Can a good DAC / amplifier be inexpensive? The answer will be yes if two necessary conditions coincide. First, it must be made in China to provide an acceptable price, and secondly, it must be made by a company with experience to get quality. This is exactly what TubeDAC-11 is from Grant Fidelity.
As is often the case, the developers of this device have tried to provide customers with the most opportunities and, given the fairly affordable price ( now it is possible for 325 dollars), the price-quality ratio for this combine is off scale.
Special mention deserves the fact that this device is an OEM product manufactured at the Yulong factory, and this is already a guarantee of quality and reliability.
The DAC is based on the CS4398 chip, supplemented by the Tenor TE7022 as a USB interface and Cirrus CS8416 for the remaining digital inputs. The built-in headphone amplifier uses the Analog Devices ADA4075-2 op amp and the output stage on a "diamond buffer" transistor. Also in the device is implemented a lamp buffer on the Chinese lamp 6N11 (it can and should be replaced with something like 6922, ECC88, or 6DJ8). All this can be differently switched, achieving a different sound, but about it below.
Specifications
- Inputs: optical, coaxial, USB, 2 analog
- Supported formats: USB up to 24 bit / 96 kHz, the rest up to 24 bits / 192 kHz
- Outputs: linear, preamplifier, with tube preamp, earphone
- Signal to noise ratio: > 120 dB
- Dynamic range: 115 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: <0.0008%, for a lamp output of 0.02%
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 KHz (-0.2 dB)
- Output level: 2V for line output, 6V for tube and discrete preamplifiers
- Output impedance: <600Ω for line output, <20Ω for tube and discrete preamplifiers
- Amplifier power for headphones: 110 mW @ 300Ω, 600 mW @ 32Ω
- Channel separation: DAC and headphone output 105 dB, tube preamp 90 dB
- Power consumption: 20 W
- Dimensions: 300 mm × 300 mm × 100 mm
- Weight: 1.6 kg
Packing and delivery kit
The DAC box is very simple. The usual brown cardboard, the lack of any printing. Inside are the inserts of foam, reliably holding the device.
In turn, the delivery package is pleasantly surprising. In addition to TubeDAC-11, you get: power cable, USB cable, coaxial and optical cables, adapter from 6.3 to 3.5 mm, interconnector cable with RCA connectors and adapter with 6.3 mm per pair RCA.
In general, almost everything that they could come up with, was put into the kit for this DAC.
Design and management
Appearance directly gives a reference to Yulong. The TubeDAC-11 uses a common chassis for the company's products and a similar front panel design. As before, I consider this a huge advantage, as you can easily add this harvester to another DAC / amplifier from Yulong, and they will fit into a single pile.
The design uses a similar approach to the D200: the body itself is made of black metal with a powder coating, and the front panel is made of milled aluminum. There are options with silver and black front panels to choose from.
The front panel is basically simple enough, from the control elements on it there are two LEDs (power and digital connection), a volume control, a headphone jack and a 5-position input selection switch.
The rear panel is much more loaded, because most of the interfaces are located on it: the power connector with the switch and the voltage selection switch, 3 digital inputs (USB, coaxial and optical), two linear inputs and 3 different outputs. The matter is that in TubeDAC-11 two different versions of the amplifier are realized, and you can choose the necessary output.
DAC Out is a linear output in its classic sense, it outputs a signal directly from the DAC, bypassing the volume control and all amplification options. The best choice for connecting an external headphone amplifier.
Line Out - output from the built-in preamplifier built on the op amp. Allows you to adjust the volume.
Tube Out - output through a tube amplifier, also allows you to adjust the volume. If desired, you can connect headphones to this output via a special adapter, but because of the high output impedance this option works more or less only with headphones with an impedance of 300Ω and higher.
The abundance of inputs and outputs makes it possible to use TubeDAC in a variety of ways, starting with a desktop combine for listening in headphones and ending with a lamp buffer to add "warmth" and "lampiness" to the sound of other devices. Preamplifier, pure DAC, headphone amplifier, switchboard - all these functions TubeDAC-11 "on the shoulder."
