This DAC got a lot of buzz a while back, and then went silent. Any normal audiophiles heard this DAC? Do these DACs actually exist or is this a rare case audio vapor-ware?
These dacs are very hard to come by for some reason. I know many audiophiles like custom drivers (guilty here, myself), but are the Berkeley boys mining their own aluminum and silicon?
Also, very interesting marketing strategy for this DAC. High end audio, and especially computer audio, are very confusing. And when people are confused, they look to other factors such as price, scarcity, friend recommendation, or industry authority figures. So it’s worth checking out the marketing strategy for Berkeley and its competitors.
Some have claimed that Berkeley Ref is better than dCS. Yet you don’t see dcs dropping their prices. DCS’s strategy is to be the most expensive, implying it is the best. Scarcity and exclusivity is a very good marketing strategy. With the lack of beitzim on the part of reviewers to compare dCS to the upstarts, Dcs is not shaking in their boots because of Berkeley or anyone else.
Lampizator, on the other hand, has built up a quite a following from regular audiophiles who love their product. And in a confused and (seemingly purposefully) f*cked up situation such as computer audio, many folks look at a large number of passionate fans, who are just like themselves (vs. elites), and as a result, purchase the Lampizators. There is also a big social aspect to this hobby, and Lampizator is profiting from it. Talking about gear is similar to re-experiencing it. (How many times do people re-tell great vacation stories, even after many years?) Based on the internet chatter and buzz, audiophiles can try a Lampizator in their system. Many will buy it and start yapping about it to their friends and online… folks on the forums talk about these DACs because they get extra enjoyment of discussing shared experiences of products they own or are familiar with. (The technical term for this phenomenon is “social proof”.) Whether people realize it or on, Popularity happens to be a HUGE signal for quality in our hobby, and Lampizator is a winner here.
Berkeley, on the other hand, has chosen a different route. Looking at their website, they seem to have sent their product to a couple of “experts” who have called the Berkeley Reference “The Best”. These elite experts did not bother comparing the Berkeley to any other product in their writings, so it seems like they are appealing to the dumbf*ck audiophile, who has no self-confidence, and assuring this loser audiophile to just purchase the product based on their recommendation. The Berkeley site has posted reviews by Robert Harley and some dude who calls himself the Computer Audiophile. Harley, apparently is a very good businessman. Harley’s taste runs from grossly coloured to severely analytical. Gotta please those advertisers and gear manufacturers! However, Harley can’t really be trusted by the audio fan. He reviewed Magico and called it “best”, but seems to have forgotten to test it properly with rock music. Even Valin, the man who MADE Magico into a powerhouse brand has admitted, after a DECADE of haranguing TAS readers that magico is the “best”, that magico is not for rock n’ roll. … So on Harley’s advice, busy, productive folks travel long miles, spend travel money, and rearrange their tight schedules to be sorely disappointed with Harley’s recommendations. Additionally, just a few months prior to his Berk Ref is “best” Review, Harley called dCS Vivaldi the “Best”. And why didn’t he publich the Berk Ref review first? Undoubtedly, some high rollers purchased their dCSs before he proclaimed that Berk Ref is the “best”. Yet in his Berkeley Reference review, he failed to compare the 2 products. How’s that for spitting that green/ yellow sticky stuff in the face of the audio fans?
The other industry elite who has called Berkeley the “BEST” is a computer geek who calls himself the Computer Audiophile. I am using the term geek in the most respectful way here, as in “geeks rule the world”. And this computer audiophile dude deserves a lot credit for being at the forefront of computer audio.
But whereas this dude is probably good at setting up servers and networks, where does he get the credibility to have a great ear to evaluate the musical performance that the piece of gear should deliver and put the listener in a state of flow? Most likely he has spent more time evaluating power supplies and Ethernet cables than he has listening to real, live music. Obviously, the gear manufacturers see him as an expert who can influence audiophiles, but his reviewing and writing skills, compared to the more talented reviewers, are more ...hmm…Beavus and Butthead rather than Hamlet.
… Er…Er.. this DAC got great details. He he he… loved that song… uh huh, uh huh, .. The songs on this DAC are so good, I jumped and now I gotta take a big dump. Uh huh huh
Just kidding, of course. As I mentioned, when so many reviewers are just good bullsh*itters who are serving as marketing reps for the manufacturers and are trading their long tales for a long term loan or discount on gear that suits their preferences,
the Computer Audiophile dude has actually improved the lives of many in this hobby.
But the reality is that the computer geek’s work is pretty worthless to the audio fan, except to the clueless dumbf*ck audiophile who lacks self-confidence and needs reassurance from an “expert”. Without comparisons in his writings, if one were to remove the review titles or references to brands he is talking about, even he would not be able to tell apart PCM DAC A vs. PCM DAC B he wrote about. It’s all just abstract BS - "great bass", "great soundstage", etc. (Ditto for Harley.) Thus, the first step this dude should take is to realize that his proclamations of “best “ are insulting to the fan and, instead, should start comparing products he has been fortunate to receive from the manufacturers. No one cares what he thinks is best. Instead, audio fans care about if they will think it is good enough to spend their hard-earned money on. Despite what our engineering minded friends say, audio products are experience goods. Their quality can’t be judged without hearing them and comparing them. Who cares what a famous reviewer likes? The consumer’s taste will not likely match his. Without comparisons, reviewers are just marketing their favorites instead of working for the consumer. But that’s their economic incentive. ( I don’t want to give the impression that ALL reviewers don’t care about the audio fans. Most are good guys, especially the ones contributing to this site. Also, the Stereophile guys usually do their best to throw in a comparison.)
Coming back to Berk Ref, supposedly, it is very good on PCM. And who doesn’t want to find a great deal, assuming it’s not just bogus claims? And it does have scarcity going for it along with insulting recommendations by a cripple of industry elites. But because of manufacturing issues with this product and seemingly purposeful evasion, confusion, and obfuscation by some of the industry elites who have heard it, and due to mis-aligned incentives between the reviews and fans, no one seems to know much about how good it is.
So what exactly are the causes behind the delays? Are they due to a faulty design or to something else?
And has anyone heard this DAC in their systems? Does it sound like music, or has the design obliterated the “soul of the music”? If you heard it, did you buy it or go with something else?
