New Dartzeel LHC-208

[Nacho]

http://sonetimage.adm.hr/uploads/img52aec20014431.jpg

[Jerome W]

What is it ?

A preamp ?
A Dac ?
A preamp - dac ?

[Pider]

What is it ? A preamp ? A Dac ? A preamp - dac ?

Clearly a network player of some type. Maybe a music server / DAC / pre in one box.

[Nacho]

It's a DAC-Integrated Amplifier.

[Puma Cat]

Herve Delatraz is up to his usual tricks, I see...

[jdandy]

Jérôme.......The information I found says the DartZeel LHC-208 is an integrated amp with built in DAC which can play back DSD and 192khz hires directly from a NAS via Ethernet.

[Nacho]

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[Jerome W]

Jérôme.......The information I found says the DartZeel LHC-208 is an integrated amp with built in DAC which can play back DSD and 192khz hires directly from a NAS via Ethernet.

Thanks Dan !

[Bodhisattva]

Jérôme.......The information I found says the DartZeel LHC-208 is an integrated amp with built in DAC which can play back DSD and 192khz hires directly from a NAS via Ethernet.
Yeah I heard Herve was working on a new integrated. This product however appears to fill a different segment and will likely compliment, rather than replace the CTH-8550. The next products to drop should be the NHB Mk2 amps some time in 2014, but then again you know Dartzeel time :yes:

[Car commander]

Gotta like his stuff. My NHB108 is a keeper.

[kev313]

Jérôme.......The information I found says the DartZeel LHC-208 is an integrated amp with built in DAC which can play back DSD and 192khz hires directly from a NAS via Ethernet.An integrated with a built in DAC...that seems like an awful idea these days. Digital is moving way too quickly for me to want to tie my amp to it

[Jerome W]

An integrated with a built in DAC...that seems like an awful idea these days. Digital is moving way too quickly for me to want to tie my amp to it

Awful idea ? Maybe but a few companies are leading into this integration : even PlayBack Designs made one. Not to mention McIntosh, Devialet....
There has been a review of 5 integrateds / dac in the late french "Haute Fidelité " mag.
For someone interested in an integrated amplifier, he already makes imho a little compromise in sound because all the makers do better with their separates so having a built in dac is probably not the worst compromise.

[kev313]

Awful idea ? Maybe but a few companies are leading into this integration : even PlayBack Designs made one. Not to mention McIntosh, Devialet.... There has been a review of 5 integrateds / dac in the late french "Haute Fidelité " mag. For someone interested in an integrated amplifier, he already makes imho a little compromise in sound because all the makers do better with their separates so having a built in dac is probably not the worst compromise.I get the appeal of the product, don't get me wrong. The pace of change in the digital arena makes me think that any dac would be outdated - or at least feel outdated by audiophile standards - long before the integrated. When purchasing amplification of the quality of Dartzeel, I wouldn't want to feel stuck with an older dac.

[Orb]

I get the appeal of the product, don't get me wrong. The pace of change in the digital arena makes me think that any dac would be outdated - or at least feel outdated by audiophile standards - long before the integrated. When purchasing amplification of the quality of Dartzeel, I wouldn't want to feel stuck with an older dac.

I think part of this is to expand the appeal to beyond audiophiles and create products that fit more closely to a wider appeal outside the niche audio hobbyist (we need to accept we are a niche group compared to other segments) and define more lifestyle type product but with the sound quality we are used to.

The reason it makes sense in many ways;, look at the success Devialet has had breaking into both audiophile market and what could be deemed lifestyle (albeit the high end side of lifestyle design but that is where the money is to be made IMO beyond traditional audiophiles with separates).

Will be interesting to hear how good this product is, and its level of flexibility but as long as as it supports hirez including DSD at launch and further improvements can be done via firmware any future requirements "should" be fine (famous last words hehe).

Cheers
Orb

[Car commander]

I think there are quite a few people not interested in seperates. Think of all the cords and IC's you don't have. Also all those cords and IC affect the sound. If you could stream hi res off the net into an integrated DAC and hear great music I think its the future. I don't think you can stream Hi Res yet but I think it's coming. Most people don't want to have to learn and experiment to have the rigs we have.

[Portugal]

Interesting product. I like dac+preamp in a single box. I use a stand alone dac but to me it feels a bit like a pre-pre-amp... (not that it sounds bad).

Only issue with fully integrated (like this DartZeel) is that it steals the excitement of step by step (a component at a time) up grade. With this, if you upgrade you change all electronics.

[Orb]

Ah one function I would like to see that is missing from the Devialet models is a selection of digital filters (not a large list but several different types to suit preferences).
Some products out there do provide a list of filters but not necessarily ideal ones beyond a couple.

Cheers
Orb

[miziq]

More info about darTZeel LHC-208 integrated streaming amplifier:

Mono and Stereo High-End Audio Magazine: darTZeel LHC-208 integrated streaming amplifier (http://www.monoandstereo.com/2014/01/dartzeel-lhc-208-integrated-streaming.html)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JglREQTWmF4/Us-oq4U_shI/AAAAAAAARzc/C4XU9NZPoJM/s1600/dartzeel-670x372.jpg

[HYENDAUDFILE]

my my this does make things interesting. i see some huge potential for a high end Aurender based apartment system. compact and powerful!

[Portugal]

There are rumors it will be priced at 10 thousand euros.

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

[cmalak]

US pricing expected to be in the $13-14K range.