XXHighEnd

All,  :NY01:

Nearly three years ago i came in contact with Peter and his forum.
Back than i asked Peter his advice about a dac that i would like to buy. Peter said to me if you can wait some time i am planning to build a DAC myself. If i remember correctly he was talking about a year or so. Well we all now how that turned out  ;)
The three years where very special that because of the innumerable posts he wrote about the DAC and the dreaming about it that came allong with it. Dreaming about the DAC and how it will sound was all we could do! Not anymore! Today i was the first who could pick one up at his place. It feels very special to be one of the first. Imaging today for me as D-Day and i dropped my wife and my kids in Nijmegen and drove to Oene in a almost white Holland ( Lot of snow yesterday).  I drove with a bit pain im my stomach. I was thinking that it also is a bit said that the”journey” comes to an end today. No more building post anymore  :( But a new journey starts here and that is that almost in every country there will be one or a few of Peters dac's and even more important people who will enjoy this peace of artwork.  :)

After one hour i arrived at Peters place and when i came in the room it was obvious that a lot of work was done here. At least 5 dac's where smiling at me and really that was not all Peter asked me to take a look in the basement. My chin dropped as far as he could sink. On a large desk there where 10 dac's in a row with in the middle the wife of Peter (Ciska)  who does the assembly and solder together with Peter. Imagine a room 14 by 6 meters and with a pile of 50? painted dac’s and all the other parts that combined will be the NOS1. So freaking special.  From some parts there are 1000 and more. That amount only to keep the NOS1 affordable. Really my deepest respect!

And than came the moment that i put the box containing the dac in the car. I really could not hold them up longer or else you guy’s have to wait a day longer.  ;) At home i unwrapped the box and screwed the new interface in te pc. I connected everything and did the installation that was required. That was really easy and almost no room for mistake’s.

Now there is 1 hour of listening exprerience behind me. And i like to write someting containing my first impressions!  I wrote something before but really this is the moment to judge. Home with my known speakers and amps.

The most beautiful sound i have ever heard in my whole life!    :clapping:

Every song is under so much control! There is no harshness wat so ever and there is much more bass. Like a thick blanket wich is drawn down from my speakers. Strange thing is though that my woofers look much more calmer and simultaneously there is a nice tight deep bass. Funny thing to mention is that at playing the number Get On from the album Yello-Motion Picture my woofers are under control where they before were NOT. Before i always kept my hand near the volume because of the strange movement of the woofers. As said now they just move a bit and i have never played so loud. The bass coming from them is so deep and nice to hear i almost can’t belive it.

Take Ibrahim Senso and his piano playing. Peter once said it was one of the best albums he has. I bought it and played it just now. There is so much much more body that it really feels that the piano is standing in front of me. You hear the wood and i think i hear him pushing on one of the pedals.
the enourmes amount of highs i am hearing is so strange, there are so much of them that i did not hear before and they sound the way they supposed to sound. What it is exactly i cannot tell you at the moment but it just feels like it. For now i will stop this took me 2 hours because of my poor English.
 
If you have the possibility to buy you really will not send it back! All i can say is that you really have to try it!

So back to some swinging here. ;-)
 :xx:


Peter and Ciska thanx for everything that you have done!  :thankyou:  :good:

All, 

Nearly three years ago i came in contact with Peter and his forum.
Back than i asked Peter his advice about a dac that i would like to buy. Peter said to me if you can wait some time i am planning to build a dac myself. If i remember correctly he was talking about a year or so. Well we all now how that turned out 
The three years where very special that because of the innumerable post he wrote about the Dac and the dreaming about it that came allong with it. dreaming  about it was all we could do. So not anymore today i was the first who could pick one up at his place. It feels very special to be one of the first. Imaging today as D-day and i dropped my wife and my kids in Nijmegen and drove to Oene in a almost white Holland ( Lot of snow yesterday).  I drove with a bit pain im my stomach  to Oene. I was thinking that it also is a bit said that the”journey” comes to an end today. No more building post anymore   But a new journey starts here and that is that gradually in every country there will be one or a few of Peters Dac’s. And even more important people who will enjoy this peace of art work.
 
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
 to both Peter and Gerard!
Happy Listening! (like Doede always says)

Ed

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
 to both Peter and Gerard!
Happy Listening!

