sleepysurf

Getting back on track, my listening/family room also adjoins our kitchen. We're getting new appliances, so I've been researching this same issue. Interestingly, dishwasher manufacturers publish the noise level for their models, but not so for refrigerators. We're going to deal with a higher-end appliance store, so I'm hoping they'll be able to dig up some compressor and fan noise specs.

Yes, they offer a 30 day audition (buyer pays shipping both ways). They even extended my trial so I could beta-test the new filters, which were a major improvement over the basic "Fast" and "Slow" filters (presumably generic on the Sabre 9018 chip). Too bad some of the early reviewers didn't get to listen with these new filters. I suspect if they had a U.S. dealer network, the price would be $5000+. I just looked at the Phasure DAC... definitely an interesting concept, but probably not my "cup of tea" as I'm using a Squeezebox Touch as my source, via S/PDIF (vs. USB) input.

Didn't compare to the Phasure. As mentioned, I sent it back primarily because my stereo gear will be going into storage for a kitchen/family/listening room remodel, and I'd rather put the $$ towards that for now, and revisit system upgrades once the new listening room is done.

Finally found some time to post my F/U comments re the Invicta. Our local audiophile club conducted our not-so-scientific "DAC Shootout" last month, comparing the Ayre QB-9, Meitner DAC2, Bel Canto DAC3.5VB, and Invicta. In my own setup, the Invicta trounced my Benchmark DAC-1, so we didn't include the Benchmark in the lineup. Another club member posted his shootout impressions on A'gon (search for "Review Fantastic 4..."), and I generally agreed with his assessment that the Bel Canto had a bit more "percussive attack" and "presence", which most preferred over the Meitner and Invicta. However, the DAC's were not volume-matched, and the Invicta engineers have since released new (beta) filters and firmware upgrades. I'm cross-posting my latest impressions from the A'gon thread below, since there has been more discussion about the Invicta here on CA. To sum up, I believe the Invicta either equals or outperforms most of it's competition in the $4000-6000+ price point, and will be an even more compelling choice once the planned DSD playback is implemented. My only real criticism is the "cheesy" plastic remote, but since I wasn't using the DAC as a preamp, I only used the remote for cycling through the digital filters. BTW, during my audition period, I spoke with Mark Mallinson (President of Resonessence Labs) a few times, and found him unusually receptive re my suggestions. He, and his engineers, are clearly committed to leveraging their inside knowledge of the Sabre 9018 chip to maximize it's performance in a state-of-the-art DAC, and more than willing to tailor the programmable features based upon audiophile user feedback. IMHO, that puts him, and the Invicta DAC, in rare company.

Finally had a chance to listen to my Invicta direct to amp today (C-J Premier 350, so limited to RCA outs). On top of everything else, it's surprisingly good as a preamp. Really gives my C-J CT5 a run for the money. In fact, direct to amp, it's even more transparent with a more "forward" presentation vs. my C-J CT5 with tubed outputs. However, with my C-J amp, I had to run the Invicta at -25 to -35 db, so it (theoretically) sacrifices a bit in S/N ratio (not that I could really tell). In the end, though, I'll keep feeding the Invicta (unattenuated) to my CT5 preamp, so I can continue using the C-J's Home Theater Bypass, and analog volume control (which is a nicer remote anyways). Either way, the Invicta is the most musical DAC I've ever had in my setup. Just one more week until my local audio club "DAC shootout" when we'll see how it really fares vs. the (local) competition! Anyways, for those of you that can accommodate direct to amp (balanced or RCA), and don't require analog or secondary inputs, and have proper impedance matching, the option to use the Invicta as a preamp makes it even a more enticing value.

Interesting! I've had my Invicta for about 10 days now, but limited listening time. Streaming redbook and high-res via SPDIF from my SB Touch, it trounces my Benchmark DAC-1. I've never heard such deep/tight bass and low-level detail from my ML Summits, and the soundstage depth and imaging is likewise superb. I haven't really tried the USB inputs, but I've found SDHC card playback indistinguishable from SPDIF. Of note, I was able to (briefly) compare the Invicta with a Bel Canto 3.5VB in a friends Pass Labs/ML Summit X setup last week (streaming redbook and high-res via S/PDIF). Each presented a bit different sonic "flavor", but both were extremely musical. IMHO, the Invicta (using my preferred "FAST" filter setting) was a bit more "laid back" and "organic" than the Bel Canto, whereas the latter had more "presence" but a tad more "digital glare" on some tracks, which I thought might prove fatiguing with extended listening. We didn't have time for an extended comparison, but our local audio club is having a "DAC Shootout" on 6/24, with a number DAC's, including the Bel Canto (again), Audio Note 4.1, and some other top-tier DACS (unfortunately, no Weiss or Berkeley thus far). I'll report back how the Invicta fares in that comparison. All other things being equal, I think the extra features of the Invicta (dual headphones, SD card, future FLAC/DSD support, etc.) make the Invicta a better value (and arguably more "future proof"), than many top-tier DAC's at, or above, it's price point.

