Rolled in a JDS Labs ODAC yesterday in place of the NuForce UDAC2 which went to work and I also got a Nuforce UDAC2SE which went to my upstairs system.
Anyway the first thing I noticed about the ODAC is that it is tiny. I sure got the impression from the web page that it was a bit larger than it was.
I guess the big story behind the ODAC is some internet guy named NwAvGuy bought a Nuforce UDAC a couple years ago and put it on the bench and made a blog with his findings which were pretty negative as far as technical specs and numbers went. He also posted his back and forth with the company.
Nuforce claimed to tune for sound and NwAvGuy had a hand in designing the ODAC based on technical specifications purity or in other words the lab equipment says it has the best stats.
As a tube listener I'm aware that distortion is somewhat pleasing to the ears when implemented properly so good numbers don't sway me very much. What my ears hear is what matters to me.
So I dropped it in the system and the first thing I noticed is that the faceplate has the input (mini USB) and the output (3.5mm) on it. In my system that puts wires sticking forward and just messy and not attractive. When turned the other way it just looks black. No marking, no ports, nothing.
I took my vinyl sign machine and emailed JDS Labs and asked for a vector graphic of their company. To my surprise about a minute later I got it.
So now it at least looks like something and not a blank block.
But that is much ado about nothing. Do the purity of the specs make it sound good?
In a word. YES. It sounded amazing. Then the next time I used it it sounded kind of digital and the female voice sounded kind of edgy or something. Hard to describe. Kind of sterile.
Two more listening sessions and a swap to a short cable with ferrite rings on it (I never have used the supplied cable so I can't comment on it) and the edginess or whatever I was hearing is gone. It's warm now.
Well recorded music sounds awesome. Best DAC I've listened to by far. I'd call this a reference DAC.
Soundstage is HUGE! Instruments are well separated. Voices sound right. I can hear toe tapping sometimes. Very revealing.
Seems to just be getting better as well.
I am a firm believer that expensive DAC's can be snake oil. I think as the NwAvGuy and JDS Labs state it seems to be the implementation. I know the Bottlehead guys are working on a DAC and you can bet that's what they are doing.
I remember some years ago someone asking the famous photographer Ansel Adams what the best camera was and his response basically was any modern camera will do. They are all good enough. And of course this was the 1920's or 30's.
Anyway I think the same can be applied to DAC's. Probably all the chips are good enough but the implementation is what nets you the beautiful sound and that seems to be what the ODAC designers claim to have done.
I've only listened to the Nuforce UDAC2SE once so far so I'll reserve comment on it. It sounds okay but of course they claim to tune to the ear. And that's fine if the designer likes the same kind of stuff I like or listen for.
I think that's why I love Bottlehead gear so much because the guys that do the R&D probably listen close to the same way I do.
Anyway the ODAC is a keeper and while I'm tempted to roll my other DAC's in and out and I think the ODAC has found a permanent home. I think it is that good.
John
Anyway the first thing I noticed about the ODAC is that it is tiny. I sure got the impression from the web page that it was a bit larger than it was.
I guess the big story behind the ODAC is some internet guy named NwAvGuy bought a Nuforce UDAC a couple years ago and put it on the bench and made a blog with his findings which were pretty negative as far as technical specs and numbers went. He also posted his back and forth with the company.
Nuforce claimed to tune for sound and NwAvGuy had a hand in designing the ODAC based on technical specifications purity or in other words the lab equipment says it has the best stats.
As a tube listener I'm aware that distortion is somewhat pleasing to the ears when implemented properly so good numbers don't sway me very much. What my ears hear is what matters to me.
So I dropped it in the system and the first thing I noticed is that the faceplate has the input (mini USB) and the output (3.5mm) on it. In my system that puts wires sticking forward and just messy and not attractive. When turned the other way it just looks black. No marking, no ports, nothing.
I took my vinyl sign machine and emailed JDS Labs and asked for a vector graphic of their company. To my surprise about a minute later I got it.
So now it at least looks like something and not a blank block.
But that is much ado about nothing. Do the purity of the specs make it sound good?
In a word. YES. It sounded amazing. Then the next time I used it it sounded kind of digital and the female voice sounded kind of edgy or something. Hard to describe. Kind of sterile.
Two more listening sessions and a swap to a short cable with ferrite rings on it (I never have used the supplied cable so I can't comment on it) and the edginess or whatever I was hearing is gone. It's warm now.
Well recorded music sounds awesome. Best DAC I've listened to by far. I'd call this a reference DAC.
Soundstage is HUGE! Instruments are well separated. Voices sound right. I can hear toe tapping sometimes. Very revealing.
Seems to just be getting better as well.
I am a firm believer that expensive DAC's can be snake oil. I think as the NwAvGuy and JDS Labs state it seems to be the implementation. I know the Bottlehead guys are working on a DAC and you can bet that's what they are doing.
I remember some years ago someone asking the famous photographer Ansel Adams what the best camera was and his response basically was any modern camera will do. They are all good enough. And of course this was the 1920's or 30's.
Anyway I think the same can be applied to DAC's. Probably all the chips are good enough but the implementation is what nets you the beautiful sound and that seems to be what the ODAC designers claim to have done.
I've only listened to the Nuforce UDAC2SE once so far so I'll reserve comment on it. It sounds okay but of course they claim to tune to the ear. And that's fine if the designer likes the same kind of stuff I like or listen for.
I think that's why I love Bottlehead gear so much because the guys that do the R&D probably listen close to the same way I do.
Anyway the ODAC is a keeper and while I'm tempted to roll my other DAC's in and out and I think the ODAC has found a permanent home. I think it is that good.
John