BADA High Resolution D to A Converter
edwardce -- Fri, 12/19/2008 - 16:27
Hi Robert,
Your review of the BADA converter and the playback of high resolution music files it allows is fascinating. You make a point that the best sound was when the BADA converter was connected directly to the power amplifiers. I would like to read your further thoughts on this topic. The accepted audiophile wisdom is that the best sound would include a preamplifier. I would think that the Spectral DMC 30 SS ( state of the art volume control and high bias, discrete line stage ) driving long MIT interconnect cables would outperform the D to A ( with an integrated circuit based line stage) used alone. I look forward to hearing high resolution digital playback as you describe - I expect it to be an emotional experience!
Best Regards
Ernie
Ernie:
The Berkeley Alpha DAC is designed to drive long cables and a power amplifier directly. As a product designed for both professional and consumer use, it must have this ability; recording studios and mastering rooms don't use preamplifiers.
As great as the Spectral DMC-30SS is (and it is truly great), it (along with the extra pair of interconnects) still imposes a very slight reduction in resolution that's noticable with high-res sources. It's impossible for any active device to be perfectly transparent. And at this level of system resolution with HRx files, every change is noticable.
Hello Robert,
I enjoyed reading your review of the Berkeley DAC although I had several questions that were not addressed in your article.
1. Can the DAC be supplied with USB or Firewire inputs?
2, How does the Berkeley sound with SACD input?
3. If I purchase one I will probably use it for Redbook, fed by a CD transport, for the foreseeable future. Did you experiment at all with various inputs; XLR, BNC, RCA etc.
My apologies if these questions sound somewhat uninformed as I have no experience with computer or server fed DACs. I would, however, like to experiment with this and higher resolution formats in the future.
Thanks!
I have an AlphaDAC, just recently purchased, and I can answer some of your questions.
The AlphaDAC accepts only Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) digital signals, over AES/EBU, BNC coaxial, or optical inputs. It has no built-in computer interfaces - no Firewire, USB, or TCP/IP. You must use either an audio interface card in your PC - the Lynx Studio L22 is favored - or an external digital breakout box which communicates to the host computer via Firewire or USB, and outputs S/PDIF or AES digital audio. I am currently using a Weiss AFI1 Firewire breakout box, with superb results; I also have a Lynx L22 on hand, and I will try that and see if it is even better. The Lynx is significantly less expensive, which is an obvious benefit.
The AlphaDAC does not accept native SACD input format (Direct Stream Digital, or DSD for short). That's OK, since SACD is copy protected and hence there is no such thing as an SACD transport which outputs unencrypted DSD. However: there are quite a few SACD players which internally convert DSD format to high-resolution PCM (usually 24 bit/88.2 khz format). Done correctly, such a conversion is mathematically simple and essentially audibly transparent. With a bit of special hardware, and a knowledgable technician, these players can be modified to output the converted high-res PCM signal derived from SACDs, and this can then be input into an external PCM-based DAC like the AlphaDAC. The result of this "two stage" SACD conversion, if perhaps not the absolute ideal from an engineering perspective, is very, very good in practice. I know this, because I just finished listening to two SACDs, of Beethoven's 3rd with Vanska/Minnesota, and the Kreutzer sonata with Anne Sofie-Mutter, via a modified Oppo 980 universal player utilizing an output board from this company: http://www.switch-box.com. Switch Box does not supply modified players at present, but there is another company promising to produce similarly modified versions of the forthcoming Oppo BDP-83 Blu-Ray/SACD/CD player, for $1299 US: http://www.custom-ht.com/.
I should make clear - I was listening to the AlphaDAC fed by the Oppo with the hi-res PCM signal derived from SACD. The sound was excellent - similar to what the AlphaDAC gives with RedBook, but with even better sweetness and transparency in the treble.
ScottB is correct on all counts. For the record, if you would like to know what type of input jacks a device has, and what signals it will accept, look in the Specs & Pricing box at the end of the review.
