Soncoz SGD1 Balanced DAC Review - The $500 Benchmark

[@jafizzle95]

In a matter of 24 hours, this channel has gone from "Who's this guy? Never heard of him" to genuinely my favorite audio gear review channel. I can actually understand what you're talking about and you give objective as well as subjective information about the equipment so that I feel like I can get a good idea of what a particular product is about without having to account too much for biases and placebo. Thank you.

[@potatosmasher1072]

I really do love the fact that you open up the things which you review and actually have something to say about the components inside. That part seems like a neglected portion in audio reviews - at least in the domain of KZbin.

[@bomt697]

Requesting a video of your top picks per price point, ie for $500 and below; $1000 and below; etc. I think this would definitely help which option to concentrate on for a given budget. Thanks!!

[@Cujobob]

I would also like to see one of the periodically done. Opinions change over time as new gear comes out

[@mikah3197]

+1

[@michaelsteiner5203]

I've owned this DAC for 8 months and still learned a lot from this video! This is my new favorite audio channel.

[@ruusta8042]

God, the sound at the beginning of this video is unreal.

[@AdnanFiroze]

Love your content Cameron - on all segments! So clear and articulate.

[@-havoc-tzu-3197]

Great review, thanks again.

[@shimofo1]

Would love to see a GSX-mini review

[@MisterChibs]

me too!

[@MMRSean]

Yes! There’s hardly any GSX-mini reviews on KZbin. Would love another one!

[@InCerTo_AntiFragile]

Hello 👋. Actually You and Mid-fi guy is my favorite youtube reviewer. Thanks for your efforts 😁😁😁

[@alldhat-n-den-sum4190]

Iove the way in which you describe and explain the actual audio 🔉 as produced by the product you are reviewing... 10/10... And also demonstrates with the various music genre's and style's of music to get your points/findings across.... You have indeed earned yourself another subscriber.... Big BIG BIG upps bless & one love

[@TheCangle]

After every one of your videos I get a few more tracks on my favorite track playlist in roon. Thanks for that! Really like &Run and Vogel im kafig from this video.

[@pe0sat]

Thanks a lot and the review, it triggered me to investigate the Soncoz brand and I ordered a LA-QXD1. Amazing DAC compared to my "old" iFI iDAC.

[@sabsharif2877]

I have no idea what this device does, but it is super interesting how you explain things.

[@carminedambrosio7]

It's a box that you can put between your pc and your hi-fi system. It does the same things that does the soundcard inside your pc , but with more resolution and audio fidelity

[@sabsharif2877]

@@carminedambrosio7 cool thank you for explaining this !!

[@DJEcchi]

I'm just glad I found a reviewer that also has a similar taste in EDM genres of which I also listen to. Looking forward to more reviews!

[@charliewhited4374]

Curious how this would pair with the Singxer SA-1.

[@st0rm4g3dd0n]

Thisss. I just got my SA-1 and I've been considering picking up one of these as an upgrade from my SU-8

[@JThams]

I love this combo run it with Hifiman Sundara & Philips Fidelio X3. Mangrid Tea, Moondrop KXXS & Blon 01 (Iems)

[@iantetley3773]

I have this same question this would be my end game if it does.

[@JThams]

@@iantetley3773 it's my end game for sure. Been running the sgd1 and sa-1 combo for over a month now.

[@iantetley3773]

@@JThams How does the two pair I’m thinking of that stack vs the schiit jot2 and bifrost both are about the same price but I want to know what the biggest sound difference and what gear did you use before this stack.

[@Sicslayer]

So I had narrowed down my dac hunt to the ares 2 and the vmv d1se now im really considering this one too. Gonna be paired with a singxer sa1.

[@billyarvidson6610]

DAC means “Drive Anyone Crazy”; just when I think I have to spend a few grand on a good DAC I watch this and start to doubt whether or not the extra greenbacks will be well spent!

[@MrZenzero2001]

Really like your channel! Are your comments regarding the RME ADI-2 DAC also relevant to the V2 (the one with the AKM 4493 chip)? Thanks.

