Rockna Wavedream DAC: Awesomesauce

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by purr1n, Nov 7, 2019.

  1. Xecuter

    Xecuter Brush and floss your amp twice a day

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    Both dacs were predominantly on NOS - I'll update the post thanks. Forgot this detail.
    Did find the OS was better on some track with Rockna, did not like OS on Termi
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2020
  2. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    Right. Thanks!
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I was pretty gentle in my Terminator review, but that last statement still doesn't inspire confidence for the cost. Do you know how long ago the new version came out? I know the Terminator was a little bit on the thick side and polite sounding - I simply attributed this to the voicing. The main issue was its lack of engagement. It just sounded flat boring like on the low-end Soekris DACs. So yes, there are more clarity now, less of that thicc sound, but how is the engagement factor? The comparison with Bifrost 2 seems to be a good one, at least tonally.

    Also does OS mode still suck? Is OS mode even competitive.

    FWIW, the Rockna Wavedream I review had their own modules, not the MSB ones. I never did try the SE outputs though. Good to know that it's not gimped, and even if not as good as XLR, do you think it's still competes at a high level because the DAC overall is so good?

    And yes, NOS mode doesn't sound half-bad on this, it's not squished up in front of my speakers. (I still don't care for NOS).
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2020
  4. Xecuter

    Xecuter Brush and floss your amp twice a day

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    @purr1n

    Apparently new termi boards only started landing early this month. This guy got his about a week ago and has been waiting months for it.

    Termi engagement factoe has definitely improved but still not top tier. OS is not competetive on termi. Still sounds bad unfortunately.

    I think the SE is definitely competitive at top tier on this signature balanced rockna (unsure for non signature version). But if you can use the balanced you should.
     
  5. famish99

    famish99 Friend

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    I did not notice a huge difference between bal and SE on the base edition when feeding the Aficionado, but it's entirely possible it's the amp was the limiting factor there. I have no issues with living with it out of SE into the Pass.

    At the request of @EagleWings, I've been using it in NOS mode lately, I'd say it still does depth well (as well as my setup will allow me anyway) and brings the front a little closer than it did on the Linear filter. I'd say NOS does a nice job fleshing out the voices a little more, but the hit to the top octave sometimes is a hard pill to swallow as well as the other typical NOS trait fuzzy imaging.
     
  6. Saleh84

    Saleh84 New

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    I found the best sittings to my ears are;
    -input being I2s from singxer (Rockna Wavedream NET server on order, could not fight it much more!)
    -filter Hybrid. best for timing and sound the most correct. NOS was less engaging.
    -dither off
    -clock on local. choosing "stream" for a bad source like TV or laptop helps as the clock refreshes a lot more. however if there is good clock in source, arguably the case with singxer, local is the right choice as per Nucu. I found this to be true by experience before he even mentioned it.

    I sold my termi before I get the Rockna. but from memory and living with termi for a year and half, old and new DSP boards, well, in my setup which I like to believe is very balanced; utilizing a neutral, single driver speaker (cube audio Nenuphar + dual active subs) and a very neutral, not so forgiving integrated tube amp like the LM845 premium SET class A, with a full loom AQ cables; I found the Rockna had the ultimate upper hand on all aspects. there is no doubt about it or any 2nd thoughts. some might say cause I spent more on the Rockna, it should be better. but for me, I don't related price tags with SQ.
    Rockna has zero grain. unbelievable purity. Termi even with the new board didn't sound that pure. its fine, but not on par.
    dynamics I would say they are almost equal. same for sound stage width/height (Rockna has more depth for sure). but I don't think that more is always merrier. its about balance and no exaggeration of any kind. Rockna does that perfectly!
    tonal correctness I would give to Rockna.
    on Resolution, the Rockna excels again by a good margin. I tried it the other day vs a chord Dave in my friends setup, it prevailed without any doubt. his chord Dave is up for sale! his words were (10% more details, 20% more musical), if you would count musical as description. i would say what he meant is it sounded more organic and real. less computerized/dry.
    yes termi got a lot better with new DSP which I mentioned earlier, but still not even close to Rockna esp. in a long term experience, rather than quick A/B. I have never had such since of realism and a "believable" presentation, ever. its more evident in some tracks than others also, strangely. one more thing, I have never been able to listen without fatigue this long also. I find myself sort of hypnotized, literally drawn into the music.
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    ^ That's the most scary part. It manages to do that without smoothing over detail or killing dynamics. Flows like vinyl where as I said, I expect to hear little cracks and pops as with vinyl, but I don't.
     
