MWTS: Audio-Gd DAC19 DF (2 x PCM1704UK)

[noinimod 0]

It might be strange that i'm putting this up for sale (potentially) after my own glowing review of it. I'm just thinking of getting their upcoming new fully balanced dac since my rig is balanced. So if i get that, i have to let this go. If no one wants the dac, that's okay too, i'll probably keep it and upgrade another time.

 

I paid a total of USD532 x 1.41 = SGD750. Breakdown goes like this: USD480 (unit price) + USD35.5 (shipping) + 3.2% of unit price and shipping + USD0.3 (PayPal transaction fees).

Looking at SGD710 firm. Lowballers not welcome, thanks. DAC is around 2.5 weeks old at most. USB/SPDIF (coax/optical) input. Specially requested for 2 x RCA outputs.

 

http://www.audio-gd.com/enweb/pro/dac/DAC19/DAC19.htm

lol, shameless plug of my own review here:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/review-au...df-mkiv-477417/

Review of the DAC19mk3, the model before the DAC19 DF which improves upon the DAC19mk3

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/review-au...c-19mk3-435669/

 

Some design features include zero feedback circuits, 100% discrete components (no op-amps), r2r ladder design using 2 x PCM1704UK dac chips, robust separated L/R power section. Reason why not many of such r2r ladder DACs around is simple - it's expensive and difficult to build.

 

One PCM1704UK chip easily costs USD10+; a PCM1793 sigma-delta chip costs less than USD5.

More info on r2r vs sigma-delta here: Mother of Tone - Conversion Techniques

Don't take it from me, google to find out more.

 

Some interesting trivial: the Lavry DA10/11 is sigma-delta, but their flagship Lavry Gold DA924 is r2r ladder. Same case with Esoteric's DACs, 'entry-level' models are sigma-delta, flagship model is 8xPCM1704uk. You'll find many other examples too.