Chinese DAC shames a few heavy hitters

BobShermanEsq

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2015
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Since you are on a mission around here to try to debunk my advice, I would take your opinion with a grain of salt. There's ton's of other opinion's of the DAC out there, as well as a few people on the forum who has recently purchased it.

I've heard many many system's in my day, but as far as my reference at the moment, it's right in my living room. There's lots of great systems out there, but as far as price vs performance, I'm always left very disappointed when I audition gear in dealer showrooms. I'm more interested in different technologies, than brand names. When I evaluate gear, I evaluate it for specific attributes of the technology it uses.

Oh... You mean the one with the wall of glass next to the right speaker?
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
3,049
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That is what I thought.

Go one. Name one. Just one system that you listened to that is a high end system that you reckon your DIY efforts better.

Well the most recent comparison was a Devialet 400 system hooked up to a pair of Focal Scala Utopia V2's. The speakers are really good, but I wasn't impressed with the sound I heard. The Resonessence Mirus/Hypex NC 500 build I brought in put the Devialet 400 to shame. And once we got back to my place, sound was far better. There was also a top notch Burmeister setup there. Sound was quite warm and rich, but definitely coloured. Although sounded better than the Devialet/Focal setup. I liked the Dynaudio Confidence C4's, but the Naim gear hooked up to them wasn't very impressive to my ears.

Anyways, I'm not saying there's not tons of great stuff out there, but a lot of it is way overpriced.
 

BobShermanEsq

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2015
231
1
98
Actually I think it was Marty that said he wished that someone would compare it to the SOTA dacs out there. So there you go. I have.

What? you want photos? My God. You are hilarious. There we are princess ...

View attachment 25106 View attachment 25107 View attachment 25108 View attachment 25109 View attachment 25110

@ Al M. - I agree the Nad M51 is pretty average. I tend to think most dacs under 5 or 6 k are much of a muchness. But then again, I only talk about what I have owned or actually heard. Fancy that. That's a novel concept to Blizz I know...really he should try it sometime.

So Mike - when are you releasing your Ravenna dac? Got a timeline for us?

How long have you had it, and have you burnt it in? Might get somewhat better with time.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
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Oh... You mean the one with the wall of glass next to the right speaker?


That's one of my systems. Sounds great even with the window there. The drape is definitely helping.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Do you reckon Mike should apologise to me Bob? Or is ok for him to question my integrity in your books?

I'm reading, what you, Bob, Mike Lavigne, ...are saying. ...Just like other members and readers on this Saturday night live @ WBF.

I found you all unfair with Mr. Mike Davis. But that's just my personal opinion.
I also found some of the choice of your words towards Mr. Amir previously unsophisticated. Again, my personal opinion.
 

BobShermanEsq

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2015
231
1
98
Anyways, I'm not saying there's not tons of great stuff out there, but a lot of it is way overpriced.

That is true...

I have speakers that cost me $500 that will sound better than pretty much anything you have mentioned, or maybe heard...
 

andrew_stenhouse

New Member
Oct 26, 2015
229
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Sydney, Australia
I'm reading, what you, Bob, Mike Lavigne, ...are saying. ...Just like other members and readers on this Saturday night live @ WBF.

I found you all unfair with Mr. Mike Davis. But that's just my personal opinion.
I also found some of the choice of your words towards Mr. Amir previously unsophisticated. Again, my personal opinion.

Ha ha - well I didn't think it was anyone else's opinion Bob.

You didn't answer my question. Mike said he doubted I even bought the dac I commented on. That is calling into question my integrity, and honesty. Pistols at dawn stuff, that.

I would have thought, on that particular issue, Mr. Mike Davis as you call him, should say that he is sorry for so doing, and he was in fact completely wrong in so doing. But I suspect he isn't man enough to do that. Say sorry, I mean.

Or is it ok with you Bob, for a man to cast doubt on the word of another man, so long as he is your cobber?
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
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Ha ha - well I didn't think it was anyone else's opinion Bob.

You didn't answer my question. Mike said he doubted I even bought the dac I commented on. That is calling into question my integrity, and honesty. Pistols at dawn stuff, that.

I would have thought, on that particular issue, Mr. Mike Davis as you call him, should say that he is sorry for so doing, and he was in fact completely wrong in so doing. But I suspect he isn't man enough to do that. Say sorry, I mean.

Or is it ok with you Bob, for a man to cast doubt on the word of another man, so long as he is your cobber?

If you actually did buy it, it was just so you could come on this thread to slam it. Not sure why someone would think an $799 DAC would be a good replacement for an $11500 DAC. Especially one of the best, if not the best $11500 DAC.
 

andrew_stenhouse

New Member
Oct 26, 2015
229
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Sydney, Australia
If you actually did buy it, it was just so you could come on this thread to slam it. Not sure why someone would think an $799 DAC would be a good replacement for an $11500 DAC. Especially one of the best, if not the best $11500 DAC.