From me too!
And happy Christmas too, with a lot of happy listening!
Nice to share your experience! , but of course you have to go back to Peter and make some pictures of this immortal moment in the history of music reproduction!

Hope to be able to order this DAC too soon!

Gerard(A)

Thanx!!

I should pick my wife and kids up again today but there is so much snow falling last night that i guess it will be tuesday.  :rofl:

Every cd has to be played over again with all this "new" information.

Playing Eva Cassidy right now and man its like a angel is singing.  :soundsgood:

 :)

Ha die Gerard,

I can't be sure who is more glad, you or me. :)
I just looked it up, and our first talks about a DAC were from September 2007. This was after a year of me typing, reasoning, "designing" already, and as we know 14 months later (November 2008) my first trial was there - based on some of the principles I wanted. It was already better than I ever heard on most aspects, but it was too noise and did not meet *all* I wanted. From there I could strip things off, replace things, had new DAC boards designed, and I guess one year ago I was as far as "this is it" with my own (of utmost importance) filtering, but still not the 24/384 I was hunting for. That came a little later, and in parallel I at last found some good means for a decent level of output without degrading sound. I guess I started to buy parts last May, and while all the parts were coming in I kept on trying things with a volume control. Even 3 weeks back (:secret:) I built another gain stage, and while it measured the best of all before attempts the sound became dead of it again. So, that failed. :yes:

It is true. All those steps -reported in that larger topic- are now behind us. There will be nothing new to read, as there will be nothing to write about with great enthusiasm. It's done. It works.
Now, for us here, it has become real stuff, with real responsibilities. Still, reading your story touches deeply. So yes, a first contact about this DAC, a very first payment with "urgency transfer" just for fun to *be* the first, and the very first to collect;
Until the very last moment (you in the car) I thought to make a photo of the first hand-over, but I thought it would be a stupid thing. I wish I had ...

I must also add that while you have been waiting and waiting, you also were the only one afraid of "how will it turn out in my listening room ?". My speakers are not yours, and how much will they contribute to the sound, that maybe never coming from your speakers. Worse it got in Amersfoort a few weeks back at that audio club, which certainly did not proove that the DAC could behave on a more normal type of speaker. Of course I had my explanations, but still. And so I imagined your day coming closer, and the closer it got, the more nervous you became. I had the confidence allright, but with audio nothing is sure. And so again, who is more glad now ?
Technically it should be me. I mean, we have more DACs to come for others and a first failure would be a kind of disaster. A disaster not so much for the time and money spent, but for the sheer stupidity I had been working on a DAC that only would perform under "my" conditions. Not that I for even one bit explicitly worked on any kind of "matching", but still my speakers are not the most common, including what has been done to them (XOvers) which isn't even done at Bert's place where they come from. But since I only applied my theories of what should be best and developed the DAC without any kind of matching at all, it *should* be right everywhere. But still, one never knows ...

How surprised I was to perceive from you that "woofer under control thing" !
It is nothing I ever advertised, but in the end it is completely logic if I only take into account the experience from last week - the playing with the sound card alone. I described that as "woolly", distorting and in the end all I recognized from way back, never realizing how "bad" it all became, because I just never went back. So of course "woolly" is just that bass not being under control, and actually I already knew it, if I only think about that rediculous large space in Amersfoort where the speakers coincidentally also were open baffles, and not much wrong with the bass as such if it were about filling that room. Actually competely crazy because if there's one thing an open baffle can't do, is fill a large room. Large room ? man, this was close to a covered football stadium. And so, honestly, now we understand how this could happen, and possibly it is a unique thing. I really don't know as I have no real experience with open baffles. But you can bet Bert and I will work this out to some raving combination (we didn't meet since Amersfoort).

Technically, this will be caused by less distortion (hehe), but for two reasons I think;
One is the inherent low harmonic distortion (THD) which -and I can't say it enough- is infinitely better than from OS DACs (and may I refer to it again : the sound card measured nearly as good, *but* is OS).
The other will be the extreme low jitter, which excels in the low frequencies (this is the Phase Noise figure of better than 115dBc/Hz at 50Hz), with the addition that this is the oscillator's figure, *but* if all is right, nothing adds through the further chain, because there is no further chain.
Also to keep in mind : the sound card's poor sonic performence "makes use" of the exact same oscillators, although here is a small additional chain that can worsten jitter, but not to the effect as I perceived it myself. That's just the OS thing ... (and the inability to measure it correctly).

