Weiss DAC204 Review

Introduction

Weiss is best known for their professional products which see use in studios worldwide. They have seen success too in their domestic products and I personally know a number of discerning audiophiles locally that use Weiss products. 

As an owner of an INT204 USB/DSD interface, I appreciate the level of quality and performance delivered. Not cheap by any means, but their products are priced reasonably, especially in the context of current high-end pricing.

Description

The Weiss DAC204 is a compact shoe-box-shaped device that combines the DAC board of the DAC205 with the functionality of the INT204 USB/DSD interface. The DAC205 offers only a Toslink and coaxial input, making the DAC204 the unit of choice if you require a USB input. Based on an oversampling sigma-delta D/A convertor, four paralleled D/A convertors are used per channel for superior signal-to-noise performance. High jitter suppression is claimed by virtue of several signal re-clocking schemes.

The USB input supports sampling frequencies of up to 384kHz and DSD64/128 (sampling frequencies of 352.8 and 384kHz are downsampled to half the original frequency). Two front panel toggle switches convert DSD signals to PCM at either 88.2kHz or 176.4kHz sampling rate and 16 or 24-bit word-length. The coaxial and Toslink inputs accept signals of up to 192kHz. 

The flexibility offered by the DAC204 is tremendous. Three digital outputs (coaxial, BNC and AES/EBU) allow digital signals to be routed to another DAC or digital recording device. For example, the DAC204 could be used with legacy DACs that neither have a USB input, nor DSD compatibility. 

Turning to the analog outputs, both single-ended and balanced outputs are available, with four selectable output voltages (0.23V to 7.5V for the balanced output, and 0.115V to 3.75V for the single-ended output). This allows the DAC204 to be adjusted based on the gain structure of your system. The higher voltage settings would be especially useful for passive preamp users. 

The power supply is off-board, with a medical-grade switched-mode power supplied. The DAC204 accepts a supply voltage between 6 to 9V DC, with a current requirement of 1050 ma at 6V or 700 ma at 9V. Weiss will also sell you the PSU101 universal power supply if you wish to upgrade the performance of the DAC204. Just be warned though, it's as expensive as the DAC itself!

In use

The Singapore distributor for Weiss kindly included a Plixir Elite 6V-6A power supply and Statement DC cable to try out with the DAC204. I used both the Plixir and the stock power supply during my evaluation. 

I hooked up an old CD player to the coaxial input to run-in the unit. None of the sampling frequency LEDs lit up although music flowed. Reading the manual again, I realised that the LEDs only light up when using the USB input. Apart from this initial scare, the DAC204 performed without any issues.  

Sound Quality

With the Plixir, the DAC204 impressed with a highly detailed and cohesive sonic performance. The first thing that strikes you is how music flowed without any particular frequency calling undue attention. 

Bass was tight and impactful and had good speed and tempo. Vocals had a mild laidback quality that provided some warmth to the human voice. High frequencies were reproduced with a clean and crisp edge. The Weiss managed to strike a perfect balance - with a detailed and grain-free midrange and good highs without sounding bright or strident.  

Readers to this point would be wondering what made the Weiss special compared to competition? In my view, the DAC204 was able to convey a superior sense of dimensionality and realism - with clear illumination of the acoustic space around each voice and instrument in the recording. I associate this particular quality with high-end DACs which is high praise indeed for the Weiss. 

The subtly warm tone and lack of harshness allowed for many hours of fatigue-free listening. Despite the professional audio heritage, the Weiss struck me as a musical device - I spent most of my time enjoying the music instead of trying to dissect the recording. 

Swapping out of the Plixir for the stock power supply greatly diminished the performance of the Weiss. Apart from losing impact and power in the low-frequency region, the drop in resolution and separation was obvious. 

Conclusion

Sonically compelling with the Plixir power supply, the Weiss offers great flexibility in a small format. The price with upgraded power supply is well justified if you require the functionality of the INT204 board - Recommended.

I would like to thank Sound Affairs Pte Ltd for arranging this review. 

Weiss DAC204 D/A Convertor

Price - S$ 3,996 (with stock power supply), $5,000.40 (with Plixir Elite BDC and Statement DC cable)

Sound Affairs Pte Ltd

110 Lorong 23 Geylang

#06-03 Victory Centre

Singapore 388410

http://mysoundaffairs.com

 

KZ xHBB PR2 In-Ear Monitor

Introduction

Knowledge Zenith (KZ) is back with a planar driver IEM tuned by HBB, the popular Youtuber who runs Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews. Priced at USD 45, this is aimed squarely at the budget planar market.

Description

Based on a single 13.2mm planar magnetic driver, the KZ PR2 is made from an alloy die-cast shell. The supplied 1.2m long cable is silver-plated and you can also order a mic version for USD 2 extra. The cable is nothing special - no chin slider, and the 3.5mm plug is not interchangeable. At least it's flexible and doesn't tangle up easily. The PR2 uses 0.75mm pins, so feel free to express yourself with a third-party cable of your choice. I ordered the version with the mic and the voice quality is quite decent and works well enough for conference calls in a quiet environment. 

Included in the box are four tips - one set of foam tips and three pairs of silicon tips in different sizes. There is no carrying case, or anything else fancy. 

The cut-away diagram on KZ's website shows a silver-plated diaphragm with seven N52 rubidium magnets on either side of the diaphragm.

Here is a picture of the measured response from KZ's website :-

Specified impedance is 15 ohms (+/- 3 ohms), and sensitivity at 94db (+/- 3 db). Well, planar drivers are hard to drive, and this one is especially difficult. Driven directly out of a computer or mobile phone headphone jack, the resultant performance is poor to mediocre at best. Apart from limited volume, music sounds strained and confused.  

Sound Quality

Bring proper amplification to the party, and the PR2 sounds great. Both an Aurender Flow DAC/headamp and a Questyle M15 dongle DAC had enough power to allow the PR2 to shine. 

Bass is especially impressive, with a tight and impactful quality. The tuning is neutral, with good and clean vocals and highs. Decay is good, although on the drier side. Staging and imaging are also above average, with good separation and layering. There is a touch of forwardness to the midrange though, which gives vocals a subtle presence boost. You also get speed and details galore, which is especially impressive given the low price tag. 

Tonally, this is one of the brighter-sounding IEMs on the market, with very little midbass and midrange warmth. You could use EQ to tune this IEM more to your liking, but the intrinsic character won't change that much.  If you prefer a warm and bassy IEM, you are better off with something else. 

In comparison to the Letshuoer S12 Pro (the other planar IEM in my collection), the PR2 is not quite as musical or fun to listen to. The S12 Pro has a much better cable, interchangeable connectors (including a 2.5 and 4.4mm balanced plug), and is easier to drive. The S12 Pro has a warmer and fuller balance, and better dimensionality. The S12 Pro also costs four times more than the PR2, and in my opinion, the performance gap between both is not that big. This gives a clear nod to the PR2 in the value stakes. According to HBB, the PR2 uses the same driver as the KZ PR1 Pro which is almost twice the price of the PR2. In short, you get a lot for your money. 

Conclusion

An outstanding bargain if you are a fan of its neutral tuning. The low sensitivity makes a good dongle DAC or headamp mandatory though - Best Buy.

Price - USD 45

http://kz-audio.com