[@dennisD..]

Thanks for the great review. You got me wanting to buy this DAC as an alternative to Ares 2. I was wondering if this will pair well will Schiit Jot2 to compensate for the lack of punch? Hoping you can share your thoughts on this. Thank you!

[@TheIpadfanatic]

I have a suggestion. In your Blessing 2 video, you very naturally called out the track time you wanted the audience to hear. I typically follow along and calling out that time was helpful for me to hear the piece myself. Just a thought. Love, love, love the videos & the Patreon chat has been very enlightening. Thank you.

[@bomt697]

I think I watch your reviews more for the tracks you play than the products lol

[@arrowzen7433]

Hey - really enjoy your review style and music taste. Two things; what are your thoughts on advantages/disadvantages on descrete vs opamp output stages? Also; would really love to hear a full review from you of the RME adi-2 - am I hearing you right, that you prefer this to the RME adi-2 Pro full stop?…

[@TheGamerUnknown]

Haven't watched yet - very interested to see how this compared to the Modius. If it's a big step up from that, I may consider getting it instead. (And including things like how the USB input compares to the Unison w/out galvanic shielding that the Modius has) EDIT: It broke, and Soncoz offers no warranty. It would cost me at least $200 for full repairs. Screw Soncoz. Never buy from them.

[@Return777]

Would you consider this a good upgrade instead of the modius? Currently hesitating between the 2

[@TheGamerUnknown]

@@Return777 I've never used a Modius, so it's hard for me to say.

[@Return777]

@@TheGamerUnknown I see thank you for taking the time to reply and enjoy your day!

[@blainecollins]

Would also love to see a Soncoz LA-QXD1 review/comparison 🙏

[@NeilBlanchard]

Right - in particular since the Schiit Modius is also a balanced DAC, very similarly priced - already reviewed on this channel.

[@clabbem74]

hi... excelent review.... I can not afford expensive Dacs, that the ones that obviously sound amazing ( Holo Audio Spring 3, Pegasus R2R, RME ADI-2) .... I have arya v2 and singxer amp... please, can you recomend a good Dac to put them together?..... i will really appreciate your help ... Best.

[@HiFiGOAudio]

This is a fantastic DAC. Thanks for your review!!

[@columbiaforte876]

New subscriber…awesome review…keep up the great work..

[@rendyg1176]

Nice review. I'm curious how would its younger brother Soncoz LA-QXD1 stand against its competition. Since both are evolution of Khadas Tone Board, which was benchmark itself :)

[@monochromedout]

I bought the LA-QXD1 and it worked great paired with my drop 789. That is until the left channel stopped working. Props to SONCOZ for getting back to me stating it's a known static electricity defect but that I would have to pay to ship it to China for repair. I don't think they have the quality control of a larger company with resources. Just my two cents. Maybe I had a lemon but like I said, they were quick to name the issue and sounded like they've answered many support emails for a product failure.

[@joshualee6932]

@@monochromedout the company posted on audioscience stating that the issue has been fixed with the newest revisions and explained exactly what the issue was

[@R3s1d3ntAl13n]

Hey, great video as always. Wpukd the SGD1 pair well with Aune S17 pro, or Cayin IHA-6?

[@ejmentze]

How about a comparison with the Soncoz little brother: LA-QXD1? Maybe the best DAC under $200?

[@handcoding]

This DAC looks really promising! And by any chance has anyone compared it against the Denafrips Ares II? That’s the other main DAC that I’ve had my eye on in this price range.

[@Leo-yn5fx]

Denafrips ares II would be the one you want. Its so much better and for many endgame. I just bought one.

[@garethevans4125]

I would also be very interested in a comparison with the Ares II.

[@maxackerny7423]

Can't wait for your opinion on the Harmonicdyne Zeus !!