Well, before I am creating my own story here (I guess I just did :smack:) I want to say that we hope to be as enthusiast in the future, and that each DAC delivery just *will* have some specialty going along with it. This counts for the current group of buyers, and I'm sure it will be for the next the same. Without that it's a dead thing, while it is intended to be a "co-work" and sharing of a beautiful hobby, which this in the end all is.
Gerard, I loved reading your story, and I can only hope some music was playing during your two hours of typing. It is really really appreciated, and I know how hard it is. Next time just type somewhat faster, and don't be bothered about people may not understand. I'm sure at least I will.

For now I will say that your DAC has not been burned in at all, and when things improve - and how, I hope you will let it know; It is just good to know for others what to expect. Yesterday, when Leo came to collect his baby we briefly listened to a DAC which was on for 14 hours or so, and while he asked "how can this improve ?" and, "what will happen ?", I really couldn't answer other than "it sounds somewhat strange, but I could like it forever". So, actually I don't know because I never started off with an "all fresh" DAC.

Happy days and happy times !
Peter

Because i am a bit proud of what i have at the moment and since this was the last thing i really would like to have here are some pic's! Almost everything handmade.  :)
This summer i am going to paint the dressoir  ;)

Well number two is up and running. What can I say, other than that my faithfull fireface 400 and Altmann dac are for sale. As Gerard has beaten me both with having the first dac and the review from his own home  I will keep it fairly short. It was great to meet Peter and Ciska, hearing some great music from a not yet well burned-in dac , and than taking my dac  home and now having by far the best sounding system I ever had in my home.

To put your mind at rest Peter, this dac will not be returned to Oene, only perhaps later for updates and improvements that you will come up with for sure :)

Peter, thank you very much for sharing your know how, experience and passion with us

and now I will not be distracted from my music for some days.

Leo

Thank you Leo.

And as far as "special deliveries" can go ... One had to be the first. But the second one will always remain unbeatable for being the first who dared to shout outloud about XXHighEnd somewhere else (and was beaten for that by itself).

I hope you will enjoy it very very much. And, it was a pleasure to meet you and your wife.
Peter


PS: Don't forget to change your signature. Haha. :) :)

I received this PM from Gerard which I think is so nice that I asked him to translate it and put it here. The original (dutch) is at the bottom.

---

Sorry, but I can't stop talking about this.
What am I enjoying this extremely. Working a bit on the PC and in the background some music. I can normally concentrate and the music just sounds good to my ears in some way and by some means. I don't know how to describe it. My ears just like this very much.
How much joy is this giving me !!!

Yesterday my both neighbours came listening. Well, Leon got tears in his eyes and the other neighbour just could not understand that this was possible. He was only nodding his head all the time. haha...

Even my girlfriend whom usually is the first to turn down the volume again hasn't touched that so far. I will test this phenomenon further the next two weeks. ;)

But hey, you can't guess half how happy I am with this.... Or maybe you can. I hope you can enjoy your success a little, despite all the hectic. I can't wait for mose positive responses. I also hope for you not too many parts will have shortcomings. :(
:)

---

---

Sorry raak er niet over uitgepraat.

Wat zit ik hier geweldig te genieten. Beetje op de pc bezig met op de achtergrond muziek. Ik kan me gewoon concertreren en de muziek klinkt op een bepaalde manier goed in m'n oren. Ik weet niet hoe ik dat moet omschrijven. M'n oren vinden het gewoon erg prettig.
Wat heb ik hier een plezier aan!!!

Gisteren kwamen mijn beide buren even luisteren. Nou Leon kreeg tranen in z'n ogen en de andere buurman kon er gewoon niet bij dat dit kon. Hij zat maar met zijn hoofd te schudden. haha...

Zelfs m'n vriendin die doorgaans de volume snel weer wat zachter zet is er nog niet aangeweest. Dit fenomeen zal ik nog een week of twee uittesten.  ;)

Tja je weet niet half hoe gelukkig ik hiermee ben.... Of mischien toch wel. Ik hoop dat je ook nog een beetje van je succes kan genieten ondanks alle drukte. Ik kan niet wachten op meer positieve reactie's. Ik hoop ook voor je dat niet teveel onderdelen "iets" mankeren.  :(

 :)

---

Bravo!

