 |
Free home audition now available. Call for details . . . FAQs | Forum | Bargains | > Email or call 0(044) 1782 621225 |
|
|
||
Wyred 4 Sound DAC 2 FREE SEVEN-DAY HOME TRIAL NOW AVAILABLE > One of the first commercially available DACs to deploy the exciting new ESS 32-bit 'Sabre Buffalo' chip that set the DIY community alight almost two years ago, Wyred 4 Sound's all-new DAC1 and DAC21 are set to redefine the capacbility of sub-£2K DACs. The ES9018 chip at the heart of the new DAC1 and DAC2 is noted for its astonishing dynamism and resolution: whereas most low-end digital-to-analog converters suffer from what has been described as 'conservative voicing', or a subjective sense of 'digital-ness', the DAC2 promises to open up a whole new world of vividly pure musical experience. To the DAC1's groundbreaking sonic quality, the DAC2 adds the convenience of a remote control and AES/EBU and HDMI digital inputs. However, the DAC2 upgrade is more than window dressing: the bigger ticket price buys crucial upgrades to the power supply, including 88,000uF of Wyred 4 Sound's own ultra-low ESR capacitors and a robust 35A Schottky bridge rectifier – both deployed in the superb STP preamp. The DAC-2 also features an all-new proprietary 24-bit asynchronous USB implementation that handles sample rates up to 192Hz using Wyred 4 Sound drivers for Mac or Windows operating systems to put the DAC2 on a level playing field with devices like the Perfect Wave and Ayre converters. The DAC2 is also more versatile, offering HT bypass and a defeatable onboard 32-bit digital attenuator, enabling power amplifiers to be driven directly from the converter (via remote control) for maximum transparency: no preamp or extra set of interconnects required. Available in black or silver: please specify at time of order . . . . The new DACs epitomise the W4S philosophy: visually, it's all business; no frills. Financially, it's all about delivering uncompromised specification to audiophiles without the loaded prices: US customers source direct from the manufacturer; European and UK customers buy at lower prices than importing direct. The sticker price buys you technology, not marketing. And because that makes the good folks at Wyred 4 Sound happy, Rick and EJ get to spend more time in the lab cooking up even cooler stuff. We believe that Wyred 4 Sound products offer unparalleled value for money and simply cannot be bettered without spending much, much more. It remains by far the smartest way to spend anywhere near this amount on a D-A converter, RECOMMENDED BUNDLE OFFERS: > Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 + 1m LAT USB cable: £1350 TURNKEY SYSTEM 1: £3695 REVIEWS: 6Moons 'Blue Moon' Award Winner: Quoting from that review, ‘...both converters quite upset the defamation league where 'd' stands for digital [attenuation]. Going amp direct was superior – more clarity, more immediacy, more energy and transient precision... Amp-direct sounded very much like improved drive control; as though the amplifier was much happier coupled to the DACs' output stages than the passive box. Not debatable was the audible superiority . . . in short, wholesale condemnation of digital attenuation would seem a bit old-fashioned and shortsighted.' With Sabre chips also inside the $750 Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC and $1.000 Peachtree Audio iDecco, comparisons were inevitable. The iDecco in fixed mode wasn't even in the same league as the DAC2. It sounded patently opaque and hooded, as though having to break through cloud cover or sticky carnival cotton candy. I frankly didn't expect a performance delta of such magnitude. But it was plain. The DAC2 knocked out the iDecco cold the moment the referee stepped aside. There's more to DAC performance than sporting the currently approved chip. The MiniMax trumped the iDecco by completely bypassing its opacity. It wasn't as resolved or resolute as the Wyred and voiced for a darker denser aesthetic in line with previous MiniMax components. DAC2 vs. Weiss Minerva: The Weiss DAC2 ($3.000) is identical to the very well-reviewed Weiss Minerva ($5.000) save for the face plate and control knobs. While clearly not the ultimate —the Weiss is my current reference. More fully featured and half its price, the Wyred proved its equal nearly but not quite. Both shared exceptional lucidity as the overriding attribute or 'house' sound. That's like entering a vast but perfectly lit room to instantly see everything. This lit-up visual nature of very high detail is augmented by very powerful low bass and jumpy dynamics which emphasize the small-range fluctuations in the deliveries of vocal or instrument performers. The DAC2 is about speed, resolution, energy, life and air over mass, density, warmth and comfortable darkness. The value assessment of this assignment has progressed to a predictable conclusion. Being so close in performance to an established $5.000 benchmark—the Weiss Minerva won UltraAudio's Select Component distinction and a Blue Moon award from us—and bundling greater functionality for just $1.500 doesn't, in this context, make Wyred's DAC2 an actual giant killer. It does very much make it a killer value in high-performance digital however. Final word: With a 21.5-inch 1TB iMac selling at $1.499, the addition of the same-priced Wyred DAC2 makes for a remote-controlled modern music source that not only slaughters legacy digital on convenience, it should sonically outperform any $3.000 CD player you care to name. That future really is here now.” – Srajan Ebaen Positive Feedback Review Extract: The DAC-2 . . . makes beauty out of bytes. I plan to purchase the demo unit after they swap out the silver for a black case