[@wokthetalk3079]

Thank you for this detailed review. You are showing such integrity in choosing to not link an item that has been loaned to you for review. I also like that you are comparing with other products you have already reviewed and making pairing recommendations. Can I ask that you to mention how the item performs when used with an IEM, HP and or 2 channel speaker set-up. I look forward to your of review of such products as the Jotunheim 2, Flux Lab Acoustics FA-10 Pro or even Gustard X26 or A20 in the future. Can you perhaps do a discussion video on the use of USB input and how it effects jitter.

[@davidgriffin79]

2:58 What's wrong with switching power supplies? When done correctly switches are superior to linear (ask Benchmark. BTW your AHB2 uses a switching supply) 7:04 Interesting. I have the Benchmark DAC 3L (which uses the ES9028PRO) feeding a Rupert Neve RNHP via balanced; I don't find it fatiguing at all (let alone "cold" or "clinical") it sounds very natural to me with excellent rendition of timbre. I would have thought implementation is just as important, if not more so, than the DAC chip itself. Just goes to show the importance of auditioning because YMMV. 13:15 DAC 3 Thin! wow. 14:52 Bass timbre: a double bass, electric bass, cello and especially a grand piano will have timbre in spades and if you can reproduce the lower registers of a grand piano accurately you're off to a good start, but a bass synth; most likely it will be a sawtooth or triangular wave with little to no harmonics; so synth base timbre?

[@AdamPotaznik]

So hard to decide between SGD1, D70s, or jumping up to Gustard A22 and X26 Pro. Thanks for your opinion 😊

[@MOTOJendays]

Would something like the Jotunheim 2 be a good paring for this?

[@TheGamerUnknown]

Will you review the Denafrips Ares II?

[@combataran]

Would you do a review of ^ it's younger brother, the QXD1?

[@GoldenSound]

Would definitely like to! I'll buy one to review once my queue has calmed down a bit

[@dr.zoidberg4313]

I'm looking for a complimentary DAC to my D90. The more I watch this channel the more I think the Bifrost 2 is a good option.

[@cobrabucket]

That or a Schiit Gungnir Multibit

[@hukl3945]

I just discovered your channel and like the content so far! I'm currently trying to figure out what DAC upgrade I should get next and would love to hear your recommendations for the various price classes. I'm currently on a 1st gen Schiit Modi and I'm looking into the 200-300USD range but it's so tough to figure out which one sounds good as I share your sentiment that "measuring well does not necessarily sounds well". Also tricky to figure out if it's even worth it going into the 200-300USD range or if the next meaningful update would await me a tier higher. Either way, thanks for the great content so far!

[@tributeman1099]

I had the same problem two weeks ago. Now I know that my new DAC will be SGD1 paired with Schiit Valhalla 2.

[@randalllawkin]

How does it compare to the smsl SU9?

[@blainecollins]

Any opinions on this vs Gustard X16?

[@humperbyedon8311]

What are your thoughts on this device used as a preamp with poweramp and speakers? does you think it is worth buying a separate preamp if i only have a few digital sources?

[@Reeeepicheep]

Can you compare this to the new Topping D30 pro?

[@Nearest_Neighbor]

Contemplated this or the Soekris 1221. For some reason I got caught in the idea of building a (mostly, besides the streamer yet) made in Europe signal chain. Bluesound N130 > Soekris 1221 🇩🇰 > Unison Simply Italy 🇮🇹 > Triangle Comete 40th 🇫🇷.

[@r423fplip]

Can you get a dac that is not resolving ?. What speakers do you listen with, are they flat ?

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

This looks juicy, love the detailed explanation. I am new to dacs and looking to replace my preamp with internal dac for MABY a separate preamp and dac. It will go on my Arcam p240 poweramp and musical audio gx 200 gold speakers. Only issue, i need 3 digital inputs, optical. (Tv, cd and bluenode). So a lovely little puzzle:)

[@TheJockNerd]

Any plans to do a review of the SU-8 or Asgard 3? What would you think of them paired together?

