Post by Bigman80 on Oct 29, 2022 22:38:51 GMT
For sale is my Excellent Parasound D/AC 1600HD with 4x PCM63-K.
I felt the urge to try a DAC with the legendary DAC chips in, and when this came up for sale in Germany, I had to get it. It’s insanity level build quality meant I couldn’t look past it! 4x PCM63-k, 20+ Black Gate Caps, Polypropylene caps with bypass caps, three independent transformers, Nichicon Finetune caps....i mean C’mon!!! IT’s a beast!
This DAC has not disappointed. It’s resolution, detail, liquidity and fluidity have been a delight to listen to. As you are probably aware, this isn’t a common description of DACs you would get from me!
This DAC has fuelled my urge to delve a little deeper into what these older R-2R chip powered DACs can provide in terms of a listening experience. If you want the bragging rights of owning a DAC that tops the ASR SINAD chart.... this isn’t the one for you, but if you want a DAC that provides you with a good emotional connection to your music collection, this is a great candidate.
Personally, I am a bit of a transparency nerd. I can’t stomach equipment that gets in the way, nor can I tolerate veiled devices. This is neither veiled nor intrusive. It has good resolution, good transparency and tonality.
The LF slam from this DAC can really pound. It’s full bodied (not bloated) and has great texture.
Brass instruments are not screaming in your face like they tend to do with modern DAC’s, they retain rasp and resonance. They have an authenticity to the sound, which most DACs I have tried don’t seem to manage.
Vocals breathe and move with the singer, and it’s very easy to sometimes forget where you are in the world.
IMO, this is a GREAT DAC, one of very few that I genuinely think could live in someone's system for a long time.
Good points:
Fitted with Audiotuning Level 2 mods, which are improved filters and higher bit/sample receiver chip with rate of 24/88 possible. This is not possible with the original chips installed. I will include the mods for the asking price. Original parts included regardless.
Fantastic physical condition. Looks like new.
Additional super soft feet included to aid the myth of DACs requiring absorption. These were stupid money, but I’ll throw them in for the asking price. Silver plated Pure copper Coax cable, specifically designed for Audio/Video. I’ll throw that in too.
Now, there are a couple of things to note:
The XLR connections on this unit have gotten a little dirty over the years through lack of use. A bit of cleaning will sort them out, and If I get chance, I will do it. If not...you can manage lol
In my system, if switching on from cold, there is some distortion on the RH channel. This goes after 10-20 minutes and everything is fine. It stays fine as long as the unit is left on. However, I have tried to replicate this on 2 other systems and it doesn’t happen. So, I am thinking that it’s some sort of dislike for my streamer which is a bit of an oddball brand. Technical inspection by an EE has yielded absolutely nothing in the way of a fault. Everything is as it should be.
Technical Specs and manufacturer statement:
The D/AC-1600 HD is designed to deliver incomparable musical detail from any digital source. You will enjoy the warmth and depth that are usually associated only with the finest analogue sources. In addition to its high-quality components, triple power supplies, high current analogue drive stages, the D/AC-1600HD incorporates the High Definition Compatible Digital PMD-100 HDCD process de-coder developed by Pacific Microsonics. This state-of-the-art decoder performs precise decoding of HDCD encoded recordings and also functions as a superb digital filter that will enhance the sonic quality of non-HDCD encoded recordings
Frequency Response:
2 Hz - 20 kHz, I0.25 dB
Signal to Noise Ratio:
> 108 dB, 113 dB typical
Channel Separation:
> 100 dB @ I kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion:
< 0.0015% @ 1 kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion:
< 0.0015% @ 1 kHz
Amplitude Linearity:
> 100 dB; 102 dB Typical
Phase Linearity:
+/- 0.1 deg @ 20 kHz
Maximum Jitter:
< 50 picoseconds RMS, using selected low jitter Crystal
8412 Digital Interface Receiver
D-A Converters:
Four Burr-Brown PCM 63P-K (highest grade) 20 bit,push-pull for each channel and fully balanced digital operation
Oversampling Rate:
8 X (352.8-kHz)
Digital Input:
32 kHz, 4.1 kHz, 48 kHz; Consumer standard SPDIF
Digital Filters:
PMD-100 High-Definition Compatible Digital Process Decoder
Absolute Polarity:
0 deg or 180 deg switchable
Digital Inputs:
Coaxial:
75 Ω RCA
TOSlink fiber optic:
EIAJ Standard CP-340/RC-5720,660 nm typical wavelength
ST module fiber optic:
AT&T Standard, 820 nm typical wavelength
AES/EBU Balanced XLR
Outputs:
Unbalanced Analog Line Out: 3 V nominal, 600 Ω
Balanced Analog Line Out: 6 V nominal, 1.2 k Ω
Digital: 750 RCA coaxial, 0.5 V peak-to-peak
Power Supplies:
3 separate transformers and nine regulators for digital circuits and for each analogue channel
Power Requirement:
220 - 240 V, 50 Hz
Dimensions:
19" W x 3" H (3 5/8 with feet) x 13 1/8" D
Net Weight:
13.5 lb.
