Post by Boomzilla on Jun 4, 2013 22:07:03 GMT -5
Well, having had the opportunity recently to listen to Garbulky's XDA-1 I offer quite a different DAC review than I'd have otherwise have written. Garbulky's system and mine share many things in common. We both use a computer server to provide CD rips to our XDA-1 DACs, and we both use Emotiva power amplifiers - Garbulky a smaller one, and mine an XPA-2. Nevertheless, I'm convinced now (having owned three Emotiva power amplifiers) that the "Emotiva house sound" pretty well extends throughout their entire amplifier line.
Garbulky's XDA-1 system sounds quite delicate, while mine sounds like a juvenile delinquent - loud, rash, and rowdy. I attribute the difference primarily to speakers. Garbulky's Axiom M80s are balanced, nuanced, and polite. My Klipsch Cornwall IIIs are quite the horn-loaded bad boys. Had I not had the opportunity to hear Garbulky's system with his XDA-1, I wouldn't have such a good handle on the differences between the XDA-1 and the Jolida DAC.
With my speakers (prior to the Jolida), I had a completely solid-state front end. My (all Emotiva) XDA-1 DAC fed my USP-1 stereo preamp that fed my XPA-2 stereo power amp. The system sounded absolutely awesome on techno-synth music, for example. Put on some old-school Kraftwerk or some new-school Adrian Sherwood, and the system flat-out rocked. Put on Jennifer Warnes, though, and although she sounded good she just didn't sound like real music in a real space.
Enter the Jolida FX Mk. II Tube DAC. With no changes but swapping in the Jolida for the XDA-1, my system partially transformed. Now, it almost (almost) sounds as delicate as Garbulky's. But only when the program calls for it! It's weird... On Kraftwerk, the system still sounds as rowdy as it did with the XDA-1 DAC, but with Jennifer, the system now has better imaging, better detail, and sounds "more organic." The Jolida is a chameleon! The acoustic of the recording is now more prominent.
Don't think that the Jolida will necessarily do the same for your system, though. Remember that Garbulky's system sounds absolutely amazing and just as "organic" with the XDA-1 DAC as mine does with the Jolida! I think that I just got lucky with some synergy between the Jolida and the Klipsches. The XDA-1 wasn't at all BAD with my speakers, in fact it sounded night-and-day better than the Audioquest Dragonfly and moderately better than the Airport Express used as a DAC. The XDA-1, however, doesn't have the ability to make different recordings sound as radically different on my speakers as the Jolida does.
The Jolida has NO noticeable "tube sound" either. I don't think that I could have said whether I was listening to tube or solid-state equipment unless I already knew. Bass is just as tight, extended, and harmonically rich as with my XDA-1. Treble is just as clear and extended as with the XDA-1. There is no noticeable "tube bloom" in the midrange. I was honestly expecting more of a signature sound to the Jolida than what I got. The Jolida sounds neutral.
One difference that I can hear with the Jolida is that my system now sounds as though it has absolutely unlimited headroom. There's no sense of congestion or strain as the music goes louder. With the XDA-1 in the system, there was no congestion or strain either, but the feeling that the system was "just loafing" was never there as it is with the Jolida. The Jolida gives the impression that should an atom bomb explode in the middle of a string quartet, the speakers would just knock you out of the room and continue the string quartet without being ruffled in the least. Needless to say, the system does NOT need a subwoofer...
I can't predict how the Jolida might work with your system. Just because it sings with mine doesn't mean that it will work the same with yours. I've read internet reviews saying that the Jolida is a good but not great DAC. Since I haven't had many other DACs, I have little basis for comparison. Would a Berkley Alpha DAC sound better? Maybe, but it would have to REALLY be an improvement to justify the cost difference. For the Jolida's price (about $400 to $450 on the internet), I consider it a significant investment. Is it worth the money? In my system, absolutely YES!
