Comparison: Schiit Yggdrasil DAC vs. Berkeley Alpha DAC 2

[Al M.]

It would be worst if it was the Lampizator parade ...

Hehe. At least with the Yggy there are no 'wrong' tubes to blame

 

[morricab]

And a quick search yielded this, which sure enough has some similar (and detailed) conclusions:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/msb-analog.20847/reviews

note- the new version of the Yggy might make a big difference of course

What I find interesting are the comments about the Theta GenVa. It is using another classic 20bit DAC chip (AD1862 I believe). I have experienced very nice sound now from a number of classic DACs and it really makes one wonder what people were smoking when they were calling early digital "harsh" and "digititis". Ok, this is really 2nd Gen digital (early 90s) but the bad rap that had to be "corrected" with DS DACs was largely due to cheap DACs. The good ones from that era are still really good today. I have heard this also with my Monarchy (PCM63), my Kinergetics (UA D20400), PS Audio (also UA D20400). Of course my "modern" Kassandra is on another level of dynamics and resolution but it is clear that this was not a fundamental issue of the chips themselves (Kassandra uses AD1865N) but probably more about layout and power supply. That said, the Monarchy is quite detailed as is the Kinergetics...the PS Audio is a bit less so but very smooth and warmish sounding.

I am wondering if Moffatt's choice of a non standard (is it even an audio DAC?) DAC is impacting the SQ to some extent where this guy preferred the Theta? I would like to get my hands on a Theta...it is a legend and by all accounts a great sounding machine...I am sort into collecting these oldies but goldies. Along those lines, who has owned or owns an Accuphase DC-81L? This was probably the first discrete 20 bit dac ever on the market. Also a DC91 would be interesting (MMB with PCM63s).

Based on what I hear with Kassandra, there is really something to paralleling multiple DACs to lower noise and improve the resolution of these older chips.

 

[microstrip]

And a quick search yielded this, which sure enough has some similar (and detailed) conclusions:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/msb-analog.20847/reviews

note- the new version of the Yggy might make a big difference of course

A 6W triode amplifier driving 89 dB/W monitors ... IMHO such system is too particular to allow any generalization.

 

[hvbias]

Al M. or madfloyd have you guys heard the Chord DAVE?

 

[MadFloyd]

Al M. or madfloyd have you guys heard the Chord DAVE?

Not I.

 

[Legolas]

Al M. or madfloyd have you guys heard the Chord DAVE?

Yes, I have. I had one on a half day demo in my system, plus first heard it at Can-Jam last year driving the LCD4 HP direct. It is a good DAC, not a detail freak hifi sounding modern DAC as many I could mention.

It does seem to excel on headphones for some reason, the soundstage is very big, and the line stage can drive planers direct at a very good level (sound quality).

I didn't buy it myself, as I prefer DACs with tubes, and NOS, but I admit the DAVE is a good DAC that shakes up the sub 10k sector IMO. Oddly it has SMPS in it, which is normally a noise nightmare for a DAC, and has a FPGA for digital conversion. But Rob Watts (who I met at Can-Jam) seems to do some special magic, make it work. I am not so convinced by the Blue Transport though. I heard it with that attached at Can-Jam. I takes that system to 16K which I think is too high, opens up other (better) possibilities, such as the Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref II for example....