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-   -   Talk to me about a NuWave DSD (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=46151)

SteveJ 06-30-2019 09:12 PM

Talk to me about a NuWave DSD
 
Last Sunday, on a whim, I tried Tidal, the Hi-Res service. Previously I was streaming from Pandora and Amazon Prime Music Unlimited.

The difference was considerable. :D

This has me thinking about streaming so I've been looking at DACs. First I looked at a Schiit Bifrost, and then a Gungnir multibit. I Googled reviews on the Gungnir and found several, most were quite favorable but a few were not. One of them mentioned a NuWave DSD.

I Googled it and found mostly favorable reviews, only one not.

The one thing I have found so far that is a limitation is the optical input seems to be limited to PCM 44.1KHz – 96KHz. Will I be able to get digital audio output through a USB port on my motherboard? It is an ASUS Rog Strix Z270-I.

I'd appreciate input on both the NuWave DSD and the connection concern.

Thanks!!

Steve

W9TR 07-01-2019 11:14 AM

The Gungnir multi-bit is based on Schiit’s flagship Yggdrasil multi-bit converter which I own and love. It’s a winner and would be my first choice.

The Gungnir is a delta-sigma DAC based on the AKM chipset which is very well regarded.

So you can choose either flavor - Multibit or Delta-Sigma.

Schiit products give you more for less as they are sold factory direct.

The NuWave DSD is based on the ESS Sabre Delta-Sigma converter as are many other DAC’s. It shows as not available on the PS Audio website - I would check with PS Audio before ordering it as it may be out of production.

I have two DAC’s that use this technology; Benchmark DAC3 HGC, and Topping D50. They both sound excellent. However they don’t sound as nice as the Yggdrasil.

Your motherboard has an excellent audio section already so I’m not sure if you will see a lot of improvement with an inexpensive outboard D/A. That’s a helluva mobo you’ve got there!

As far as interfaces, I put optical at the bottom of the pile because of the two additional conversions required may limit ultimate fidelity; data to light and light back to data. That said, optical isolates the noise from your PC and prevents it from getting into your audio system.

No problem with USB from your mobo to any of the DAC’s. I highly recommend that you get a good USB A-B cable. The Shunyata Venom is a good place to start.

Tom

doggiehowser 07-02-2019 09:46 PM

The NuWave DSD was replaced by the Stellar DAC/Pre GainCell.

It is based off an older ESS Sabre chipset but it has some tweaks and actually sounds quite good (not the usual ESS901x flavor).

That said, since you are into TIDAL and I expect you want to experiment with MQA (neither the NuWave/Stellar nor the Schiit DACs support that format), I'd suggest one of the following, based on your project.

a. ProJect PreBox S2
https://www.project-audio.com/en/pro...ox-s2-digital/

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4e...Z9n-970-80.jpg

uses the latest spec ESS9038 (designed with inputs from Ayre and used in the QX5 streamer) and sounds IMHO way better than the older 902x 901x series. Also used in the highly regarded Oppo 205

b. the TEAC NT505
it is a network streamer that has its own app but is also Roon compatible

https://www.teac-audio.eu/en/product...05-149454.html

https://www.teac-audio.eu/assets/3/3...t_R640x320.png

Basically it is like a cut down Esoteric - uses the same AKM4497 as used in the Esoteric SACD players (just not as many of them in parallel).

It is Roon endpoint network compatible, does MQA TIDAL as well as all the latest and greatest and has the beautiful AKM DAC sound (which I prefer over the ESS9038).

They also sell a UD503 which is the same DAC but without the network streamer


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