EQUIPMENT REPORT JON IVERSON T+A Elektroakustik DAC 8 DSD D/A PROCESSOR They’re so damn hard to tell apart!” these were two very different animals. So exclaimed my longtime pal and fellow I’ve found Bruce’s observation to be generally true. Ten audiophile Bruce Rowley when I revealed to years ago, I thought there was a wider range of sound him that T+A Elektroakustik’s new DAC 8 quality even among DACs of similar prices—and maybe, DSD digital-to-analog converter ($3995) had back then, there was. But since that time, in my experience, arrived for review, just after I’d finished writing up the Ayre the range has narrowed. Though sound quality is the lion’s Acoustics Codex DAC–headphone amp ($1795).1 Bruce had share of what counts with any audio component, I think recently compared his own brand-new Codex with a DAC that, for a given price, a new DAC’s appearance and fea- he’d owned for a couple years, both costing about the same tures are beginning to have proportionately more impact in but built to very different designs. He was surprised that, the market. Hence the need to cover all formats, interface after carefully matching levels and working to eliminate any options, and functions. other variables, they sounded more alike than not, and only 1 See review in the June 2016 issue: www.stereophile.com/content/ayre-acoustics- slightly different even after hours of listening. Technically, codex-da-headphone-amplifier. SPECIFICATIONS Description D/A processor USB Class 2 Mode; support 192kHz PCM, 2Hz–80kHz; Serial number of unit with four selectable for asynchronous data 384kHz PCM, 2Hz–100kHz; reviewed 2606 3245 00098. oversampling algorithms for transfer; PCM Mode, DSD64, 2Hz–44kHz; Price $3995. Approximate PCM playback (FIR kurz, FIR 16/24/32-bit data with DSD128, 2Hz–60kHz; number of dealers: 12. lang, Bézier, Bézier/IIR) and sample rates from 44.1kHz to DSD256, 2Hz–80kHz; Warranty: 3 years. DSD Direct DSD Signal Path 384kHz; DSD Mode, DSD64, DSD512, 2Hz–100kHz. Total Manufacturer T+A Elek- via T+A True 1-bit converter. DSD128, DSD256, DSD512 harmonic distortion: troakustik GmbH & Co. KG, Analog outputs: high level (Mac OS up to DSD128). <0.001%. Signal/noise: Planckstrasse 9-11, D-32052 (RCA), 2.5V with 22 ohms Digital output: 1 coax, IEC 116dB. Channel separation: Herford, Germany. Tel: (49) output impedance; balanced 60958 (CDDA/LPCM). 110dB. Standby power (0)52-21/76-76-0. Fax: (49) (XLR), 5.0V with 44 ohms Analog filter: phase-linear consumption: <0.2W. (0)52-21/76-76-76. Web: output impedance. Digital filter with bandwidth Dimensions 10.6" (270mm) www.ta-hifi.de. US distribu- inputs: 4 S/PDIF coaxial, 1 switching at 60 or 120kHz W by 3.75" (95mm) H by tor: Rutherford Audio Inc., optical TosLink, 1 AES/EBU, for DSD. Frequency ranges: 10.6" (270mm) D. Weight: 12649 E. Caley Avenue #116, all handling 16/24-bit data at 44.1kHz PCM, 2Hz–20kHz; 8.8 lbs (4kg). Centennial, CO 80111. sample rates from 32kHz to 48kHz PCM, 2Hz–22kHz; Finish Case, black aluminum Tel: (303) 872-6285. Web: 192kHz;1 USB (Device mode) 96kHz PCM, 2Hz–40kHz; 42; cover, silver aluminum 43. www.rutherfordaudio.com. stereophile.com Q October 2016 173 T+A ELEKTROAKUSTIK DAC 8 DSD Which brings me to T+A’s DAC 8 DSD, which, for the colors reversed. There are four small screws on the those who want to set up an all-digital system, has about as otherwise featureless flat top and, on the bottom, four metal perfect and complete—on paper—a feature set as I’ve seen in feet padded with felt. The only fault I found in the cabinet recent months. And though T+A also offers state-of-the-art was that it rang a bit, depending on where I tapped it. There metal cathedrals of beauty for those willing to spend big—eg, were several different pitches available on the top and side their top-of-the-line combination SACD/CD player and panels; with soft mallets or fingertips, I could play a nice DAC, the PDP 3000 HV, costs $22,500—the DAC 8 DSD tropical tune. Seriously. comes in a compact, attractive, no-nonsense housing at less On the front are 11 small buttons of identical size, a small than a fifth of that price. display, and a single headphone jack. Starting on the left is the On switch, and below that a group of four buttons. To Ooh, it makes me wonder reduce clutter while accommodating the DAC’s eight in- I first saw the DAC 8 DSD in the flesh last January, at the puts, each selector button represents two inputs. Above each 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, where I often pros- button is a light that glows red or blue, depending on which pect for review