- After receiving my exaSound e20 Mk II DAC first thing I noted was is small size (almost size of my router)- yes I am used to larger and heavier HIFI components in my rack . Installing drivers and setup was a breeze no issue. I had downloaded quite a few DSD 2.82MHZ and DSD2x/DSD128 5.6MHZ files from various websites including DSDfile.com, blue coast etc in anticipation. Oh yes, this DAC comes with a very long USB cable A-mini which I swapped with wire world platinum 1 meter and plugged in factory sent 12V laptop style power into my Power cell 10 SE synergistic research conditioner. I also converted most of my high resolution PCM recording into DSD/DFF files through my Jriver software to compare them to high resolution PCM and 44.1 recording

 

I connected analog out of exaSound e20 Mk II DAC straight into my MC601 pair amplifiers and also compared it running through my Auxillary input of MX121 as pure direct using it for volume control purpose

 

After about 10-15 min of run in time I listened to some of reference recordings. Purity of presentation through exaSound e20 Mk II DAC was astonishing. DSD files which I had heard before as aggressive and somewhat bright through oppo105 now sound full, natural with inner details and smooth texture. Imaging was wider, with more space between instruments. yet music just did not seem to appear from speakers as most often the case when sound stage widens. Connecting exaSound e20 Mk II DAC to MX121 auxillary input and running pure direct, mid bass seems more pronounced with some loss of details in extreme highs.

 

Next comparing DSD 2.82 to 5.6MHZ file, transparency was more apparent with 5.6 file. To sum it up, DSD through exaSound e20 Mk II DAC seemed most "analog like" presentation I have heard in my reference system. I have just been exposed to a format which I never could imagined could sound so smooth and full. Well, I am not going back to dark ages again.....

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Revel Ultima Salon 2, Voice 2, Gem 2, McIntosh MC601 Monoblocks, MC207 for center and surrounds, McIntosh MX121 , Oppo BDP-105, Interconnect- Synergistic Element Copper, Tunsten, Silver, Power cord CTS digital, Tungsten and Precision reference cords, JL audio F113, Music Vault Pearl plus with SOTM USB card, Screen Innovation Black diamond zero edge 106, Sound Anchor Subwoofer, stand, JVC RS-40, Wireworld platinum USB/HDMI