Abbas dac 2.1 se

[charles1dad]

@jespera
Yes, I'm familiar with that link/description. This is why I was "pleasantly" surprised with the email update.

 

[Artnet]

Well, it seems that Abbas is now going to incorporating these two rectifier tubes into the 3.2SE. I received an email from him a couple of days ago. He wrote that the 5Y3 will be installed on the analog board and a 5V4 rectifier on the digital board. He also explained that the 5Y3 and 5V4 are interchangeable on the analog board if desired.

Wow good to know!!
This will mean checking the -V on the 5Y3. but more bottles replacing the diodes I am happy

I understood they belonged to the 3.2 sig but would confirm with correspondence from Abbas the same.

 

[charles1dad]

@Artnet
Here’s the reply I received.

“Hi, Charles!

YES OF COURSe, 5Y3 will be installed on the analog board

No need everyday to measure bias, once per year
5Y3 can be easily replaced with 5V4, it is a more powerful tube. One 5V4 is already used on a digital board, so you can use two 5V4.
But I like 5Y3 for smooth and fluid sound
Regards,Abbas”

 

[Artnet]

No need everyday to measure bias, once per year
5Y3 can be easily replaced with 5V4, it is a more powerful tube. One 5V4 is already used on a digital board, so you can use two 5V4.
But I like 5Y3 for smooth and fluid sound
Regards,Abbas”

I have 5Y3 at the ready

Thankyou Charles for posting the clarification.

 

[charles1dad]

@Artnet
You are welcome. I’m excited with this decision to use these two rectifier tubes in the 3.2SE . I believe that additions or changes are implemented only if Abbas confirmed an improved sound quality.

He’s continuously refining and upgrading his devices (As he refers to them). Great for us! This is exactly why I don’t mind the relatively long wait time.Worth it in my opinion.
Charles

 

[gerihifi]

@jespera
Thanks for your reply. Well, it seems that Abbas is now going to incorporating these two rectifier tubes into the 3.2SE. I received an email from him a couple of days ago. He wrote that the 5Y3 will be installed on the analog board and a 5V4 rectifier on the digital board. He also explained that the 5Y3 and 5V4 are interchangeable on the analog board if desired.

He is building me the 3.2SE and not the 3.2 Signature DAC. That's why I wanted to double check with you and confirm what your 3.2 SE has. I do recognize that Abbas steadily /often makes changes along the way with new builds (He warned me that he does this). Fine with me, I'm all in with whatever direction he decides to take. He also said that the 5Y3 onboard requires checking the bias just once per year.
Charles

That's what I got from Abbas:

DAC 3.2SE: 6080 output stage, + 5Y3+ 5V4+ EZ81+ EF12+EZ11, TDA1541A
DAC 3.2 Signature: different (look at his website), but he has no components at the moment (also the 5 models he created (reserved) are gone).
I'm pretty sure he also adjust/improves several things for signature, for the average DAC consumer ;-)

 

[charles1dad]

@gerihifi
Agreed, it isn’t the Signature, but is the latest iteration of the 3.2SE. This DAC utilizes 7 tubes! That’s 1 more than in my 300b SET mono blocks combined. Yet these are essentially low maintenance and long lifespan tubes (Particularly the EF12 and EZ11). I am also intrigued by the preference of Germanium over silicon based transistors (For the most part).

As I’ve continued to learn and understand more about these DACs, it’s become increasingly clear and logical why this approach is chosen. I also appreciate that the choice of tubes are available for low to reasonable cost (Compared to my 300b and 101D tubes used in my other components).

As I’ve mentioned before, just sheer coincidence that I came across this thread while searching for something else. Audio forums have served me well over the years. There has been very good information shared within this thread.
Charles

 

[facten]

Just curious if you know how you go about biasing the 5V4 & 5Y3 tubes in this DAC ?

 

[charles1dad]

Just curious if you know how you go about biasing the 5V4 & 5Y3 tubes in this DAC ?

Hi @facten
Abbas has posted directions on his website and will include directions with the DAC if needed. It’s a simple step to perform (And only required annually).
Charles

 

[gerihifi]

Just curious if you know how you go about biasing the 5V4 & 5Y3 tubes in this DAC ?

