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slate
15-02-2011, 23:36
Checks a lot of boxes feature wise... hope that the lights can be turned down

http://emotiva.com/xda1.shtm

•Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > 105dB (A-Weighted)
•Frequency Response: 5Hz - 48kHz
•THD+N: 0.001%
•Ground Floor Noise Level: < 15uV
•Nominal Output Voltage: 1V RMS
•Peak Output Voltage: > 12VRMS (balanced)
•Sample Rate: All standard resolutions are supported up to 192kHz
•Bit Depth: Standard bit depths up to 24Bit are supported at clock frequencies up to 192kHz
•Inputs: 2 Optical TOSLINK, 2 COAX Digital, 1 AES/EBU, 1 USB
•Outputs: 2 RCA (Unbalanced), 2 XLR (Balanced)
•Internal Volume Control: Digitally controlled in increments of 0.5 steps
•Remote Control: Milled Aluminum Full Function Remote Control
•I/V conversion: Burr Brown OPA-2134
•D/A conversion: high performance, multibit Sigma-Delta AD1955 Data Directed Scrambling
with high jitter immunity, and an 8x Oversampling Digital Filter
•Fully Discrete Differential Reference™ Output Stage with fully independent balanced and unbalanced drive stages
•Dimensions:
17" wide x 2.25" high (1.75" without feet) x 14" deep

aquapiranha
16-02-2011, 09:01
Looks very good on paper, and not too expensive either! Plus the remote volume may be a major bonus. I will reserve final judgment until I hear it, or someone who's opinion I value does.

Ali Tait
16-02-2011, 10:13
Yes, looks a lot of dac for the money.

slate
16-02-2011, 10:47
I have no plans to replace my Gatorised Caiman; love the sound; but this puppy does have some features that people might miss e.g. a remote
Nudge nudge Stan ;)

flapland
16-02-2011, 13:09
It does have a dim button to turn down and if required off all of the lights. Any idea on UK price or do you have to import from US.

HighFidelityGuy
16-02-2011, 14:01
Looks interesting. I think import might be the only option unless someone can find a UK distributer. If not I would expect the price to be around £500 once shipping, VAT and import duty are added on. Even so that makes it cheaper than most DAC's with similar features. The Wyred 4 Sound (http://www.itemaudio.co.uk/wyred4sound_dacs.html)DAC's have similar features for quite a bit more cash but they do use Sabre ES9018 DAC chips which may make them better. :confused:

StanleyB
16-02-2011, 14:24
I have been reading the comments from owners of this DAC, and so far most are rather luke warm about it.
It's also only available via the internet. Since return costs are quite high, you can pick one up from dissatisfied customers in the classifieds on some audio forums. Some people bought it to use as a preamp DAC, but there appears to be a design fault in that part of the circuit. You can return the DAC to get it corrected, but return postage both ways works out at more than U$100.
The AD1955 is also not very well implemented. It produces sound in the DAC, but that's apparently the only positive thing that can be said about the chip in that configuration.

Marco
16-02-2011, 19:28
Oi, just because it's not got 'Beresford' written on it, doesn't mean it can't be any good! :eyebrows:

;)

Marco.

StanleyB
16-02-2011, 19:51
Oi, just because it's not got 'Beresford' written on it, doesn't mean it can't be any good! :eyebrows:
I am only repeating what I read :). Google is my friend ;).

leo
16-02-2011, 23:36
No experience with the XDA-1 but I personally thought the Wyred 4 sound dac sounded pretty pants, was actually very disapointed with it :(

Mr. C
17-02-2011, 08:51
No experience with the XDA-1 but I personally thought the Wyred 4 sound dac sounded pretty pants, was actually very disapointed with it :(

Hello Leo,

I feel we have mentioned this before, one of the worse implimentations of that Sabre chipset.

Reminds me very much of the grim chord dac 64

How are you keeping?

Tony

purite audio
17-02-2011, 10:52
Hello Leo /Tony hope you are both well, you can add me to the disappointed by the WFS list, I had great hopes for it,sadly dashed!
Vb Keith.

leo
17-02-2011, 23:52
Hi Tony/Keith,

Apart from being knackered I'm fine thank you, hope your both well :)

Not sure where they went wrong with the WFS dac, some folks seem to like them, I'm with you two though and found it very disapointing !

Regards,
Leo

Welder
18-02-2011, 00:26
I also had high hopes of the W4S Dac 11. Not quite sure what all the hype was about now, but some people obviously like it.
Overall, the majority of the Dacs I’ve managed to hear have been rather disappointing.
Maybe I don’t have the “right” system but I really can’t hear much in the way of improvement from some pretty basic/budget Dacs to some quite expensive offerings; different yes, but better……hmm, not convinced.
Spose I’ll just have to wait for my Buffalo Dac to turn up and hope Twisted Pear get the asynchronous USB board sorted quickly.

purite audio
18-02-2011, 10:58
John Hi, there are only ever IMHO relatively small improvements to be had in source components, speakers and room are where really significant improvements lie.
imo of course,Keith.