Prism Callia: Flush your Schiit

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by HitmanFluffy, Jun 8, 2020.

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  1. HitmanFluffy

    HitmanFluffy Hoping to see real genitals someday!

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    To start off, I want to take a stand on what Schiit brings to the table, and dispense with any notion of their DACs as neutral or reference worthy. The house sound has several notable tendencies, such as added fatness in the bass, DR compression towards loudness, and the special filter that seems to add spatial information, but in reality masks treble detail in the recording. These qualities do not, however, disqualify them from being enjoyable to listen to, inasmuch as one can listen to hi-fi without regard for external validation, and this post is here not to denigrate those who enjoy Schiit, but instead offer a meaningful alternative.

    [​IMG]

    Despite the pro-audio provenance, the Prism Callia is unapologetically Brit-fi in tone, if not in general technical aptitude. To answer the million-dollar question: "Is it warm?", it absolutely is, with an added fatness to the bass. Having loaned this unit out to two major Schiitheads, I can say with confidence that if Schiit is your reference point, this aspect of the Callia's sound will probably escape your notice.

    The Callia starts to put distance between itself and most other DACs when the critical listening begins. It excels in delivering texture and separation from the recording, with fantastically clear treble, and arguably the most treble detail I have ever heard in a DAC. The impressive sense of air complements its ability to present stage, which it does well at even with speakers, something many DACs struggle with. The staging profile is more forward than typical, with very good depth and precision in picking out instruments.

    Perhaps more importantly to the readers here, the Callia is far removed from a sterile studio piece, unlike say, RME's products. It slams hard, with a clean and articulate attack. This, combined with the tonal characteristics described earlier, make it an ideal candidate for helping you to rock out to most commercial recordings.

    It isn't a perfect DAC by any means, particularly if you are chasing neutrality, and there is a dryness to the lower mids, likely a tradeoff for its abovementioned strengths. The built in volume control sucks, but the very practical dipswitches on the back allow you to bypass it easily rather than messing with the knob or software.

    The way I see it, for those who genuinely enjoy the Schiit house sound (no need to be afraid, be out and proud), the Callia is all upside, delivering the same type of experience with far more technical fidelity and practical features, at a comparable price point. Flush your Schiit, and don't forget to wipe.
     
  2. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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  3. Koth Ganesh

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    @HitmanFluffy , FWIW, I tried a brand-new Callia here in India for a period of 3 days. At that time I had (and still do) the Dangerous Convert 2 and the Lavry DA11 DACs (for comparison). Callia had the best treble of the lot. The nice thing with all of these DACs (except the Lavry) is that you can just use the USB and not get any nervosa about audio quality. However, three things caused me to return it:

    1. For my genre of music (hard rock), the Convert-2 had the "better" slam.
    2. The Callia would have cost me 340,000 in local currency (Indian rupees) versus the Convert-2 which cost me 175,000. (It could very well be that the dealer was trying to take me for a ride but I doubt it. I bought my SPL Phonitor 2 from him).
    3. The Lavry's headphone out is very good. Hence between this and the Dangerous Source, I was pretty much full up with AIOs. While the Lavry is a non-upsampling DAC and I do get bored with its comparatively laid-back presentation, I love its warmth, detail and wide-open presentation.

    I have a friend who wants to sell his used Callia to me at a much better price point but he is stuck in the US for now. So, we will see.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  4. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Told you man. Phat bass and the clearest treble even if the v shape can veer the unit toward unnecessary sibilance with a lot of recordings. It emphasizes detail within the warm punch where the Dangerous engages the lizard brain, which is what makes the Dangerous so good with a lot of recordings.

    RME is tailor made for insipid performances of third rate orchestras hitting FM.
     
  5. MrTeaRex

    MrTeaRex His head's not fat, he's my brother!

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    I gotta know... are those HD800s resting on a female toy?
     
  6. famish99

    famish99 Friend

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    I'm just salty to see that Great House Hampden I missed out on getting in the picture.

    I had fluffy's Callia in my system for an evening and I quite loved how it sounds. Largely agree with fluffy on the pros, particularly that it's a nice warm blanket compared to the Rockna, and it's tastefully done Brit-fi with air for days. My only complaints with it was a bit of grain in the mids, the dip in the lower mids made male vocals occasionally get lost in the mix and I thought it decayed just a tad too quickly, but at the prices you can find it or the Lyra used it's such great value.
     
  7. mokobigbro

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  8. spoony

    spoony Spooky

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    Or male?
     