Have a look at the picture (open in new tab to see everything) DAC 3.2 Signature Reveal (EN) / 2 — Abbasaudio - shows at least how it works for Signature ;-) But Abbas will for sure provide tips to you if needed!

 

[facten]

Thank you both

 

[dwhistance]

A friend of mine has a high spec audio note system. The dac is/was a level 3 but it has been heavily modified and upgraded to something like level 5. I think he has spent at least 20k usd on it.

Also he has spent a lot of money and time and experiments on the streaming side of it.

It sounds very good and, it fact it was the one system that persuaded me that there is indeed life after digital and streaming.

However, cost kept me away from investing in an audio note dac. Instead i found the abbas stuff.

Subsequently, we have compared my abbas dac 2.1se to his. And to my ears the abbas is better. The audio note is more forgiving but it sacrifices detail and resolution relative to the abbas. And it costs 10 times more.
The audio note man sticks to his dac but other abbas stuff has sneaked into the chain. He has bought an abbas phonostage and abbas valve clock for some of his switches.

I have another friend who’s the owner of a lampizator big 7 mk 2. Its pleasant and detailed enough to listen to but in comparison to the 2.1se it sounds delta-sigma. More digital and less analogue.
Also not quite the detail level of the 2.1se anyways. To my ears. Lampi man has bought an abbas dac 3.2se.

I would be very interested to hear the views of the owner of the Lampi Big 7 and how it compares with the Abbas 3.2se. I have a Lampi Golden Atlantic TRP but am thinking about upgrading/changing it and the Abbas 3.2se sounds like it could be an affordable alternative to the models further up the Lampi pecking order.

 

[trinley]

@dwhistance

I had a Golden Gate I SE, here is my experience with the DAC!

I had received a new Golden Gate I SE in 2018 via the german Lampizator distributor Pawel. The sound improvement when switching from Level 4 to the GG was overwhelming.
An audiophile friend who was listening to the GG in my system took out a credit and also ordered a GG .

A few months later I sent the GG to the manufacturer in poland because I wanted to change the 300b to 45 tube. In the modification was a component of the new Pacific installed.

They didn't tell me which component was installed, but the sound improvement was clearly hearable.

Half a year later, my audiophile friend told me that his GG no longer sounded as good as it did in the beginning. He tried different tubes, bringing improvement only for a short time. Lampizator could not find any failure in his device, so he finally sold his GG.

About a year after the purchase, the sound quality of my GG also started to get progressively worse.
I sent the DAC to Poland for inspection, but no failure was found.

Another audiophile friend recommended I listen to a Denafrips DAC. Because I needed a DAC upgrade for my headphone setup, I ordered a Denafrips Pontus.

I compared the Pontus to the GG on the loudspeaker setup. The Pontus outperformed the GG by several sound levels, much like the GG outperformed the Level 4 back then.

Finally, the Holo MAY KTE has won out over Terminator Plus. Anyway, after my experience with Lampizator, I wouldn't buy one again.

I hope your Atlantic had no sound worsening .

Although my MAY KTE sounds fantastic, in this thread I got infected with Abbas fever and also ordered an Abbas DAC .

 

[charles1dad]

“Although my MAY KTE sounds fantastic, in this thread I got infected with Abbas fever and also ordered an Abbas DAC .”

This should be a very interesting and insightful DAC comparison.
Charles

 

[charles1dad]

I would be very interested to hear the views of the owner of the Lampi Big 7 and how it compares with the Abbas 3.2se. I have a Lampi Golden Atlantic TRP but am thinking about upgrading/changing it and the Abbas 3.2se sounds like it could be an affordable alternative to the models further up the Lampi pecking order.

Yes, it’d be nice to see the listening impressions from “lampi man” comparing the B7 MK II and his 3.2SE. Different design approaches for certain.
Charles

 

[trinley]

On the topic of Signature:

I was in contact with Abbas since two weeks and it was not clear until today if Abbas will build the Signature for me or not.

Abbas writes about the comparison between 3.2 SE and Signature as follows:
(I had to cut the text a bit and translated it from Russian into English via translator)


The difference in the level of realism, color and nuances.