 :yahoo:

Peter's issues are much more urgent than mine, but I'm having trouble with my NOS1 that I'm hoping new owners might be able to help me with...

Whenever the NOS1 is on and the Juli@ driver has been installed, I'm getting very frequent PC freezes. Each requires a hard re-boot. I have managed to get some sound for a maximum of a few minutes (and how great those few minutes were) but of course, I'd like to get sound indefinitely with no freezes.

Did any of you have any similar issues once you installed the Juli@ drivers? If so, how did you overcome them?

Cheers,
Mani.

PS. The issue exists whether I boot into W7 or W2008SP1.

I installed the downloaded drivers as adviced in the manual by Peter. Windows had some hickups in installing them but with a couple of reboots I got it going and had no problems since. I think that Gerard also had to reboot a couple of times before he got it going.And since then he seems to enjoy it quite a bit.

I have vista 64.

So little info that may help you only the comforting fact that has been done by other people than Peter himnself.

Leo

Hi Mani,

First  :good: that you have one too.

Than indeed i had to reboot a couple of time's before the thing is asked. But that is not the problem you have. To be honest i had a few problems with attended en stopped trying. Sometime's i had a black screen trying those. First try to lower you SFS. That makes my pc react some better.

Good luck!

EDIT: See now that yours is not that high  :dntknw:

Thanks Leo, thanks Gerard.

I'm almost there now. After a BIOS update and a few BIOS tweaks, I haven't had a 'major' issue for >2 hours of listening. But I don't think the issue is fully resolved yet - I still get the odd 'distorted sound' when I begin playback (a bit like taking latency too low with Special). And although I've had no freezes for a while, until I know the issue is fully resolved, my preamp will remain in place.

But I have to say that the sound from the NOS1 is really, really nice. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm hearing the best digital (or any?) sound I've ever heard in my system. I haven't done any detailed comparisons with my PM Model Two yet, but I can't remember hearing this level of 'realism' from the Model Two. This is not really a criticism of the Model Two - because it only has AES inputs, it is totally dependent on the quality of the AES interface that feeds it. I have some emails from people who have heard the Model Two with the Mykerinos card and who say that it is easily the best digital sound they have ever heard. And some of these people have heard pretty much everything available. Haha... but not the NOS1!

Although these are early days, I'm happy to say that I cannot imagine anything bettering the NOS1. It is simply superb. My only wish would be for more low-down 'weight' (I've been spoiled by the Model Two in this regard). Perhaps this is how bass should sound? Perhaps I need to do some more BIOS/OS tweaking? Perhaps the NOS1 just needs a little time? Who cares? I love it.

Mani.

Mani,
for each audio setup wich is new and cold :) the low freq.(the bass) is the last component who came out after good and final dac (or whatever) burning! Have patience :) Give him 200+ hours at least.
Criss.

Oh, you are just ahead of me. So yes :

Mani, I told you we have been listening to your DAC and that it sounded great and I could libe with it forever. But it also sounded completely cold (no warm sound). That will grow over time. :yes:
But that cold sound had something too. It does something to the highs which didn't appear bad to me. On the other hand, the balance in the highs is a bit lost (like the attack of a ride cymbal being over expressed -> "tick tick tick" jumps out without color).

If you can play glitch free, I personally wouldn't bother with BIOS settings for better sound. Ah, maybe it can do something, but it just needs the break in here.

:)
Peter

Well, I'm getting glitch-free playback now. So, I tried the NOS1 directly into my amp. With the low efficiency of my Quads (I had a brand new pair of the larger 2905s delivered only yesterday) and the low output of the NOS1, I can play most things at 0dB attenuation quite comfortably.

This is simply the purest sound I have heard in my system. X-ray detail, and yet at the same time smooth. And all this from 16/44.1 redbook material!!!

I'm still looking for a bit more warmth though - I'm used to hearing more body from instruments and voices. I'm sure this will come with time as the NOS1 and Quads settle down.

This evening, I will begin a formal comparison between the NOS1 (with OAP) and my PM Model Two (with QAP). But I think to do both DACs justice, this comparison will need to extend over many weeks.


