T+a dac 8 dsd

[zorntel]

Has anyone heard the new T+A DAC 8 DSD with DSD512 output? It has boh pure PCM and DSD output capability. [h=3][/h]Robert

[bibo01]

I have not heard it, but the funny thing is that I asked Miska about its filters just prior to your post

 

From the plot posted by EuroDriver here its "Wide" filter looks like a normal second-order analog filter (12 dB/oct):

 

[EuroDriver]

Hi Robert,

 

Here is my post from the DSC 1, 2, 3 thread

 

The T+A DAC 8 DSD sounds superb converting DSD 512 material delivered by HQPlayer. The SQ jump from DSD 256 to DSD 512 was quite a surprise.

 

I have not heard the T+A PDP-3000, but for me the T+A DAC 8 DSD sets new standards for Soundstage, image precision, timbre, clarity, and resolution

 

 

Definitely worth an audition with the best audiophile PC you can lay your hands on. Converting PCM to DSD512 is very CPU hungry :-)

 

I have not listened much to the PCM on the DAC 8 DSD, and I have to confess not had the interest to take my DAC 8 out of the closet where it has been since the day my Exa E20 MkIII arrived, to compare to the DAC 8 DSD. I suspect on PCM, the two units are very similar. I recall that on PCM 352 KHz, the DAC 8 sounded somewhat better than the E20.

 

What was also very commendable about the DAC 8, was that its sound quality was NOT improved by having a Regen in the USB signal path, a sign that the engineers did a good implementation of galvanic isolation.

 

The only downside of the unit is that you can hear everything upstream of the DAC, so running HQP from a MacBook Air or a Windows desktop will not delivery the SQ potential of this unit.

 

This is fortunate for the Sound Galleries Music Server development team, our efforts over the last 9 months have not been wasted, but rewarded big time with the arrival of the DAC 8 DSD

 

"you have to be standing in the road to be hit by the lucky bus"

 

which in our cas has DAC 8 DSD written on the sides

[bibo01]

I just received a mail from T&A with some information on their filtering:

 

"For DAC8 DSD we use a combination with an analogue filter, 3rd ordinal and a digital filter structure in analogue performance."

[Miska]

I just received a mail from T&A with some information on their filtering:

 

"For DAC8 DSD we use a combination with an analogue filter, 3rd ordinal and a digital filter structure in analogue performance."

 

It looks like it has four traditional DAC chips for PCM and then similar conversion stage as DSC1 for DSD, but with 8 elements per side for balanced (16 total):

http://tapeconnection.dk/Resources/Files/Produktbilleder/TA/TA-DAC8-inside.jpg

 

How much does it cost in EU?

[lmitche]

2700 Euros

[wisnon]

$4K in the US. Chipless SS DSD implementation?

[bibo01]

It also uses a licensed version of Amanero USB board which they built, not the DIY model.

It works with the original Amanero Software, adapted for their USB ID.

[bibo01]

It looks like it has four traditional DAC chips for PCM and then similar conversion stage as DSC1 for DSD, but with 8 elements per side for balanced (16 total):

http://tapeconnection.dk/Resources/Files/Produktbilleder/TA/TA-DAC8-inside.jpg

 

How much does it cost in EU?

 

The picture you posted is of T&A DAC8, not the DAC8 DSD.

http://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/t-a-dac-8-dsd-jpg.384/

[Argopo]

See attached image.

 

And link to product page, where you can hover over the image: T+A DAC 8 DSD

[jabbr]

It looks like it has four traditional DAC chips for PCM and then similar conversion stage as DSC1 for DSD, but with 8 elements per side for balanced (16 total):

http://tapeconnection.dk/Resources/Files/Produktbilleder/TA/TA-DAC8-inside.jpg

 

I'm not seeing the 8 elements (shift registers?) per side. Where? What would the sonic implication be of doubling the number of shift registers (FIR filter)? Assuming we are upconverting to DSD256-DSD512 the noise is already pushed way out?

[Miska]

I'm not seeing the 8 elements (shift registers?) per side. Where? What would the sonic implication be of doubling the number of shift registers (FIR filter)? Assuming we are upconverting to DSD256-DSD512 the noise is already pushed way out?

 

OK, my bad, I think that was a resistor ladder analog volume control then, same as on the new one on both sides of the relay set. In this new one it seems to be between the four canned DAC chips. First two chips that may be a shift registers and then two chips that may be switches. I counted six resistors on both sides of those chips.

 

Not so easy to hunt for right inside pictures on the net and then trying to figure out from small resolution picture what there is on the board...

 

Here's straight link to the full picture of the DAC8-DSD:

http://www.rutherfordaudio.com/media/catalog/product/cache/3/image/1200x1200/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/a/dac8-dsd_innen.jpg

 

 

P.S. Curiously they seem to have transformer isolation between the DAC and digital side, see the component that says "Pulse" on top. Next to it may be another isolator, either capacitive or optical, possibly for other slower speed signals.

[EuroDriver]

Here is a video of the Chief Designer of T+A talking about the DAC 8 DSD

 

 

The Sound Galeries Music Server team has been listening to the DAC 8 DSD for about 6 weeks now, and it continues to amaze and never disappoints us

 

This DAC, converting DSD 512 with bit stream from HQ Player, simply leaves the top PCM DAC's in another sonic playground

 

It has driven us to put on the DSD 512 May Fest in Munich at BMW World during this year's High End.

