare and expensive when for sale.
SF PR3 is with 4 valves on output. UltraAnalog D20400 is my favourite chip, I like it better than TDA1541A. I built TDA1541 DAC based on AnalogMetric circuit with high quality components, put it into NOS mode, sounds great. I'm also thinking about building a DAC based on D20400 in NOS mode. That would be something special. :)
The photo of my TDA1541A DAC.
Cheers, Robert
http://imageshack.com/a/img199/6667/7zfe.jpg
In NOS mode there should be nothing stopping it from running all the way to 400KHz sample rate, other than finding something to actually interface with it properly without the oversampling.
I think the Anagram (now called Edel) upsampling modules output the right formats with no oversampling at 384KHz so am going to try that.. In their evaluation board the oversampling is done on the AD1955 DAC chips themselves. The same is the case in the Cambridge Audio 840 / 740 cd players so it might be possible to take a CD740, bypass the DACs and wire up a D20400 in their place as the CD player has it's own digital input for external sources.
Nice looking board by the way, all in one and compact.
So.. the DPA SX512 !
Well, it's definately a special DAC.
OK sound differences become subtle after a certain level but this DAC is doing something very nice indeed. Everything sounds so natural and each sound more characterful like effects on vocals become more noticeable, singers sound more like who they are, trumpets sound more like trumpets. I guess it's simply a greater definition thing.
As an overall effect, a CD becomes more of an audio event rather than a CD if that makes more sense. Things hang in the air at different depths .
There's more of that thing like with vinyl where you're encouraged to turn up the volume rather than turn it down..
This is via my Tascam CD701 VRDS and was previously using a Manley Junior 20 DAC (an UltraAnalogue D20400 chip dac - a simple and basic circuit and itself sounds like a very very slightly colder version of Audio Synthesis DAX).
I've been chatting with an ex DPA engineer who probably built this. It's actually a PDM1024 with the innards exchanged for the SX512 which was an upgrade option for people, so a previous owner paid a whopping £6k for the PDM1024 and then another £8k for the upgrade! And then on top the 96KHz capability was a further upgrade..
Next for me then is to get my transport Deltran'd (synced to the DAC's clock).
Robeeert1
07-03-2014, 11:12
I think you should hear further improvement with deltran clock synch.. I have SF T3+P3 combo, where there is a special connection between the DAC and Transport I2S-enhanced.
It's definetely better connection than coax. The musical instruments are better defined with it.
I hope I'll get a SX256 or SX512 someday and discover the sound of it by myself. Thanks for info nat8808.
The thing about the great DACs is there is a sense of something disappearing rather than impressing upon first listen. I think people can listen too hard for differences and DACs are a big area where it's the subtleties that contribute to long-term listening enjoyment.
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