Abbas dac 2.1 se

[cal3713]

Thank you for initiating this thread. I just came across it in the past week. I have never heard of Abbas Audio prior to this. I am very intrigued and interested in their DACs, particularly the 2.4 SE and the 3.2 SE. The big bottle 3,2 is appealing based on your listening notes. It seems the 2.4 SE has adopted larger output tubes. It may be all that I need. I'll do further research. I have no doubt that either would serve me well.
Charles

I hope you take the plunge Charles. I'd love to hear your report of the performance. I too have been looking at these dacs. It's always good to read the listening impressions of someone who's got similar ears. I've bought enough equipment that you like to know you hear the right way.

My only concern with the Abbas products is that the vintage parts will fail and I'll have trouble repairing. I moved to Panamá a year ago, so that's a lot bigger of an issue for me now than it would be if I were still in the States. I can do soldering and cap replacement myself, but shipping is an expensive and non-trivial venture.

 

[charles1dad]

Hi @cal3713
Congratulations on your move! I hope that it’s all going well there for you. It’s funny in that my take on the use of selected vintage parts is a good thing: Proven, high quality (Non moving) parts that have stood the test of time. Have you heard of any particular parts failing in these DACs?

I’ve had my wonderful sounding Yamamoto YDA-1 DAC for 12 very happy years.Ultra simple circuit that has given me terrific natural and involving sound. I’ve heard a number of DAC in that time, yet none that persuaded me to make a change.

Reading the Abbas site and understanding his philosophy and priorities, well this is exactly what I am seeking for Audio. Perhaps it has all the qualities that I adore in my Yamamoto and takes them a step further, possibly?

I really love that he listens to every single part along the building process step by step. He is consistently refining and improving over the course of time. I admire that type of attitude.

Cal, the Greek Lab 12 DAC Reference is another that has drawn my notice as well. I just have a strong sense that these Abbas DACs may be quite special.

I am not particularly impressed or swayed by many of the modern DACsI have heard. Wrong focus and emphasis for what I want.

I suspect the Abbas could be a “potential “ replacement for my terrific Yamamoto.
Char

 

[djsina2]

Have you heard of any particular parts failing in these DACs?

Unfortunately my 2.4SE arrived not working directly from Abbas. He seems a little perplexed, saying he’s never seen this specific part fail before. Now I’m waiting for spare parts from him.

 

[Artnet]

arrived not working

Sad to hear!
I have experienced some component failure (nothing from Abbas) of late mostly tubes, I suspect from bad or careless handling in transit. Two that had no visible damage to the box either. One was new new stock not vintage. Both replaced with warranty from good sellers
Hope you can sort it out soon, keen to hear your thoughts

 

[cal3713]

Hi @cal3713
Congratulations on your move! I hope that it’s all going well there for you. It’s funny in that my take on the use of selected vintage parts is a good thing: Proven, high quality (Non moving) parts that have stood the test of time. Have you heard of any particular parts failing in these DACs?

I’ve had my wonderful sounding Yamamoto YDA-1 DAC for 12 very happy years.Ultra simple circuit that has given me terrific natural and involving sound. I’ve heard a number of DAC in that time, yet none that persuaded me to make a change.

Reading the Abbas site and understanding his philosophy and priorities, well this is exactly what I am seeking for Audio. Perhaps it has all the qualities that I adore in my Yamamoto and takes them a step further, possibly?

I really love that he listens to every single part along the building process step by step. He is consistently refining and improving over the course of time. I admire that type of attitude.

Cal, the Greek Lab 12 DAC Reference is another that has drawn my notice as well. I just have a strong sense that these Abbas DACs may be quite special.

I am not particularly impressed or swayed by many of the modern DACsI have heard. Wrong focus and emphasis for what I want.

I suspect the Abbas could be a “potential “ replacement for my terrific Yamamoto.
Char

I agree with everything you said, and love the use of vintage parts chosen explicitly for sound quality. Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that some of these parts have a limited life span (caps) and will eventually have to be replaced.

Here's a little discussion of the parts issue... https://hifihaven.org/index.php?threads/sw1x-dac.7777/page-1

Stated in the context of the war in Ukraine: "I do worry about the serviceability of these DACs. Ideally all I need is a schematic... however if he's gone then that may be the end of my Abbas journey. These parts are of unknown value so replacing them with a modern equivalent is impossible."

 

[cal3713]

Hi @cal3713
Congratulations on your move! I hope that it’s all going well there for you.

And thanks, it is, I am much happier down here than I was in the States.

The people are nice, the country is beautiful, I can live with the windows open 24/7, life is 2-3x cheaper, and you can just self-insure for healthcare (with us quality doctors).

I just bought a house last month and built a soundproofed (hopefully, maybe just soundreduced) room for the stereo. Really looking forward to getting it back as it's been in storage for a year and a half. My UE Boom 3 bluetooth speaker gets the job done, but it's a touch of a downgrade from the Coincident PREs.

