Raspberry Pi and Nuforce UDAC2

[John EH]

Picked up a Nuforce UDAC2 and have had it playing about a week now.  Didn't think I cared for it too much at first but after a few days it got brighter and I did a little tube rolling.  Running into an Extended Foreplay 3 with Mullard CV4003 tubes seeming to be the best sounding with this rig.  I'm using an old RCA clear top as the regulator tube.

I ordered a UDAC2 SE.  They have some upgrade kit to SE for $140 and that nets you asynchronous whatever the hell that means.  Anyway I tried to buy the upgrade kit and noticed they were selling new UDAC2 SE's for $124 so I just bought that.  Should be here next week.

Anyway the Foreplay 3,  Raspberry Pi and Nuforce UDAC2 are awesome.

 

[John EH]

Oh this is crazy good now.  The Nuforce Udac2 is really settled in nicely.  I'm a bigger fan of it than I am the HiFiMeDIY DAC which I thought was outstanding.

Just to up the ante a little bit I broke out a set of Telefunken Smooth Plate 12AU7's for the Extended Foreplay 3 and I broke out my Mullard Double D Getter EL34's for my Dynaco ST70.

This is jaw dropping good even streaming from MOG. 

Only issue I have now is I checked the tube bias on the ST70 and it should be 1 volt.  I know the original is 1.56 but I did some mods when I restored mine.  Anyway I'm getting just over .8v but I'm only feeding this amp 100volts as I live in Japan.  I'm pretty sure if I put a step up transformer on it I'll get 120 then I'll get a higher bias voltage. 

And I measured it when I first turned it on.  It may have creeped up a little bit by now.

I bought a JDS ODAC and a Nuforce Udac2SE and both should arrive in the mail this week.

I'm really impressed with this UDAC2.  Even went to Hiroshima the other day and had a salesperson plug in multiple DAC's while my back was turned.  The UDAC2 was one of two I picked for the best sound.  I even liked it better than the other pick which was a Cambridge Audio DACMagic Plus which cost a heck of a lot more.

ODAC has big claims on tech specs.  We'll see if good numbers in the lab equals good sound or not.

HiFiMeDIY DAC still has a place in my heart and my laptop bag and a couple of my systems.  Fine piece of gear for the price but I'm loving this Nuforce DAC more every day.

John