Inoculator

I will admit that I had my doubts when I saw it used the old Sabre chips, but I have to say that Weiss did a good job

I think what is most interesting about this DAC is it is not trying to do the "sound like analog" thing. It is its own thing, which is just being a spectacular-sounding source. No digititus, no faux analog...just wonderfully articulated music

How is it modded? And by whom?

@wbass I ordered the fully modded Signature Series one from APS transformers https://apsaudiotransformers.com/SALE-Our-new-Signature-Series-upgraded-MK1-DAC#wbs1 The most important part of the mod is their transformers and the Vocm mod, which can be bought separately and you can send a unit to them.

@crenca I know it is hard for me to understand as apparently it is just a bunch (quad?) of ESS 9018 chips. I haven't dove too deep because hearing is believing, but must be the custom filter Weiss uses. My understanding is also that at least the USB input goes through the built in DDC, so I am thinking that is part of the magic. Was great even with stock switching PSU, but phenomenal once I paired a Plixir LPS.

Does PS Audio do the upgrades on the Directstream, or is it another company?

Dude I just ordered a DS DAC that has 8 ES9018 Sabre DS DACs per channel. We're about to see what's up!

Also an update for folks, any perceived thinness was gone when paired with a Vintage Naim NAIT 2...stunning combo with the LS3/5a. Something to that all brit-fi chain, hard to believe you can get that level of engagement and musicality out of such a simple system.

Rob would say that optical is the benchmark, cause it can be totally isolated, but USB can be as good as long as you have a clean usb source like my ultrarendu, he also likes laptops or phones/etc on battery power as usb sources.

The USB feed from Allo USBridge Sig was better than the USB feed from my iPhone and MacBook. But the Optical feed from my DDC was better than the USB feed from the Allo, in terms of better overall resolution, refinement, separation, imaging and lesser digital glare.

@rlow I just got the Plixir in recently, and holy cow what an upgrade for the Weiss DAC204. Almost criminal it ships with a off the shelf switching PSU, was clearly really holding the DAC back. Excited for longer-term impressions once fully broken in.

Aweome! I love how passionate you are about this hobby and always love seeing what you're up to next.

I didn’t realize how large the Allnic is. Looks extremely impressive.

My Allnic phono is the best I've heard. I did a medium-size shootout a few years ago, and it was my preferred unit by a fair margin.

@wbass it really is something. I am getting to spend all day spinning records today, and I keep having the thought of, if this is entry-level from Allnic, how do their other offerings sound? Brain can't even process it.

I think the SUTs are the same no matter where you are in the line, and I think they're pretty good and compare well to my Bob's Devices and Slagle SUTs. A lot of tube phono stages have Lundahls built in, and I don't rate those as highly.

I've never heard these but they're by the guy who makes the Nighthawk:
https://josephcrowe.com/products/speaker-system-no-1901

@bobboxbody Joseph's work is so sick! Love following his stuff. I was not aware of these little guys, will check it out.

Feeding it some current?

@Gazny so far just a brief session out of the enleum amp-23r. My favorite headphone rig I ever ran was auteur+3f , so 3FN may have to be in my future

All of them ended my respective gear-churning journeys with the setups I paired them with. All achieved previously unknown synergy/upgrades or lifted unknown veils in my systems. All brought me closer to the music, so for that I am very grateful.

I'm actually really curious about your impressions on the Whammerdyne amp.

@Northwest I am slack on those but will eventually be doing an extensive write up. Hoping to get a suitable comparison in and letting a few more months pass so honeymoon stage is well over.

@Vansen You think that kind of Radio Shack nostalgia is easy…or cheap??

I found a photo of that firework launcher and the case definitely did not come from RadioShack, lol. It’s still in my dad’s messy garage. https://i.imgur.com/EYeNiLb.jpg

@Inoculator thanks for the feedback. Weiss 204/205 has ESS 9018. Do you have the latest board on 204 ?

Using it with my office turntable which I have to admit I am not familiar enough with to comment on overall sound quality, but seems nice and neutral sounding. Maybe sounds a tad flatter/thinner than the R26 I use on this setup but too many variables to comment yet.

This is the first phono preamp in a while that I’ve wanted to demo next to my Manley Chinook. I’ll even loan you the Manley if you’re curious about it.

Not winning any design awards that's for sure.

loaner tour worthy?

@yotacowboy I would say so, I can't swing a personal loaner on this one though. Maybe one of the friends of SBAF is a dealer for Weiss and could hook it up? They are the hot ticket item right now, I had to wait a month to get mine from my local dealer.

Purty!

that magic eye goes hard

Update now that I am listening to it (after almost a day of burn in) rather than just rearranging my rack and drooling over it...it is good, hype was justified it seems. Lots more listening ahead.

I just use ARC through my modded Oppo BDP-103D blu-ray player and send that to my Yggdrasil. Otherwise I'd just use an optical cable. HDMI sucks and the standards change all the time. Never again will I combine so many functions into one box like a streamer/DAC/pre. Keep the analog stuff separate at least!

Ha, I think we've got our acronyms crossed. I was thinking of Active Room Correction, but I think you mean Audio Return Channel. My bad. I had an interesting system going where I ran the Anthem STR pre/DAC/processor main outs into HT bypass inputs of an ARC (Audio Research Corporation, ha!) tube pre and the STR's sub outs to a pair of 15in subs.

That way I could have an all-analog, all-tube chain for vinyl, and an a digital, DSP-room-correct very full-range chain for streaming. I thought it worked great. (But all of this maybe less relevant to your post. Apologies.)

Curious - what pushed you away from the May?

@Soups $$$. I am no longer working from home so I decided to liquidate a bunch of my home office rig as it felt silly to have that much money tied up in a DAC/headamp for a personal rig I am not getting much use on/I primarily listen to vinyl on. Of course easier said than done, I ended up more side grading as I stumbled into a new level of performance with my LS3/5a paired with a Whammerdyne amp.

I'm somewhat resigned to the idea that a proper liquidation of my gear will only happen through an estate sale (post-me). ;)

@Tchoupitoulas I have my fingers crossed! I have it going with the Enleum and after some quick brain adjustment to planar sound I am digging it so far. Not in a wow way yet, but seems like a very well sorted headphone.

I very much enjoy my LCD-2F (under-rated IMO) with electronic music. Definitely not good for all genres, but real neat with synth bass especially.

Nice, I like my LCD 2 pre fazor, good sound

Right over my head! Lol. Thanks! It has a "if Bottlehead and Chord had a baby" vibes. I dig it.

I get Cylon vibes myself.

@Armaegis All this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.