After having tried many Class D amps with the ever returning "it sounds good for what it costs" feeling I really was not very satisfied with either one of them. Most of them are only designed for low cost IMHO. Now this DDA-100 entered my path and I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. It is still running in so to speak but first results after having been powered on for 2 days are very positive. It is not really a class D device but more a PWM amplifier (it has no analog inputs whatsoever) with "power DAC" structure. Since there is no such category I posted it here in the Class D subforum.
Since I try to build nice DACs I had some thoughts beforehand and I hoped that the DDA-100 would be less good than my other stuff but...it is a very good DAC/amplifier. Too soon to judge it fully now so I will give it some more time to break in. Let me say that this product managed to surprise me from the start and I got the feeling this is not "another" audio device.
I must say that the design and the case are of wonderful simplicity but that might be personal taste. My audio rack is pretty empty now. Just a Squeezebox Touch, the DDA-100 and a stray DAB+ tuner. Minimalistic to say the least. My analog stuff is winking and nodding from a distance but they have been sent on a temporary (?) leave for now.
Has anyone of you a DDA-100 and what are your thoughts about it ?
Since I try to build nice DACs I had some thoughts beforehand and I hoped that the DDA-100 would be less good than my other stuff but...it is a very good DAC/amplifier. Too soon to judge it fully now so I will give it some more time to break in. Let me say that this product managed to surprise me from the start and I got the feeling this is not "another" audio device.
I must say that the design and the case are of wonderful simplicity but that might be personal taste. My audio rack is pretty empty now. Just a Squeezebox Touch, the DDA-100 and a stray DAB+ tuner. Minimalistic to say the least. My analog stuff is winking and nodding from a distance but they have been sent on a temporary (?) leave for now.
Has anyone of you a DDA-100 and what are your thoughts about it ?
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Hmm, 0.07% THD+N and 95dBA SNR at 15W isn't exactly anything special---corresponding headline specs on entry level DACs are generally around 6dB better. Nuforce's THD+N graph shows a 7mV noise floor, which is about 46dB higher than a UcD180. Making that much noise takes talent. And not the good kind. It will mask other issues, though. The description also reads like it might lack feedback, which is generally good for masking speaker problems, poor for overall fidelity, but sometimes a net subjective win. The modulator's also on the poor side---onset of nonlinearity is 12dB below max power versus 3dB in a good design---though it probably doesn't matter much as 15W is plenty for most home audio.
Have you measured yours or followed traces to see how the innards are put together?
Have you measured yours or followed traces to see how the innards are put together?
JP,
You must be peaking in my windows and checking out my audio gear. I haven't tried the DDA-100 but I have played with the Nuforce reference amps. Years ago I bought their small Ref 8 amp which sounded very good but generated too much RFI. Power line filtering with an isolation transformer and CMC filters went a long way towards cleaning them up but it did make it hard to listen to FM. I've since had Nuforce upgrade these to their latest V3 of the amps and that got rid of most of the RFI but they still benefit from good power line filtering. So I'd suggest you play with that. With proper AC line filter, they do sound very good. And the Nuforce people are very good people. Their office is here in silicon valley and I visited them when I had my amps upgraded. They seem like good engineers.
---Gary
Hi I hope you don't buy groceries this way as much food won't pass the test
Or cars ....Opposite to normal habit I haven't even opened the device (yet) and I don't judge solely from paper although I did take a frowning look at the THD+N plots beforehand. Judging from specs would filter out many devices IMHO that later turn out to be interesting when listening to them. Some excellent specified gear sounds flat and dull so the numbers don't tell all. I only have listened to the DDA-100 and it is a revelation to have a PWM/class D amp that does not hiss. In fact it is black silent between tracks. For s split second I got the terrifying thought that if I would have had this DDA-100 and a Squeezebox Touch let's say 20 years ago I would have saved a lot of blood, sweat, tears, time and money. It was only a split second though
No measurements yet as that is normally not part of the procedure of buying consumer electronics. I do plan to open it (of course) and to change the RCA to a BNC as that is the standard with my stuff.
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Got me ! I had a short peek and I already know you will be trying out a new power supply with a few months (I hope weeks) from now.
This DDA-100 already has a large ferrite coil in the mains wire and it has a filtered SMPS. I found out they had some problem with initial standard power supplies but changed over to a specially designed SMPS for this amp. I switched to DAB+ as FM reception is poor where I live but still an amplifier should not disturb any tuner be it FM or DAB+. Unfortunately many class D devices throw out EMI garbage that also interferes with DAB+ reception. For instance the YJ black/blue TPA3116 amp.
Will test with my isolation transformer.