 

[limberpine]

Here's a little discussion of the parts issue... https://hifihaven.org/index.php?threads/sw1x-dac.7777/page-1

Stated in the context of the war in Ukraine: "I do worry about the serviceability of these DACs. Ideally all I need is a schematic... however if he's gone then that may be the end of my Abbas journey. These parts are of unknown value so replacing them with a modern equivalent is impossible."

That's my thread over on Hifi haven and while that was a brief instance of non response when Ukraine became besieged, Abbas is back to producing and being responsive now.

I just think that with anything that any component which is esoteric or custom design you will run into this problem.

Abbas has posted some schematics on his own forum, which could serve as a lasting legacy. I would hope he has a mentor that will take over after he's gone, but I think thats a very long time still.

 

[jespera]

I own quite a bit of abbas gear:
3 different dacs, usb-spdif, modded and valve clocked cd 94, phonostage, sut, x-overs, various cables. And so far i havent had any trouble with any of it. Except for a ww2 valve that blew.
Its not my impression that other clients have struggled either. But things can break during transit and otherwise, and in these cases i hear that abbas has been responsive and helpful.

If/when something truly breaks you’ll need to fix it locally or send it back to ukraine. This is the case with modern gear too. Even stuff from 5 star review producers. If your dcs, chord or mytek dac breaks you’ll need to send it back to the producer. If he goes out of business or particular parts (chips/batteries/etc) go out of production — then good luck to you.

The advantage of vintage and vintage’ish products like abbas, is that the circuits and components are relatively simple and replacement components and repair men can usually be found.

Actually, finding good repair men is harder than finding spares.

 

[limberpine]

I also own 1 of his DACS, a USB/SPDIF converter, his USB cable, and SPDIF cable and haven't seen any issues yet.

I will likely buy another DAC of his for my office system to replace my Audio GD Master 7 as well.

 

[charles1dad]

Well, the additional feedback and comments are welcome. I would agree that "any" audio electronic component can fail and require repair. The key point is will that repair (Or part) be available? If I decide to move forward with a purchase, I'll have to inquire more thoroughly with regard to replacement parts and repair follow up. I don't expect anything to be perfect. However I do want to be fully aware of recourse in the event of problems.

I find the philosophical and design/built approach very interesting and do get the impression the sound quality is different as a consequence. Well, further thought and contemplation is required on my end. I wonder if the Lab 12 DAC Reference out of Greece is similar with origin of parts, or is this uniquely an Abbas method of assembly. I'm still quite interested in them for sure.
Charles

 

[charles1dad]

• Today at 8:11 AM
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• #185

"I was reading the 3.2SE info on the abbas website yesterday. Are you all aware it requires periodic bias testing of the 5Y3 tube? And the bias testing requires removal of the cover?

You need to have at least a multimeter and periodically measure the bias voltage of 6080 tubes, as we used to do with old tube amplifiers. The bias voltage -15v should not fall below -12…-13v. If it is lower, replacing the 5Y3 tube rectifier is necessary."

Thanks tvad.
For some, could mean the difference between the 2.4 vs the 3.2, for others no big deal but still good to know.
Charles

 

[limberpine]

Well, the additional feedback and comments are welcome. I would agree that "any" audio electronic component can fail and require repair. The key point is will that repair (Or part) be available? If I decide to move forward with a purchase, I'll have to inquire more thoroughly with regard to replacement parts and repair follow up. I don't expect anything to be perfect. However I do want to be fully aware of recourse in the event of problems.

I find the philosophical and design/built approach very interesting and do get the impression the sound quality is different as a consequence. Well, further thought and contemplation is required on my end. I wonder if the Lab 12 DAC Reference out of Greece is similar with origin of parts, or is this uniquely an Abbas method of assembly. I'm still quite interested in them for sure.
Charles

I know someone who had a Lab Dac 12 and thought it was their end game until they heard the Abbas 2.2 SE. YMMV

 

[charles1dad]

@limberpine
"know someone who had a Lab Dac 12 and thought it was their end game until they heard the Abbas 2.2 SE. YMMV"

Thanks for sharing that. Would this person be interested in providing his comparative listening comments on this thread? He can email me if he's so inclined. Both DACs are highly regarded.
Charles

 

[limberpine]

@limberpine
"know someone who had a Lab Dac 12 and thought it was their end game until they heard the Abbas 2.2 SE. YMMV"

Thanks for sharing that. Would this person be interested in providing his comparative listening comments on this thread? He can email me if he's so inclined. Both DACs are highly regarded.
Charles

Please DM me your email address and I will connect you both.

 

[cal3713]

You might want to delete this post, so the bots don't pick up your email.

Haha, and this one too!