My Invicta DAC arrived yesterday. Won't have much time to "play" with it until next week, but initial impressions very favorable. Overall build quality is quite solid, but the plastic remote is really "cheesy" with non-intuitive button labels. Soundwise, it blows away my Benchmark DAC, with a much deeper and wider soundstage, and far more musical detail. I'm currently streaming Redbook and 24/96 from my Squeezebox Touch into the coax/BNC input. As expected (given the same ESS Sabre 9018 chipset) the soundstage and overall tonality is very similar to my Oppo BDP-95, but the Invicta has a slightly more "analog" presentation which is less fatiguing. The headphone output(s) are equally crisp using inexpensive AKG 271 studio cans (Sennheisers are on my future wishlist). The Invicta arrived with a 4 GB SDXC card with some sample tracks, coinicidentally including Livingston Taylors "Isn't She Lovely" which is one of my favorite demo tracks as well! Liv's introductory whistling is pristinely reproduced, as is his resonant voice. At first blush, female vocals, acoustic guitar, close-miked piano, and full orchestral works also sound wonderful. Surprisingly, the Invictas RCA outputs have lower gain than my Benchmark, so I needed to crank my C-J preamp an extra 5-6 dB. Fortunately, the background remains dead silent. I'm going to let it run 24/7 for a few days, before doing any extended listening. Haven't had a chance to run it direct to amp, but will try that next week as well. Thus far, I'm impressed, but haven't really had a chance to compare it to anything else in the $2000 - $5000 price range. Looking forward to hearing Spacey's, and others impressions!

The MSB Analog DAC looks interesting, but $7000 retail? And that's considered their "entry level" DAC?

My understanding (and hope <g>) is that the logo, OLED screen, and blue lights can be dimmed or turned off via software controls. Quoting from their user manual...

I would add the new Resonessence Labs Invicta DAC to your short list. I believe it offers ALL your requested features, except adjustable gain settings. However, their website has a very nice "white paper" discussion about why they opted for digital volume control over analog, and charts that illustrate the range of performance with that approach. The Invicta also offers SD (and potential future SDXC) card input, as another "source option". I've also been told they plan to support DSD playback down the road. Those two latter features convinced me to order one (on 30 day trial). I expect it first week in June.

Getting back on topic, has anybody had a chance to hear this Resonessence Invicta DAC (DBT or otherwise <g>)? Seems most reviews (6Moons, Stereomojo, Head-Fi, AudioStream) have been very positive, and place it in the same league as the Weiss 202, Meitner, Berkeley, etc. From my perspective, the dual headphone amp, SD card input, remote, and myriad custom programmable features have pushed it to the top of my list of DACS under consideration to replace my Benchmark. Only features I wish it included were direct FLAC playback, and ethernet connectivity with DLNA rendering, but I can live without those since I'm streaming from a Squeezebox Touch.

I look forward to every Fri to get my weekly "fix!" I usually forward it to my wife, who finds it amusing as well. She's also been a lot more tolerant of my audiophile tweaking ever since!

Of note, Cookie Morenco (Blue Coast Records) has been "spearheading" the push for DSD, and has just started a website for disseminating information about DSD recording and playback... http://dsd-guide.com It's somewhat frustrating that after downloading over 25 high- res 24/96+ albums from HDTracks and elsewhere (in addition to ripping 1000+ CD's to FLAC), I'm now confronted with yet another "new and improved" digital format. I'm tempted to stick with high-res FLAC (PCM) at this point, but am hoping to hear some comparisons between PCM and DSD at the upcoming Axpona show.

The Audiolab M-DAC looks to be ~$975 retail (at least pre-order pricing), but in very short supply. It's got some great reviews (also a few luke-warm) in the Pink Fish Media forum. I have one on order to pair with my Sqeezebox Touch. Of note, designer John Westlake says he plans on offering a Squeezebox Touch mod for master clock syncronization between the M-DAC and Touch.

If you felt the Summit X bass and stat panels were not well integrated, then something was wrong with that room and/or setup. It, admittedly, takes a fair bit of work to properly "dial in" ML's to properly interact with the room, and then fine-tune the bass with the 25 and 50 Hz gain controls. However, when done right, using capable upstream gear, the effect is stunning. I have ML Summits, in a less-than-ideal family room setup, and they sound excellent. A fellow audiophile friend (also on this board) has the Summit X in a smaller, but dedicated listening room. His setup sounds out-of-this-world, with bass/panel integration that is seamless. He is a member of this board, so perhaps will chime in as well. I've never heard the new Electromotion series, but can't imagine it's better than the Summit X, given it's lower price point and smaller woofer(s). As for Soundlabs, they can likewise sound spectacular if you have the right room, but in a bad (reflective) room they can sound horrid. The Sanders stats are also superb, and a fantastic value IMHO, but, like all stats, need very careful room placement as well. They compare very favorably to the hybrid ML's, except (IMHO) in the WAF category.