The T+A DAC D200 Revolution!

[@anadialog]

Forgot to mention the DAC chips: eight 32-bit Burr-Brown converters per PCM and the Thesycon chip for DSD A dedicated video with an audio test between the T+A D200 and the Holo Audio May KTE is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzboouLmquGnZI

[@mounirehab]

Awarded for ...

[@razisn]

It is not 8 dac chips. It is 4 TI PCM1795 chips (each of which, of course, has two channels).

[@Hubbman32]

Im now almost a month in with DAC 200 and EVERYTHING stated in this review is spot on! Its great right out of the box, but it jaut kept getting better and better with more playing time. On top of this already great DAC, I just upgraded my XLR cables to my Pass Labs mono blocks and HOLY COW! If I had hair it would simply "fly out the window"! Being absolutly real (again.. I have no alterrior motive here) if you have the budget, this DAC is the way to go. AND, if you dont agree, there are retailers out there who will give you ample time to send it back.... you wont be sending it back!

[@morespinach9832]

Did you compare this to Ferrum Wandla with Hypsos? Reviewers say that combo is similar in price range, but even more holographic.

[@TheKent2288]

Thanks to your review I had the DAC 200 on my radar when I was looking to upgrade my speaker system DAC. The other DACs on my radar is of course the Holo May KTE as well as the Ferrum Orr Wanda. After much research and to and fro, when a deal came up from my local favourite dealer for the DAC 200 I couldn't resist. What attracted me is the HDMI option and pre-amp which have top notch components as far as I can tell. After a month of burn in and listening I have no regrets. I have Chord TT2 and Hugo 2 on hand as well so I tested them against the DAC 200. To my ears it's immediately obvious the sound imaging is at next level. The singer's voice is more focused and solid with plenty of air between instruments. I was happy streaming PCM with HDMI from my TV and SOTM Neo Ultra streaming via mConnect from my iPhone but when I finally tried HQPlayer streaming DSD512 from my PC, I was blown away. There is now extra depth and layer between the instruments. The song "Giraffe" from Wonka album when the background vocals of the monks kicks in they sound far away behind my front wall and still clear and detailed. But even PCM sound so good I don't feel I need to go DSD512 all the time as it's a hassle with the PC obviously. Only for those moments when I can devote a few hours of pure music enjoyment. It's great to have this flexibility. Lastly, I tried the DAC 200 pre-amp and was not happy because now I am not sure what I am going to do with my current pre-amp which is already a top spec one from Denson. The DAC 200 pre-amp is so transparent without sounding too clean and losing things like bass for example i.e. what the Hugo 2 and TT2 does. Volume even clicks like the Denson so not your average pre-amp volume implementation. Anyway, just my two cents from a happy DAC 200 user. PS. Pairing is with Focal Sopra 2 and Parasound A21+ power amp.

[@anadialog]

Thanks for sharing this. This is important and helpful for others!

[@Benvos]

I am delighted you’ve reviewed this, I always enjoy how in-depth you go on the unit and show us it’s operation. This dac has been getting so much praise on the forums for a while so I’ve been intrigued, even more so now that you’ve had such a good impression. Can’t wait for the next video on it!

[@anadialog]

👍

[@lsantista1481]

where is all this praise you mention? Not saying there isnt', but the only forum I know with a dedicated DAC200 thread (APS) is frequently quiet for weeks even though it is a new product.

[@arize84]

You have definitely put this piece on my radar. I was considering eventually upgrading from the May to an MSB but with this review, I'm going to keep T+A in mind.

[@dmfdarkness]

Same for me. I was thinking about the DCS Lina or the MSB Discrete. But now I'm thinking this one.

[@SlippstersVideos]

Price: around $7000.00 for those curious / Looks Fabulous ! / out of my range to own. / Love your channel !~

[@HTimm-gz9mk]

Oh Baby yes! I once had the SACD Player from T+A pluged into the matching amp, I loved to play with the different filters and it sounds amazing.

[@thomasnoe1193]

Thank you, Guido, for bringing this DAC to my attention. I've been DAC hunting for some time now and everything I've looked at up until now has felt like a bit of a compromise. This one ticked off every single check box in terms of functionality. So much so that I just ordered one for evaluation and it will be arriving in a couple of weeks. I couldn't be happier!

[@anadialog]

How cool! Give us some feedback back if you feel like it, the good and the bad!

[@kjellhedberg-py3ll]

Hehe! Welcome to the State of the art street! I put 8000 dollar on my dac for 10 years ago. Still use it. Still not find any one that can replace it. Worth the cost. Thanks for a great show. 😊

[@anadialog]

Thank YOU!

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS GUIDO FOR GOING FULL CIRCLE ⭕️ FOR THE AUDIOPHILE COMMUNITY 👍💚💚💚

[@maxhigh3234]

Thanks for taking the time to demonstrate how this equipment functions.

[@anadialog]

Thank YOU!

[@brewt1mer]

My friend has this dac in his t+a system and I can confirm it sounds amazing with oversampling off

[@morespinach9832]

In your friend's system the OS probably doesn't work. It's not some universal insight you shared.

[@anastasiosgoumas]

This is one of the best KZbin channels ever... Great work my friend.

[@epi2045]

Thank you for appreciating more buttons and switches on the device. I also hate using the remote or messy menus to access critical functions.

[@anadialog]

Indeed! ;-)

[@paulpavlou9294]

I too have a modified OPPO 105 in my reference system. The mods are by JLTi (“Custom Analogue Audio” here in Sydney Australia) and there is no need to look any further. Love your reviews as always, keep up the good work.

[@TEST-rt1ui]

I´ve the T&A MP 2000R player at home. I fully agree with your first impressions, I like it very much. From my point of view, in a room without diffusion, or in a Hifi chain which is more bright, the T&A can be to much put resolution and clarity into the reproduction. I had to do some with diffusion, cables .. But however, when well integrated into the chain, it is a fantastic piece of engineering.

[@rg6556]

An awesome review! I love the form factor of the DAC200 and it's tremendous functionalities. It's certainly one of the best price/performance DACs available today. Only wish its performance can be even closer to the absolute refinements and spatial realism as T+A flagship SD3100HV. I know that's just wishful thinking. T+A knows how to make great DACs in every price range.