Price:
All prices include UK delivery
With mods, feet and cable: £675
Without mods: £600
I’m not currently negotiating the price or the package included.
I felt the urge to try a DAC with the legendary DAC chips in, and when this came up for sale in Germany, I had to get it. It’s insanity level build quality meant I couldn’t look past it! 4x PCM63-k, 20+ Black Gate Caps, Polypropylene caps with bypass caps, three independent transformers, Nichicon Finetune caps....i mean C’mon!!! IT’s a beast!
This DAC has not disappointed. It’s resolution, detail, liquidity and fluidity have been a delight to listen to. As you are probably aware, this isn’t a common description of DACs you would get from me!
This DAC has fuelled my urge to delve a little deeper into what these older R-2R chip powered DACs can provide in terms of a listening experience. If you want the bragging rights of owning a DAC that tops the ASR SINAD chart.... this isn’t the one for you, but if you want a DAC that provides you with a good emotional connection to your music collection, this is a great candidate.
Personally, I am a bit of a transparency nerd. I can’t stomach equipment that gets in the way, nor can I tolerate veiled devices. This is neither veiled nor intrusive. It has good resolution, good transparency and tonality.
The LF slam from this DAC can really pound. It’s full bodied (not bloated) and has great texture.
Brass instruments are not screaming in your face like they tend to do with modern DAC’s, they retain rasp and resonance. They have an authenticity to the sound, which most DACs I have tried don’t seem to manage.
Vocals breathe and move with the singer, and it’s very easy to sometimes forget where you are in the world.
IMO, this is a GREAT DAC, one of very few that I genuinely think could live in someone's system for a long time.
Good points:
Fitted with Audiotuning Level 2 mods, which are improved filters and higher bit/sample receiver chip with rate of 24/88 possible. This is not possible with the original chips installed. I will include the mods for the asking price. Original parts included regardless.
Fantastic physical condition. Looks like new.
Additional super soft feet included to aid the myth of DACs requiring absorption. These were stupid money, but I’ll throw them in for the asking price. Silver plated Pure copper Coax cable, specifically designed for Audio/Video. I’ll throw that in too.
Now, there are a couple of things to note:
The XLR connections on this unit have gotten a little dirty over the years through lack of use. A bit of cleaning will sort them out, and If I get chance, I will do it. If not...you can manage lol
In my system, if switching on from cold, there is some distortion on the RH channel. This goes after 10-20 minutes and everything is fine. It stays fine as long as the unit is left on. However, I have tried to replicate this on 2 other systems and it doesn’t happen. So, I am thinking that it’s some sort of dislike for my streamer which is a bit of an oddball brand. Technical inspection by an EE has yielded absolutely nothing in the way of a fault. Everything is as it should be.
Technical Specs and manufacturer statement:
The D/AC-1600 HD is designed to deliver incomparable musical detail from any digital source. You will enjoy the warmth and depth that are usually associated only with the finest analogue sources. In addition to its high-quality components, triple power supplies, high current analogue drive stages, the D/AC-1600HD incorporates the High Definition Compatible Digital PMD-100 HDCD process de-coder developed by Pacific Microsonics. This state-of-the-art decoder performs precise decoding of HDCD encoded recordings and also functions as a superb digital filter that will enhance the sonic quality of non-HDCD encoded recordings
Frequency Response:
2 Hz - 20 kHz, I0.25 dB
Signal to Noise Ratio:
> 108 dB, 113 dB typical
Channel Separation:
> 100 dB @ I kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion:
< 0.0015% @ 1 kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion:
< 0.0015% @ 1 kHz
Amplitude Linearity:
> 100 dB; 102 dB Typical
Phase Linearity:
+/- 0.1 deg @ 20 kHz
Maximum Jitter:
< 50 picoseconds RMS, using selected low jitter Crystal
8412 Digital Interface Receiver
D-A Converters:
Four Burr-Brown PCM 63P-K (highest grade) 20 bit,push-pull for each channel and fully balanced digital operation
Oversampling Rate:
8 X (352.8-kHz)
Digital Input:
32 kHz, 4.1 kHz, 48 kHz; Consumer standard SPDIF
Digital Filters:
PMD-100 High-Definition Compatible Digital Process Decoder
Absolute Polarity:
0 deg or 180 deg switchable
Digital Inputs:
Coaxial:
75 Ω RCA
TOSlink fiber optic:
EIAJ Standard CP-340/RC-5720,660 nm typical wavelength
ST module fiber optic:
AT&T Standard, 820 nm typical wavelength
AES/EBU Balanced XLR
Outputs:
Unbalanced Analog Line Out: 3 V nominal, 600 Ω
Balanced Analog Line Out: 6 V nominal, 1.2 k Ω
Digital: 750 RCA coaxial, 0.5 V peak-to-peak
Power Supplies:
3 separate transformers and nine regulators for digital circuits and for each analogue channel
Power Requirement:
220 - 240 V, 50 Hz
Dimensions:
19" W x 3" H (3 5/8 with feet) x 13 1/8" D
Net Weight:
13.5 lb.
Price:
All prices include UK delivery
With mods, feet and cable: £675
Without mods: £600
I’m not currently negotiating the price or the package included.