Dura
2013-08-26 21:14:19 UTC
I don't think I will ever buy a dac again.Or an amp.
2 months ago I replaced my Primare a30.1 integrated amp and Rega DAC
(together with the van den Hul the first ultimate cables close to
€3500,- , the amp was 10 years old though) with the Dac/amp NAD
C390DD (€2500.- over here) and the favorable change really
restored my faith that revolutionary price/quality improvements in audio
are possible after all.
The original set was a well-balanced carefully put together set at its
price point to my ears (i tried a few amps and a handful of dacs) but
the NAD seems to improve every aspect; treble is much more extended and
purer, no more fine grain on the top and the slightly rolled off treble
the Rega added, tight deep bass, my dynaudio audience 122 speakers seems
to have grown, a wider and deeper soundstage with a very natural big big
background and lots a detail, it sounds clearer, without sounding shrill
or analytical or mechanical in the slightest. Some reviews describe it
as warm and organical and I can hear what they mean, but neutral is seen
most often. If I have to name a weak point I would say dynamics, seems
slightly less then the Primare.
But on the whole the improvement was deeply impressive (after 3 days of
warming up, out of the box it sounded horribly spikey) and looking at
pictures of its inside, I'm sure dac/amps like thise can and will become
chesper, much cheaper in the feature (NAD already has cheaper products
with this kind of amplication coming out, like something called
3020(!)).
These digital amps, not to be confused with class D, will probably
replace class AB amps I think, en passant killing the need for a
seperate amps.
I suppose a nieche markt for class A amps especially with tubes will
survive, after all it did so the last 5 decennia.
But I wouldn't be surprised if all mainstream amps 10 years from now
will be digital.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=99491
2 months ago I replaced my Primare a30.1 integrated amp and Rega DAC
(together with the van den Hul the first ultimate cables close to
€3500,- , the amp was 10 years old though) with the Dac/amp NAD
C390DD (€2500.- over here) and the favorable change really
restored my faith that revolutionary price/quality improvements in audio
are possible after all.
The original set was a well-balanced carefully put together set at its
price point to my ears (i tried a few amps and a handful of dacs) but
the NAD seems to improve every aspect; treble is much more extended and
purer, no more fine grain on the top and the slightly rolled off treble
the Rega added, tight deep bass, my dynaudio audience 122 speakers seems
to have grown, a wider and deeper soundstage with a very natural big big
background and lots a detail, it sounds clearer, without sounding shrill
or analytical or mechanical in the slightest. Some reviews describe it
as warm and organical and I can hear what they mean, but neutral is seen
most often. If I have to name a weak point I would say dynamics, seems
slightly less then the Primare.
But on the whole the improvement was deeply impressive (after 3 days of
warming up, out of the box it sounded horribly spikey) and looking at
pictures of its inside, I'm sure dac/amps like thise can and will become
chesper, much cheaper in the feature (NAD already has cheaper products
with this kind of amplication coming out, like something called
3020(!)).
These digital amps, not to be confused with class D, will probably
replace class AB amps I think, en passant killing the need for a
seperate amps.
I suppose a nieche markt for class A amps especially with tubes will
survive, after all it did so the last 5 decennia.
But I wouldn't be surprised if all mainstream amps 10 years from now
will be digital.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dura's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=39937
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=99491