[@anadialog]

Thx! Have you listened to both?

[@Hubbman32]

My observations on the T+A DAC 200 and how it stacks up against the Holo Audio Spring DAC 3 KTE. But first, the system used for the A/B test: Pass Labs XP-30 Preamp Pass Labs 260.8 mono block amplifiers Lumin U1 Audio Transport (NOT the Mini version) Wilson Audio Sasha 2 speakers SHUNYATA Alpha Speaker Cable Synergistic Research Level 4 XLR Balanced interconnects Synergistic Research Level 3 AES digital cable Cardas Clear USB cable (2) JL Audio e110 Subs Power cables from Shunyata, Synergistic Research and Tara Labs. All digital devices and preamp are plugged into a PS Audio PowerPlant 15 and amps are plugged directly into my Furutech wall outlets. The system is dead quiet at idle, and I did all listening with the NOS 2 Setting, so no special effect filters involved. As I write this I have about 50 hours on the new DAC. The Holo Audio DAC has been in my system for a year and is very well broken in and sounding wonderful. Out of the box and into my system, I fired up some of the tracks I know best and commonly use for system set up. Everything from Zhu, Ray Joseph, Lady Blackbird, SBTRKT, London Grammar to Sohn. All of these artists have a very clean and well recorded presentation, so I can easily decipher where the fault lies when listening. The first and most obvious change from the Holo to the T+A was the Bass! Wow… I’ve been wondering where the slam and punch has been in these Wilson’s.. I’ve tried many solutions to pull the clean bass I love out of this set up. I was getting there, but this DAC has me all the way there! Secondly, it’s got to be the clarity of the vocals. Yes, the Holo Audio is amazing in this regard, no doubt. However, this new DAC has taken the clarity and intelligibility of lyrics to a new level. Its also responsible for revealing small details in tracks that I know VERY well to a new level. There are several tracks from an artist named “Tusks” where lyrics are amazing but sometimes feel a bit mumbled and there are ambient sounds all around you. This DAC pulled out sounds and echoes that I never noticed before, and those mumbles are easier to understand as actual words! Mind you the speakers and speaker cable’s I use are incredibly good at revealing detail. This DAC has exposed new details I was unaware of, which is one of the things I love about this expensive hobby. Next, it’s got to be the widening of the soundstage. The sweet spot in my room has been pretty limited since I installed the Holo Audio DAC. The sound has been amazing, but I do need to make sure I’m dead center to get the whole experience. The T+A has broadened the soundstage and made it (sorry) more holographic. I hear better separation of sounds and it makes the listening more engaging, while allowing me to sit off center and still enjoy a great listening experience (yes dead center is still the best, but now I can have a friend sit next to me and we enjoy the same experience!) The burn in process continues, and I do notice small improvements when I go downstairs to check in after a whole day of burn time. So I expect to hear more details as the hours pass. Another key point to mention, is that many times when I hear a “cleaner” more revealing system, it comes at the expense of annoying high frequency glare from cymbals or female vocals. The kind of stuff that can drive you nuts and force you to turn the volume down. Thus far, I have not experienced this with the new DAC. This was something I did experience with the Holo Audio at times and figured it was just a poor recording situation. Interestingly, I went back and forth between the AES and USB connection between my transport and the DAC, and the difference was subtle at best. With the Holo Audio, I much preferred the AES connection to the USB. I think I still prefer the AES connection at this point. I do not stream content from a PC as many do. Mind you, in the end I have absolutely no dog in this fight. I would have gladly accepted that the Holo Audio DAC was “just as good” and happily retrieved my $7,000.00 dollars from my dealer. I have 45 days to return this new T+A DAC…. But it appears that the new DAC is staying in the setup, unless something changes drastically in the negative direction. One observation that I did notice that I think the Holo does more consistently is pull vocals forward, which I like. With some tracks I did notice that T+A presented voices a bit further back with instruments. It was weird, because on some tracks the voices were up front and almost startling in how real they presented themselves. So it’s not an across the board experience. Not a huge deal, but it was observed. From a more personal taste perspective, I absolutely LOVE the look of this DAC in my system. I think T+A did a great job with the fit and finish. The dial is made out of Aluminum! YES!.. the dial is not plastic, nor are the buttons. The set-up menu was super easy to navigate. This is a super high-quality piece of gear, much like the Holo Audio DAC. I know people will say “but you only have the Spring DAC 3 KTE, not the MAY”. This is true, so I can only say that you will need to speak with others who have made that comparison (and ignore those who say the Holo is better with no real experience hearing both side by side). This mini review is intended for those who have the same set up as I do and are on the fence as to which way to go as they contemplate the upgrade path. As I continue the break in process, I will share updates if warranted. Thank you.

[@anadialog]

Wow Michael! Thank you so much for sharing that. An entire review and very well done!

[@saschaschmeer2074]

Hi Michael, my journey from Naim NDX2 to the DAC 200 also was accompanied by the same findings as yours. I am using the DAC with MP and M 200's. As well as you I am still listening to unknown details on best known tracks. It is indeed a bit "shocking" how it plays out of the box. Comparing it to NDX2 with PS I have to say that trading it in only took me 1 hour. Since then I am just surprised of the quartet. Thank very much you for sharing your opinion!

[@daveshear]

Very well done review! Thank you for sharing!

[@dougg1075]

Love the look of the brand. I want Don’t blame them for contacting you, as you are a wonderful reviewer.

[@telefoneification5813]

It's interesting how audiophiles remain in their trenches regarding digital vs. analog, both have made huge leaps forward and the old cliches are no longer true. looking forward to future leaps in hi-fi.👍

[@audiorick841]

I read all the comments and rationale about not having i2S but still disappointed a DAC of this calibre does not have it. I am interested in it over my May KTE but it really bugs me I could not use the i2S from my streamer 😕 Great review Guido!

[@anadialog]

Thanks! We'll it has HDMI and I think it's even better. If you have an I2S output you can use those hdmi-I2s boxes ( in the reversed way) I showed in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXLUo2uDhZKcpJY

[@gryphongryph]

I wish it was just a dac with fixed output for half the price, beautiful dac nevertheless.

