Has anyone seen this new DAC? Looks Interesting

[hifimaker]

Hello,

Has anyone seen this new DAC called Icarus? Especially for $329USD it seems rather interesting. It's balanced output and has USB, AES, TOS, SPDIF inputs.

It supports both CS4398 and 8xTDA-1531 by inter-changable daughter cards.

http://www.besaudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28

-David

 

[hifimaker]

Typo... The other daughter card is a TDA-1543.

-David

 

[hifimaker]

I spoke with the company and the DAC has been available for only 2 weeks. The CS4398 version uses a passive I/V stage and they are offering a 30 evaluation. Since the product ships out of the Bay Area near San Francisco, I'll give it a try.

-David

 

[LuckyLyndy]

David,
Please keep us posted. I have been considering these two other DAC's as well, but they don't seem to offer as much as the one you are wanting to test:
Zhaolu D2
http://www.ifiaudio.com/d2.html

And the Lite Dac 60
http://pacificvalve.us/LiTeGallery.html

But some people are saying a modified Slim Device Squeezebox beats any of these outside DAC's.
Lyndon

 

[lucpes]

I spoke with the company and the DAC has been available for only 2 weeks. The CS4398 version uses a passive I/V stage and they are offering a 30 evaluation. Since the product ships out of the Bay Area near San Francisco, I'll give it a try.

-David

The CS4398 only has differential voltage out... passive IV stage?

 

[hifimaker]

David,
Please keep us posted. I have been considering these two other DAC's as well, but they don't seem to offer as much as the one you are wanting to test:
Zhaolu D2
http://www.ifiaudio.com/d2.html

And the Lite Dac 60
http://pacificvalve.us/LiTeGallery.html

But some people are saying a modified Slim Device Squeezebox beats any of these outside DAC's.
Lyndon

Hi Lyndon,

Over at www.head-fi.org there's been a lot of discussion about the Zhaolu D2 in the Dedicated Source Components section and it did not gain favorable feedback. the Manufacturer has pulled it off the market and is now selling a new version called the CityPulse 7.2x. There are several feedback threads about the City Pulse there as well.

-David

 

[hifimaker]

The CS4398 only has differential voltage out... passive IV stage?

Hi lucpes,

I think you are right. I must have been talking with a marketing guy. It appears the CS4398 only has filtering and mute after the DAC.

I'll probably wait and let someone else take the first plunge.

-David

 

[hacknet]

i've heard both of them and they arn't really spectacular... i prefer the lite audio d2 compare to the dac 60 thou..