Hi Guys
A guy out my way in the Gold Coast area in Australia got a hold of a Phasure DAC and we heard it compared to a very well respected DAC, the PDX, with its maker at the manufacturers factory on the Gold Coast.
It was written up on our local forum and people here may be interested:
http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/55227-phasure-dac/It was with some new VERY transparent speakers one of the guys present had ordered from the maker and it was also to hear them. They are wild - each speaker alone weighs 43kg's and sits on stands that weigh about 55kg's each for a total weight of each speaker nearly 100kg. They are made out of HD3, lined internally with 1/4 inch copper, use Duelund Cast Copper Capacitors, 10 gauge air coil inductors and have Bybees bonded to the terminals of the drivers. It, and variants, are by a long shot the best speaker I have heard - I have a variant on order myself as well as one being burnt in awaiting final tuning going to a friend in Canberra.
For convenience I will re-post the first 3 posts
I just returned from Mike Lenehan's where a group of us congregated to hear Doggihowser's new Limited and a new DAC (the Phasure DAC) Acg (Anthony) had taken delivery of.
I will let Doggie comment on his speakers - but like all the Limited I have heard it sounded fantastic - this will be about the Phasure.
Anthony popped it on and immediately I noticed it was just very very clean, clear, pure, and pristine. Everyone liked it straight off. I described it like when you flick a crystal goblet - a beautiful, refreshing clear sound. Next it was compared to the PDX. Generally to me the PDX has a real character - it doesn't sound valvey with dripping honey - if its adding anything it's subtle and most certainly its not what anyone would describe as euphonic. But against the Phasure it was clearly euphonic - still sounding great mind you - but clearly and obviously it was adding something to the sound that was absent with the Phasure. To my ears the Phasure was simply more accurate - and obviously so.
Another interesting thing I noticed was the treble sounded a bit recessed and muted to the point you thought it was self effacing - was it lacking in detail? No - listen carefully and its there - just not obviously so. I kept on thinking it was like being at live events which has a generally muted treble compared to many hi fi systems that create false detail. This DAC was like that - nothing false, unnatural or accentuated - simply accurate - very very accurate - in an understated and perhaps under whelming way.
We played a number of tracks but Dianna Krall - Case Of You was a particular standout - the piano was just so accurate - free of any kind of nasties or distortion - to me the PDX was clearly colored. This is the first time I have heard that. The best rendition of this track I have yet heard.
A very very impressive DAC.
Do I want to get one? I chatted to Anthony and he is more than happy to bring it along to the DAC GTG with the PDX, Killer, and Playback Designs. I will make up my mind then. Again a very very impressive super accurate DAC.
The purity of the Phasure Nos1 sound was delicious to me and I must say that Doggies ML2 Limiteds sounded fantastic even with a couple of hours on them as they were this afternoon. The NOS1 is also brand new and only halfway through its recommended burn in time, but the sound seems to have stabilised a little so I brought it on down for an early impression.
This afternoon was the first time that I have listened to it from cold and I must say that I was underwhelmed by the first couple of hours of listening but the longer it warmed up the better it sounded, and boy the Diana Krall track right at the end was STUNNING. In particular the reproduction of that piano was extraordinary. I would love to been able to get the dac down to
Mike yesterday so that it was hot to trot because every time we pressed play it sounded better.
I have been listening to it for about two weeks now and am quite familiar with what it brings to the table, and I do think you were onto some of its traits from the getgo Bill. Another couple of weeks of burn in and some tweaking of the playback software and I will be ready for this dac GTG. In preparation I think I will need to get the NOS1 down to Mike a day or two early to get it all warmed up. I know my Offramp sounds much better after a few days of being left on and I suspect the Phasure will also be at its peak if it is never turned off (it is recommended to leave it on 24/7).
I was really quite intrigued by this DAC a couple of years ago. Stacked PCM1704 R2R (georgehifi shd love that!) and customisable using the XXXHighend software.
But I never had the balls to take a gamble. Looks like I really lost out. It's a superb sounding system.
I'm still not sure I am that keen to much around with a PC system again and the playback process which took a while to start seemed a bit too much work for me
but the sound quality is top notch.
I suspect I'd still prefer the Phasure feeding something like my Audio Research 5SE preamp. The DAC has details in spade but the tubes in the ARC should just infuse a bit more depth and width to the soundstage.
As the write up said the next step is a DAC shootout we will be organizing with the Phasure, PDX, Killer DAC and Playback Designs. Watch out for that it should be very very interesting.
Thanks
Bill