[@AudiolandCH]

Or 2/3 :(

[@grommie]

Thanks for the review. I am going to a dealer this week. To find out it its for me in the future.

[@anadialog]

Nice, let us know your impressions! The good and the bad.

[@agustinvila]

I have the previous model, the T+A DAC 8 DSD. The sound is very good, specially the DSD. I would love to compare it with the DAC 200

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

VU meters sold me ! 😆 Appricate all the work you put into your videos , Sounds like you have a cold and you still done the video thank you buddy

[@anadialog]

Thanks! Yes, I actually had several problems in the past weeks keeping the schedule straight. Thanks for thinking of that!

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@anadialog Take care buddy drink lots of water and get some good rest thats when your body heals the best because your not using 'energy ' like when your awake, Also A shot or 2 of Kentucky Bourbon will help you to sleep and clean toxins out ' Ever heard of a Hot Tottie ?

[@JamesJohnson-oq6be]

When comparing this unit to the May KTE, try turning the pll off in the MAY. I have the full stack Serene & May. I had the May for over a year without ever trying it with the pll off. Anyway, I found the difference noticeable. The connection with vocals is much greater with the pll off (my experience obviously). Also, fyi, great synergy with my Coda 16 amp. Thanks for the video.

[@anadialog]

I did try and I found immediately that the result was worse. 🤷‍♂️

[@sidesup8286]

I hear T+A equipment is outstanding. There is a store on the east coast of the U.S. that compared it to some equally or more expensive U.S. equipment and found the T+A better built and they thought better sounding. When most people think of a DACs, they think of a little thing inside your cd player. That they have become boxes and sometimes big heavy boxes seems a little surprising. I'm sure there are reasons for it, and as good as I realize cds are; it is not wasted on something without potential. As good as my cd playback is, I can't say it is 100% as sweet and alluring sounding as the best moving coil cartridge vinyl playback I've owned. But in some ways it is better. Seperation, presence, purity, bass is better to my experienced ears. Equal on transient response and surprisingly; openness. Harmonic sweetness and ability to sound completely non electronic; the nod goes to vinyl, by a noticeable amount. But with cds, you just slap one on and hit a button and dont have to get up till side 2 is done. Even if cd was not quite as good sounding as vinyl, how close would it have to be for you to have a hard time deciding what you like to use better? You have to pro rate cd and it's convenience at least some points don't you? Without a doubt. For the lazier ones out there, it might be a tie if cd came within 40% of vinyl in sound quality. For me it would be a tie at around 88%. I'd like cd and vinyl equal if cd came within 12% of the sound quality of vinyl. I have a fine turntable and cartridge, the absolute finest sounding preamp and cables I've ever heard. If I had a servant who would clean the records for me, clean the stylus, put the record on, flip the record after side one; I think.I'd listen to vinyl slightly more than cd. Otherwise cd gets the nod most of the time. There would have to be a more decided improvement for it not to be.

[@anadialog]

I do like both but vinyl and tape are at another level IMO. The fact is that some albums and bands I prefer to listen to them on CD or sometimes I'm am more in the mood for a CD...it's strange but it really depends from the day and mood

[@sidesup8286]

@@anadialog I like vinyl and tape too, but with what I use and have listened to, I am not sure if within the past few days if I haven't equalled analog with my cd playback equip.. I have been working on lessening stray eddy currents the last few weeks. I do not like to make absolutistic statement concerning one format vs. another. Only someone who has the absolute best could make that statement IMO, and no one even knows what is the best.. For instance the best cartridge I have ever enjoyed was the old Sumiko Talisman Virtuoso Dti. It was a class A ranked MC cartridge by Stereophile magazine, and they said it had the best high end of any MC cartridge back then. Its price adjusted for inflation would be about $3,000 today. So scientifically speaking, I can make an accurate statement that my highly modified cd playback equip. sounds about as good as what would be a good turntable with a $3,000 cartridge. There could be cartridges of today that outdo that cartridge, and I realize that, but kind of doubt that it would be that big an improvement. The Dti cartridge was really good. I've realized in the last few days how much more analog like and how much more detail there is when you lessen glare in cd playback. I always thought I heard something a little wrong with even great digital sound. I never thought there would be a day like this, where I think all the bad things are gone. It is amazing how analog sounding cds are, when you keep chipping away at it. Cd equip. in my experience, takes a few cds to warm up. It gradually opens up spatially and sheds its electronic signature. But I never thought it would ever shed its electronic signature, to the degree that once warmed up, it's hard to hear any. It sounds so acoustical now.

[@fedrichorlandineumann3062]

Carissimo dopo mille ricerche anch'io ho optato per un dac separato ,che gran bel suono il chord qutest !!! Sempre interessanti i video Guido

[@anadialog]

Grazie Fedrich!

[@njalbrekke4861]

Very nice video! Wasn’t suprised that you loved it. It shined through every bit of the video🎉

[@njalbrekke4861]

Did you test the headphone output?

[@chrismuc4023]

Very good and informative video! 👍 Please review the other devices of the 200 series also.

[@sidesup8286]

There is so much electromagnetic and other interactions going on inside audio equipment that all equipment above a certain price point should have compartmentalization. It is labor intensive and you can't expect that in budget equipment I don't doubt that circuitry has an optimal temperature range for best performance. I often play 2 or 3 recordings during a listening session. The frequency response of every piece of electronics I've ever heard, changes as it warms up. It's crispest at turn on (but electronicy) and it settles into something more mellow as it warms up. I try to correlate the order I play recordings according to their frequency response. Columbia recordings for instance usually don't get played first or second when I'm playing music. They often tend toward brightness and sound best played third; when the brightness of turn on has had time to mellow out. That's not always the case though. For instance I have a Japanese cd of Kind Of Blue, and it sounds best if played first in order, (even though it's a Columbia), as it sounds a bit dull when played third, and the bass sounds too overwhelming. We all probably have a lot of Columbias in our collections, but if you play them within an hour of turn on; you've never really heard your Columbias. There are other things they do inside equipment which is not sonically ideal, but is done or (maybe) has to be done to increase chances of the electronics making it to its destination without any problem.

[@dermasder5362]

18. - 21.05.2023 Munich, High End 2023! I´m there to give it a listen.