  8. Xecuter

    Xecuter Brush and floss your amp twice a day

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    The new termi board i was discussing is the new BGA only releases May 6th 2020 on aries website.
    You confirmed that the board you are referring to is the older one that marv and I heard and thought was trash. The rockna stomped the old termi, agreed.

    I did try NOS, linear, hybrid i let the owner of the rockna set it to what he thought was best in his system then tinkered with it more on my speakers/headphones. I definitely prefer rockna over new termi anyway..
     
  9. etherealsound

    etherealsound New

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    Now that the wavelight has been out for a while, I wonder if there is anyone here who has heard it. It would be interesting to see how much of the wavedream is in the wavelight, especially considering the substantial price difference.
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I authorize any SBAF member to contact Rockna on the behalf of SBAF for a Wavelight loaner. The person who is first successful will receive $100 from me.
     
  11. etherealsound

    etherealsound New

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    I'll take you up on that if you're serious ;) Or, at least I will try
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I am dead serious. I don't kid about rewards and have paid up. Most of the time is getting people to post the words "SBAF" on HF for $10.
     
  13. Firegon

    Firegon New

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    I know that the single ended signature wavedream doesn't have XLRs. What about the single ended non signature one?

    I'm asking, because I've seen a few listings of just "Rockna Wavedream" without any mentions of a balanced version and the pictures show XLRs on the back panel.
     
  14. famish99

    famish99 Friend

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    If it has XLR it's got 4 modules and is balanced, if not it has 2 modules and is SE, regardless of the edition.
     
  15. divertiti

    divertiti New

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    Hi Xecuter, when you heard the latest BGA (v3) DSP board on the Termi, was your basis for comparison vs. the 2019 version (v2) board or the original launch version?
     
  16. richard_crl032

    richard_crl032 New

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    Better still have some reviews on the new usd6.2k Terminator Plus that now sports an ocxo clock (vs femto used by rockna) and with clock output to having the icing of synced components in the likes of esoteric, dCs etc.

    However, hope available reviews are with non signature single ended or even balanced version since I am quite sure signature balanced euro15.4k euro better be better .. happy yggydrasil and standard Terminator (usd4.2k) owners with their dac being compared in this thread for the money paid :)

    Wavedream Edition DAC single ended 6.200 €
    Wavedream Edition DAC balanced 8.400 €
    Wavedream Edition Signature DAC single ended 9.600 €
    Wavedream Edition Signature DAC balanced 15.400 €
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2020
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Why is that that every other time SBAF reports below expectations for expensive Chi-fi gear, (and let's face it, it seems SBAF is the only place on the Internet that offers counterpoints, the Terminator was supposed to the the bees knees, the next coming of Jesus DAC), said Chi-Fi manufacturer a few months later comes up with new version of the board, and then a few months after that yet another version, and now ocxo clocks because ocxo is better than femto? (As far as femto or lepto clocks, aren't we past that now in 2020 or is this still 2015 or 2007?)

    The original Terminator could have been improved x10 times and it still wouldn't have touched the Wavedream. From the grapevine I've heard that the new Wavelight is supposed to be very close to the Wavedream. Rockna didn't nerf it. They don't seem like a company that would.

    Denafrips could have made their stuff better when @Torq and @Hands politely, very politely pooped on the Pontus before the distributor pulled the DAC (I was slated to hear it), seeking only positive reviews. Isn't True High-End™ is supposed to be super competitive, pushing the limits of what is possible? Not let us develop in a vacuum or small community and seek only positive reviews?

    If anyone wants to know how the latest Terminator compares, buy one, and either send it or arrange a small mini-meet with the folks in the EU or USA who are slated to get the Wavelight loaner. Let's start with Wavelight first. One step at a time. Defeat Steppenwolf first before going on to Darkseid.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2020
  18. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
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    This had me curious to recall exactly what verbiage I used to describe the Pontus. Had to look it up, but...

    "So, the Pontus to me is like palatable, edible poop...but still poop."

    You and I might have different definitions of polite, but in this case, it works out in my favor. I can be a rascal, albeit an honest and straightforward one, and still be considered polite. I'll take it.
     
  19. GoldenOne

    GoldenOne Friend

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    Has anyone had the opportunity to do a comparison between the Holo Audio May and the Wavedream or Wavelight? Given measurements alone the May is looking like a pretty crazy good option, though of course, our ears shall be the judge.

    To my ears the May is a clear step above the Bricasti M1, but i've not had the opportunity to try a rockna
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2020
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Maybe get @atomicbob to ship the Holo May to me when I get the Wavelight, and vice-versa. Alternatively, maybe @ChaChaRealSmooth can reach out and see if we can get a Holo May.
     

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