 

[jespera]

• Today at 8:11 AM
• New
• Add bookmark
• #185

"I was reading the 3.2SE info on the abbas website yesterday. Are you all aware it requires periodic bias testing of the 5Y3 tube? And the bias testing requires removal of the cover?

You need to have at least a multimeter and periodically measure the bias voltage of 6080 tubes, as we used to do with old tube amplifiers. The bias voltage -15v should not fall below -12…-13v. If it is lower, replacing the 5Y3 tube rectifier is necessary."

Thanks tvad.
For some, could mean the difference between the 2.4 vs the 3.2, for others no big deal but still good to know.
Charles

As far as i can make out the bias measurement only applies to the 3.2 signature. My 3.2se doesnt have a 5Y3 rectifier in the 6080 power supply. I think my 3.2se’s 6080’s are supplied by solid state rectifiers. The signature has a valve count of 7, the se only has 6 valves.

Anyways, my radford power amp also requires manual bias measurement and adjustment. I check them with a multimeter every year or so. So far they havent drifted at all though its mullard el34’s are 9 years old.

Also, I keep the lid off my 3.2se. It may not be strictly necessary but it generates a lot of heat so i thought it was better.

 

[charles1dad]

The more familiar I'm becoming with the Abbas Audio DACs I conclude that every single one is special and sounds wonderful compared to most of the competition. At this point I am very intrigued and leaning toward their 3.2 SE with the 6080 output tubes. It just seems to embody all the sonic/musical traits the matter most to me. I do however recognize I could not choose wrong with any of their models. 3.2 SE just appears to be more of everything. Again, happy I stumbled across this threat quite recently.
Charles

 

[cal3713]

The more familiar I'm becoming with the Abbas Audio DACs I conclude that every single one is special and sounds wonderful compared to most of the competition. At this point I am very intrigued and leaning toward their 3.2 SE with the 6080 output tubes. It just seems to embody all the sonic/musical traits the matter most to me. I do however recognize I could not choose wrong with any of their models. 3.2 SE just appears to be more of everything. Again, happy I stumbled across this threat quite recently.
Charles

I've been following all the available Abbas threads for a couple years for the exact same reasons as you... I love my Audio Mirror Tubadour, but would like to take one last step up in that location if possible.

I think at this point, the only other components on my radar are the Merason DAC1 and maybe something from SW1X. My friend Starboard over on audiogon has heard a lot of the under 10k dacs (including a SW1X, Halo May, the AM Tubadour, Metronome Le Dac, Aqua La Scala Optologic, Denafrips Terminator, Sonnet Morpheus, and two Mojo Audio DACs) and ended up with the Merason. I had previously eliminated all non-R2R dacs from consideration, but he hears like I do and has lived-in experience with all of the above (and some more).

Anyway, as I said before, I hope you take the plunge and can provide another data point.

 

[charles1dad]

I've been following all the available Abbas threads for a couple years for the exact same reasons as you... I love my Audio Mirror Tubadour, but would like to take one last step up in that location if possible.

I think at this point, the only other components on my radar are the Merason DAC1 and maybe something from SW1X. My friend Starboard over on audiogon has heard a lot of the under 10k dacs (including a SW1X, Halo May, the AM Tubadour, Metronome Le Dac, Aqua La Scala Optologic, Denafrips Terminator, Sonnet Morpheus, and two Mojo Audio DACs) and ended up with the Merason. I had previously eliminated all non-R2R dacs from consideration, but he hears like I do and has lived-in experience with all of the above (and some more).

Anyway, as I said before, I hope you take the plunge and can provide another data point.

 

[charles1dad]

Hi @cal3713
Funny, your radar list of DACs mirrors mine. The Merason DAC 1 has been under strong consideration for a while, excellent feedback concerning it via word of mouth/reviews. The Lab 12 DAC Reference as previously mentioned.

SW1X I had seriously looked into but their cost has noticeably gone up (Similar concept/philosophy to Abbas). Delta sigma versus R2R is not as big a deal for me as a make or break issue. Bottom line for me is sound quality however which way you got there.
My Yamamoto YDA-01 use Burr-Brown DS chips 1794A. However ultra simple 1transistor per channel circuit no NFB at all, no Op-amps. Passive I/V conversion and robust power supply.

Applied same approach as he does for his highly successful SET amplifiers. Well, it has worked for me. Utterly natural/organic with high resolution. Very emotionally engaging DAC.

I preferred it to Metrum Octave, Holo KTE Level 3, Lampizator Big box 5,Auralic Vega. That’s why I have kept it for 12 years.

Interns of pure musical enjoyment and satisfaction it really has stood the test of time well. If I can go a step higher at this point I’m willing to do so. My gut feeling is the Abbas may possibly be that next step.

I haven’t been particularly impressed with the “modern “ design approach of up sampling/over sampling/multiple filter types of DACs. They just aren’t natural enough for me when I’ve listened. Abbas certainly veers away from this popular “high tech” approach.
Charles