Bruno might be sleeping by now, but allow me to express my enthusiasm for the DAC I received today after a 6 weeks waiting time (seems like more Dutch stuff is hot....):
6moons audio reviews: Metrum Acoustics NOS Mini DAC Octave
This non-oversampling DAC has a very natural and dynamic sound, unlike most oversampling dacs of which I have auditioned quite a few over the years.
Worth every penny IMO.
6moons audio reviews: Metrum Acoustics NOS Mini DAC Octave
This non-oversampling DAC has a very natural and dynamic sound, unlike most oversampling dacs of which I have auditioned quite a few over the years.
Worth every penny IMO.
earflappin: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...
Not to highjack, but...I can't agree more how important it is to get everything else ideal to properly judge the Ncores...6Moons recently loved the Dutch b Audio DAC, and IIRC could hear no difference in direct AB vs. another favorite DAC 3x more costly. Guido (UH-doh) Tent, b Audio principal, is close with Bruno (I believe). My friend loved the Tent Labs Hypex-based amp with tube-input/transformer coupling (pre Ncore).
I very much liked the Eastern Electric mini-DAC (circa $1200 with op-amp upgrades, preferred vs. a $15k DAC), in direct AB with my modded CDP owned for 8 years (impossibly long time for me not to "upgrade").
I will order 3x Ncore and PS ASAP.
Not to highjack, but...I can't agree more how important it is to get everything else ideal to properly judge the Ncores...6Moons recently loved the Dutch b Audio DAC, and IIRC could hear no difference in direct AB vs. another favorite DAC 3x more costly. Guido (UH-doh) Tent, b Audio principal, is close with Bruno (I believe). My friend loved the Tent Labs Hypex-based amp with tube-input/transformer coupling (pre Ncore).
I very much liked the Eastern Electric mini-DAC (circa $1200 with op-amp upgrades, preferred vs. a $15k DAC), in direct AB with my modded CDP owned for 8 years (impossibly long time for me not to "upgrade").
I will order 3x Ncore and PS ASAP.
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But 120 dB down on the first lobe is nothing to sneeze at especially considering it is only a 50 buck chip !!
Considering that MSB tech conveniently choose not to provide distortion measurements it is abundantly clear that this 50 dollar "mass market" dac is vastly superior to this Hi-end megabuck goliath !!
I'm sure Bruno will have many nice things to say about NOS DACs
I even remember him advising against using NOS DACs with the UCD.
Yes maybe, but I trust my own ears enough, and don't need Bruno's advice on this one.
When this particular Dac wouldn't work with UCD (curious to know why...) I'd sooner replace the UCD than the Dac
When it comes to that: 6Moons scaled the Octave in the 5000 dollars class, and Martin Colloms (HiFi Critic) wrote:
No messing about, the score came out at an
incredible 185, which is true reference class, mixing
with audiophile devices at 15 times the price!
When you have the chance lend the Octave your ears....
Metrum
I am reading the thread because I am interested in ncore (which I don't own yet), however, I do have a Metrum Octave since two weeks. After reading the 6moons review and several other raving tests I expected this DAC to clearly outperform my 20 years old Marantz CD 16 Exclusive and my friends Rega DAC. It didn't for me (and a couple of friends). Sound is very lean and precise, however the music lacks "body" and... well, musicality. Especially the Rega DAC with its differend filters is clearly better in my ears. Going to give it back next week.
Regards
Sven
I am reading the thread because I am interested in ncore (which I don't own yet
), however, I do have a Metrum Octave since two weeks. After reading the 6moons review and several other raving tests I expected this DAC to clearly outperform my 20 years old Marantz CD 16 Exclusive and my friends Rega DAC. It didn't for me (and a couple of friends). Sound is very lean and precise, however the music lacks "body" and... well, musicality. Especially the Rega DAC with its differend filters is clearly better in my ears. Going to give it back next week.Regards
Sven
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@Earflappin:
Great listening report, and I do agree with you completely. Interesting that you mention piano - to my ears good recordings of grand piano is where the Ncore really shows its strength. A friend of mine said that with my old UcD amps grand piano didn't sound "expensive" enough... meaning it sounded like a lesser quality piano. It sure sounds more expensive with the Ncore amps.
