Beresford Bushmaster DAC

[magiccarpetride]

There is a waiting list. Send me an email (NOT PM!!) and I shall put you on the list. Those at the top get first refusal, and only after I have got to the bottom of that list will the Bushmaster go up on my site for everyone else to purchase. It's the fairest and most honest way I could come up with.

You just made my day, Stan, as I believe I'm fairly high on your list Boy, I'm salivating!

[Gazjam]

The "fully passive" aspect of the Bushmaster is a different approach to other dacs from what I can see.

I've only found one other dac that has this (assuming its a similar thing?) the Metrum Octave - but its £700!
This dac gets praise in reviews for its "analogue" sound, like NOS dacs (which it is) without the top and bottom end rolled off.
Summit to do with choice of Dac chip or something....
This seemed very similar to the comments made by the guys who have heard the Bushmaster already?

If Stan get get close to this for under the £200 price mark its gonna be a killer methinks...
Early reviews will be interesting!

[MartinT]

Stan - one question I don't think I've seen the answer to: will the passive outputs drive 10k inputs? In other words, is there a little grunt behind them?

[jandl100]

The "fully passive" aspect of the Bushmaster is a different approach to other dacs from what I can see.

I've only found one other dac that has this (assuming its a similar thing?) the Metrum Octave - but its £700! ..

Hmm, yes, interesting.

I've just done a review for Hifi Pig of the Neko D100 DAC - that has a passive output stage using Jensen output transformers. It was good, but did suffer a bit from lack of drive with large scale music.

[StanleyB]

Stan - one question I don't think I've seen the answer to: will the passive outputs drive 10k inputs? In other words, is there a little grunt behind them?

The DAC can handle amplifiers that have an input impedance of 1K or higher.
As for grunt: I haven't noticed any lack of that in my system. But no doubt when the Bushmaster is used by more and more people, we'll get a far wider bunch of data to work from.

The planned add-on upgrade box with variable output will however have a very low output impedance that will be suitable for even the most demanding power amps. The problem that I face however is whether the cost of the add-on box will be an economical option for those who need a variable output. I am guessing on the price at this stage, but assuming it costs an extra £100 for the add-on box, such an upgrade would have to be worth the extra outlay in order for it to sell in sufficient quantity and justify its development and production. Ideally I would have liked to just add the variable stage onto the Bushmaster PCB, but this would have raised the cost of the DAC and burden potential buyers with an unneeded function for which they still had to pay. It looked to me like robbing Peter but not paying Paul, so to speak.

It's a tricky one for me, so any "for" and "against" opinions on the add-on box would be most welcome.

[Val33]

I'd be quite happy with an add on box if my preamp won't play nicely with the Bushmaster.

It would be great if it had a couple of analogue inputs available too, then for most people it could replace their pre.

Val

[jandl100]

It would be great if it had a couple of analogue inputs available too, then for most people it could replace their pre.

Val

That sounds like a good idea to me, although extra switchery would doubtless increase the cost and extend the development time.

[DSJR]

Why not turn the add-on box into a simple preamp-line driver, with say three inputs and a variable output (one or two sets of phonos as appropriate), selling for under £200 and able to drive remote power amps? Not what you had in mind, but may be ideal for the growing market in small active speakers out there, which at the lower end of the market should be encouraged I think

[Gazjam]

Hmm, yes, interesting.

I've just done a review for Hifi Pig of the Neko D100 DAC - that has a passive output stage using Jensen output transformers. It was good, but did suffer a bit from lack of drive with large scale music.

Good review Jerry

[MartinT]

It's a tricky one for me, so any "for" and "against" opinions on the add-on box would be most welcome.

For me, I'm happy with fixed passive outputs now that I know what they will drive. I have no use for variable outputs.