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Thread: Some interesting high end Chinese DAC's

  1. #1
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: Switerland

    Posts: 1,199
    I'm rupert.

    Default Some interesting high end Chinese DAC's

    Hi, I have been looking around for a new DAC that wouldn't ruin me financally. What I found was that Chinese designers are hard at work to bring very high end converters to the market that cost from 500 to 1200 $ whith specs reserved in much more expensive devices in the past. Some interesting ones I came across are listed here. All have good reviews for what that is worth. Some have dual PSU's and some have dual decoder chips and dual PSU's.

    I had a Yulong DA8 Mk1 which was excellent. I can only suppose that these new generation DACs are even better.

    Does anyone have any first hand experience with one of these devices ?

    Thank's
    Ru

    LKS MH-DA003 and here
    Gustard X20 and Gustard X12
    Yulong DA8 Mk2
    Aune S16
    YSDZ DA-03

    Last edited by r100; 15-11-2015 at 18:37. Reason: updated the links

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: Switerland

    Posts: 1,199
    I'm rupert.

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    sorry for bumping my own thread back to the top of the charts but does anyone know of these DAC's

    thank's

    rupert

  3. #3
    Join Date: Sep 2014

    Location: Istanbul

    Posts: 113
    I'm Yetkin.

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    I did not listen personally to those you wrote but similar to your experience with yulong da mk1 they are promising.
    I listened to lks Mh da 002 swith modification femto clock and power supply stage caps. It was wonderful comparing the price.
    Recently I started DIY version of Lks dac.
    Probably you saw the topic dedicated to gustard x20 at head-fi forum

  4. #4
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    yeah, i did check out Head-Fi. And the Gustard X-20 gets some good opinions. Interesting times for DAC's. This new generation seems to focus on dual power supplies and dual converters.. and all that at the same price the previous generation with single ps's and single converters was

  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: http://www.homehifi.co.uk

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    Quote Originally Posted by r100 View Post
    yeah, i did check out Head-Fi. And the Gustard X-20 gets some good opinions. Interesting times for DAC's. This new generation seems to focus on dual power supplies and dual converters.. and all that at the same price the previous generation with single ps's and single converters was
    I think that DAC buyers have matured over the years and have come to see through the idea that these sort of cost additions would guarantee to make a DAC sound better. It doesn't. The problem with the Chinese designers is that they are many years behind in terms of understanding what makes a DAC sound good. Many of these companies release a large number of different designs at more or less the same time, and then wait to see which design sells well. Then they concentrate on marketing that one aggressively.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    Stan, with all due respect, I have one of your DaC's and I know how good it is. I also had a Chinese Yulong DA8 which cost about three times as much as the BM. It wasn't 3 times better but it had a naturalness to it no other DAC I have owned has had. (Rega, BM, Raspberry Sabre DAC, etc, etc.). It just felt right. Of course paying three times more doesn't guarantee anything. The difference between all my previous DACa and the Yulong where minimal but they where there... or was i just convincing myself that more expensive is better... i duunnnooo anymore... My perception is blurred right now.

    These new Chinese DACs have dual PS's, dual converters and are fine tuned by humans. It would be great to have a proper comparison between, very expensive and very cheap DACs to determine what the real difference is, if any. I sometimes wonder if the difference in price is just buying more hardware or is it buying the extra couple of points to be in the high-end class.

    I remember comparing the BM mk1 i think, to the Rega and I was struggling to find any difference at all although the price ratio at the time was something like 1:2

  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2015

    Location: West Sussex

    Posts: 167
    I'm Steve.

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  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: http://www.homehifi.co.uk

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    Quote Originally Posted by r100 View Post
    Stan, with all due respect, I have one of your DaC's and I know how good it is.
    I wouldn't say that the Bushmaster DAC that you bought from me is the best one I ever designed. So if you think that is good them you should really try out the Caiman MKII.
    But that's deviating from your original post. The fact that you were so detailed in your response and felt it necessary to even mention the fact that you have a DAC of mine does make me wonder however if you are on a shilling trip, or are genuinely interested in engaging in the technology, design, and construction of a DAC. I am offering my input as someone with first hand experience, and outlining my opinion of the Chinese DACs. Just about every single DAC with UK connection is £ for £ vastly superior to its equivalent priced Chinese version, without having to go to the extreme lengths that the Chinese designers are engaged in in terms of loading their circuit with impressive sounding waffle. Surely there must be a reason for that?
    Of course, if you are making a sales pitch then my apologies for attempting to make a clear headed assessment of the market.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    no, I was not shilling. I didn't even occur to me. I'm not sure I follow your drift though.. you seem to be "promoting" UK/EU hardware and "dismissing" Asian hardware as second class ?

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: Switerland

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    Just about every single DAC with UK connection is £ for £ vastly superior to its equivalent priced Chinese version, without having to go to the extreme lengths that the Chinese designers are engaged in in terms of loading their circuit with impressive sounding waffle. Surely there must be a reason for that?
    It's probably a cultural thing ? They are learning (fast).

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