[@-havoc-tzu-3197]

(Not a fan of SU-8v2)

[@GoldenSound]

Review of the Asgard 3 is upcoming. I like it quite a lot. I'd avoid the SU8 v2. I felt it was a very poor dac

[@josepessoa8543]

Great review. Will you be reviewing any R2R DAC (e.g., from SOEKRIS) in the near future?

[@HiFiInsider]

I like to try this but couldn't get a review loaner from the manufacturer. :(

[@rajasankar1245]

Please compare with loxjie D50 vs sgd1 vs topping D70S

[@JTB--]

Nice review. I'll be sticking with my Monolith 788 Dac/Amp combo though

[@TaiArnold]

I have a SGD1, and it sounds great. It's almost impossible to find a dac under 1000 to have dual linear power supply imo

[@timwoodward3381]

I know this is old news, and its highly unlikely I will get a response for that reason, but... the golden one (love his videos!) really likes this DAC here, yet on Super Best Audio Friends (or whatever that forum is called) it seems there are discrepancies with the ASR measurements and TGO seems to be downgrading his opinion of the DAC? I'm confused which came last, this review or the comments on the group?

[@steveaustin7306]

It's not ment to be a volume control. It's to match It's output to others in your system. So when changing sources it doesn't come on to hard or soft. Your source could be the problem with the treble. Perhaps direct flac in high resolution or sacd would be a better way of getting it's sound at its best.

[@darwynspezowka8785]

Are those electrolytics on the analog output side for coupling or power supply filtering?

[@LordGormph]

I have this dac and love it. How does it pair with the singxer sa-1?

[@pangbangdang3672]

I have the Audioquest nighthawk. Do you think thx 877 still is too analytic combined with this DAC considering Audioquest is very laid back.

[@tributeman1099]

I wonder how this Dac would play with Schiit Valhalla 🤔

[@telix]

Can you help me understand if I would want to use the volume control here vs. the one on the amplifier?

[@HungryEatNow]

Can you link your pc visualiser / display thing with knob?

[@navinadv]

Unlike the Gustad X16, it does not have an I2S input so one can’t use the Pi2AES I2S output with this DAC. But yes it is very very well built. Ben is the same guy who designed the Khadas Tone Board.

[@GoldenSound]

True, though the jitter performance of the internal USB is exceptional so its not a huge deal. Additionally, the Gustard X16 still has the IMD hump issue which can cause the dac to sound subjectively harsher. Whereas the SGD1 does not

[@navinadv]

@@GoldenSound aha I thought Gustard has fixed the IMD hump (copying Ben’s SGD1) for the X16. Between using the X16’s I2S input and the SGD1’s SPDIF input with the PI2AES which is preferred? Can one connect the SonCoz to the PI2AES over AES? Would that be better than SPDIF?

[@wokthetalk3079]

I am very interested in learning more about PI2AES, can I ask you to please review this product and discuss the merits of this method of end point connection vs Allo Digione One Signature..... ty

[@navinadv]

@@wokthetalk3079 The one advantage the PI2AES has over the DigiOne is that it offers an I2S output. The DigiOne is also very well designed but does not offer I2S. I am looking to use the USBridge Signature with the PI2AES. This is because I am hoping to use an external self-powered hard disk connected to the ONLY rear USB port (the clean port) of the USBridge Signature. The PI2AES I2S output is limited to 192/24 as that is the limit of the RPI’s I2S port. So the PI2AES can’t do DSD 128, 256 or 512. The DigiOne can go till 384/24 as it uses the GPIO of the RPI. Allo really needs to rethink the USBridge Signature. Maybe redesign it to use the Compute 4 module and have 2 rear USB ports, one for a hard disk and one for the DAC.