Eric told a lovely story. For now, I'd just like to second his quote.

Mani.

Ah, great ! So I guess this just was similar to what I had myself indeed (about your email). Well, good to know for a next case of this. :)


Just to keep in mind (and maybe you can't utilize it), balanced/XLR has 6dB more output.


Well, keep me informed please. But indeed also notice (you said it yourself earlier) that possibly this is because of more tight bass and at this moment maybe not knowing what is best in absolute sense. It is better to explain this the other way around : with more poor (sloppy) bass, there's always more low bass as well. But this is not better of course. In the end it is about reality, or at least that this what I have been striving for. Anyway, I guess that a measure may be the "full" sound. I mean, as long as that is not there, the individual things to look after (like body in a voice) won't be there either.

On the other hand ... You won't be telling this twice when you didn't think something was the matter. I only want to say that I am not bagatalizing you or your remark. Then again on the other hand : the sound from your DAC was long from on par (as are the others), never mind I could like it. This may be the most important message for now, and don't forget : if all is right you won't hear much difference for the upcoming 10-14 days. But *then* it starts ... (day by day by day).


Of course this is the most nice thing to hear - and what I was waiting for. I also know how keen you are on "digital" and what you undertake to "get there". Maybe a kind of ambassador for what digital can do. Of course I know what I am thinking and saying about it, but that's always a commercial thing by now (or at least that will be how people may or will look at it).
In the end, I don't know how many deliveries it will take before I am 100% convinced it will work for everybody, but those so far don't point in the other direction, and for sure yours gives me the good feeling. And never to forget : it explicitly is meant to be "the best", and so it should be the best. I did what I could so far, but it was me only. That is why I guess I will be nervous somewhat longer.

Thanks Mani,
Peter

Thanks Peter.

As is often the case, in the heat of fixing a major issue, I totally forgot about one of the basics. I'm using KS Adaptive set to 2048 samples... but totally forgot to set the soundcard to the same - it's been on 256 all this time. Anyway, setting it to 2048 has improved things a lot.

I'm really not sure how any aspect of the sound could be further improved now. Don't tell her, but I'm looking forward to my wife, Satty, returning from work - she hasn't heard the NOS1 yet and I want to see her reaction when she hears one of her favourite tunes through it.

I realise that it must seem strange for many people visiting this forum to hear some of us 'wax lyrical' about the NOS1. If so, I'd ask you to just bear with us. The last thing we want to do is to come across as a bunch of sychophants... But it's not everyday that you have the pleasure of listening to a piece of kit that you know is a game-changer. And IMO, that's exactly what the NOS1 is.

Mani.

Hi Peter,

bloody buttons in the Juli@ control panel !!!!!

First impressions.

Much more  detail, more fine resolution, more timbre, more darkness, more air between the instruments, less distortions.

The violin on the Vertu  CD in the tune “Dance of the Harlequin”  sounds magical. This is a real violin, full bodied and the right timbre.

You’ve done a great job.

Best

Joachim

Joachim, thank you. Very nice to hear.

Now it's time to let it break in a bit. :yes:
Works best without sound, 20 days in a row. :no:

haha
Peter (:naughty:)

I would just like to congratulate Gerard for having a super clean and tidy listening room!  :grin: 

I daren't show my wife this photo as compared to yours my room is closer to the aftermath of an hurricane, so I won't be posting any similar photos. 

I must console myself, I read a review once that suggested that if the sound was allowed to diffract from many obstructions it created a more 3D sound, and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.   :whistle:

Brian thanx hahaha... :rofl:
But really i have two kids that can turn it within 2 min in a total disaster. Took me a few minutes to clean it up. (Meaning grab everything together and throw it on the seat.)  :blush1: :rofl:

 :)

Hi Peter,

it is not my intention to waste any time not to listen to this beautiful sound.

The 3D image, separation and timbre of the horns played by Miles Davis on "Sketches of Spain" was unheard before.

Gerry Mulligan was playing his saxophone live on "Take Five"  in my room. Unbelievable.

A wonderful time is coming with the increrase of the SQ during the break in.

Best

Joachim

All,
I like to tell you all what i experienced the first day's!  :secret:
The first day is allready written in this post. But i like to tell you about the second and third day.


