Stereophile Weiss DAC202 review now online
The review I discussed in my previous post is now available online here. There’s another recent DAC202 review by Nicholas Bedworth for Positive Feedback with lots of very good technical information, but whose subjective conclusions I found a bit weird and littered with a bit of unfortunate mumbo jumbo. He claims to get better sound when bypassing the units internal clocking which goes against all my own experience, the Stereophile measurements and Daniel Weiss’ own... Read More
Stereophile reviews Weiss DAC202
This post is borderline obnoxiously self-congratulatory, so apologies for that. It’s been a while since I updated you on the progress of my hi-fi journey. In short, I bought the Weiss DAC202 this summer, after concluding that adding it to my Pass INT-150 amplifier gave a more satisfying sound than replacing both with a Devialet D-Premier. I’m very very happy with my purchase and whenever I listen through another digital source I’m struck by how flat and unenthusiastic... Read More
Interview: Daniel Weiss
Daniel Weiss is one of the worlds foremost authorities on digital sound and his products have had great success both in pro audio and among audiophiles around the world. In February he visited Stockholm and the high-end fair to present his latest creation MAN202, a combined DAC, network streamer, CD player and ripping station. After closing time on the first day I got a chance to talk to him over a few beers. This interview is quite technical at times, but key phrases have been... Read More
Devialet D-Premier vs Weiss DAC202
These are interesting times if you’re in the market for a server based, high-end stereo system. Separate DAC’s, this once forsaken component category, is in the midst of a magnificent resurgence. It doesn’t end there, either: You can find any combination of streamer, storage, DAC and digital amplifier on the market today. While this abundance of choice and competition in the marketplace is very appealing, it makes consumer decisions difficult. Should you opt... Read More
Tidal & Burmester
Way too hard, bright and mechanical sound here. I’ve still never heard speakers with these ceramic elements sound pleasant. They also have standmounts for 249000 SEK, which seems very difficult to justify: Read More
Canton
Didn’t bother listening to these this year — I’ve heard the speakers before and have always been underwhelmed. Read More
Bowers & Whatthehell
Ok now they’re just kidding, right? RIGHT? Read More
A Weiss MAN
Let’s all pray I run out of pun titles soon. Anyway, here’s Daniel Weiss demonstrating his iPad interface for the new MAN202 network player/dac. I made a lengthy interview with him that will be available in english soon, with TONS of juicy details on his products. Here’s the MAN202: Read More
Weiss MAN 202
In my previous post I mentioned and made some wishes for Weiss’ rumored server / ethernet interface thingamajig that I anticipated we might get to see at CES. Well I was fairly right and the cat’s out of the bag (click to enlarge): Via: Design With Sound Blog I wonder if the built-in DAC is identical to DAC 202. If not, what if I want a DAC202 and one of these as a server and/or ethernet interface; Do I have to pay for a DAC I won’t need? Read More
DAC battle, round 1
This was also posted in the computeraudiophile.com forums. I’ve patiently waited for Esoteric’s D-07 since it was announced last year. It has still to find its way to Sweden though, apparently due to a change of distributor for western Europe. My DAC fund is still a work in progress, but today I decided to stop waiting for the D-07 and instead test the D-05 against Weiss’ DAC202, to at least get a sense of the difference in “brand sound”. I... Read More
Hunt for hifi XIV: Speak of the devil…
It turns out my previous post was rather prophetic: …We’ll see if it gets to stay. Read More
Hunt for hifi XIII: Amp woes — Separates, at separate times?
After ruling out the option of pairing my digital amp with an ADC, I’m facing the fact that I need a new amp in order to get my system to where I’m satisfied. Since the speakers aren’t paid off for quite some time, my funds are pretty limited. So while a high-end integrated like the tried & tested Pass Labs INT-150 or the esoteric and mysterious newcomer Devialet D-premier would be tremendously exciting, I am simply unable to pay for something like that,... Read More
The challenge of scaling the digital threshold
Over the weekend I’ve been involved in some forum discussions regarding whether USB cables can make a sonic difference when connecting a computer to a DAC. I went into the discussion thinking it couldn’t possibly matter since USB sends CRC-signed data packets, but changed my mind as I researached the topic deeper. In short: With most current USB dac’s, the clock for the D/A is derived from the 12 MHz frequency of the USB 1.0 spec that the stream is locked to.... Read More
Hunt for hifi XII: But what if I keep the amp?
If the ultimate goal is the best sound possible, there is no point in taking little intermediate steps when upgrading as that will just throwing money away. So with the speakers, I bought the best I could possibly afford. I would very much like to continue in the same way with all other components, but the research and auditioning is tiring work, when all I want is for it to be over with so I can forget the model names and technical data and just play music. This longing makes... Read More
Hunt for hifi XI: Onward, brave soldier!
The DAC articles I bravely set out to write are on hold for now. I’ll still ramble on about sound, though. Having poured so much time and money into my speaker purchase, it would be wasteful to lower my standards and efforts for the other components. The required patience is in short supply however, as all my hifi investments from here on will have a smaller effect on the sound than the speaker upgrade brought. It’s tempting, then, to just go with what is affordable... Read More
Hunt for hifi X: There are ten types of people who understand binary…
Digital audio has been around for a very long time – the CD format is over 30 years old now – yet enormous leaps in progress are still being made, and the latest development is undeniably server-based playback. The days of swapping CD’s seem to be over for me, and I’m not looking back. I still buy all my music as physical releases though! As of writing this, I still have not purchased a single electronically distributed piece of music. But that’s another... Read More
Hunt for hifi IX: Now what?
Now that the Focal Diablo Utopia speakers #19 and #20 are mine (Focal are numbering every speaker in their Utopia line, and I appear to have gotten my filthy mitts on an early pair), I stand before the daunting task of trying to find a way to afford source and amplification electronics that do them justice. First of all, I need to figure out where to aim my priorities next. My current amplifier, while immensely powerful, is not the poster child of resolution and finesse. When... Read More
Hunt for hifi VIII: It’s over, yet only just begun
So, the time had come to decide. MBL? Focal? Neither? What impressed me the most with the MBL 121 speakers was their stunning ability to illustrate the space of a recording. This makes them nearly unbeatable for classical, jazz, singer-songwriter and live recordings. Since I don’t listen to those types of music much, instead often drawn to “produced” sounds, this argument loses some of its weight in my case. Instead, their ability to provide an accurate and deeply... Read More
Hunt for hifi VII: Verdict prelude
Before I reveal to you, my imaginary horde of loyal readers, what the final outcome of my quest to replace my old speakers is, I will briefly summarize the previous posts in this series: Part I briefly touched on my approach to music and attitude towards high-end, or audiophile, sound, before telling the story of how my eyes (or rather, ears) were opened by what may well be the most impressive speaker I have encountered. Part II explains in greater depth how I think with regards... Read More
Hunt for hifi VI: The final showdown – before the bell
Later today I will sit down and compare the Focal Diablo Utopia with the MBL 121 speakers side by side. I won’t purchase the winner today, and if I didn’t have such a rich history of financial recklessness I’d say I may never buy them. But having bought into my own justification pitch, I realize I might pull the trigger eventually. Age has at least taught me to take a few deep breaths before I take the plunge. This will probably be the final comparison between... Read More
