Audio Note Dac

[Ninanina]

Anyone using an Audio Note Dac ?

How do you rate it ?

Thanks for any responses...:)

[struth]

Got one of the pre production dac zeros. Extremely good dac although only caters for 1 input. I am using mine with a Beresford async1 from the lappy. end sound is as good as anything I have had; probably better actually.

[Ninanina]

Got one of the pre production dac zeros. Extremely good dac although only caters for 1 input. I am using mine with a Beresford async1 from the lappy. end sound is as good as anything I have had; probably better actually.

Grant have you ever heard the 1x Signature ? and have you heard the Rega Dac I already have?

[struth]

Not the sig, but yes to the Rega. Overall, the AN is imo better although not as flexible due to only having the single spdif. Has one of those mini valves in it which helps give it that little bit extra. It does excel with the beresford async though and this usb convertor is the best match by far I have found with the Zero

[Ali Tait]

It's a 6111wa, a miniature valve with equivalent characteristics to an ECC82.

[Ninanina]

I have now got an Audio Note 1x signature... and the sound presentation is so very different than my Rega Dac....

The very first thing that I can report is that it is very natural... but I will have to do some long term listening to see if it is 'better' than the Rega Dac

Fun times ahead I think... :eek:

[Canetoad]

I have a DAC Zero I bought off Ali. It sounds great in my second system! (Touch - DAC Zero - Dared valve amp - AR28 speakers) Updates include copper in oil capacitors and a high quality 5v regulator.

[Ninanina]

Thanks for all the replies..

I've been listening for a while now to the Audio Note 1x Signature Dac....The more I listen to it the more it grows on me..

It is more natural sounding than the Rega Dac... But is it better?... well that's a tricky one to answer at the moment.. It is so different than the Rega I think this may take me a while to decide and I think it's a matter of my ears getting used to it as well ;)

I can certainly say it does not sound very digital... quite analogue sounding...

Would that be a fair description, so far, of others using Audio Note Dac's ?

[Canetoad]

I prefer to describe the sound as more relaxed rather than analogue. It's certainly works with a valve amp. I don't use the AN in the main rig because it only does 24/96 and I have a few 24/192 high res files in my library.

All I can say is that the AN is equally as detailed as my BMII in the same system (2nd) but I can listen for longer with the AN than I can the BMII. The AR28 speakers can sound a little sharp at times and the AN calms this down more than the BMII does. The latter tends to accentuate it.

I certainly have no thoughts of getting rid of the AN anytime soon. :)