This is a full-throttle recording and the DA1000TX’s agility and articulation come to the fore. We switch to Nick Cave's Babe, I’m On Fire from 2003’s Nocturama set and continue to be impressed. We’re impressed by the composure on show and the way this DAC can render delicate instrumental textures so gracefully. That also means less-than-perfect recordings are ruthlessly exposed, though the TAD’s innate refinement means it stops short of making a meal of things. The DA1000TX doesn’t go out to colour the presentation to make it sound more interesting it is balanced, neutral and revealing. This is not a particularly characterful sound, and that’s a compliment. The sense of scale is pleasing and extends our system’s sounds well beyond the outside edges of the ATCs. There is a good sense of depth here and stereo imaging stays stable even when the piece becomes demanding. Play a demanding recording such as Mahler’s Symphony No.4 and the DAC responds with a wide open soundstage populated with crisply drawn instruments. It has a sophisticated presentation that digs up plenty of detail and organises it into a musically coherent performance. We would describe the TAD’s sound as clean, precise and cultured. The sound is obviously clearer and more neutral with this configuration but still retains a good sense of authority this is a quality that tends to get sacrificed when using most class rivals in this way. It has an excellent analogue output section, and it isn’t long before we bypass our 088 preamp and plug the TAD straight into our Burmester power amplifier. The DA1000TX delivers an impressive performance once it settles into our system. The rest of our reference system consists of Burmester’s 088/911 Mk III amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers all connected with premium cables from Chord and Vertere. We also have a Chord 2go/2yu available as an alternative digital source. We use a Naim ND555/555 PS DR as our main digital source and have a MacBook Pro (loaded with Audirvana music-playing software) on hand to test the USB input. Surely TAD could mute this? Other companies can.Īny product at this level demands a top-class system, and this DAC is no different. Our only complaint here is that we hear a slight click coming through our speakers every time we change file types. We certainly didn’t come across any compatibility issues with our music collection, though completists would probably want to add MQA decoding ability to the spec sheet. This DAC can handle pretty much any audio file type you like from 32-bit/384kHz PCM to DSD256. As always, the proof is in the listening. Most rivals buy third-party off-the-shelf modules to do the job, which potentially gives the DA1000TX a performance advantage in this area. TAD has gone to the trouble and expense of developing its own asynchronous USB engine. Max file compatibility 32-bit/384kHz PCM, DSD256ĭigital inputs USB Type B, AES/EBU, coax x2, opticalĪnalogue outputs Stereo RCA, stereo balanced XLR, 6.3mm headphone out Great care is taken with the master clock signal to minimise jitter and the general circuit design to reduce noise levels. Take a look inside the DA1000TX and you’ll find an immaculately constructed product with dual-differential DAC ICs per channel alongside independent power supplies for the analogue and digital sections of the circuitry to minimise unwanted interaction. The headphone and line-level outputs are controlled independently, which is handy at times but also takes a bit of getting used to. The DA1000TX is unconventional in that plugging a pair of headphones in doesn’t mute its line output. On the analogue side, there is the standard choice of balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs, and on the front panel you will find a 6.3mm headphone socket. There is also a pair of digital outputs for those that want the option of doing extra processing. Connectivity is good, with the usual trio of USB (type B), coax (x2) and optical digital inputs present alongside the less commonly seen AES/EBU option.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |