Post by jdubs on Feb 24, 2021 21:39:01 GMT -5
I got a wild hair and sold my Auralic Altair Streaming DAC. Always liked it, but the color (silver) and the Lightning DS app both always bothered me. Decided if I wasn't 100% happy, it was time to change.
I needed to solve the streaming issue. I decided to try Raspberry Pi because they were so cheap and if it didn't work out, I could move on. Originally was going to just do Logitech Media, but ended up with Roon. I'm liking how the RPi works (it's just an endpoint... really does nothing but pass the data on). I now have them in multiple zones, but this is really about my main sound system. It works, and sounds good. I'm happy.
Did a ton of research and it seems there are a ton of good DACs out there. I was going to get a Black Ice Audio tube DAC on recommendation from Boomzilla. Turns out they were sold out nationwide and BIA said it was going to be 30-40 days. I spoke with Underwood HiFi while on my search for BIA dealers. He recommended the LSA DPH-1 DAC that is their own brand. He said the tube section sounds similar to the BIA and it also has a solid state output. He recommended running both outputs to separate inputs so you can toggle (I've yet to do this, though I did try the SS output for a couple songs). One, not insignificant, difference between the BIA and LSA is the BIA is a true tube output stage and the LSA is a tube buffer.
So, DAC finally shows up, let it acclimatize to the house, plug it in, and let it run to "break in". I play some music just to see how it sounds before I really sit down and evaluate. Notice something isn't quite right, but I was going to wait to give a serious listen anyway. After a day or two, I sit and listen and it just sounds off and unbalanced. I did some quick troubleshooting and narrow it down to my pre-amp (Odyssey Candela). The DPH-1 has a digital volume control so I was able to take the pre out of the chain for troubleshooting purposes. I email Klaus at Odyssey and he gets back to me fairly quickly and tells me to swap the tubes and see if the imbalance changes sides... it did. So, now I have to order tubes. I order what he recommends (Northern Electric 12AU7). They came from Canada and took awhile because of the winter storm. They finally came, acclimatized them, installed, didn't sound right... damn. Took Candela out of the chain again and it was fine. WTH! I inadvertently left the Candela on when I went to work even though it was no longer connected. The next day I thought that maybe the tubes had warmed up... put the Candela back in... HOLY COW... whole new system. Did a little A/B and decided the tube output on the DAC was better. Time to settle in for serious listening after weeks of waiting to get it right.
My system has never sounded this dynamic, open, holographic. It was totally worth the time and effort to get all these pieces right. I'll review the DPH-1 some other time. I'll just say the Auralic excelled at detail... this has the detail plus a nice dose of warmth. I'm really digging it. And the Northern Electric tubes elevate this to a new level.
A couple things I will sort after I get over the elation of just being able to just sit and enjoy. 1) I do need to go ahead and run both the tube output and SS output to separate inputs on my pre so I can switch back and forth. Right now I'm super happy with the tube output. 2) I'm using a Topping D10 DAC as a USB to S/PDIF converter. The DPH-1 does have a USB input so I need to A/B that as well and take the D10 out of the chain if the USB input of the DPH-1 is good. Long story on why I'm doing it that way, but I will say I ran the D10 a little before I got the DPH-1 and it did very well... better IMHO than a Schiit Modi 3+. Of course, the tubes were going out on my pre so take that with a grain of sand.
So, that's been my new year. It's been a bit of a challenge but I actually enjoy researching and playing with combinations so it's been fun too. I'll get a some pictures and put them in the comments.
I needed to solve the streaming issue. I decided to try Raspberry Pi because they were so cheap and if it didn't work out, I could move on. Originally was going to just do Logitech Media, but ended up with Roon. I'm liking how the RPi works (it's just an endpoint... really does nothing but pass the data on). I now have them in multiple zones, but this is really about my main sound system. It works, and sounds good. I'm happy.
Did a ton of research and it seems there are a ton of good DACs out there. I was going to get a Black Ice Audio tube DAC on recommendation from Boomzilla. Turns out they were sold out nationwide and BIA said it was going to be 30-40 days. I spoke with Underwood HiFi while on my search for BIA dealers. He recommended the LSA DPH-1 DAC that is their own brand. He said the tube section sounds similar to the BIA and it also has a solid state output. He recommended running both outputs to separate inputs so you can toggle (I've yet to do this, though I did try the SS output for a couple songs). One, not insignificant, difference between the BIA and LSA is the BIA is a true tube output stage and the LSA is a tube buffer.
So, DAC finally shows up, let it acclimatize to the house, plug it in, and let it run to "break in". I play some music just to see how it sounds before I really sit down and evaluate. Notice something isn't quite right, but I was going to wait to give a serious listen anyway. After a day or two, I sit and listen and it just sounds off and unbalanced. I did some quick troubleshooting and narrow it down to my pre-amp (Odyssey Candela). The DPH-1 has a digital volume control so I was able to take the pre out of the chain for troubleshooting purposes. I email Klaus at Odyssey and he gets back to me fairly quickly and tells me to swap the tubes and see if the imbalance changes sides... it did. So, now I have to order tubes. I order what he recommends (Northern Electric 12AU7). They came from Canada and took awhile because of the winter storm. They finally came, acclimatized them, installed, didn't sound right... damn. Took Candela out of the chain again and it was fine. WTH! I inadvertently left the Candela on when I went to work even though it was no longer connected. The next day I thought that maybe the tubes had warmed up... put the Candela back in... HOLY COW... whole new system. Did a little A/B and decided the tube output on the DAC was better. Time to settle in for serious listening after weeks of waiting to get it right.
My system has never sounded this dynamic, open, holographic. It was totally worth the time and effort to get all these pieces right. I'll review the DPH-1 some other time. I'll just say the Auralic excelled at detail... this has the detail plus a nice dose of warmth. I'm really digging it. And the Northern Electric tubes elevate this to a new level.
A couple things I will sort after I get over the elation of just being able to just sit and enjoy. 1) I do need to go ahead and run both the tube output and SS output to separate inputs on my pre so I can switch back and forth. Right now I'm super happy with the tube output. 2) I'm using a Topping D10 DAC as a USB to S/PDIF converter. The DPH-1 does have a USB input so I need to A/B that as well and take the D10 out of the chain if the USB input of the DPH-1 is good. Long story on why I'm doing it that way, but I will say I ran the D10 a little before I got the DPH-1 and it did very well... better IMHO than a Schiit Modi 3+. Of course, the tubes were going out on my pre so take that with a grain of sand.
So, that's been my new year. It's been a bit of a challenge but I actually enjoy researching and playing with combinations so it's been fun too. I'll get a some pictures and put them in the comments.