Another new DAC

Posted by: Julian H on 01 December 2010

This time from Rega. I wonder what its like? No Ethernet though, why is it so difficult.....
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Tog
quote:
Originally posted by Joe Bibb:
quote:
Originally posted by pcstockton:
"Similar to Simaudio and a few other manufacturers, they have chosen to concentrate their effort on the SPDIF inputs for now as a way to get high resolution digital files into their DAC."

Interesting. Sounds familiar.



Not very surprising in a £500 unit. Better to maximise a widely used protocol than possibly
compromise it.

Joe


USB is a well trodden path these days can't see why you would end up compromising sound quality.

Tog
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by Joe Bibb
quote:
Originally posted by Tog:
quote:
Originally posted by Joe Bibb:
quote:
Originally posted by pcstockton:
"Similar to Simaudio and a few other manufacturers, they have chosen to concentrate their effort on the SPDIF inputs for now as a way to get high resolution digital files into their DAC."

Interesting. Sounds familiar.



Not very surprising in a £500 unit. Better to maximise a widely used protocol than possibly
compromise it.

Joe


USB is a well trodden path these days can't see why you would end up compromising sound quality.

Tog


You think you could include async USB at same cost? Can't think of any reason other than that to not include it. USB limited to basic rates seems largely a waste to me.

Joe
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by likesmusic
Arcam's rDAC features asynchronous USB - the same as dCS use - for way less money than the Rega, and can be used wirelessly.
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by GaryP
quote:
Originally posted by likesmusic:
Arcam's rDAC features asynchronous USB - the same as dCS use - for way less money than the Rega, and can be used wirelessly.


Admittedly when I had the Arcam rDAC on home audition I didn't use the USB link, just optical and Coax. But, it sounded like listening to music through soup IMO mind Smile
Posted on: 11 January 2011 by naimUnT
Get a NaimUniti or UniQute and enjoy the music!
Posted on: 18 January 2011 by Julian H

I was fortunate enough for my dealer to lend me a RegaDAC for just over a week so I had plenty of time to warm it through [before I got it, it was also on all over Christmas so I guess it was burnt in].

Much of the time I spend with it in my main [active SL2’s] rig. It certainly is a lively thing. Plenty of the hifi stuff, very clean and clear but a bit unemotional, sterile and lightweight in overall character. It was mostly being fed by my iMAC [optical out] where I found the 16bit setting preferable to the 24bit, giving a more balanced sound.

Compared to the UnitiQutes DAC it is more resolved. However, the UnitiQute rocks and the RegaDAC does not IMO. Use the streaming in the UQ in lieu of the iMAC and it rocks even more. I then put the RegaDAC back into my study with Nait 5i and N-Sats. Again, even on this far simpler system, the UnitiQute shows the RegaDAC a clean pair or heals, much more fun and engaging.

The icing on the cake for me was pitching the RegaDAC against my olive CDX. The CDX pooped on it from a very high which was a surprise given its age and how I had expected things to have moved on. Naim CD players are still very persuasive IMO and, to date, I have only heard one streaming combo/device that really does it for me in a similar way and that is the UQ. I only hope the NDX has some of that addictive UQ DNA!

J

Posted on: 18 January 2011 by Rosewind
Interesting comparison Julian. Once again, it underlines the need for careful listening in your own system before you buy new gear.

Best wishes,
Peter
Posted on: 19 January 2011 by Tog
Reinforces the fact that a well designed integrated dac + streaming can easily beat a high spec external dac that won't have been tuned to the system. The unti family dacs are very good and work well with the rest of the system - regardless of their paper specs.

Tog
Posted on: 20 January 2011 by Frank Abela

Julian,

I've played a fair bit with that Rega DAC- it's scary good for the money. It's not as good as a Naim DAC but the value proposition is very high.

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.

Posted on: 20 January 2011 by realhifi
On the other hand the Rega makes a super upgrade for a simple Rotel based system or many other manufacturers I am sure.  I don't find it thin at all, in fact I'd call it robust and clear.  To be sure, the optical inputs are probably the lesser of all the inputs as far as sound quality with even a decent USB out from a Macbook Pro sounding extremely nice.  No, it's not a Qute but it's also far less than half the cost of a Qute and therefore is not really a fair comparison. 

Rega made it for a price point and in my opinion they nailed it.

David
Posted on: 20 January 2011 by DHT
How opinions differ,a friend bought one for a second system, he was extremely disappointed with it, especially through the USB input, it was returned forthwith.
Posted on: 20 January 2011 by realhifi
It is amazing how people hear things so differently.  It just goes to show that you simply need to hear things in your own home with your own equipment.  Everyone I have had listen to it has been impressed so far but I'm sure I will have someone that flat out won't like it.
Posted on: 20 January 2011 by connon price
I've had it at Tune for a couple weeks now and have done only comparisons between it being fed by Saturn and Saturn alone and between Rega DAC and Music Hall 25.3, both fed by Previous spec HDX, coax out via an Abbey Road dig cable, chord Chameleon Plus into Nait5i-2, Naca5, RS3. 



Preferred music of straight Saturn, though Rega DAC had more bass, sounded bigger and seemed to render more detail.

Preferred music of Music Hall. Listened to a newer Dave Holland album for this and just found the Music Hall to boogie and sing better.  More tuneful to my ear.



Hoping for it to come on song with burn in to raise it from "really great value" to "Get up! Get on up!, like a sex machine! Huh!"
Posted on: 21 January 2011 by realhifi
The Saturn doesn't need a dac...got one thank you. 
Try other cables and sources.  Did I just day "other" sources!!

PS.  JB it aint.
Posted on: 22 January 2011 by connon price
Yes, I will try feeding it different sources and try different cables and such.  One item of note is the strange AC plug it uses.  Not sure what it is called but not an IEC.  So can't easily see what power cord substitutions might bring to the performance.  
♥

PS.  JB it aint. 
Posted on: 22 January 2011 by realhifi
Clever!  Is that a reflection?

I'm not too tied up about the power cable thing.  It would be nice to try something a bit better on it but going through an adaptor starts to feel a little too tweaky.  Will probably just leave well enough alone on that end of it.

I have found that a decent USB into it is a really sweet sound.  Clear, open, pacey and really solid sounding.
Mind you it's not high res but it does the 16/44 thang very nice.
Posted on: 22 January 2011 by connon price
Yes, reflection of my logo on the front window.  Serendipitous more than clever.

Have not tried USB yet.  No, not high res, but really, what is?  I have about 7 high res albums, myself.  Do you use a high quality USB cable?  Or whatever can be found in the bin?

Have you the Music Hall DAC?  The new 25.3 version does 24/96 through USB, but I'm not sure it is as well isolated from USB noise as the Rega DAC is .  Will give it a try sometime.
Posted on: 23 January 2011 by realhifi
I am trting a number of high quality cables.  I have found the midpriced ones from Audioquest to be a very nice match.  At around $100 the Carbon from them seems just great and definately an improvement over some new but inexpensive standard issue ones I have around.  It's more about the tonal colors being more vivid and clearer than anything else I can put my finger on as far as differences.  Not subtle though.

Have not tried the Music Hall.  I don't deal with their line although I admire them and their fearless leader!
Posted on: 23 January 2011 by js
MH USB is async and not bad at all.
Posted on: 23 January 2011 by DHT
Metric Halo use async FireWire .
Posted on: 23 January 2011 by js

Wrong thread. Put a coin on the tonearm. That firewire record is skipping again.

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by Eloise
Yes Metric Halo use FireWire; though in this case I think MH was used to refer to Music Hall.