  9. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Interesting with your comments on the Forssell MADA-2a regarding the lack of extension at both ends and being warm. I’m translating this to mid-centric which makes me want to get this DAC in as a loaner even more. If it sounds anything like an upscale Motu Ultralite with less mellow upper mids, I’d be all over it. We already hit Crane Song Solaris and Convert-2. I feel we need the Forssell and maybe Burl (old school AKM) to complete the cycle of worthy pro DACs.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Wide and deep. Helps clear out the Schiit.

    It’s 2020. The scotch bottle near the audio gear is passé now. That ended in 2018. Fat sound, at least out of sources is out now too, or at least relegated to niche.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  12. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Aaaah, too hasty. That's Rum. Soooo 2020.
     
  13. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Mere technicality: any kind of bottle of alcohol + gear pic is passe in 2020. You drink at gatherings with your friends, or maybe by yourself to savor, or perhaps to drown away sorrows. One does not cheapen the experience by posting a picture of your bottle next to audio gear on an audio forum*.

    So are tweaked alt-right / 4chan avatars. It's boring now to try to elicit reactions from sensitive people or publicly-secretly identify as alt-right. Real alt-right people hang Confederate battle flags while silently voting for Trump and donating to the local police officers benevolent association. (people should be able to vote for whoever they want or give their money to).

    *Instagram is a better vehicle for posing. Cheap beer + gear pics is appropriate for SBAF though, especially with modest gear.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  14. bengo

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  15. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Things to consider:
    You heard the Lavry. They all sound like that but get bigger and more colored and more expensive sounding.

    JCF Latte has tape head analog electronics in the output stage. This might be worth checking out with the Burl but it is 7500 bucks. Bleh.

    Burl doesn’t offer their latest converters in the B2 bombers. You need the fuckin mothership. The B2s are good but the tone varies a lot based on how hard you hit their transformers (in the ad) and discrete op amps. Normalish, muddy, saturated, saturated in a good way but with some tizz on the drums, washed out inoffensive brightness. This is a great unit to play with.

    Apogee Symphony Desktop is a USB version of the symphony mkii se with no fan. This will be more laid back than the MOTU with less grain. It’s still Apogee though just sounding less Apogee.

    Dad AX32 is the current AVID unit without the AVID rebranding so DAD is the current standard. There are no 2i/2o versions for audiophiles. It supposedly does the Prism treble thing but flatter. It just costs a ton and there are no money shots of it on the internet.

    SPL Crimson used is warm with a great pre for 400 bucks.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Yeah, Lavry higher-end would be of interest here, but super high prices. Even the OOP Gold is pricey. Maybe a used Blue, of which there are plenty available second-hand. SPL Mercury looks interesting; however they use the 4490 which worries me even though they have a custom output stage. Burl B2 Bomber DAC has had good availability and spot prices on the used market, although everything is high right now. The Callia is easily accessible, but a CS4398 with Yggdrasil A2 tonal balance (or "pro" gear without rack mount faceplates and Brit-Fi proclivities) scares me.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2020
  17. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Burl B2 sounds fun then. Half the fun of Lavry is in AD saturation. The other half is the DA warmth and cohesiveness. I didn't like the SPL dacs in the headphone amps as much as the "built to a price" ones in the interfaces. They're less veiled, warmer, betterer, less processed but not as detailed and big as the MOTU. They're overpriced here but tank on the used market. Just wait to hear a Prism unit. Don't buy one unless you have crap, need something, or want that sound. Their ultra expensive stuff keeps the treble cleanliness but isn't as "hi-fi" as the Orpheus/Lyra/Callia.
     
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  18. JayNYC

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    regarding Lavry... I have found the Lavry Black DA11 via it’s AES input to be a level-up (vastly superior) vs it’s Toslink, spdif and obviously ancient USB input. I say this because :

    #1 having lived with the DA11 for ~10 years and compared it across many sources and inputs (too many to type on iPhone but I can future populate if it’s mandatory, starting with a white MacBook thru Rednet Dante and Lumin transports)

    #2 many members of this forum seem to like the pi2AES transport, so hearing the DA11 via AES seems more readily accessible to certain forum members now vs the past.

    #3 the old DAC Chart of Awesomeness, which is the entire reason I found and joined this forum, ranked the DA11 based on its USB input. And I think there’s a pretty big delta between USB and AES.

    —jay
     
  19. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    My chain is in fact: Prism -> Phonitor 2

    (then into monoblock AHB2, but I'm stupid like that)
     
  20. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    The Forssell to me was rich without getting syrupy. The lack of extension was very very slight. The summary paragraph was more or less "say two good things and nitpick one". My real takeaway was the presence/staging. Maybe not as wide as the RME, but everything felt more accurate. Like chamber vs orchestra. The chamber ensemble isn't as wide, but each location is more precise.
     
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