I also notice that everything sounds darker, warmer, smoother with the Ncore, but yet more spacious and with better resolution of every tiny musical detail.
Great listening report, and I do agree with you completely. Interesting that you mention piano - to my ears good recordings of grand piano is where the Ncore really shows its strength. A friend of mine said that with my old UcD amps grand piano didn't sound "expensive" enough... meaning it sounded like a lesser quality piano. It sure sounds more expensive with the Ncore amps.
I also notice that everything sounds darker, warmer, smoother with the Ncore, but yet more spacious and with better resolution of every tiny musical detail.
Difficult to get some (for me at least) reliable reports for the time being apparently....
When bass in my system sounds "sensational" I probably stop listening after an hour or so....
I am sure that the amps sound very good, but how good amidst other well known good sounding amplifiers???
Not meant in a negative way, but please try to be a bit "subjectively objective" (should not be too difficult for a Norvegian
I have only three amps that I have tested recently on my monster bass towers (eight 21" woofers), so I can only comment on those:
1. ICEpower 1000ASP (same as the well regarded Bel Canto Ref1000)
2. Hypex UcD400HG with SMPS400
3. Hypex Ncore NC400 with SMPS600
The ICEpower is a very capable bass amp, no doubt. But the UcD400 sounds a bit fuller, with more tone and more punch. ICEpower sounds somewhat tighter/leaner without actually having any better resolution.
As I said before, I need some more listening on the Ncore, but the impressions so far is that it's a major improvement, primarily in definition and dynamics. Its noticably more punchy, faster and controlled than the other two amps. And the definition of tone is better, its easier to hear the pitch and tonal quality of low bass notes. A few examples: different bass guitars and players sounds more different than before. Its also easier to hear if a bass player is not playing each tone with the same loudness, the same goes for bass drum.
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IMO there's a lot of audiophile BS out there but there's none worse than the filterless NOS DAC scam. I'm saying this from the position of someone who owns a NOS-modified CD player.Yes maybe, but I trust my own ears enough, and don't need Bruno's advice on this one.
When this particular Dac wouldn't work with UCD (curious to know why...) I'd sooner replace the UCD than the Dac
I guess everyone knows that some of the best audiophile recordings are produced using dCS pro equipment (not made anymore). have you ever seen the insides of those units? they resemble a PC motherboard more than an audio product. and yet, at the playback side of things one transistor too many ruins everything
my frank opinion is that it all comes down to $$$, not NOS vs OS. there's no such thing as a cheap DAC that's really good..
I guess everyone knows that some of the best audiophile recordings are produced using dCS pro equipment (not made anymore). have you ever seen the insides of those units? they resemble a PC motherboard more than an audio product. and yet, at the playback side of things one transistor too many ruins everything
And that is before you have seen the innards of the typical studio mixer...
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/class-d/56365-ucd-unfiltered-deltasigma-dac-chips.htmlWhen this particular Dac wouldn't work with UCD (curious to know why...) I'd sooner replace the UCD than the Dac
I was only partially right, he was referring specifically to R2R filterless NOS implementations.
Earflappin thanks for the report.
You already own the nCore of DACs (absolute performance, no nonsense and "no sound of its own" manufacturer's attitude and value for money considered).
Bonus points for LIO's flexibility (not really applicable to power amps) which further differentiates your card/DAC from the competition at this and significantly higher price points.
You already own the nCore of DACs (absolute performance, no nonsense and "no sound of its own" manufacturer's attitude and value for money considered).
Bonus points for LIO's flexibility (not really applicable to power amps) which further differentiates your card/DAC from the competition at this and significantly higher price points.
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Avr300, I am using 1 SMPS600 for both nCore400 modules. To implement this configuration you need to create a Y cable by cutting in half the cable provided with the SMPS600.
I will probably buy a second SMPS600 not because I need the power, but so that I can get the amps closer to my speakers. I will use a stereo case to hold open the option to either run active or biamp.
Speaking of cases, has anyone completed a design available for purchase?
BTW, Stig-Erik, thanks for your post. I found myself nodding my head in agreement as I read it.
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