WHERE IS THE WOW FEELING.  :cry:
Really i kept on putting cd after cd looking for it. It was gone. Did not change anything!!  :wtf:

At this moment it is back the WOW feeling\hearing.

Man what a relief.  :yahoo:

It has something to do with the details i think. Now playing at low volume they are there. And the second and third day they where not. I am not sure if i really heard them the first day. Was it something psychological?

Does not matter anymore the feeling is back and that is for me the most important thing!!!


PS: The only one using the volume now is me and not my girlfriend! hahaha who would have thought that.  ;)

 :)

Hi Gerard - Just wondering ...

Can't this have come because of the over-detail which is there in the beginning ? I'm talking about the un-balance within the highs itself. Like I said myself earlier, "it has something, but sounds somewhat strange". This unbalance will change over time and e.g. a tick on a cymbal will be filled up from under and the tick won't be as profound anymore. This, while it was too profound at first.
This is the only example I have to express what is happening, but of course these kind of things are throughout.

The main "problem" will be that what you may perceive as "interesting" at first, *should* come to you as wrong at second. Why ? well, because it just is;
Yesterday I was listening to a new NOS1 for two albums a.o. that Dallas Wind album being under subject yesterday. As I (honestly) told in the end, it sounded just great. But after that I switched to my own NOS1, and *then* one perceives what the difference is between "interesting" (including WOW) and "balance". It's a totally different DAC. Also, "interesting" will always bore after a while (all sounds the same), while a good balance should lead to nature and zero similarities between albums. Or at least that is what always have been one of my key "measures" which is also why proper judging takes me 5 days at least.
When the balance is there, there should be nothing to complain about, while the "interesting" will have shifted from a more technical view to a "what a great musician that is". I know, I'm talking like I know everything and all and it may come to you as blahblah, but I really try to put this unscientific stuff into practical measurement for everybody.

In the mean time, be careful, because I think your "second period" is about to start. You know, where things will get better and better each day. But now try to translate "better" into "better balance" because it is always about that. Nothing should jump out, and never blame the recording (see my Nora Jones example elsewhere, which is just an attitude and a really helping means to proceed with this all).
When your one month has passed, for fun switch back to your before DAC. You will be telling yourself "how could I ever listen to that !!?".

If all is right, that is.

Ok. Thank you for your honest reporting and I hope it will be helpful to others.
Peter

Peter,

I think that second period you talked about has started. I did not have much time to listen last two day's but i had the pc playing continualy. So a extra 48 hours has given to the NOS1.

Something really changed for the better!! So diffucult to point out what it is. It sure does sound more emotional more body. I played Scooby Snacks from the Fun lovin Criminals from a special dutch recording from Jan Douwe Kroeske his 2 meter sessies.
Playing that track i heard that the cymbals sound more realistic more metal...  I am sure that was not here before... hmmmm

Since the cymbals made such a improvement i choose some guitar play and choose Tommy Emmanual - Endless Road album. His guitar play sound more realistic in a way. You can hear him pulling and touching the strings so beautifull.  :soundsgood:

Eva Cassidy sounds even more pure than she allready did.

So there will more of these steps?? Unbelievable.....  :o

EDIT: Really what we have been listening to was "nothing" compared to what is coming out the speakers now. This i could not have guessed!  :yahoo:

Everybody,

I like to write some more about something nice i have nodiced. When i first had the speakers playing i have right now there was too less bass IMO.
I had a good sub which i connected to the speakers. Really sceptic as i am i did not believed the burning in time of the woofers. WRONG!! But then there be caim a day that i really did not hear so much differents anymore putting the subwoofer ON or OFF.

So i removed it and was happy,  :)  also because off the fact that there was a peace off stand in the way less in my room. Keep in mind though that this was with my old "dac" The dac that was not be able to keep my woofers under control! (See my firts post in this topic)

Now with my new DAC (NOS1) and since Manisander was talking about bass that he liked to be more i thought well maybe i have to dig the subwoofer up again.

So i did!

