RegaDAC

[jbloggs]

RegaDAC (http://www.rega.co.uk/html/DAC.htm)...

Anyone listened to one yet or have one?

If you have listened to one what have you compared it too and what is you overall opinion of it (the RegaDAC)?

Quite interested in this, thinking of arranging a demo of one in a local hi fi shop and comparing it to my Audio-GD DAC-19MK3...

[Marco]

Hi Alister,

If he doesn't reply here, PM Ian Walker. I believe he's just listened to one and been most impressed by it! :)

Marco.

[StanleyB]

I'll be interested to know how it compares against the Caiman/Gator combination :).

[jbloggs]

Hi Alister,

If he doesn't reply here, PM Ian Walker. I believe he's just listened to one and been most impressed by it! :)

Marco.

Thanks Marco...

[Ian Walker]

Hi Alister,

Yes i must say i'm very impressed er no bloody amazed what this Rega Dac can do.

The lads at Adventures in Hifi in Chester let me have this on loan over the weekend, so plenty of time to get to know it.

Ive tried plenty/loads of Dacs over the last few years so ive got a fair idea of what they do,the extra detail bigger sound etc.

This RegaDac though is the first one ive tried that has a few other tricks up its sleeve.

In my system it seems to relax everything,not slow the music down in any way but its got rid off a seemingly rushed/full on balls out presentation were everything is fired at you all at the same volume.

Ive now got a real picture of the band members in theyre own position in the soundstage allowing you to more clearly hear the interplay between them.


The soundstage is now also higher between the speakers with the music seeming to hang in the air(just like yours Anthony and Marco)now rather than being dead level with the top of the boxes,also there are more dynamic contrasts(loudn quiet bits)between intruments making listening more interesting and less fatigueing.

Ive got both my PS3 and Sony 555 ESD connected(which is a fairly serious player on its own)to the dac and to me and others who have heard it the improvemnt it brings to both is not small.

This has actually stopped me lusting after a Linn DS which is now 4.5K so someone else in the house will be chuffed too .

Oh btw if Steve and Rob are looking in...your not getting it back lads:lol:

[Stratmangler]

This has actually stopped me lusting after a Linn DS which is now 4.5K so someone else in the house will be chuffed too .

If you're after doing streaming you can't go far wrong with a Squeezebox Touch - damned sight less expensive than the Linn too ;)
-

Oh btw if Steve and Rob are looking in...your not getting it back lads:lol:

Is it fair to say that you like it then ?:lolsign:

[WAD62]

Doesn't look like they spent much time on the USB connection...;)

[Krisbee]

If listening to Jean Mouton's Neciens Mater through a RegaDAc can take me to heaven, I don't care what bus I have to ride. Mind you, if I had a system like Ian Walker's I'd already be in paradise.

Obviously, Rega do not fall into the "asynchoronous USB is the answer to everything" camp. I'm sure they have their reasons, anyone privy to their thinking about this?

[jbloggs]

Hi Ian:

Thanks for your feedback, most helpful...

Hoping to call into the hi fi shop next week to see when I can arrange a demo of it alongside my Audio-GD DAC...


Doesn't look like they spent much time on the USB connection...;)

Yes, seemingly so, but this would not worry me, as I would be using it via coax from Touch...

If I ever needed to get decent feed from USB I would buy one of those USB->SPDIF adapters...

[WAD62]

If I ever needed to get decent feed from USB I would buy one of those USB->SPDIF adapters...

...indeed, hiface time :)

looks a reasonable price too, about £500 or so, I wonder how the forthcoming Audiolab DAC will compare on price and quality :eyebrows:

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Hi Alister,

Yes i must say i'm very impressed er no bloody amazed what this Rega Dac can do.

The lads at Adventures in Hifi in Chester let me have this on loan over the weekend, so plenty of time to get to know it.

Ive tried plenty/loads of Dacs over the last few years so ive got a fair idea of what they do,the extra detail bigger sound etc.

This RegaDac though is the first one ive tried that has a few other tricks up its sleeve.

In my system it seems to relax everything,not slow the music down in any way but its got rid off a seemingly rushed/full on balls out presentation were everything is fired at you all at the same volume.

Ive now got a real picture of the band members in theyre own position in the soundstage allowing you to more clearly hear the interplay between them.


The soundstage is now also higher between the speakers with the music seeming to hang in the air(just like yours Anthony and Marco)now rather than being dead level with the top of the boxes,also there are more dynamic contrasts(loudn quiet bits)between intruments making listening more interesting and less fatigueing.