Sound
To listen to TubeDAC-11, I used the following equipment:
- MacBook Pro Retina Late 2013 as a source
- Audirvana Plus as a player
- HiFiMan EF-6 and Yulong A28 as an amplifier
- Headphones AKG K702, ZMF Fostex, Fischer Audio FA-003 Bog Oak Limited Edition, Fischer Audio FA-011 Limited Edition Japan, Sennheiser HD800, TDS-7 Snorry mod and a number of others
- Entries in lossless format
First I listened to TubeDAC-11 as a pure DAC, in turn connecting its output DAC out to the amplifiers available at hand. Perhaps, it is in the role of DAC that the price-quality ratio for this device is highest. Of course, expensive models with price tags two or more times higher are better, primarily in detail and speed characteristics, but for the device for modest 325 dollars the sound is simply excellent. In the role of a pure DAC, this device pleases with excellent dynamics, natural, almost unpainted pitch and very pleasant and musical high frequencies. It is possible, of course, to find fault with the high-speed characteristics on LF, but most good amplifiers successfully eliminate this disadvantage.
Exit through the preamplifier slightly conceals the details (quite a bit), which sometimes gives the effect of a more musical feed, adding to the sound of corporeality. I can not say that this is good for all compositions, but, for example, records of jazz vocals clearly benefit from this.
The lamp output is just a godsend for those who are afraid of high frequencies as a fire. Unlike Maverick Audio A1, where the lamp is used as a preamplifier in all circuits, 6N11 is used as a lamp buffer (by the way, Grant Fidelity are developers of several popular devices of this kind). In this case, the lamp serves just to soften the sound and copes with it very well. If you want to mute the brightness of the RF, smooth them, the lamp output is exactly what you need. Although, of course, for this you have to pay the detail.
But, of course, the most interesting for me was the mode of use with an amplifier for headphones. In general, it is quite similar to the sound of an adjustable line output, although it has its own peculiarities.
In general, if you take into account the price of the device, find fault with the sound does not want to, find the best sound and functionality for 325 dollars is unrealistic. Feed TubeDAC-11 is balanced and natural, without unnecessary distortions and accents.
The bass is well controlled, it has a nice texture and speed, there is the necessary biting. Depth of LF - not beyond, but in general, very good. Bass provides a clear basis for the rest of the music, deepening the effect of presence.
The middle frequencies are emotional and detailed. Of course, for top headphones, you need to look for something more expensive, but for models of the initial and middle price ranges, the TubeDAC-11 will, as they say, "with a head". The tools are clearly outlined, their character is well conveyed. The imaginary scene is very good both in width and in depth, and it is the depth, the separation of plans, which makes the device particularly good.
HF in general, almost no complaints, except for some light metal sound in the area of 5-7 KHz, it is not very noticeable, especially on full-size headphones. Except for this, HF is pleased, they are not sharp, not failed, just like they should be. Light attenuations and nuances of post-sound are transmitted as needed.
In my copy there was a small background noise when used with sensitive headphones, but on less sensitive models it is almost not audible. The volume control is qualitative, there is no noise during rotation, an easy channel imbalance is present only at the very first positions.
Compatibility
The power reserve of this amplifier allows it to work with most headphones, except for tight isodynamic models. The latter still need more power. Also, AKG K702 is not 100% open, which requires a current swing. Very well with TubeDAC showed themselves to the Philips Fidelio X1, Sennheiser HD600, both models of Fischer Audio.
The genre combine is quite universal, there are no special preferences. To poor records it is tolerated moderately: you will hear that they are bad, but you can still listen to them.
Traditionally - a few tracks for an example.
Juno Reactor - Trans Siberian If you really want to listen to electronic music, it's smart, like Juno Reactor does. A good bass and a detailed mid-range allow TubeDAC-11 to play out the volume and special effects with which this record is complete.
Opeth - Moonlapse Vertigo An amazing combination of heaviness and lyricism in one melody requires a source of outstanding abilities. Transitions from growl to pure vocal, complex guitar parts, an interesting rhythm section, all this TubeDAC transmits simply wonderful.
Che Pazzo Band - Bellevile . Two bayans and percussion are in itself an unusual combination, but the jazz they play instantly falls in love with themselves, and after a minute of listening you have to struggle with the desire to stamp your foot. Them, the only one at the moment, EP Jean-Baptiste is surprisingly well-recorded and, moreover, distributed on the web for free. In general, there is not a single reason to not familiarize yourself with it, so - to run and listen, the main thing is that the source is good, for example TubeDAC.
conclusions
Grant Fidelity has a kind of "Swiss army knife" of the world of audio: a universal, inexpensive device with good sound quality. Of course, it is not perfect, and it has minor flaws, but it simply does not exist within the given budget of competitors.
The article is based on materials .
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