WTD: Xiang Sheng DAC 01A , fitted with a WE valve

[CageyH]

I think someone is talking about the valves, and the other DACs?

[donmarrese]

Yep, now it's all a mucking fuddle...

Mikeb is talking about the 01A DAC he got from Germany or Belgium for £110.....as for User211, he's bought a couple of valves, the WE 396a for $116.44...

[Lawrence001]

I'll buy those 2 dacs from the US, does anyone have a link?

[User211]

I think someone is talking about the valves, and the other DACs?

Yup. I £&#@ed it up. My price was for 396A valves.

[meBob]

Hello donmarresse & intenso,

Some of these Chinese sellers don't fill you with confidence, I wonder if that is the manufacturer description or the sellers?

Let's have a closer look at the XS dac 01a & SEG:

01a


SEG


As I said in a previous post it's very crowded on that 01a pcb, there's a lot more that can go wrong, but the design was copied from the Grant Fidelity DAC-09 & Maverick Audio Tube Magic DAC and it's a carbon copy.

It probably comes down to the quality of the components and if they were properly soldered on, the heat from the tube shouldn't be a factor.

Looking at the SEG there's not a lot to go wrong, no heat issues at all and I would expect it to have a long life.

The 01a has a linear psu inbuilt, the tube capability, good ss dac and is ridicously cheap. When I bought the SEG it was £240 including p&p + vat and now that the new Beresford Dorado psu kit at £80 has come out the cost has gone up to 3 times the value of the 01a dac at £320 to have the SEG at its best.

I'd love to hear these two side by side, before I spend any more money on the SEG.

[jandl100]

Quote Originally Posted by jandl100
My most recent one recently went sffft on its coax input. And I've had another one die on me before. I still use mine as a headphone amp from its other inputs.


27th July 2018

maybe not...


Here I is.

I've still got the XS 01A with WE valve but I don't use it.

It has a defunct USB input but the coax and optical digital inputs work OK. ( I did a swap for someone else's partially faulty XS)
If you want to borrow it to try out, Don, that would be fine.
Happy to post it.

Having said that, I've now moved on to a Topping D30 (rrp £90) - for me, it defo shades out the XS, more detail, better focus, better transparency.
Best DAC I have heard in my system.
I've now added a £50 Chinese linear PSU for even better results.

[meBob]

Hello Jerry,

Yes please, the SEG is the only dac I have and I'd like to test/benchmark it against something else before I consider the Dorado psu upgrade.

If a £90 dac can hold its place within your excellent kit, it must be a real gem. The only thing that stops me showing a serious interest in it, is that I'm currently using the SEG as a preamp to a Quad 405-2 and need the preamp in the XS01A. The Quad +SEG is a nice pleasant combo, easy to listen to and entertaining, but I don't mind trying new stuff.

I'll PM my address again.

Thanks,
Rob

[jandl100]

OK - you will probably need to open her up and twiddle with the jumpers as I think the pre-amp volume is not connected atm.

[donmarrese]

Hi Jerry, just got back...thanks for the offer...I too would like Rob to test out your XS01A and see what he thinks of it...I suppose I'll be second dibs if he doesn't go for it.

Rob, once you get it, let us know what you think...any more views on the Topping D30 DAC anyone?

ps. Rob, nice write up & pics in previous post....XS01A looks pretty condensed!

[meBob]

Hello Jerry,

It's no problems with the jumpers.