[@theanaloguelifestyle3466]

Great video. If you have an opportunity also try the TEAC UD-701n. This DAC has TEAC's own Sigma Delta DAC implementation, that has been directly taken from its Esoteric N-05xd, a Euro 13,000 DAC and Streamer. The TEAC performs excellent and in my opinion very close to the T+A, with the T+A having a slight upper hand, which is expected and justified by its higher price. Compared to the T+A the TEAC is a full width device, has four independent power supplies, weighs a beefy 13 kgs with excellent build quality and is listed at around Euro 3000,-. When adding an external Clock to the TEAC its performance is even closer to the T+A and i found the differences between the two set-ups negligible, especially when not directly doing an 'a-b' comparison. Feature wise the T+A and TEAC are a wash, T+A has for example optional HDMI inputs, TEAC has an external clock input and it depends on individual priorities what is more important in ones buying decision. There is one big difference however: the TEAC has an excellent build-in streamer, is ROON ready and has an ROON exclusive mode next to support for Qobuz, TIDAL, UPNP and others, which for me is a big plus. Both DAC are an excellent choice and emotionally I wanted to buy the T+A but voted with my wallet in the end and opted for the TEAC and added a external Clock. Connected to my Accuphase amplifier it sounds excellent and I am a happy listener.

[@anadialog]

Interesting, thanks!

[@thomas8501]

Interesting indeed, as the price of the Teac + clock is still below the T+A dac

[@RyuMasterEX]

how is feeding the TEAC upsampled DSD from hqplayer vs the dac200?

[@dgukov]

Whole system spec please? I got 701 myself fed with dsd512 from hqplayer but still considering this dac200. Theres a reason the teac is much chaper then esoteric i believe

[@arnoldtolker3505]

WOW! T & A is a Manufacture in Herford in Eastwestphalia, my Home, in the german Federalstate Northrhine-Westphalia. She built fantastic HighEnd Things! (Please Sorry my english!)

[@anadialog]

You have a great neighbor!

[@shanestephenson8423]

Wow! I had a May KTE And was very happy with it. Now l have an aqua acoustics formula xhd rev2. And I stopped looking for the next Dac. This Sounds impressive even though it doesn't look that great. I trust your analysis so it must be very impressive.

[@anadialog]

Congrats in finding a fixed point in your system!

[@shanestephenson8423]

@@anadialog lol for now😁....... But are we ever really 100% happy.

[@fletchermunson6225]

Speaking generally, I wish DAC manufacturers would develop remote control filter systems so you could easily select the filter that suits the character of your recording. Seems like everyone buries the filter selection in internal menus.

[@anadialog]

True. In any case you just have to navigate to the section but then you just need to switch from one to another.

[@continentalgin]

This DAC is beautiful, thanks for sharing!

[@anadialog]

Thank YOU!

[@stimpy1226]

I know that when you purchase a component or call it the best, I understand that you make purchases for the long-haul Guido. And, this DAC seems to be right up your alley. Love watching your videos.

[@carlos2bass]

I wonder how it compares with the Aqua Dacs from Italy...any hints?

[@crimsonghost6454]

Very good review. It's a bit out of my budget. The options and features are cool but for me probably too damned complicated. However it seems to be a great quality piece of gear.

[@michaelmityok1001]

Wow man surprised too 😳 by your findings. Good thing I am broke.

[@anadialog]

😄

[@shoumpavlis]

Did you use it in PCM or DSD mode? What settings did you find the best for each mode?

[@anadialog]

Both. PCM shines, DSD is great but not better than the May IMO. NOS is my preferred mode.

[@clintonkatsoylis8956]

Great Review. love from greece ,kalhspera apo Ellada

[@ScefingScyld]

Thanks for this review. Got the previous 8 DSD. Guess I'll have to move to this one at some point, but the price is steep. With T+A you essentially have three DAC's. The first one is PCM and it's ok, but nothing really special. The second one is DSD with their own design, not using any third-party chip. So it's real DSD. And it sounds miles better than that PCM one. And the third DAC emerges when you use HQPlayer for upsampling everything to DSD256 or above (if you have PC powerful enough...). The sound is in the whole other league. Takes time to learn and setup, but worth it.

[@morespinach9832]

HQPlayer and Roon, both, right?

[@ScefingScyld]

@@morespinach9832 Can be Roon, can even be HQPDControl app (from hqplayer developer) for android of ios. Audiophilestyle forum is the place with all the info.

[@adrian.parker]

@ana[dia]log this is the second review that I have seen for this combo, thank you for yours. Both hit on the organic/human sounding aspect of the device. I am excited to compare to my system. Which, I believe, has many if not all the elements reviewed. Of note however is your closing comments about bass, and bass control. In my experience the problem is the source. Very few sound engineers do much more than use bass to blast us out of space. Kind of pointless in a listening room. Where time is spent to create real bass emphasis, and the timing is spot on, it can make a world of difference. Both in music and TV. I say TV over movies, because film makers should know better. The TV sound engineers are the unsung heroes in my book as the whole sound spectrum is used to improve the final product. Bass and treble being used to create fear and excitement. I have lost count of the number of times that "did you jump" was asked after a TV drama when sound was put to good effect. Now, if only musicians and their sound engineers would do the same. Then we could have human sounding music with real drama. Bring back prog rock perhaps :) PS Will you test with Dirac input filter? If so what unit will you use? I have finally given in, as no system can work in any room and needs help. I too was on the hunt for HDMI input for Oppo/TV/Sky etc and opted for I Lexicon which by design acts as my HDMI source. The difference was night and day compared to plumbing a SP/Optical signal to my DAC.

[@JH-fl3vi]

The T+A DAC D200 is remarkable when fed DSD. I have never heard anything sound even close (except vinyl and that has other issues). Finally digital sounds better than vinyl in every way. How it took 40 years to get here I have no idea but it appears the DAC Chip engineering assumption about the adequacy of short length tap filters used in upsampling to achieve low latency D to A conversion was completely false. I can’t believe that so many engineers and chip design teams could have overlooked this. Or perhaps I can - they wanted to believe that a simple tap filter would be adequate because they all competed to get better spec and cheaper chips.

[@anadialog]

Yes, there is something truly different in this DAC that just captures me immediately…

[@morespinach9832]

DSD from where? Tidal?