Oh I see so you still doubt that I bought it. What pictures aren't enough? <snip>.

Oh yes I have nothing better to do in my life than buy a dac purely so I can come on here and "slam" it in this thread. Seriously are you for real? And I didn't "slam" it. I said it was a very good dac.

Go listen to some dacs Mike. It would help.
 
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Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
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Oh I see so you still doubt that I bought it. What pictures aren't enough? <snip>.

Oh yes I have nothing better to do in my life than buy a dac purely so I can come on here and "slam" it in this thread. Seriously are you for real? And I didn't "slam" it. I said it was a very good dac.

Go listen to some dacs Mike. It would help.

Not sure why else you would buy a $799 DAC in hopes for it to be a replacement for a $11500 DAC I've been recommending to people for months. <snip>
 
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NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Ha ha - well I didn't think it was anyone else's opinion Bob.

You didn't answer my question. Mike said he doubted I even bought the dac I commented on. That is calling into question my integrity, and honesty. Pistols at dawn stuff, that.

I would have thought, on that particular issue, Mr. Mike Davis as you call him, should say that he is sorry for so doing, and he was in fact completely wrong in so doing. But I suspect he isn't man enough to do that. Say sorry, I mean.

Or is it ok with you Bob, for a man to cast doubt on the word of another man, so long as he is your cobber?

Andrew, I did not read all the posts, and if you found a post that was insulting, best is to report it by clicking on that small triangle @ bottom left of that ditto post with an exclamation point in the middle.
A moderator will make his own square/fair assessment.

We're all sensitive people, or we wouldn't be here in an audio forum where music rains.
Report any post you consider offensive. Be fair, you have what it takes to be. Chaque jour suffit sa peine.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada

I said "lol" because I wasn't expecting that reversing type of answer. :cool: ...More towards the opposite; with much more expensive systems than what Mike proposed (few). ...DACs, speakers, amps and all. ...And still all highly relative with many various dependencies and incremental details.

* I bet Mike Lavigne and Steve and Jack and Gary and David and Marty and Art and about one hundred plus other member's system setups sound phenomenal in their own right and irregardless of the status quo (que nevara).

The beauty is in the soul's investment, of its deepest crevasses where each and every ? intonation is suprema bliss.
Then the system complements the astral aura. ...Something un-tangible, almost impenetrable in its optimum unobtainable. ...Out of this world...way of speech.
 
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nc42acc

Member Sponsor
Nov 10, 2015
609
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North Carolina
The Gustard has been tossed in the trash. I added my Auralic Vega back into the system. Stereophile rates it as a Class A+ DAC in the same league as the Bricasti, Exasound, Benchmark, MSB Analog and Diamond DACs. All has been put right in my digital world. Thanks WBF for getting me back on the path of enlightenment.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
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The Gustard has been tossed in the trash. I added my Auralic Vega back into the system. Stereophile rates it as a Class A+ DAC in the same league as the Bricasti, Exasound, Benchmark, MSB Analog and Diamond DACs. All has been put right in my digital world. Thanks WBF for getting me back on the path of enlightenment.

Well if Stereophile rates it class A+ it must be better. They rate the Benchmark class A+ as well. Even the Musical Fidelity V90 makes the A+ list @ $299. You better clean your ears or something because Andrew said both of those DAC's were better than the Gustard.

I'm not sure why they would even recommend anything priced higher than V90, if it only takes $299 to get to A+ anyways?
 

Al M.

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Sep 10, 2013
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The Gustard has been tossed in the trash. I added my Auralic Vega back into the system. Stereophile rates it as a Class A+ DAC in the same league as the Bricasti, Exasound, Benchmark, MSB Analog and Diamond DACs.

I believe you when you say that the Auralic Vega is great but I wouldn't put much into Stereophile's ratings which are ridiculous. They (John Atkinson) also use the NAD M51 as a 'reference' (in fact, if I remember correctly, in the Auralic review).

@ Al M. - I agree the Nad M51 is pretty average.

There you go.
 

Al M.

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Sep 10, 2013
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I found you all unfair with Mr. Mike Davis. But that's just my personal opinion.

You seem to be the only one around here who thinks that, Bob. So yes, personal opinion it is.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
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I believe you when you say that the Auralic Vega is great but I wouldn't put much into Stereophile's ratings which are ridiculous. They (John Atkinson) also use the NAD M51 as a 'reference' (in fact, if I remember correctly, in the Auralic review).



There you go.


Seems like you're not too quick on picking up sarcasm
 

the sound of Tao

Well-Known Member
Jul 18, 2014
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The Gustard has been tossed in the trash. I added my Auralic Vega back into the system. Stereophile rates it as a Class A+ DAC in the same league as the Bricasti, Exasound, Benchmark, MSB Analog and Diamond DACs. All has been put right in my digital world. Thanks WBF for getting me back on the path of enlightenment.

nc42acc... does this mean you are now completely dis-gustard. Soz, just a bit of lightheartedness thrown in on the debate.
 

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