and use it to replace my Apogee Duet, as it is more reliable and much better sounding. Despite a few minor complaints that really apply more to a $10K DAC, the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 can give you some very lovely sound with a minimum amount of effort and a true plethora on input choices and configuration options —given that the PS Audio PerfectWave DAC costs almost exactly twice as much as the DAC-2 (it appears to retail for $ 2999.99 commonly) and you can get the DAC-2 and put that extra $1500 into some bitching cables—I say go with the DAC-2. – Andy Schaub Soundstage 'Reviewer's Choice' Award I started by listening to the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 with my Auraliti music server via S/PDIF. The first music I played was the Tallis Scholars’ newer recording of Allegri’s Miserere (24/96 FLAC, Gimmell/Gimmell). The soundstage was appropriately huge for the large church in which the performance was recorded. Individual voices were eerily distinct in space, and a smaller choir was obviously placed far behind the main group. The sopranos in this small choir periodically soar up to high C, a dramatic effect that the DAC-2 reproduced with wonderful purity. The DAC-2 had extended but non-peaky high frequencies. The high orchestral chimes that open Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra’s recording of Argento’s For the Angel Israfel, from Reference Recordings’ 30th Anniversary Sampler (16/44.1 FLAC, Reference/Reference), rang out with unusual purity; I could clearly distinguish the leading transients when the chimes are initially struck. On the other end of the spectrum, the DAC-2’s bass was deep, powerful, and tight. The bass drum on Folia Rodrigo Martinez (CD, La Folia 1490-1701, Alia Vox AFA 9805) was reproduced with considerable power and weight. The transients of the initial drumstroke were accurately depicted; the event sounded strikingly (sorry) like a drum being struck. It’s not uncommon for a component to smear these strokes, but the DAC-2 didn’t. The DAC-2’s midrange was pristinely detailed but in no way starkly analytical. Tonal colors were rich and full. In Rebecca Pidgeon’s performance of “Spanish Harlem,” from her The Raven (24/88.2 FLAC, Chesky/HDtracks), nuances of her vocal phrasing were laid out in exquisite detail while still sounding very much like a human soprano, not a hi-fi. Dynamic range could be as powerful or as delicate as the music required. Orchestral climaxes had plenty of slam, but the DAC-2 also accurately tracked the continuous changes in loudness in Folia Rodrigo Martinez, which some components depict as a stair-step series of discrete volume jumps. I was anxious to hear for myself how the Benchmark stood up to the W4S DAC-2. After carefully matching levels between the two DACs, I cued up Folia Rodrigo Martinez. The Benchmark, through its USB input, came across with an energy that made the music sound quite dynamic. Through the W4S DAC-2 I heard equal dynamic range, but instruments were more precisely positioned on the soundstage, and with a smidgen more detail. In other words, the W4S DAC-2 surpassed the Benchmark, while not exactly blowing it into the weeds. The harmonic structure of the opening chimes in For the Angel Israfel was perceptibly better defined through the DAC-2, and I could tell that each striking of a chime was slightly louder than the one before -- something not at all evident with the Benchmark, through which each chime sounded equally loud. What really distinguished the W4S from the Benchmark was Allegri’s Miserere. Although the Benchmark certainly didn’t hide the fact that this recording was made in a large space, the DAC-2’s soundstage was far better defined, with a sense of depth I’ve seldom heard before, and with each singer in the small ensemble individually identifiable. Wow. With Folia Rodrigo Martinez, the DAC-2 sounded somewhat more refined than the Meridian. Bass was deeper, with better pitch definition. It sounded splendid, and at $1499 it’s a flaming bargain. The W4S DAC-2 was easy to set up, easy to use, and sounded fabulous. Its high-speed USB input sounded every bit as good as its S/PDIF input . . . Given its advanced design, rich feature set, and bargain price, there’s no way I can avoid giving the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 a hearty Reviewers’ Choice award! – Soundstage Audiokarma forum member review: Summing it up, this is a very neutral sounding DAC and fits right at home in my amazingly neutral system. It is not harsh nor does it lack anything that I can think of. Highs are shimmering into a nice effortless midrange. Bass is very rythmic and is never overly abrupt. The open sound is flawless. It's soundstage sounds "easy" from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back with excellent imaging. Makes me feel like I'm a part of the music. Good job and highly recommended! Nothing bad to say about this one.” Computer Audiophile forum member comments: “I've had my W4s DAC-2 since the weekend and basically have been in bliss with it. I think it's a steal at its asking price” “After about 75 hours listening to this DAC (solely through AES from CEC TL-1X transport with Stelath Sextet digicable), I think it is superb and an incredible value. I replaced my venerable Dodson 218 with great trepidation, but this DAC is at an entirely higher level (no pun intended). Given the rapid change and state of flux in digital audio, I did not want to make the long-term investment I would in, e.g., speakers or an amp. But so far, I have been well-rewarded.” “I have said it before and will say it again - it is close to the best out there at any price and clobbers anything below