[@anadialog]

@@morespinach9832 from a SACD or a download. There is no such thing as DSD streaming (for now). Files are huge!

[@JH-fl3vi]

@@morespinach9832 Roon can upsample to DSD on a PC and there is an HQplayer app that can also upsample to DSD. HQplayer works standalone or with Roon. Basically these options give you studio grade (or better) upsampling algorithms (with some latency due to the mathematical intensity/number crunching) rather than the extremely limited upsampling algorithms on DAC chips (used to make 99.9% of all commercial DACs). All DAC chips upsample because ultimately they rely on 1 bit sigma-delta conversion at the final stage. So you might as well upsample properly and precisely just like the studio would take regular PCM (the output of the recording process) and upsample that file to create the final SACD DSD files. Furthermore, you are not limited by the very few actual SACD’s ever published. Any Redbook (including Redbook streamed from Tidal or other sources) can be realtime converted to DSD on a sufficiently powerful pc (which means most pc’s these days)

[@sidesup8286]

The most underrated thing in audio? That's bad for sound quality?... Micro Vibrations. The process of a cartridge trying to trace a groove or a laser reading pits can be degraded by very low levels of extraneous vibration. Of course the major vibration comes from speakers, but there is also vibration within equipment and electronic chatter between things on the circuit board. The ideal would be perfect isolation from vibration. Anything that lessens it will improve the sound quality. Cartridges and lasers and things on the circuit board, simply do their jobs better when they're not vibrating. Lessen the vibrational effects on them and your sound quality goes up. Mod guys know how to do stuff within equip, but there are other things to do also. I remember the time I improved my sound greatly by simply moving my turntable several feet further away from the speakers. Direct drive turntables were shunned by some hardcore audiophiles, as the motor which makes its own micro vibrations, is commected directly to the platter. A lot of people preferred belt drives with an elastic belt replacing the direct connection There is an expensive costly $50,000 European cd player whose motor, which ike a belt drive turntables motor, is not directly connected to what the cd spins on, but indirectly connected instead by a belt in between. With a stylus physically touching the groove, it would be understandable for decoupling from the motor. A laser beam playing a disc, must be affected by the micro vibrations of a motor connected to what a spinning cd spins on. A truer spin when decoupled then may have discovered.

[@anadialog]

I completely agree. I did several videos on vibrations control, damping exclusively, absorbtion etc.

[@brianng2335]

Any possibility to compare DAC200 with esoteric, for example N05XD

[@mrtea7305]

thanks for the review, quite interesting. They also have an headphone amp / dac with similar features, a bit more expensive though. @Guido: would be good if you could focus the camera on the Dac and then set the focus to manual. In this video but also in others it goes out of focus every couple of seconds which one might not see on a smartphone but on a large TV it is quite noticeable and a pain to watch.😉

[@anadialog]

Thanks for the focus tip. Other times it was quite annoying I agree. This time I passed my hands here and there, in any case sorry about that. I am not sure that an out-of-focus hand would be that nice as well...I'll try. That is why I never did.

[@canibiteyou8980]

Had both dacs around May Level 2 and T+A DAC 200, I am in germany therefor it was relativly easy to get one. I am not sure how the rest of your chain looks like but something must be bit wrong on the May end. Its glaringly obvious that May sounds better. It has wider stage, more micro detail and depth, additionally it got the warmer more analogue sounding tonality as the icing on the cake.

[@anadialog]

Well, I can only say that I have sold the May. Moreover we could also argue that your D200 wasn't hooked up right as well. I found a great leap in quality.

[@canibiteyou8980]

@@anadialog Was using both with usb source to pc, with and without HQ Player, Holo Bliss and HA-3A as amps. I am not too picky when it comes to calbes, but there is ifi power station and couple of good power cables as well as costly usb cable in that chain. May outperformed D200 by a large margin to my ear.

[@Hubbman32]

@@canibiteyou8980 (creepy name btw...) I tried the USB connection to a PC vs. playing tracks back throught my Lumin Transport via AES disgital and absolutly preferred the sound quality from the trasport using my D200. Via USB the Holo and T+A sounded okay I suppose, but the AES/Transport combo was way better. I did a mini review of the comparison between the Holo Audio Spring DAc 3 KTE and the T+A D300 elsewhere in tihs thread...

[@saminabeel1266]

Wonderful review thank you, like yourself I have an Oppo 105 Audiocom signature, thank you for pointing out in a previous post to the HDMI audio extractor to I2S which I have been using with great success in playing SACD in DSD64 mode on my Holo. You touched up that this has worked with the T+A without the extractor. Did the T+A recognise the SACD and played it in DSD mode ? Wonderful channel widhing you all the success

[@anadialog]

Thank you! Yes, it did! I wasn't expecting that! As soon as I pressed play it showed DSD64!

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

It's 10k Australian $ sheeeesh 😮 it would want to sound bloody spectacular and last forever for 10k

[@johnsimmons5056]

Great Review. Is there any sound quality difference between the single ended and balanced outputs ?

[@anadialog]

Thanks! have only preamps with SE. I could hook-it up directly to my Accuphase but I am testing another pair of monoblocks that are way better so it wouldn't make much sense. Plus, as I said at the end of the video, directly connected as preamp didn't engage me as well.

[@johnsimmons5056]

@@anadialog What would also be cool is to hear a comparison between playing a CD in your new transport using the T+A dac and then comparing the same album on your Kuzma turntable. I wonder what the differences would be between those two top notch front ends ??