[@navinadv]

@@GoldenSound Which would you choose? Given the I2S or AES or SPDIF options below? Audio Chain 1. USBridge Signature > PI2AES > Gustard X16 (I2S) (Meanwell 24V/1.67A Power supply) Audio Chain 2. USBridge Signature > Pi2AES > SonCoz SGD1 (AES) (Meanwell 24V/1.67A Power supply) Audio Chain 3. USBridge Signature > DigiOne Signature > SonCoz SGD1 or Schitt BiFrost 2 (SPDIF Coax) Shanti Power supply

[@phillipmain6475]

I wish they would have used socketed op amp's

[@jimwitkowski]

So far, I've bought a Jacob Collier album and this DAC on your recommendation. Neither of which I've received yet, but I'm sure they'll be fine. I wonder if you don't review phono-chain equipment (cartridges, tonearms, phono-stages, etc.) because there are too many variables in the chain. It would be nice to have the same dependable scientific measurements for those. I like your explanations.

[@theprince08853]

Is it possible to disable the volume control?

[@mtnmankeith9069]

What is the general rule when using a preamp with volume control while using headphones? Do you lose audio quality the more you turn the volume down?

[@RJohnODonnell]

I assume you lose dynamic range, at least.

[@konna200]

Attack of Titan S5 confirmed :D I have been stalking this DAC but im afraid this doesnt compliment HD800S treble with Class A AMP (Neutral & hint of warmth). You have very detailed reviews nj!

[@Thoughtflux]

Which amp would you recommend to go with this? (you said Asgard 3 would bottleneck it on details?)

[@mukulr1616]

How does this compare to the ares 2?

[@JebsonofJeb]

How would this pair with a Singxer SA-1?

[@thenocturnalcoder9711]

SGD-1 is not available in the country where I live in. I do however have LA QXD1. And I have exactly similar sentiments as yours. QXD1 is the first ESS DAC that I liked. Pitch black, excellent dynamics when upsampled with high quality filters specially when fed Coax from my DDC (Gustard U16). The only gripe - I never liked the stock tonality. Actually, I don't like OPA1612 in I-V stage at all or in LPF for that matter. So I swapped all 4 opamps with OPA1642. Now it's pretty much at par with my Holo Spring in tonality.

[@johnwright8814]

If you were to design a DAC, how would you integrate the treble with the midrange? How would you make it thicker?

[@r423fplip]

A dac is supposed to be neutral (flat).

[@johnwright8814]

@@r423fplip Yes. My RME interface is provably transparent, but he doesn't like it as much as other, more expensive ones. I'm trying to get him to think about the colourful descriptive language he uses.

[@CatnamedMittens]

What do you think about Bottlehead amps?

[@lisunovroman]

Have you had any experience with NuPrime stuff?

[@digitalnation2876]

vs Gustard x16, Topping D30pro ?

[@znick77]

RME adi 2 review?

[@znick77]

You say the adi-2 DAC sounds not as good as the pro, but aren't the two essentially the same dac but the pro just has analog inputs?

[@Miniculthero]

Bob Moses sounds great in 24bit through my linn S3 I want susvsra thatvbenchmark amp. And I need to have a few hours with Dave and upscaler to compare it to RTR dac. I think the novelty of the spacial seperation with DAVE would become gimmicky after a while too

[@aaronunderwood9422]

Can somebody explain why you want bluetooth on a DAC? Doesn't Bluetooth make the sound quality of the DAC null and void?

[@AbideinChristSealed]

you need affiliated links. I want to purchase through your link because you help

[@yujinpark6374]

Would love a Khadas Tone 2 Pro Review :)

[@RathOX]

Rebel amp review 😉

[@randalllawkin]

Never heard of them but looks sexy!

[@carminedesanto6746]

I’m running the Grace SDAC...all in balanced in and out...and you know what for the money ... it’s pretty good 😌

[@blakkpatron]

for the love of me, I can't figure out how to buy this dac from the website, there is a shopping cart but nothing to put in it. editt: the shopping cart on the website tricked me into believing they sold them directly, like everything from china they are available from aliexpress.

[@fclp67]

you can connect two different sauces alroight

[@BKHD605]

I know this might seem stupid, but would you ever do a basic series or a walkthrough on how you have configured your windows machine? Maybe you could show the correct way to set up windows (for general use/gaming). Also, love your channel so far! but for some reason, the low fov gives me motion sickness maybe you could try bumping it up a tad on your camera? anyway keep up the good work :)

[@goodsound4756]

Phenomenal would be an I2S input, just dreaming...

