Over the weekend, February 17th, I met up Mike - Founder of Verastarr Cables, Gary - fellow audiophile, and Johnny - another fellow audiophile. We took around 10 hours comparing the Phison PD2SE, Rockna Wavedream Signature, COS D1 V1 & V2, and the Metrum Adagio. We used both the Phison A2 120 in monoblock configuration and the Jeff Rowland Model 12 monoblocks and the same Verastarr cables throughout, XLR interconnects between components, USB for the DAC, and of course power for power.
There were several lessons I learned from this shootout but to skip the common TLDR issue I'll start with the summary and then I can go into details if anyone wants.
Matching components when working with high end equipment is important and to achieve the best sound should be carefully considered. The PD2SE has a liquid smooth presentation full of detail. The snaps in Billy Joel's innocent Man trail and are captured cleanly. The separation within the image is clear, and DAC is so transparent that I find myself no longer listening to the system and instead listening to the music. With a detailed amp such as the Phison A2 120, one should expect an exciting listening experience with no listening fatigue. The details will be there but will not be overly accentuated. I understand with any gear this caliber that the soundstage and imaging should be on point. This was true for the Phison, Rockna, and COS D1 V2. One word of caution is that when pairing the PD2SE with a more laid-back the presentation will follow suite and be a little laid back. For my taste I prefer matching the Phison preamps or DACs with very fast and accurate amplifiers. It will be a very synergistic match if you follow that advice. The D2SE which is DAC with no line stage can be had at $8,500 while the PD2SE, which is a linestage that integrates the D2SE can be had at $14,000.
The Rockna Wavedream Signature is an impressive and analytical DAC. It should be. The stand-alone DAC pulls every ounce of detail out of any song. On an Innocent Man reverb on the snaps trails are a little longer, and every echo is perfectly captured. With a quality solid-state amp or a good tube amp, this DAC will sing. However, if the amp is analytical, this DAC will follow suite and be too analytical and not liquid enough for my taste. With careful matching this also is an great option and it should be as it is the most expensive of the pieces we tested at an MSRP of $17,500
The COS D1 V2 had a reasonably exciting sound and is a significant leap above the now discontinued COS D1 V1. The design was my favorite of all DACs reviewed. The single knob for control, no visible screws in the front or top, and clean finish just make it an interesting piece to have on a rack, almost like it should be in an art gallery. However, it did lack some of the energy and detail of the Phison and Rockna. We did not try this with the Phison A2 120 but I think it would have been a better match than with the Rowland amplifiers. It was comfortable and smooth but did not engage enough of my left brain to really complete the listening experience for me. The COS D1V2 can be found for $9,000.
The Metrum Adagio was the first DAC we auditioned and was by far the most laid back. While built like a tank, it lacked much of the detail and energy compared to any of the other DACs we auditioned. The Metrum Adagio can be found for around $7,000.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to pull the answers!
Associated gear:
Speakers: Heavily Modified Magnepans
Subs: Mike Powell custom built subwoofers
Digital Source: Homemade Music Server
File Format: DSD 128, DSD 256, DOP 128
Cabling: Verastarr top of the line
More but I will need to ask exactly what
There were several lessons I learned from this shootout but to skip the common TLDR issue I'll start with the summary and then I can go into details if anyone wants.
Matching components when working with high end equipment is important and to achieve the best sound should be carefully considered. The PD2SE has a liquid smooth presentation full of detail. The snaps in Billy Joel's innocent Man trail and are captured cleanly. The separation within the image is clear, and DAC is so transparent that I find myself no longer listening to the system and instead listening to the music. With a detailed amp such as the Phison A2 120, one should expect an exciting listening experience with no listening fatigue. The details will be there but will not be overly accentuated. I understand with any gear this caliber that the soundstage and imaging should be on point. This was true for the Phison, Rockna, and COS D1 V2. One word of caution is that when pairing the PD2SE with a more laid-back the presentation will follow suite and be a little laid back. For my taste I prefer matching the Phison preamps or DACs with very fast and accurate amplifiers. It will be a very synergistic match if you follow that advice. The D2SE which is DAC with no line stage can be had at $8,500 while the PD2SE, which is a linestage that integrates the D2SE can be had at $14,000.
The Rockna Wavedream Signature is an impressive and analytical DAC. It should be. The stand-alone DAC pulls every ounce of detail out of any song. On an Innocent Man reverb on the snaps trails are a little longer, and every echo is perfectly captured. With a quality solid-state amp or a good tube amp, this DAC will sing. However, if the amp is analytical, this DAC will follow suite and be too analytical and not liquid enough for my taste. With careful matching this also is an great option and it should be as it is the most expensive of the pieces we tested at an MSRP of $17,500
The COS D1 V2 had a reasonably exciting sound and is a significant leap above the now discontinued COS D1 V1. The design was my favorite of all DACs reviewed. The single knob for control, no visible screws in the front or top, and clean finish just make it an interesting piece to have on a rack, almost like it should be in an art gallery. However, it did lack some of the energy and detail of the Phison and Rockna. We did not try this with the Phison A2 120 but I think it would have been a better match than with the Rowland amplifiers. It was comfortable and smooth but did not engage enough of my left brain to really complete the listening experience for me. The COS D1V2 can be found for $9,000.
The Metrum Adagio was the first DAC we auditioned and was by far the most laid back. While built like a tank, it lacked much of the detail and energy compared to any of the other DACs we auditioned. The Metrum Adagio can be found for around $7,000.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to pull the answers!
Associated gear:
Speakers: Heavily Modified Magnepans
Subs: Mike Powell custom built subwoofers
Digital Source: Homemade Music Server
File Format: DSD 128, DSD 256, DOP 128
Cabling: Verastarr top of the line
More but I will need to ask exactly what