My None Oversampling DAC experiences

[astrostar59]

Hi All

Recently I was so fed up with my CD replay sound quality I was ready to go back to Vinyl

even though that would be both more expensive and more hassle.

 

However, having had DACs by Naim, Meridian and Musical Fidelity, I heard an Audio Note DAC 3.1 at a show in the UK, and was smitten. How could this be? It sounded so much more natural and enjoyable to my ears, with great top end detail (the uneducated say otherwise) and I could listen for hours.

 

I had to have one, but the Audio Note UK finished product was out of my budget. Then I found Audio Note kits website based in Canada, and duly bought the DAC 3.1 as a kit, and built it myself. It was easy to do, took around 10 hours, and worked perfect first time.

 

In my set-ups it sounds truly amazing. I run a 2013 Mac Mini via USB to an M2Tech EVO full stack, then into the DAC 3.1 and on to my Audio Note pre and 300b power amps. The sound quality is everything I wanted from RedBook but never got it before, and it underlined for me the potential of 44.1 after all these years of Delta-Sigma chip set DACs. The Audio Note uses R2R chips which are more expensive to make but sound better, and the DAC as well as None Oversampling, has no filter which has a remarkable effect on the treble sound in particular.

 

I would highly recommend the DAC 3.1 kit, or the 4.1 kit. Superb sound quality for real world money, and they are great fun to build. I feel I know how it works now!

 

[wisnon]

Didn't you post this months ago?

[astrostar59]

Hi wisnon

I posted about my Audio Note DAC 3.1 kit right after I built it. I am not sure who saw that post, as I didn't get many replies? I have had more time since then to really access the scale and impact of the SQ as compared to my previous DACs and friends systems. It took about 200+ hours to burn in, with fairly big jumps in SQ over that time span. All I can say is I was avery happy at switch on, but now are delighted. I now have a RedBook replay setup that I can seriously enjoy.

[BobP63]

Hi wisnon

I posted about my Audio Note DAC 3.1 kit right after I built it. I am not sure who saw that post, as I didn't get many replies? I have had more time since then to really access the scale and impact of the SQ as compared to my previous DACs and friends systems. It took about 200+ hours to burn in, with fairly big jumps in SQ over that time span. All I can say is I was avery happy at switch on, but now are delighted. I now have a RedBook replay setup that I can seriously enjoy.

 

My NOS DAC arrives tomorrow, I hope I enjoy it as much as you enjoy yours.

[Alex66]

Hi wisnon

I posted about my Audio Note DAC 3.1 kit right after I built it. I am not sure who saw that post, as I didn't get many replies? I have had more time since then to really access the scale and impact of the SQ as compared to my previous DACs and friends systems. It took about 200+ hours to burn in, with fairly big jumps in SQ over that time span. All I can say is I was avery happy at switch on, but now are delighted. I now have a RedBook replay setup that I can seriously enjoy.

I am not too sure it is just the non oversampling that gives the Audio Note DAC's their superb sonic signature. The out put stage filter is radically different being effectively passive in design; coils and caps of high quality. At a DAC comparing I was part of many years ago I took a lowly QED digit with the same type of output and it came very close to the Audio Synthesis DAX which in the form it was in was over ten times the price. OK I had replaced the power supply to crazy levels too but I still think it was the passive out put.