[@ognintendo7061]

This is pretty much the same delta sigma scheme Accuphase uses for their DACs. You just get way more input and output flexibility and filter features with the T+A. Accuphase uses 8 ESS chips per channel vs the 4 burr-browns T+A uses

[@JH-fl3vi]

All DAC chip designers use some form of averaging or parallel DACs and random selection output - all these techniques yield better S/N performance and therefore higher spec. They all sound good and exceptionally quiet but a bit flat, harsh, lack air, and have less soundstage depth/width. Low level transient details on higher frequencies (above 6 KHz) seem to be lost due to these noise reduction techniques. A true 1 bit DSD DAC will have perfect linearity but suffer from being noisier, however, the perfect linearity preserves low level high frequency information even as it falls below the noise floor. We can hear below a noise floor up to about -12 dB and accurately locate sounds above 3 KHz using the inter-aural comparison of dB level. Lower than 2KHz we tend to use time differences to locate sound - these sounds will predominantly be between the speakers. Sound above 6KHz can be sensed as extreme left or right (widens the sound stage) and informs us about depth - the louder the late reverb relative to the primary signal the more we think the sound is further away (slight relative changes in reverb level creates stage depth by informing us that someone is at the front of the stage or the back)

[@brucemibus9523]

Sounds like a competitor for dCs dac, I use a Puccini player, so smooth you often don't realise that all the information is being reproduced. Surprisingly it's $10K in Aus so it has so few competitors .

[@LuxAudio389]

Try Luxman's D-10X. It lets you use it's internal DAC with external sources. It's phenomenal and natural sounding. The CD player is like no other. I just bought an Aurender N20 for streaming through the D-10X and it's phenomenal.

[@JingoLoBa57]

I do the same with my ARC Ref CD9 with tube output stage

[@LuxAudio389]

@@JingoLoBa57 Beautiful machine 👍

[@morespinach9832]

Will Luxman D-10X (a CD player) also stream and be a DAC? I have active speakers, so don't need amplifier.

[@LuxAudio389]

​​@@morespinach9832The D-10x doesn't have an internal streamer, but It will let you use its internal DAC with an external streamer. It will also let you play files (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3, DSF and DSDIFF) through a PC through its DAC with the Luxman Player app installed on the PC.

[@LuxAudio389]

​@@morespinach9832 The D-10x doesn't have an internal streamer, but It will let you use it's internal DAC with an external streamer. It will also let you play files (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3, DSF and DSDIFF) through a PC through its DAC with the Luxman Player app installed on the PC.

[@SathishKumar-tk4qx]

l got it very clear the way you explained 👍 I was planning to buy DAC I watch youtube music rock classic only. So from Tv to DAC in HDMI port will it give a good audio quality. I am using Parasound pre P6 , intergraded Hint 6 , power amplifier A21+ and CD , Tape cassette player, Turntable. I don’t have a DAC. I planing to buy Tube valve amplifier also soon. Waiting for your reply thanks 🙏

[@anadialog]

Seems you have a plan and a great setup! Bravo!

[@threepointonefourone]

Great video! Just a bit disappointed to hear that it sounds much better with a dedicated (good) preamp. I'm looking at downsizing and looking for a device like this to provide signal for a pair of active speakers. I need an analog input for my turntable, I don't want to skimp on SQ since I've got a really good TT setup.

[@miquifaye]

No fixed output? Great review. Really great.

[@anadialog]

Yes, of course! I am not using the preamp.

[@miquifaye]

@@anadialog thanks. someone made a comment it didn't have a fixed mode.

[@saiprasad8078]

Can you please tell me if this has a polarity inverse function ?

[@anadialog]

It does! It has a dedicated button in the front.

[@Phastm3]

I just had this dac and sold it last week. It was probably the best dac I’ve owned so far. The preamp section was far ahead of any other dac’s built in volume control. I’m trying a Mojo Audio Mystique X this time.

[@AudiolandCH]

Why sold it?

[@Phastm3]

@@AudiolandCH just to try other dacs

[@AudiolandCH]

@@Phastm3 how do you rate the DAC200 in a Ranking of the DACs you had? Which one ist your Favorite?

[@Phastm3]

@@AudiolandCH the Lab12 dac1 reference was probably my favorite dac, but it has tubes and doesn’t go over 192k and doesn’t have volume control. Sound quality and cost out it at #1 for me

[@AudiolandCH]

Trying dac200 now. DSD512 sounds marvellous (so does pcm..)

[@MrBillblake123]

Hi, I'd like to ask you please, ..... When you said it blew you away and all the good stuff, was that on redbook cds? ....or was that coming from DSD and all the bells and whistles that come with streaming. You see, I'm just a redbook cd guy. I have well over ten thousand cds and I'm old school. Thanks

[@anadialog]

Yes, mainly CD! Trust me it’s just amazing!

[@MrBillblake123]

@@anadialog Thanks, ..... In that case I will go ahead and get it .

[@Woolf_69]

Hello Guido, I am a big fan of your videos and would like to thank you for your valuable tips. So, I am now also the proud owner of a DAC 200 and am looking for an appropriate CD transport and since Ayon produces only a few km away from me I thought of the CD-T II. Since I saw that you have chosen the Ayon 35II as CD player and the DAC 200 has no I2S interface I would like to know which interface you use or whether you go analog from the CD35II directly to the amplifier and bypass the DAC 200? Thanks for Your great work!!

[@anadialog]

Hi there! Yes, I recommend the transport, not the player. I did that because I was curious about tye standalone product and just to have an autonomous player when I change dacs. The T+A is much better than the internal one (obviously) and I am currently using this to connect them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYa7q2OhqpWohKM&feature=share9

[@Woolf_69]

@@anadialog Hi, thanks for the info, I already have most of my cables from Neotech, OCC silver for the digital side and OCC Copper, PTFE insulated, for the analog side and it sounds great, thanks to Your advices at a price that is affordable. My thanks and my greetings go to Italy!

[@kalakalaiand3343]

I wonder how it compares to chord dave!

[@HercahyoAdiSaputro]

different direction of presentation t+a dac200 presentation much more dynamic, it is detailed but not a "show off" it's matter of taste tbh based on my experience (this is generalization, so take it with grain of salt) 1.dac with strong detail as its main strong point: chord dave, dcs lina/rossini, msb discrete/premier, mytek empire 2.dac with dynamic presentation as its strong point: rockna wavedream, t+a dac200, bricasti m1se, dangerous music convert 3.dac with musicality as its strong point: holo may, denafrips terminator, lampizator dac 4.the all rounder: weiss 502, playback design mpd8, meitner ma3

[@chengo51]

Not a word on the Streamer quality !

[@anadialog]

Well, in the end It's not a streamer, it's a DAC. My review is mainly based on PCM. So if the streaming quality is good the DAC will do its job. Plus, as mentioned, you have an indicator that tells you if the streaming is correct. I tried it with qobuz and the quality was quite good just as the Holo.