Does this mean that the Jolida is a better DAC than the XDA-1? Not necessarily. If Garbulky can get world-class sound from his XDA-1, then the problem obviously isn't with the DAC itself. What I can say with absolute certainty is that to my ears, in my room, and with my speakers, the Jolida is clearly the better match. I can also say that with sound this good just as things are, I am no longer interested in equalization or room-correction. It's possible that they might yield slight advantages in frequency response, but at what cost to transparency? Jolida has a winner!
Boomzilla
Garbulky's XDA-1 system sounds quite delicate, while mine sounds like a juvenile delinquent - loud, rash, and rowdy. I attribute the difference primarily to speakers. Garbulky's Axiom M80s are balanced, nuanced, and polite. My Klipsch Cornwall IIIs are quite the horn-loaded bad boys. Had I not had the opportunity to hear Garbulky's system with his XDA-1, I wouldn't have such a good handle on the differences between the XDA-1 and the Jolida DAC.
With my speakers (prior to the Jolida), I had a completely solid-state front end. My (all Emotiva) XDA-1 DAC fed my USP-1 stereo preamp that fed my XPA-2 stereo power amp. The system sounded absolutely awesome on techno-synth music, for example. Put on some old-school Kraftwerk or some new-school Adrian Sherwood, and the system flat-out rocked. Put on Jennifer Warnes, though, and although she sounded good she just didn't sound like real music in a real space.
Enter the Jolida FX Mk. II Tube DAC. With no changes but swapping in the Jolida for the XDA-1, my system partially transformed. Now, it almost (almost) sounds as delicate as Garbulky's. But only when the program calls for it! It's weird... On Kraftwerk, the system still sounds as rowdy as it did with the XDA-1 DAC, but with Jennifer, the system now has better imaging, better detail, and sounds "more organic." The Jolida is a chameleon! The acoustic of the recording is now more prominent.
Don't think that the Jolida will necessarily do the same for your system, though. Remember that Garbulky's system sounds absolutely amazing and just as "organic" with the XDA-1 DAC as mine does with the Jolida! I think that I just got lucky with some synergy between the Jolida and the Klipsches. The XDA-1 wasn't at all BAD with my speakers, in fact it sounded night-and-day better than the Audioquest Dragonfly and moderately better than the Airport Express used as a DAC. The XDA-1, however, doesn't have the ability to make different recordings sound as radically different on my speakers as the Jolida does.
The Jolida has NO noticeable "tube sound" either. I don't think that I could have said whether I was listening to tube or solid-state equipment unless I already knew. Bass is just as tight, extended, and harmonically rich as with my XDA-1. Treble is just as clear and extended as with the XDA-1. There is no noticeable "tube bloom" in the midrange. I was honestly expecting more of a signature sound to the Jolida than what I got. The Jolida sounds neutral.
One difference that I can hear with the Jolida is that my system now sounds as though it has absolutely unlimited headroom. There's no sense of congestion or strain as the music goes louder. With the XDA-1 in the system, there was no congestion or strain either, but the feeling that the system was "just loafing" was never there as it is with the Jolida. The Jolida gives the impression that should an atom bomb explode in the middle of a string quartet, the speakers would just knock you out of the room and continue the string quartet without being ruffled in the least. Needless to say, the system does NOT need a subwoofer...
I can't predict how the Jolida might work with your system. Just because it sings with mine doesn't mean that it will work the same with yours. I've read internet reviews saying that the Jolida is a good but not great DAC. Since I haven't had many other DACs, I have little basis for comparison. Would a Berkley Alpha DAC sound better? Maybe, but it would have to REALLY be an improvement to justify the cost difference. For the Jolida's price (about $400 to $450 on the internet), I consider it a significant investment. Is it worth the money? In my system, absolutely YES!
Does this mean that the Jolida is a better DAC than the XDA-1? Not necessarily. If Garbulky can get world-class sound from his XDA-1, then the problem obviously isn't with the DAC itself. What I can say with absolute certainty is that to my ears, in my room, and with my speakers, the Jolida is clearly the better match. I can also say that with sound this good just as things are, I am no longer interested in equalization or room-correction. It's possible that they might yield slight advantages in frequency response, but at what cost to transparency? Jolida has a winner!
Boomzilla
