I tend to be a skeptic when it comes to trendy or "to good to be true" claims in audio. This was the case with Philips TDA1541 chipset based DACs. How could 28 year old technology be any better sounding than current technology?
I am fortunate enough to have a good friend in our local audio club who has an extensive collection of audio gear and has lately been working his way through various different DAC's of differing topologies. I have been running a Schiit Bifrost Uber for several years now and have been very happy with it. I use Deezer Elite (16/44.1 FLAC) through a Sonos, into the DAC and then amplifying it with a Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum driving a pair of Totem Acoustic Hawks.
I was able to audition a Metrum Hex DAC, which was a significant step up from the Bifrost, mainly in the area of low frequency extension. The top end was luxuriously "liquid", while sacrificing a little bit of detail. I considered acquiring the Hex, although the cost was a bit out of my reach.
In comes the Philips DAC960. I had not heard of the popularity of this old DAC chipset - I understood that Phillips was the co-inventor of the original compact disc digital format, and that they are the P in sP/dif. But had no idea that folks were still claiming this early generation DAC chip was still one of the best out there.
My introduction to the TDA1541 chip was the DAC960 - a very early stand-alone DAC from Philips, similar to a popular Marantz model with very similar heritage.
I brought the DAC960 home, at first to try and troubleshoot a problem that my friend was having trying to audition it in his system - it seems it would not work with his high end CD transport. It would not lock on the sampling rate.
I brought it home, hooked it up to my Sonos, and immediately it locked on to the 44.1 sampling rate.
What happened next is what thoroughly impressed me. The DAC had the deep low frequency extension of the Metrum Hex, with the detail of the Bifrost Uber, but went beyond both with a liveliness and shimmer in cymbals - a real sustained decay in the sound that seemed so much more lifelike. Eric Clapton's string plucking on Layla on Clapton Unplugged - I could hear the energy in the string plucks. On piano - I could hear the metallic sound of the strings as they were hit and then the quick decay.
If you have the chance to audition one of these, don't pass it up. I don't know how other TDA1541 chip based DAC's compare to the DAC960, but I can say that it is indeed an impressive DAC. I was able to acquire it for a very reasonable amount and I am very happy with it. Forget hi res formats - I have so much to rediscover with standard 16/44.1 material that I will be busy for a long time.
The legendary Philips TDA1541A chip
The DAC960 is built like a tank
I am fortunate enough to have a good friend in our local audio club who has an extensive collection of audio gear and has lately been working his way through various different DAC's of differing topologies. I have been running a Schiit Bifrost Uber for several years now and have been very happy with it. I use Deezer Elite (16/44.1 FLAC) through a Sonos, into the DAC and then amplifying it with a Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum driving a pair of Totem Acoustic Hawks.
I was able to audition a Metrum Hex DAC, which was a significant step up from the Bifrost, mainly in the area of low frequency extension. The top end was luxuriously "liquid", while sacrificing a little bit of detail. I considered acquiring the Hex, although the cost was a bit out of my reach.
In comes the Philips DAC960. I had not heard of the popularity of this old DAC chipset - I understood that Phillips was the co-inventor of the original compact disc digital format, and that they are the P in sP/dif. But had no idea that folks were still claiming this early generation DAC chip was still one of the best out there.
My introduction to the TDA1541 chip was the DAC960 - a very early stand-alone DAC from Philips, similar to a popular Marantz model with very similar heritage.
I brought the DAC960 home, at first to try and troubleshoot a problem that my friend was having trying to audition it in his system - it seems it would not work with his high end CD transport. It would not lock on the sampling rate.
I brought it home, hooked it up to my Sonos, and immediately it locked on to the 44.1 sampling rate.
What happened next is what thoroughly impressed me. The DAC had the deep low frequency extension of the Metrum Hex, with the detail of the Bifrost Uber, but went beyond both with a liveliness and shimmer in cymbals - a real sustained decay in the sound that seemed so much more lifelike. Eric Clapton's string plucking on Layla on Clapton Unplugged - I could hear the energy in the string plucks. On piano - I could hear the metallic sound of the strings as they were hit and then the quick decay.
If you have the chance to audition one of these, don't pass it up. I don't know how other TDA1541 chip based DAC's compare to the DAC960, but I can say that it is indeed an impressive DAC. I was able to acquire it for a very reasonable amount and I am very happy with it. Forget hi res formats - I have so much to rediscover with standard 16/44.1 material that I will be busy for a long time.
The legendary Philips TDA1541A chip
The DAC960 is built like a tank
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