ideas. It’s an updated version of the DAC input the button has selected. Once you select an input with 8, released a few years back, and it wasn’t in T+A’s main a button, the DAC remembers that input unless you hit the display—but after the company’s Jim Shannon went through button twice—very clever. (The display, too, tells you which the bullet points and explained how T+A’s flagship signal- input you’ve selected.) Two buttons select among the four path circuit designs had trickled down to the DAC 8 DSD’s S/PDIF inputs: one button for Opt (optical) or BNC input, price range, I quickly moved it up to my short list. I won- and one to select between AES and USB inputs. dered: could I get one for extended listening? The answer The next group of buttons select between normal and was yes, and a couple months later it appeared. inverted polarity, four digital filter options, and the user’s The DAC 8 DSD is a hefty component of modest size, choice of either Clean or Wide modes (explained below). weighing 8.8 lbs and measuring 10.6" square by 3.75" high. Finally, there are volume up and down buttons, activated Its appearance is minimalist and formal, great care obviously with a Line/Variable switch on the rear panel. I always pre- having been given to each element’s proportions and place- fer a round knob for volume, especially with any device that ment. In short, without trying too hard, it looks great. And can be used as a preamp, but these buttons scale the volume there’s an equally attractive matching power amplifier to go intuitively, and were easy to get used to. The volume indica- with it, the Amp 8 ($2800). tor ranges in setting from “0” to “64,” and two independent The main enclosure is a matte-black box of metal, volume levels can be set: one each for the rear outputs and 1 rounded at the corners and stacked between two ⁄4"-thick the headphone jack. When headphones are plugged in, a slabs of silver aluminum—like an ice-cream sandwich with relay mutes the rear-panel outputs. MEASUREMENTS measured the T+A DAC 8 DSD levels with 44.1kHz data were 4.36V frequencies, which is a bit higher than with my Audio Precision SYS2722 from the balanced output, 2.175V is optimal for driving low-impedance I system (see the January 2008 from the unbalanced output, and 6V ’phones. (The DAC 8’s manual doesn’t “As We See It,” http://tinyurl. from the headphone output, all with recommend using it with headphones com/4ffpve4). Sources were either correct absolute polarity. The balanced of less than 30 ohms impedance.) digital signals fed via AES/EBU or output impedance at 20Hz was higher Measuring the DAC 8 with PCM TosLink from the SYS2722, or WAV and than the specified 44 ohms but still data was complicated by the fact that AIFF test-tone files played with Pure low at 114 ohms, dropping slightly to there are four options of digital recon- Music 3.0 on my MacBook Pro running 104 ohms at higher frequencies; the struction filter, displayed on the front on battery power and fed via USB. unbalanced impedance was 53 ohms panel as “FIR1,” “FIR2,” “Bez1,” and Apple’s USB Prober utility identified at 20Hz, 48 ohms at 1kHz, and 46 “Bez2.” Figs. 1–4 show the impulse re- the processor as the “DAC 8 DSD HD- ohms at 20kHz; the headphone output sponse of each filter with 44.1kHz data. Audio” from “T+A elektroakustik,” and impedance was 23 ohms at all audio FIR1/Filter 1 (Standard FIR, fig.1) is confirmed that the T+A’s USB input operated in the optimal isochronous asynchronous mode. The AES/EBU and S/PDIF inputs accepted data sampled at up to 192kHz. Apple’s AudioMIDI app indicated that the T+A DAC oper- VV ated at all PCM sample rates from 32 to 384kHz via USB, with bit depths of up to 32. The DAC 8 successfully decoded DSD64 and DSD128 data fed it via USB from the MacBook. I left the Clean/Wide switch in the Wide posi- sec sec tion for all the measurements. Fig.1 T+A DAC 8, FIR1 impulse response (one Fig.2 T+A DAC 8, FIR2, impulse response (one The T+A’s volume control oper- sample at 0dBFS, 44.1kHz sampling, 4ms time sample at 0dBFS, 44.1kHz sampling, 4ms time ates in steps of 1.25dB. The maximum window). window). 174 October 2016 Q stereophile.com T+A ELEKTROAKUSTIK DAC 8 DSD Who shines white light and wants to show Finishing off the rear inputs are an Ethernet jack for Above these buttons is the high-resolution monochromatic “future extensions” and a Ctrl (control) interface for use in display, which momentarily indicates the status of any combination with Crestron- or AMX-type home-automa- control whose button you’ve just pushed, including volume, tion systems.