And guess what, the sound stage has become much wider/deeper. There is so much of the lower frequenties back that really need to be there. Would not bring it back to the garage it is going to be a standing in the way again!! ;-)

What are your thoughts Peter? Am i wrong on this one? (Meaning the old dac that was the cause off the extra NOT good/wrong/overlap bass)

 :) 

Everything Gerard said in his first post in this thread is just true for me too. In every way the NOS1 substantially improves my JKenny/ MSB Gold Link III combo. The whole time I waited for Peter's dac to arrive, a bit over two weeks to Philadelphia, I had this little voice worrying about "what if" the NOS1 would only be a small improvement. Damn those stupid worries! After listening to "Fragile" tonight, I hear bass in a very different way. There is such a clarity and punch to the bass, and it's so amazingly well ballanced with vocals and other instruments. All just plays together with this "authoritative correctness."

But when I first received the dac on Monday I sent Peter the following:
"Decided to put the trip off for a day and take a "sick" day at home. Sure am glad I did! Peter, out of the box the sound is unbelievable; I've had it on for an hour and a half. My wife sat on the couch and smiled. She loved it. (Thank God!) I think I now know what "without jitter" means or sounds like. For me , it has opened up the mid range of my system like never before. And the mid range is the last part to burn in?!?! Holy sh*t!"

Oh, and Gerard, Eva Cassidy is like a revelation.

Okay, gonna sit back now, burn in, and hear things improve.....Ha!

Thanks Peter.

Another NOS1 owner  :) Congratulations  :good:

Yes yes i do see it now... You look a bit pale  ;) Peter did not tell but he put a virus inside the box, it's a dutch virus XX is the name if i am correct!  ;)

Have much fun!  :soundsgood:

Yep, I got the virus bad....went to bed at 1 a.m; woke up at 4:30 a.m. Wife is in Boston.  Don't have to be in to work till 10. Tunes are cranked.
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Well, I had the pleasure of listening to Phasure NOS1 DAC very briefly yesterday in my system when my friend brought it over to check out a couple of things. My system went through a major change just a few days prior (new pre/power amp) and I was still burning in those equipments. At least I am very familiar with the sound of my trustworthy Playback Design MPS-5 even in my relatively new system. Phasure has a very different presentation and actually remnid me more of my old DAC, Esoteric D05. Phasure has similar open, extended top, slightly on the thin side. However, this unit is still quite new and has not yet benn burn in thoroughly. However, where it differs from Esoteric was that it was very smooth, very liquid and not so digitalized-hifi-ish sound like Esoteric. Playback has bigger,weightier, slightly darker sound. I am looking forward to hear Phasure again when it is completely broken in.

My biggest complaint is that Phasure is very sensitive to associated equipment. I am using a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. My computer is next to my stereo equipment and I run a long HDMI cable to my monitor next to my seat and I use bluetooth mouse for control. Whenever I engage the mouse, there is quite a bit of distortion coming through but when the mouse is inactive, all is ok. This was repeated several times with my friend so I am pretty sure it is the mouse.

Thank you Suteetat.

I'm afraid your bluetooth devices do not influence the DAC at all, but influence the PC.
I always sais that WiFi and IR stuff is out of the question; you just don't want to know about the continuous blast of activity that implies. I also always said I don't know about Bluetooth because it should be inactive when not used. Well, I guess you just prooved how evenly that is "blasting" when used. But only when used I guess ...

Again, thanks,
Peter

Wanna check out your "drum Kit": Sibelius, Symphony #1, Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmoniker. Its right up there with the Dallas Wind Symphony's, "Crown Imperial". I'm putting this here cause it needs the NOS1 to be "heard"!

This is pretty much exactly what I felt when I first compared the NOS1 with my PM Model Two. But two things have happened to change the sound of the NOS1 more in-line with my preferences: 1) it's burned-in 2) I'm now using Special Mode (very, very important to get the NOS1 sounding tonally 'right').

Of course, the MPS-5 is a supposedly superb DAC. At this level I suspect we're in the realm of personal preferences more than anything else. FWIW, I 'hung-on' to the sound of my Model Two for quite a while after I had the NOS1. But right now, I prefer the sound of the NOS1. And I never thought I would say that of any DAC on the planet.

I've said this before, but I think it's worth mentioning again. I think the Pacific Microsonics Model Two is one of (if not the) best digital components ever made. But it is just very difficult to interface to a PC. Here's an experiment I quickly did before dismantling my main hifi (to get the room re-wired). I fed the output of the NOS1 into the ADC/DAC of the Model Two. And you know what, it sounded pretty much identical to the NOS1...

Mani.