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Did you compare them ? It has an I2S input and apart from the RCA it also has a BNC input which is nice. It has a protection relay and plays 192 kHz but it seems to have noise problems and distorts at higher volumes contrary to the DDA-100. At least that is what I read, I haven't heard it so I take this info with a grain of salt. It is slightly older and it uses a totally different chipset than the DDA-100 uses. Nothing negative but facts are facts. I do think it is a negative point that it uses CS8416 for the SPDIF inputs. Using I2S will be the better choice I guess.
Found this review (could it be that you wrote it ?) which is quite critical and positive at the same time. It seems to sound good but connectors, display etc. are supposedly of bad quality if Google Translate speaks the truth :
QA100 Hi-Fi Full-Digital Stereo Amplifier - Hi-Fi - Audiostereo.pl
Price of the 2 amps is roughly the same over here.
Found this review (could it be that you wrote it ?) which is quite critical and positive at the same time. It seems to sound good but connectors, display etc. are supposedly of bad quality if Google Translate speaks the truth
:QA100 Hi-Fi Full-Digital Stereo Amplifier - Hi-Fi - Audiostereo.pl
Price of the 2 amps is roughly the same over here.
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I had the opportunity to listen to them separately and NuForce did not big impression on me. I listened to QLS a week compared with my amplifier used UCD-400HxR. And here QLS showed amp in many aspects of high class. Especially for mid tones. Best of this amplifier is that it is not sensitive to other system components such as the DAC and preamplifier. Because these elements are not used and there is no degradation of sound with it.
Review which you have included in my opinion is not correct. Of course, NuForce is much better built, but QLS can be used without discomfort. I have not found it poor quality.
Review which you have included in my opinion is not correct. Of course, NuForce is much better built, but QLS can be used without discomfort. I have not found it poor quality.
It's particularly difficult for numbers to tell much when they haven't been obtained.
Do you normally match levels when comparing gear?Depends on one's purposes. I've measured enough forms of EQ and effects, amps of different behaviours, and various drivers buying things just to try typically isn't very useful these days. The difference between Nuforce's published data and subjective results here is interesting, though; hence the value of measuring the reviewed unit.
Hi, I take the Nuforce was already run in ? It does change character the first days. IMO an AB comparison using the same other components would have been the most objective way to compare them. You are right that Power DACs lack system components that have an influence but we got digital volume control in return
Anyway, I will try out the QA100 when I get the chance. For now I am very satisfied with the DDA-100.Never did it otherwise and thus still do. It must be a personal thing but I determine beforehand what power and features I need (the less the better in general), then search for the devices and compare them. Sometimes it just comes on my path and I simply give it a try like with this DDA-100. I tend to try stuff out the way it will be used later. As a result I now drive a car from a brand I would never have bought if I had listened to general opinions. Audio stuff is tested in my environment with my speakers and such and after it has broken in a few days. In the case of audio stuff the ears are always the first instruments as these devices will be listened to. This amp still needs some hours more. I don't feel the urge to measure it right now as it performs quite good. To be honest it was a long time ago that a new device was listened to so intensively as with this device.
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Hi Drsah, why did you sell it ? Did you find a better power DAC ? Was your DDA-100 also becoming better after some days ?
Same source, same material, same volume. Let me just enjoy this device without having to take my stuff to measure it. My ears like it.
Same source, same material, same volume. Let me just enjoy this device without having to take my stuff to measure it. My ears like it.
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I have try it 2 years ago. Dissapointed. Maybe Canton Carat 790dc2 were to heavy load for them. Dark dull sound. Resolution was nod good. I can hard explain, some strange feeling in head... I also tried Nuforce ref V3. Good amps, but little bit dark and polished high spectrum.... again some strange feeling in ears... no ultimate freedom of music.
Yeah I know being an analog guy it should be against taste/principles but I am continuously listening to this amp and that alone makes it a good amp in my book.
Damn, why is everything becoming digital ? Well I am enjoying it right now so there must be something right with this one
BTW soundchecks blog is a nice read.
Damn, why is everything becoming digital ? Well I am enjoying it right now so there must be something right with this one
BTW soundchecks blog is a nice read.
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For those who are interested: I just replaced the RCA (SPDIF) for a 75 Ohm BNC connector and although the intention was to get rid of the necessary (but certainly less-than-optimal to phrase it mildly) BNC to RCA cable I had to use beforehand it was an immediate improvement. All my sources have BNC so it had to be done one day. No measuring, just convenience with good results. Subjectively I turn op the volume a bit more which seems a good sign.
The amplifier at last has been broken in and it sounds very well even if it has not been used for a few days and it is switched on again.
The amplifier at last has been broken in and it sounds very well even if it has not been used for a few days and it is switched on again.
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