Ive got both my PS3 and Sony 555 ESD connected(which is a fairly serious player on its own)to the dac and to me and others who have heard it the improvemnt it brings to both is not small.

This has actually stopped me lusting after a Linn DS which is now 4.5K so someone else in the house will be chuffed too .

Oh btw if Steve and Rob are looking in...your not getting it back lads:lol:

How does the akurate compare?

[Marco]

If listening to Jean Mouton's Neciens Mater through a RegaDAc can take me to heaven, I don't care what bus I have to ride. Mind you, if I had a system like Ian Walker's I'd already be in paradise.


Indeed. And here's a picture of the system (and DAC) in question:


http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/6296/imag0034ed.jpg (http://img198.imageshack.us/i/imag0034ed.jpg/)


Another gratuitous shot of the gorgeous copper amp:


http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3028/imag0035p.jpg (http://img708.imageshack.us/i/imag0035p.jpg/)


:)


Of course, what he really needs is a transport and DAC, like this:


http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3225/imgcdpr1.jpg (http://img204.imageshack.us/i/imgcdpr1.jpg/)


;)

Marco.

[Krisbee]

That's not fair Marco! You're just rubbing our noses in it. For us mere mortals, the question is still, how does the RegaDAC compare to x or y or Z?

I've no doubt the Rega DAC is an excellent piece of kit, but Just what kind of system would you need to have in order to hear any significant difference between it and say a CAIMAN (+ gator) ?

[StanleyB]

I've no doubt the Rega DAC is an excellent piece of kit, but Just what kind of system would you need to have in order to hear any significant difference between it and say a CAIMAN (+ gator) ?
I have already heard from one dealer who borrowed a Gatorized Caiman from me to audition against a loaned Rega DAC. But one person's view is just that, no matter how heart warming it was for me to read.

[Marco]

Well, as Ian has now bought the Rega, I'm sure that anyone with a Gatorized Caiman, who lives within driving distance of the Wirral, would be more than welcome to come round and do the comparison, where you will hear the results in an über-revealing high-end system, and be fed tea and rather nice biscuits :)

I'm going along on Friday to hear the Rega for myself and will report with my thoughts :cool:

Marco.

[nbaptista]

I have already heard from one dealer who borrowed a Gatorized Caiman from me to audition against a loaned Rega DAC.
And what did you find out,Stanley?
The Rega is as good as some say,or is just a hype?

[jbloggs]

Was in the locality of the hi fi shop that should stock the RegaDAC but unfortunately they weren't in stock, so will have to wait until the end of next week to find out when they will get them in...

[StanleyB]

And what did you find out,Stanley?
The Rega is as good as some say,or is just a hype?
He ordered a 2nd Gatorized Caiman from me:).

[Ian Walker]

And what did you find out,Stanley?
The Rega is as good as some say,or is just a hype?

Well,i hardly think Stanley is going to come on here and tell us the Rega is better do you ;)

[Ali Tait]

So what do you think of it then Ian?

[Ian Walker]

So what do you think of it then Ian?

Still much the same as in post 5 mate although tonight we added a better coax cable which brought about a big improvement in the weight,scale and out the box effect...

[Ali Tait]

What's the coax?

[Ian Walker]

What's the coax?

A Kimber DV 30 i think,its one that Marco slung in my cable skip :).

The funniest thing is, it had been in my loft for 3 years too!.

All the best things are free :lol:

[Ali Tait]

:)

[DSJR]

Do please remember that Stan sells his products directly and if money is tight and you are a regular here, his option is a bit of a no-brainer IMO.

For other music enthusiasts who don't frequent online forums, the Rega should prove to be a great upgrade from the likes of a DAC-Magic or V-DAC. Rega hated digital with a vengeance for years and their first CD player was one of the cheapest at the time to show just how much potential good old Red-Book offered. HiFi dave has the DAC and claims it's better than the DACs in the two sub £1000 integrated players, if not as huge scale as the Isis-valve player, which Marco's Sony's would be competing against to be honest.

Kinda exposes the Naim DAC at a "mere" £2K doesn't it and even the directly sold teddy-DAC is over a grand...

Don't knock the Rega DAC. I believe it's UK made (the Audiolab won't be I suspect and will enter the UK for peanuts, the rest being mark-up...) and their servicing is second to none IMO and experience.