[@oliviers5003]

I have seen in your comments that you use single-ended outputs but the May needs balanced outputs to shine...

[@saminabeel1266]

Thank you for your excellent post, this has become the reference go to for T+A DAC200 issues, I got mine yesterday with HDMI options, I connected mu OPPO D105 Audiocom Signature via HDMI. Playing SACD the dac see DSD64 however I am getting a lot of static like noise on playback, playing CD the noise disappears. The dac is set to NOS2 and bypass filter off. The OPPO HDMI output LPCM. Tried 3 different HDMI cable’s with the same issue, your advice is highly appreciated.

[@anadialog]

That is strange because I have your exact same setup. Try changing HDMI output and change also the hdmi options on the Oppo...try changing machines if you can. At that point you know it's the T+A if it continues

[@saminabeel1266]

@@anadialog Thank you for your response, much appreciated, done all that and still the same issue. This has been reported identically the same on Audiogon forum on 24/4/2023 with a Sony UDB-X700 and a Sony UDB-X800M2. Perhaps running firmware V1.18 is causing the issue. playing CD and Pure Audio is flawless via the same HDMI output and hdmi options on the Oppo with the correct sampling rates appearing on the DAC200.

[@Madworld57]

Per favore Guido un paio di chiarimenti. Nella disamina del pannello posteriore non hai menzionato i connettori contrassegnati "Analog In": la macchina può essere usata come A/D converter? Almeno una presa HDMI può essere configurata per accettare I2s ? Grazie e chiedo scusa per l'italiano...

[@anadialog]

Salve! Ha ragione. Ho dovuto Girard due volte quella parte e nella seconda ho Salvatore quella parte. No, semplicemente è anche un preamplificatore e dunque accettare segnali in ingresso per controllarne il volume. Per l'I2S temo di no. Si parla solo di HDMI e il manuale non fa alcun riferimento ad opzioni di configurazione.

[@rokodrago]

hello, excellent video, Can I ask how good is the Preamp section, is it at the same level of the DAC section ? if it is so, I have a Lampi Baltic 4 DAC and a Denafrips Athena Preamp, in order to replace them with this DAC 200 unit, just wondering if it will worth replacing them

[@anadialog]

I made a comment at the end of the video on the preamp. It's good, but it didn't make me crazy like a quality standalone preamp.

[@rokodrago]

@@anadialog Gracias Caballero

[@maxc7903]

How t+a 200 compare to Denafrips terminator 2 or plus, that would be very interesting?

[@anadialog]

I didn't find massive differences between the May and the T2 so the same conclusions I reached for the T+A are valid also for the Denafrips. Here is the video May vs T2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHKVZqalh7SUq5Y

[@robinr5787]

When you mentioned dsd, did you play sacd disks directly (digital) to the dac? I thought that this is (mostly) not possible due to licensing restrictions (technically implemented)? Or how did you play dsd from the oppo, as files? Great content by the way.

[@anadialog]

Thanks Robin! The only way to bypass restrictions is HDMI but up untill now, very few DACs had I2S or HDMi inputs. In fact it's an option here. Yes, I played a SACD with my Oppo via HDMI with nothing else...fantastic!

[@マロまる]

It is, as usual, very exensive. They got out of the mind with all this prices.

[@bluebuddha74]

Great review Guido. You mentioned how well this pairs with your Ayon. Was it just as impressive using the HDMI and connecting to your television and blu ray?

[@anadialog]

I actually use my Oppo via HDMI for high-res discs and my Playstation for video streaming services via optical cable. Yes, the movies improved very much in respect to tye May, that was another big winning point for me.

[@Anand.Asrani]

looks like you have really found something special , by the way like your watch, which one is it Thanks

[@anadialog]

Thanks! It's the Hamilton "Murph"

[@Anand.Asrani]

@@anadialog Thanks

[@gilesdavis6345]

On no, gonna have to save up!

[@ruderalos]

Regarding your comment on "oozing quality," just a quick observation.... when you were turning the Volume knob, I noticed some wobble/play in the knob itself, which, to me, suggests inferior mechanical engineering, at least. Thoughts? Can you confirm? Thanks for the review nonetheless!

[@anadialog]

Remember that the knob MUST "wobble" because it is also a menu selector and it must retract. The volume knob is one of their greatest achievements according to them. I briefly described it in the video.

[@TheCharlesAtoz]

Too rich for my blood, but I loved your analysis.

[@Egofileo1]

It looks like really a game changer. If you are impressed, by owning an Holo May, it meand that this T+A is really "Tanta roba !" :D Do you know which are the sigma delta chipset used inside this converter ? Thanks as usual for the great and honest review.

[@anadialog]

Tanta roba! 😂 Good question, I forgot to mention it: eight 32-bit Burr-Brown converters per PCM and the Thesycon chip for DSD

[@Egofileo1]

@@anadialog Thanks man ! Keep on pushing on your great channel. You'd deserve more attention and viewers.

[@AudiolandCH]

​​@@anadialog@albertopilot so if holo Audio May is 100% in Soundrating. How much is the T&A DAC200?

[@hassabsaeed9993]

Hi , Thanks for the great review ,, any chance to know if it use ESS chip or what dac chip they use ?

[@anadialog]

Of course! I forgot to mention that: eight 32-bit Burr-Brown converters per PCM and the Thesycon chip for DSD

[@davidmcginnis2998]

You have a great channel

[@mikehuntington4440]

Great review. Not sure if you mentioned it but… do you use HQplayer to upsample?

[@anadialog]

I haven't. I know they recommend it but it's just not the way I intend to use it. For who uses computers it must be top notch

[@rvdh1964]

You have heard the Holo May DAC and the T+A DAC 200. The T+A lacks I2S and does not play 192/24, which is a pity as such. What do you think comparing the May and the 200?

[@anadialog]

Of course it plays 192khz/24bit, it actually goes up to 768khz/32bit. No I2S but it has normal HDMI which is even better since it's a standard protocol. I made a dedicated comparison with the Holo as stated on the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzboouLmquGnZI

[@rvdh1964]

@@anadialogThat is weird, I have a DAC 200 here and it does not play 192/24 music over AES/EBU XLR. What could be wrong?

