Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 Digital-to-Analog Converter (TAS 210)

January 24th, 2011 -- by Steven Stone
Source: The Absolute Sound

Final Thoughts

Since The Absolute Sound is a print publication, there ain’t no way (except in rare occasions) we’re gonna be the first to “publish” a review of a component as au courant and in-demand as the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2. The question on my mind, when I read other extremely positive reviews, was, “Have these folks ever heard a state-of-the-art DAC to compare against the DAC-2?” Because I know full well what happens when you’re confronted by the best you’ve ever heard—you get a wee bit overenthused.

After my time with the DAC-2 I can’t help but be impressed with it. Wyred 4 Sound has combined a rich feature set with remarkable performance at a price that makes it hard to beat. While I haven’t heard every DAC (who has?), I have yet to hear any USB DACs under $1500 that I like better, and I doubt that you will either, at least for the time being. Factor in the DAC-2’s current 192kHz high-resolution capabilities and built-in circuit-board upgradability, and you have a DAC that will remain au courant long enough to make it a savvy and satisfying purchase, regardless of how much more you can afford to spend. Will the DAC-2 get you back in touch with your first seminal high-fidelity experience? There’s a high probability that it will.

SPECS & PRICING

Type: USB/SPDIF DAC with built-in volume control
DAC: ESS Reference audio (ES9018) 32-bit DAC
Inputs: Two coax inputs, two TosLink inputs, one AES/EBU input, HT Bypass inputs (via DC trigger,) 24-bit/192kHz asynchronous USB input
Output impedance: 100 ohms
Driver: Proprietary for 32/64 bit windows XP, Vista, & and Mac OS above 10.4
Dimensions: 8.5” x 4.125” x 13.5”
Weight: 16 lbs.
Price: $1499

WYRED 4 SOUND
2323 Tuley Rd Unit A-C
Paso Robles, CA, 93466
(805) 237-2113
wyred4sound.com

Associated Equipment
Source Devices: MacPro model 1.1 Intel Xeon 2.66 GHz computer with 12 GB of memory with OS 10.6.4, running iTunes 10.0.1 and Amarra 2.0 music playing software, Pure Music 1.65a music playing software, AyreWave music playing software,
DACs: Weiss DAC 202, Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 3
Preamps: none
Amplifiers: Bel Canto S-300 stereo amplifier, Edge Electronics AV-6, Accuphase P-300 power amplifier
Speakers: ATC SCM7s, Silverline Minuets, Paradigm S1s, Aerial Acoustics 5Bs, Role Audio Kayaks, Earthquake Supernova mk IV 10 subwoofer
Cables and Accessories: Locus Design Polestar USB cable, Locus Design Nucleus USB cable, Wireworld USB cable, PS Audio Quintet, AudioQuest CV 4.2 speaker cable, AudioQuest Colorado interconnect, Empirical Audio Coax digital cable.

Comments

krikor -- Mon, 02/07/2011 - 18:31

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this review is mistaken or at least unclear on a couple points.

First... I don't think that the DAC-2 has an analog preamp function. All volume control is accomplished in the digital domain, and given the 32-bit structure, there should not be any concerns about resolution loss that has plagued lower-bit digital volume controls. The HT input is simply a unity gain pass through without volume control. I guess you could say it provides analog preamp input switching, but you still need a volume control upstream of the DAC-2 to adjust this input's level.

Second... I believe the different jitter-handling approaches between USB and S/PDIF inputs have been conflated. The "technically asynchronous" S/PDIF de-jitter system that is described is specific to the coax and toslink inputs and very beneficial because, as pointed out in the review, "jitter is inevitable in a S/PDIF digital stream." But the USB input does not enter the S/PDIF realm and instead delivers data from the the computer to the DAC in an I2S format with separate data and clock signals.

However, the USB input on the DAC-2 is asynchronous in how it interfaces or communicates with the computer, requiring drivers to be installed on the computer side. In this regard, it actually seems very similar to the methodology used by Wavelength.

rjacobucci@shaw.ca -- Thu, 04/07/2011 - 22:56

Steven Stone's review discusses the merits of the ESS 9018 Sabre32 DAC. One of the digital sources he employed was the OPPO BDP-93. It would be interesting see what Steven thinks of that same DAC deployed in the OPPO BDP-95.