[@DueM]

oof as an su8 v2 user i feel personally attacked, nah jk it is a bright aggressive piece of kit. sadly i'm stuck with it till klipsch figure out if they're going to replace my second heritage dac that's gone pop, its a far better sounding hp amp dac but my god they're unreliable.

[@scj643]

Wow there’s a debug header

[@Alxtorr77]

Nice review! Love the channel! I hope you do the review of the soncoz little brother: la-qxd1

[@YKsfo]

warning: keep your sick bag ready for this guy videos

[@fromdk8204]

The SGD1 sounds like a good dac! maby this is the one to combind with my Hybrid Stereo Poweramplifier insted of SMSL SU 9 :)

[@nights4eva]

Shoutout to AoT

[@PerryHunter]

Knob ballistics are deceptively hard to get right in software...

[@mikemajors2385]

I returned this unit very bass heavy and false claims for LDAC. NO LDAC

[@adrianmorrish8494]

Jotunheim 2 too far to the dark side for this?

[@iimv]

Sadly you got the other way around, bro! You should not be asking how is possible to get something good for a reasonable price. You should be asking why something that costs more money is less good, why not everybody has dual power supplies etc...

[@deangale4496]

Love the review but gee the Soncoz link would have to be the worst I have ever encountered terrible , slow , you wouldn't want to be average at getting around a site bloody hopeless. Not the fault of the reviewer I completely understand that.

[@nicoras8803]

It is all about the Mastering DAC should be a DAC else it is something else. If they do not perform their absolute function to spec, i.e. convert the digital to an absolute voltage then they are something different. The timber and texture is all about the mix and the op-amps used. If something is snapping it is not the instrument it is the mix. I cannot understand what superfast bass is it is at a specific frequency, make it faster the frequency changes to higher. I think all you reviewers are just talking a load of rubbish. Go to the people who mixed and master the recording, and then you will see where all this rubbish you are talking about fits in. Try and listen to a real live performance or instrument being played by a human and then stalk about staging, snap and kick maybe you would be more believable. Are you being paid to honey cover a product, it definitely seems so? I will unsubscribe from this non-sense. I thought you were analytical and engineering like when you did the MQA feature, I am now less convinced about your subjective perspective, and stuff you say.

[@GoldenSound]

If it were only about the mastering then the same track would not sound different on different source chains. There are lots of reasons as to why different DACs, amps etc sound different in specific areas as there are so many specific things they can be better or worse at. Jitter, distortion, distortion at specific frequencies, crosstalk, slew rate/bandwidth, reconstruction filter design, IMD. They don't operate on a more accurate less accurate scale. And if you ask a mastering engineer then they'll tell you the same. There are good reasons why mastering engineers/studios will pay thousands for say a crane song HEDD Quantum or burl bomber instead of just a basic focusrite interface. They all measure fine, but they certainly don't sound the same, and those differences are just as if not more important to mixing/mastering engineers as they are to us in the audiophile hobby. Additionally, I am quite methodical about this. I always make sure to do assisted blind-tests to ensure that I am indeed hearing the things that I think i'm hearing and not simply placebo. Placebo is a real thing, and there have been various instances where I thought I heard something but then when I did a blind test I could not correctly choose the component, and so I did not mention it in the video. But if in a proper blind test you CAN reliably hear something to a statistically significant level, then that means it isn't placebo. As to live music, I grew up playing piano, drums, violin, was in an orchestra, and a choir, and so I do have quite a lot of experience with live music. In fact that's one of the reasons why timbre is so important to me as it's so often the thing that isn't done right on various products. There are plenty of examples where something can be incredibly detailed, but with poor and unconvincing timbre. For most listeners that may be a problem. But if you've spent hundreds of hours playing or being around live music (especially orchestral stuff) then it can be immediately obvious when timbre is 'wrong'.