[bmoura]

Are there any plans for T+A to demo this DAC at some of the upcoming audio shows in the US (AXPONA, The Show Newport, RMAF 2016)?

 

I'd like to hear it in action.

[EuroDriver]

Are there any plans for T+A to demo this DAC at some of the upcoming audio shows in the US (AXPONA, The Show Newport, RMAF 2016)?

 

I'd like to hear it in action.

 

The DAC 8 DSD will definitely be at AXPONA, but in which listening room(s) is still being worked on apparently

[chad-ra]

The DAC 8 DSD will definitely be at AXPONA, but in which listening room(s) is still being worked on apparently

 

Rutherford Audio should have the DAC 8 DSD, I don't have the booth # handy, but I know the booth will be in the marketplace. We are waiting on our T+A shipment from Germany, that will have the DAC 8 DSD on it.

[chad-ra]

Are there any plans for T+A to demo this DAC at some of the upcoming audio shows in the US (AXPONA, The Show Newport, RMAF 2016)?

 

I'd like to hear it in action.

 

Rutherford Audio will be at all those shows with the DAC 8 DSD. AXPONA is not guaranteed as we are waiting on our shipment from Germany still, but it should be there. The other shows the DAC 8 DSD will most certainly be there.

 

At The Show Newport, you will find a ton of T+A's new gear including the new e-series at Sunny Components booth. Rutherford Audio may have a booth their, or we may just end up supporting our local dealers.

 

If you have any questions regarding it let me know, I did listen to it at CES.

[hifial]

FYI. I found this on the T+A web site. It is a PDF with info about the DAC 8 DSD and its companion Amp.

 

http://www.ta-hifi.de/fileadmin/pdf/dac8/DAC8_DSD_Amp8_GB_web.pdf

 

You might find some insights about it.

[EuroDriver]

FYI. I found this on the T+A web site. It is a PDF with info about the DAC 8 DSD and its companion Amp.

 

http://www.ta-hifi.de/fileadmin/pdf/dac8/DAC8_DSD_Amp8_GB_web.pdf

 

You might find some insights about it.

 

Hi Al

 

I am going to be in NYC next week with a T+A DAC 8 DSD in my hand luggage.

 

Send me an e-mail and let's try to meet up

 

Best Regards

 

Ed

[jtwrace]

Lots of wordy info on their site. Where are the AP measurements?

[hifial]

Hi Al

 

I am going to be in NYC next week with a T+A DAC 8 DSD in my hand luggage.

 

Send me an e-mail and let's try to meet up

 

Best Regards

 

Ed

 

Hi Ed. Email sent.

[EuroDriver]

 

If you have any questions regarding it let me know, I did listen to it at CES.

 

Chad,

 

Did you get to listen to the DAC 8 DSD converting a DSD 512 bitstream at CES ?

 

Are you or any of your colleagues going to be at Munich High End this year ?

 

We are doing an event at BMW World on Friday May 6th

 

DSD 512 May Fest in Munich

The set up will be the

 

PCM and DSD files > Sound Galleries Music Server SGM 2015 running HQ Player > DSD 512 > T+A DAC 8 DSD > to be announced electronics > Vivid Giya G1

 

The space at BMW World is 12 m x 13 m x 4.75 m

 

Send me an email at [email protected] if you would like a ticket or two

 

Lawrence Dickie, Jarred Sacks and other audio luminaries will be there

 

There is a walk in public listening time from 2 pm to 6 pm, after that it's ticketed guests only

[EuroDriver]

Lots of wordy info on their site. Where are the AP measurements?

 

Hi Jason,

 

Once we heard the DAC 8 DSD playing DSD 512 we did not need any measurements, it is so clearly superior to anything we have heard

 

AP does not do measurements in the 40 KHz - 100 KHz band where the magic is going on LoL

 

joking aside, the SQ difference between the two ultrasonic filters "Clean" and "Wide" is huge

 

For DSD 64 playback only "Clean" is allowed, for the higher DSD rates you are allowed to choose

 

After we heard our first unit, we put our money where our mouth is

[ted_b]

Edward,

Have you had a chance to hear the DAC 8 DSD play back PCM in PCM? I ask cuz it uses a different chipset and wondered how well it does native PCM vs upsampling everything to DSD512.

 

I'll ask Jared to be my ears at the Munich demo, thanks.

[EuroDriver]

Edward,

Have you had a chance to hear the DAC 8 DSD play back PCM in PCM? I ask cuz it uses a different chipset and wondered how well it does native PCM vs upsampling everything to DSD512.

 

I'll ask Jared to be my ears at the Munich demo, thanks.

 

Hi Ted,

 

We did a few quick comparisons of its internal PCM to PCM upsampling and found that when using the Sound Galleries Music Server, HQP 16/44 > 24/ 352 sounded better than the DAC 8 DSD Bezier filter doing internal upsampling

 

I forget which PCM filter settings we used in HQP

 

All academic as we listen 100 pct to DSD512 as it is in another sonic ball park