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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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If you believe that a DAC with a tube output stage should be an important part of your system, then say hello to a new contender for that role. This one is the brainchild of British designer Chris Found who designed for Beard Audio, Alchemist and others. He has been working on this DAC design for seven years since the original V-DAC (stands for Valve DAC) came out as a WAD DIY project in Hi-Fi World in 1998. The current version is the V-DAC 4, a feature-laden iteration which has 210K upsampling, flexible inputs, exchangeable modules, remote control and a fully independent digital record function. Maybe the most interesting part is the possibility of upgrading from 24 to 26 bit conversion or beyond.
As for the kit quality, the SRPP based circuit for the analogue output board comes as a PCB, while the digital board and front panel with a VFD display are provided ready built, tested and warranted. The boards are substantial in quality and the components supplied are first class - clearly this unit has hi-end audiophile intentions in mind. Since it’s a kit, it can easily be configured for driving power amplifiers directly with a passive volume control and the gain of the SRPP can be increased to a higher level if needed to drive amps requiring more than the normal line level input.
So does the sound live up to the facilities on offer? I first met the designer when I bought his V-DAC 2.7 a few years ago at a London DIY circle meet where it saw off a few other good commercial and DIY DACs. When the current version became available I figured it was time to upgrade, so I auditioned the prototype. I was impressed - it sounded substantially different and I ordered one on the spot. Prior to taking it away I spent an evening with the designer trying various tubes in the output, which is configurable for either the 12au7 type socket or the 6922 type. We used the latter, and best sound was 6N1P, 6BK7, 6N30, 6922 and various ECC88 in that order. Since the 6N1P was very satisfying top to bottom it stayed in, but owners may wish to tube roll their own favourites.
The real feature of this DAC is the digital section - the sound is a clear step up from previous versions. I'd rate the difference as about the same magnitude as CD to SACD or DVD-A, clearer sound stage altogether, more fine detail, more space around instruments, better tone. In all, quite a different sound than I'm used to off CDs. I was quite surprised to hear this much information coming off the humble CD.
Am I happy with this DAC? Yes, without a doubt. As a reference it was tried instead of the DAC part of a Krell CD player in a high end system (Nagra VPA, Apogee Caliper Sigs) and it once again showed an audible increase in clarity, tone and detail.
For its price it should be a serious contender as a DIY DAC - assembly is straightforward and it sounds the business. How it will sound upgraded to 27 or even 32 bit conversion is a tantalising thought – there’s more to come in terms of future upgrades for the owner who wants to squeeze the most out of it. In addition, the designer is a friendly guy who gives good backup - as design and service engineer for Beard Audio he has what it takes to test and troubleshoot audio gear – and he’s a person who really cares about his products.
Full details and prices, if you want to check one out, are on www.cfmedia.org
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Topic - REVIEW: Chris Found V-DAC 4 tube DAC kit - andy evans 11:39:10 09/10/05 (0)
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