I demonstrated the Signature to my friends who are not audiophiles and to an electrician who was working in my house. They all clearly noticed the difference between the 3.2 SE and the Signature and were very surprised.

He is not sure he will build the Signature again anytime soon or if he will build it at all.

It takes an unreasonable amount of time. He made a batch to improve hes skill, as I could have earned much more in that time by offering simpler models.


Abbas agreed today to build for me the Signature. He has one kit left for a Signature.

He told me, that a Signature takes five times more time to build than a 3.2 SE. Knowing that, I offered to pay him more, to make it pay off for him at least a little bit. He declined and offered to build an improved Signature instead, one like his private one.

He warned me, that I will have to wait, because he has a lot of 3.2 SE orders.

 

[jespera]

@dwhistance

Although my MAY KTE sounds fantastic, in this thread I got infected with Abbas fever and also ordered an Abbas DAC .

Wow! Abbas fever indeed. Seems like theres a lot of orders going to ukraine at the moment. Hopefully abbas can keep up.

Ive asked lampi man for comments. Hope he’ll chip in.

Meanwhile i spotted two reviews of the new 2.4se (i think) on abbas’ old website:

http://abbasaudio.listbb.ru/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=7&start=230

 

[jespera]

On the topic of Signature:

I was in contact with Abbas since two weeks and it was not clear until today if Abbas will build the Signature for me or not.

Abbas writes about the comparison between 3.2 SE and Signature as follows:
(I had to cut the text a bit and translated it from Russian into English via translator)


The difference in the level of realism, color and nuances.

I demonstrated the Signature to my friends who are not audiophiles and to an electrician who was working in my house. They all clearly noticed the difference between the 3.2 SE and the Signature and were very surprised.

He is not sure he will build the Signature again anytime soon or if he will build it at all.

It takes an unreasonable amount of time. He made a batch to improve hes skill, as I could have earned much more in that time by offering simpler models.


Abbas agreed today to build for me the Signature. He has one kit left for a Signature.

He told me, that a Signature takes five times more time to build than a 3.2 SE. Knowing that, I offered to pay him more, to make it pay off for him at least a little bit. He declined and offered to build an improved Signature instead, one like his private one.

He warned me, that I will have to wait, because he has a lot of 3.2 SE orders.

Sounds intriguing.

 

[cal3713]

@dwhistance

I had a Golden Gate I SE, here is my experience with the DAC!

I had received a new Golden Gate I SE in 2018 via the german Lampizator distributor Pawel. The sound improvement when switching from Level 4 to the GG was overwhelming.
An audiophile friend who was listening to the GG in my system took out a credit and also ordered a GG .

A few months later I sent the GG to the manufacturer in poland because I wanted to change the 300b to 45 tube. In the modification was a component of the new Pacific installed.

They didn't tell me which component was installed, but the sound improvement was clearly hearable.

Half a year later, my audiophile friend told me that his GG no longer sounded as good as it did in the beginning. He tried different tubes, bringing improvement only for a short time. Lampizator could not find any failure in his device, so he finally sold his GG.

About a year after the purchase, the sound quality of my GG also started to get progressively worse.
I sent the DAC to Poland for inspection, but no failure was found.

Another audiophile friend recommended I listen to a Denafrips DAC. Because I needed a DAC upgrade for my headphone setup, I ordered a Denafrips Pontus.

I compared the Pontus to the GG on the loudspeaker setup. The Pontus outperformed the GG by several sound levels, much like the GG outperformed the Level 4 back then.

Finally, the Holo MAY KTE has won out over Terminator Plus. Anyway, after my experience with Lampizator, I wouldn't buy one again.

I hope your Atlantic had no sound worsening .

Although my MAY KTE sounds fantastic, in this thread I got infected with Abbas fever and also ordered an Abbas DAC .

I lived with a May KTE for a few weeks. I'll be very interested to hear your report. Please do post when you've got enough hours under your belt.

 

[charles1dad]

@trinley
Congratulations!!!
I know that you will love and cherish your 3.2 Signature. What a nice offer from Abbas. I am happy to see some Signature ideas trickle down to the 3.2SE (Implementation of the 5Y3 and 5V4 rectifier tubes).Sweet!
Charles