I had a big surprise this afternoon. I set my Audio Note 4.1 DAC (very modified) to be fed by the NOS1 SPDIF output. I just cannot believe the sound ! I have spent the entire afternoon playing track after track after track. The weight, tone, macro and micro dynamics, timing, transparency and detail levels are amongst the best I’v ever heard. There is distortion in the sound, more so in the upper registers (so it’s not perfect as you would expect and as depicted by Peters recent graphs at
http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1515.45), but the combination is just SO engaging and enjoyable to listed to !
The Audio Note playing at 44.1KHz is too sharp (distorted highs) for comfortable listening but it can run at 18bit / 96KHz. At 2X Arc-prediction most of the sharpness in the upper registers is gone and it is very listenable (if not as good as the NOS1 DAC at 8X Arc Prediction in this respect). It might not be to everyone’s taste but the NOS1 / Audio Note combination sound just fills the room with compelling music, even using XX Engine 3 (the only engine I have managed to use with the NOS1 SPDIF) and WASAPI.
It’s very early days for the burn process with my NOS1 DAC and with this in mind I will not make comparisons in absolute terms with the NOS1 SPDIF / Audio Note now as this is unfair until the NOS is burnt in. But, I do really hope however that I when the NOS DAC is burn in that I get the sense of “performance” that I have heard today.
If nothing else this experience is pointing to the NOS1 being an quite exceptional SPDIF interface when it is coupled with the right free standing DAC. I am now pondering the influence that DAC chip I to V conversion approaches, valve output stages and DAC chips types have on all of this
- And is it also unreasonable to then ask manufacturers of those DACs for their comments so one can form an intelligent opinion?
- Or, are we just supposed to believe that all 16/44 DACs sound exactly the same, have same graphs as NOS1 at 16/44 i.e. are so really, really bad that we should just stop listening to them and throw them out of the window right now! (btw if somebody does that with AudioNote 4 or 5 please let me know time & place (worldwide) I can pick it up for you for free and will even buy you a beer!)?
Joseph,
This is one AudioNote DAC 4.1 that's not for "pick up" and I would not get rid of your Audio Note DAC just yet
(btw if somebody does that with AudioNote 4 or 5 please let me know time & place (worldwide) I can pick it up for you for free and will even buy you a beer!)?
Ahhh, the AudioNote 4.1 DAC advertised at $15.500 in the US, accepting only 16/44 spdif input, so you have to shell out another €/$ 1000 for a proper WEISS spdif soundcard box or something. For the total amount you could buy - F I V E - NOS1 DACs. I guess (the other) Peter is laughing all the way to the bank...
If you want tubes in your system, there are better ways to implement them, IMO.
I paid £2800 for my used DAC 4.1 as a unit to do DIY upgrades on, they do run 18bit 96Khz
Mani,
I know your Model Two has AES inputs but it would be very interesting to hear your experiances feeding your DAC from the NOS1 as an interface of there is a way of converting from SPDIF to AES..
Best Nick.