it in price we tried against it.” “The DAC stil does give me the best sound I have experienced in my eternal search so far...” “Just received my W4S DAC2 yesterday. Initial impression, WOW! Digital Audio Review: Sufjan Steven's horn section drove the room with commanding bombast and I quickly concluded that the Wyred4Sound's ESS Sabre chip choice (and implementation) was as strong with organic instrumentation as it was with synthetic: it was definite, deliberate and chock full of attack. It was also detailed without being edgy or unpleasant. The commanding bass from the W4S DAC-2 will be a delight to many – it's big and bombastic (and tight). Relocating the W4S DAC-2 to another system of Omega Super XRS 6 loudspeakers powered by a Red Wine Audio 30.2 integrated amplifier saw the detail prove to be more surgical in its precision. These single drivers obscure little; they are unflinchingly revealing. Flitting between the Red Wine Isabellina DAC and the W4S DAC-2 on The Chemical Brother's "Where Do I Begin?" saw the latter offer superior spatial cues and a deeper soundstage. As the song swells from a simple reverse-looped guitar refrain into a psychedelic beat cacophony, the Red Wine Audio DAC is less precise in soundstage organisation but also the DAC that better captures the spirit of the song's swaying undertow. The Wyred4Sound is not necessarily what one would refer to as 'toe-tapping'. Its strengths lie in plumbing the depths to reveal an ocean of detailed wonderment – its role as a bathysphere of accuracy could hardly be challenged. The Wyred4Sound DAC-2's sonics are colourful but uncoloured. Prominent bass aside, it doesn't possess an easily identifiable sonic signature. It is detailed, yet neutral. Its soundstage is deep and wide and tall. It is engaging and doesn't suffer from the oft-clinical indifference of delta-sigma DACs; instead opting to paint from a brilliantly rich palette. Instrumental separation is its strong suit. Moreover, the W4S DAC-2 shows that 'accuracy' doesn't have to be a dirty (audiophile) word. The W4S DAC-2 is a brilliant riposte to the snobbery of 'musical' NOS DAC owners. It isn't the greatest show on earth, but Cecil B Demille and William Wyler would've approved – a widescreen production filmed in brilliant Technicolor.” Audio Experience Review: The W4S is known for its dynamics. Its dynamic prowess added a sense of drama to Diana Krall’s Girl in the Other Room. The W4S, Theta and Bryston all dealt up the bass on Suzanne Vega’s Headshots very well.I don’t think there is a major difference, but think that the first prize still belongs to the veteran. The W4S coped best with the crashing cymbals though. When things get intense the Theta always produced a ear splitting cacophony and I reached for the volume control. The crashes were clearer on the Bryston, but too ear spittingly forward. They sound most bearable on the W4S. Hell Is Chrome is rendered very well by the W4S. It retains the organic feel that I was used to – again with a hightened sense of drama. It is a really minimalistic arrangement with Jeff Tweedy’s voice disappearing and reappearing from pure darkness. The Theta is far to noisy to render this properly. Mirah’s 'Don’t Die in Me' showcases another strength of the W4S DAC. Accoustic guitar is rendered with stunning realism that is truly amazing to listen to. I am not sure that the W4S did anything to rescue Grandaddy. The Totem speakers and/or Unison Research amp have a bit of an aversion to rock. The W4S is more than enough DAC for my system . . . ever since I experienced Solitary Moon in a new light I am hooked on sense of air, refinement and vigor that the W4S imparts to the music.The W4S DAC is here to stay.” Stereotimes Review: Holly Cole’s vocal “Larger Than Life” had that you-are-there kind of immediacy where one could discern every element of her diction. The big bass drum was a touch large and powerful and the cymbals shimmered as real cymbals should. Then on “Misery” by Dave’s True Story, the female vocalist had a kind of spooky atmospheric breathy presence followed by some bluesy guitar licks and fast wake-up drum beats that were quite palpable. I can say that employing the DAC-2 in my modest HT with hi-res recordings allowed the HT to perform much more like my much more expensive 2-channel rig. By this time, I was trying to analyze what sonic parameters and qualities of the DAC-2 were an improvement over my previous digital sources. The list went like this: * Instruments present smoother sound when called for I often hear audiophiles complain about trying to balance their system’s sound on that fine line between ultra-resolution and compelling musicality. The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 is one component that does not force you to play this tricky balancing act. Instead it provides fine detail and superb resolution perfectly integrated with musicality. In conclusion, when you have a component with so many worthwhile consumer-friendly features that provides such exemplary musical performance and at the same time lets you hear every breath and nuance of sound no matter how slight, well, in my book that’s something to get truly excited about. When you see the price sticker reads only $1499, as they say, that’s the icing on one very delicious cake. I’m buying the review sample because at this point I couldn’t bear to part with it. – Frank Alles “I received the DAC-2 some week ago. Now that I have had time to listen to it, all I can say it is amazing machine!! It really takes the digital audio to a whole different level. My old dvd-player sounds like some top end cd-player now . . .” – OS |
||
|
||
Currency conversions updated daily by coinmill.com |
||
