To follow up, anybody can simulutate this by upsampling via software and using very weak slope filters for delta-sigma DACs. The aliasing sometimes sounds good, it adds all that “air” audiophiles can’t get enough of.
You probably won’t notice it as much with, say Trios, solo voice, etc. When you get full orchestra or Alice in Chains, … the aliasing might standout more. Also FWIW Yello (and I presume some other synthesized music) seems to show aliasing clearly to me (not in a good way.)
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Yes I’ve noticed variable effects of aliasing from genre and speakers.
Cheap Polk towers aliasing was very good, GE Tritons absolutely not - harsh sounding with aliasing.
Sure it will compete as my Mk I does with it’s AKM 4490 chipset. Just as you can somewhat tailor the sound of the DS by choosing which firmware you prefer you do the same thing with the input and rectifier tubes in the MP dac. You also have the option of “rolling” the capacitors as they are held in by binding posts rather than soldered. In the end it will be what sound you prefer and if you like the idea of a tube based DAC. I am not one of these mine sounds better than yours people as it’s all individual preference or there wouldn’t be so many companies producing their version of the same thing.
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Yes in theory RM is correct however theory and implementation don’t always agree. The end result can be very, very good and the devil is usually in the details. TS always says a lot of the effort goes in to isolation, grounding and other build/topology details which improves the sound quality.
For example I’d love to hear the MSB DAC’s that use their ladder approach and compare to the DSsnr.
I’ve owned the Metrum Pavane L1 twice, as well as a Metrum Onyx in addition to the DirectStream Sr. Also owned some lower-tier R2R DACs by Audio-GD but I find their DACs to be subpar compared to the Metrums and DS.
I wrote this awhile back about a comparison between the Pavane L1 and DS on another forum:
I have a new PS Audio DirectStream DAC that I’ve been enjoying the last several weeks. Last week I found a great used price on a mint Metrum Pavane L1 and snapped it up. This is actually my second go-around with the Pavane after I regrettably sold my prior model back in October in a short-lived attempt to downsize. Soooo, all of a sudden I have a couple TOTL DACs that I can swap back and forth between in my setup.
Full system:
Intel NUC running Roon ROCK > Pavane or DirectStream > PS Audio BHK preamp > miniDSP DDRC-22A w/Dirac > Benchmark AHB2 amp > PSB Imagine T3 speakers
The DirectStream is running Red Cloud firmware, the Pavane being a L1 model. Both are being used with USB input from my Roon ROCK server. My listening room is also fully treated with a ton of GIK Acoustics traps and panels and I’m using Dirac between my pre and power amp for room correction.
They’re very different sounding in some ways, and similar in others:
The DS has a stunning clarity and is the most revealing DAC I’ve heard, both in terms of microdetail but also in terms of imaging. There’s this pinpoint precision to the soundstage that I’ve never heard with any other DAC. It’s hard to describe, but other DACs I’ve had in my system throw a soundstage where musicians and instruments are three-dimensional but have a sort of ethereal quality that never lets you forget you’re listening to a recording. With the DS, performers have this uncanny tangibility and density that gives them an eerie physical presence in the room. The only way I can describe it is it’s the difference between having a hologram floating in the room versus a real person standing there.
Tonally, the PS Audio unit is neutral across the board, but has better treble reproduction than the Metrum. The Pavane is a bit laid-back up top and cymbal crashes can sometimes feel a bit 2-dimensional and indistinct. In comparison, the DS has this incredibly lifelike quality with natural ringing and harmonics galore to cymbals. Again, the DS manages to make cymbals just sound “real” and seem to hang in the air. The downside is that on some tracks the DS sounds a shade too airy, and you lose some tonal richness. It’s the difference in hearing a lot of pick surface noise when a guitar is strummed versus the more fuller tone of the strings and vibration. I hesitate to call the DS bright, but it’s certainly unforgiving on a lot of tracks, but this could just be due to my speakers and system synergy.
On that note, where the Pavane excels is with tonal richness, fullness and inner detail. It’s slightly more forward, but sounds more “rounded” and rich in the way that a close-mic’d acoustic guitar is, but it’s certainly not “soft” or lacking definition and detail. I wouldn’t call the Pavane warm, but it has more body than the DS. There’s this comfortable neutrality that the Pavane does so damn well that’s really addictive and musical but never feels like you’re sacrificing detail. There’s a “just right” quality that’s chameleon-like in it’s ability to convey appropriate rhythm and pace with slow- and fast-paced music alike. This is the least digital-sounding DAC I’ve owned and the closest analogue to a truly high-end vinyl setup. The DS sounds just slightly digital in comparison as it doesn’t have the same level of inner richness, but that’s not to say that the DS sounds even remotely digital compared to even the best delta-sigma DACs I’ve heard.
As an aside, the Pavane is also the quietest DAC I’ve had in my system. Putting my ear up next to my tweeter, the noise floor is barely perceptible while the DS is a noticeably louder. I read somewhere that this is a function of the FPGA or DSD conversion process in the DS, but I could be mistaken about that.
You really can’t go wrong with either of these DACs, and I’m honestly not sure which one I’ll keep. I’m leaning towards the PS Audio as the pace at which Ted Smith, Paul McGowan & Co. are releasing firmwares is impressive as well as the consistent improvements each firmware seems to bring. The PS Audio sounds more technically accomplished, but the Metrum has a magical “rightness” and tugs at me in a more emotional way. This is going to be a tough decision to make…
As a follow-up to what I previous wrote, I ended up keeping the DS, which I still have and absolutely adore. The solidity to the imaging is really what sold me. It has that focused soundstage that you only get with upper-tier DACs like those by dCS in my experience. I’ve since replaced the BHK preamp with a Simaudio P-7 and it’s an incredible combination.
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Great post, thanks very much for that.
Okay not a stand alone DAC, but has anyone heard the Ayon CD 35 CD player? It’s combines a transport, DAC, and an anolog tube preamp, with analog inputs. It also coverts PCM to be DSD.
Thanks for the impressions! Have you heard Terminator ?
Very interesting thread. I liked Darko’s review; I think he does a great job.
Me personally, I have no interest in listening to a Denafrips. I just bought new speakers (Hansen The Prince) that are very extended and CAN be aggressive with an ‘in your face’ DAC. I stick with the DSD, thank you.
In terms of software versions, I use Red Cloud and haven’t compared any other versions using my new speakers. Can anyone give me a synopsis of a couple of other DSD software versions that might be worth trying? Sort of like tube rolling.
Thanks.
I have not heard the Terminator, unfortunately. I’d be curious to do so based on reviews I’ve read, but I have to say that my experiences owning the DS and having auditioned Chord and dCS products has led me to believe that FPGA-based models seem to offer better treble reproduction compared to the R2R DACs I’ve owned.