Incidentally, I've been listening to the Berkeley Alpha DAC daily for the past four months. With some products, the longer you listen to them the less you like them (small flaws become apparent); with other products, extended listening increases the appreciation of the product. The Berkeley Alpha DAC is definitely in the latter category.
Thanks Scott & Robert,
Thank you both for your clarification, I appreciate it. Obviously I'm new to this technology although I've been involved with Hi-End gear for years and own a couple of Mac Laptops.
I have a Berkeley on order. Of course Robert, after your review the things have been flying off the shelves and we now have to wait our turns to get one. 8^)
I intend to feed it Red Book from a Wadia 270SE transport via Kubala-Sosna Emotion XLR digital cable for now. Do you foresee any compatability issues?
Gents,
Forgot to ask about break-in.
I plugged mine into the system, queued up some music to play, and let it play for about 20 minutes before I sat down to listen. It has sounded awesome ever since. I think it must be pretty well burned-in before it is shipped.
When I ordered mine, they were already backed up 4-5 weeks, and I'd bet the line is getting longer. I got lucky and scored one quicker on a cancelled customer order. But I guarantee you, it is worth the wait.
The Wadia should be a good source to feed the Berkeley Alpha DAC. I didn't have to wait for break-in for it to sound its best, but it does improve after it's been powered up for a few hours. I leave mine on all the time.
Received the BADA in late April. Had some issues playing HDCD so contacted Berkeley. Turned out that my Wadia was dithering the output so the BADA didn't recognize HDCD encryption. HDCD worked fine once this was turned off. Would recommend an audition of the BADA to anyone looking for a new DAC. I like it very much! Thanks to everyone for your input.
The HDCD light on the Alpha DAC is a great tool for verifying that the data have not been changed or corrupted upstream.
Glad you like the Alpha DAC.
Robert - I just bought a Berkeley Alpha DAC and use a Linn Majik DS through coax out (it also upsamples 44.1 to 88.2khz which is useful to expand the soundstage of redbook recordings). The DAC directly feeds a Nuforce Ref V2 SE 4x mono bi-amp set-up through balanced Cardas Golden Reference with Y splitters to Piega C70Xs, also through bi-amp/bi-wired Golden Reference cables. While the DAC is as good as you review it and a pleasure to use, I was fascinated by your article in that you drove Spectral 360 monos directly with the BADA and wrote about it. Didn't the guys at Spectral give you a hard time about that? They always claim you MUST use a Spectral pre- with ALL but the 160S (Universal Studio) DMA power amps. I have owned 2 Spectral power amps in the past, the DMA-50 and the DMA-180 and run them with non-Spectral pre-amps without blowing the power amps up! Is the Berkeley of a standard where Spectral will honor the DMA guarantee if controlled by the BADA? While the Nuforce V2 SEs are phenomenal power amps, I still yearn for that Spectral speaker control.
Thanks for the review again.
I'm not sure if Spectral makes any requirements for the warranty regarding use of other equipment, other than speaker cables, which are necessary to keep the amp stable under all conditions. I drove the DMA-360s with a variety of sources and electronics with no ill effects, but the amplifier sounds its best in the context of an all-Spectral system (or when driven by the Alpha DAC directly).
RH,
Thanks for your insights on the alpha dac. Since you are also a digital room correction person (I think I remember you using the TACT RCS), I'd like to ask a couple of questions regarding the combination.
Assuming you use a box like the TACT RCS, I assume your transport (or computer output or streaming data) feeds the TACT which does room equalization and then feeds the alpha DAC, correct?
How do you set volume/amplitude between the two (TACT and dac)? Set the dac to a relatively high setting and control volume via TACT?
Have you tried feeding the alpha dac with the aes/ebu out of a unit like the TACT? If so, any comments about the quality of
the digital source/clock coming out of the TACT? (I am assuming the AES/EBU is the better choice of outputs from the TACT?)
Thanks
I would set the TacT to unity gain (no attenutation) and drive the Alpha DAC with full-scale signals. Then use the Alpha DAC's volume control to set the playback level when driving the power amplifier. AES/EBU is the preferred interface for the Alpha DAC.
Post new comment