[@shoumpavlis]

@@rvdh1964 In order to get the highest output possible you need to use the USB connection but AES should be able to do 192/24bit. Manual page 62 1 x AES-EBU 32...192 kHz / 16-24 Bit

[@paulinboston]

Concerning the Mac OS, I thought you can turn off the MIDI app and run bit perfect as high as you want.

[@paulroscelli2545]

My question about the meters which I think by the way are very cool is as follows. I understand what they’re doing but what if the meters read something other than optimal? How exactly does the unit correct for that lack of optimality or is it just telling me it’s not running right and that’s as much as it does?

[@anadialog]

Exactly, meters indicate/measure, they don't interact or trigger something.

[@williammilligan1451]

Nice review, but no mention of sound staging...Delta Sigma's are known for limited depth perception...How is the Sound Staging?

[@anadialog]

With the right preamp you will have a great stage, better than the May IMO. Instruments are much more easily positionable. But yes, if compared to a quality analog source, things appear more flat.

[@mekore]

how is it as a solid state preamp for analog input?

[@anadialog]

Good but nothing special

[@karolyfreyler5716]

Hi Guido, congrats for the new gadget. How does it perform as a preamp comparing it to the mastersound or shindo?

[@anadialog]

Hi there, I said that at very end of the video. Much better with a quality preamp.

[@karolyfreyler5716]

@@anadialog oh I missed that, thanks for the info, time to rewind :D

[@bobb.9917]

I am confused about the HDMI. Can a I2S input be used in one of those HDMI ports?

[@anadialog]

Nope it's HDMI, not I2S. I2S uses an HDMI connector but it's indeed a different protocol.

[@bobb.9917]

@@anadialog With all this DAC has that is a glaring omission in 2023. Thst's too bad. It does apparently have a great sound and look, though! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@REX4340]

While I appreciate your opinion, it would be great if you recorded the output of these DACs for your clients (viewers) to compare🙏

[@anadialog]

I alway do that. In fact, at the end of the video, video descritto and pinned comment, I stated that a dedicated upcoming video (Friday) will have an audio test with a comparison with the May.

[@patrickblum2456]

well you should check the Soulnote D2 !!!!

[@Lasse3]

Wow cool! True DSD!! The dude from PSaudio keeps talking about how most dsd dacs are actually some form of hybrid solutions, and it's not true DSD.

[@anadialog]

Indeed, few have a true DSD stage.

[@Lasse3]

@@anadialog even so. My TEAC UD505 (not as high-end) which I think is one of those "hybrid pcm/dsd" I find that PCM files converted to DSD512, with the filter at 800khz sounds way better than listening to them natively in pcm with your regular PCM brick wall FIR filter. Do you also find the same with your T+A?

[@ohadschwartz4798]

Nice to see you so exited. What is the rest of your system consist of?

[@anadialog]

Thanks! Currently GoldenEar Triton Reference speakers, Mastersound Spettro preamp, Accuphase a48 power amp but already replaced but something I will be presenting soon. As source, Ayon CD-35 II CD player. The analog side is quite intense, but irrelevant here

[@agustinvila]

​@@anadialog what happened with the accuphase? Did you find something even better?

[@filmnarr163]

@@anadialog Now You should search for a REALLY great transport (PS Audio for instance - even a used DMP will do the trick). It's another big step up, believe me!!

[@anadialog]

@@agustinvila the Accuphase is still with me but, yes something new arrived that I wasn't expecting. Simply unbelievable (and much cheaper). Soon on the channel.

[@anadialog]

@@filmnarr163 the Ayon I recently reviewed has satisfied all my digital Redbook dreams...

[@marcomessina7492]

I ordered it :-). But pardon my french.....come sapere se un cd ha la fase invertita?.....

[@anadialog]

Wow! Let us know the food and the bad if youbfeel like it. Phase? You can't. There are some lists, and I will do a video in the topic with some examples...gotta use your ears. I personally don't sense that much of a difference.

[@vdochev]

That thing is huge for a DAC and a pre-amp.

[@anadialog]

Have you seen the Holo Audio May? And it's only a DAC!

[@JH-fl3vi]

Doesn’t this have a bunch of different sounding filters? Are you saying they all sound the same “just to good to be true”?

[@anadialog]

No, they sound different and I hate them. I turned everything off because even if it's a delta-sigma dac in this design you can turn all filters off.

[@JH-fl3vi]

@@anadialog Thank you for clarifying! So the good sound you hear is really with NOS and no filtering in the T&A DAC 200. This seems to match comments I have read about getting the best out of Holo May KTE also. Are you using an up sampler prior to the T&A DAC 200 to achieve this great sound or are you feeding it the native audio in it’s original format? If you are upsampling then how are you achieving this and what degree of up sampling works best?

[@tomekichiyamamoto2177]

How much is this thing?

[@GodfreyMann]

Guido, I love your videos, but all these years I’ve never really figured out what sound signature you’re after, we’re all chasing something…what are you chasing? Without understanding this it really detracts from your videos, because when you talk about a massive jump in quality it’s meaningless unless we know the quality about what? It would help if you made a video dedicated to just this topic. I’m looking for lifelike sound reproduction of acoustic instruments in non-studio based recordings, because I’m into live classical and jazz concerts at small venues and unamplified. One of the things I find most systems fail to do well is create lifelike depth of soundstage, and lifelike timber and tone of instruments (including vocals).

[@anadialog]

Interesting observation. I think I will reply you in an EP video soon! ;-)

[@GodfreyMann]

@@anadialog cool, looking fwd to seeing it. Thx!

[@innerlude]

It looks awesome, but that price tag tho...

[@anadialog]

True, at least in EU it costs less than the May.

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

hi, i have another dac i think you will like and it's not 7.5k$ i'm sure the t+a is fantastic but most of us can't afford it. the border patrol se i is 1500$, hand made in usa,has a tube rectifier, steve guttenberg has one.

[@anadialog]

Cool! Thanks for sharing that. I see it uses a TA1543 chip. Steve also has the Tambaqui! ;-)

[@masterazlan6999]

Correct, i didnt really like r 2r tech anyway..the limitations should be progressive in terms of quality..1bit mechanism really unique.peace!