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
7 comments:
Hi Eric, Many thanks for the great review. I recently read another review on he Weiss DAC 204 stating that it was even slightly better than the Chord Dave, and without the power supply. Do you consider this is at the level of considerably more expensive DACs with the benefit of the power supply?
Hi MJIM, I've had the privilege of having the Chord Dave for a few weeks in my system. With the power supply, I don't think the Weiss is able to exceed the sonic performance of the Dave although I can understand why some may prefer the sound of the Weiss. The Dave has a lot more energy in the high-frequencies and has a more striking and attention-grabbing sound. The Weiss has a more organic and natural tone.
Performance wise, I would put the Weiss on par with the Chord TT2. The Totaldac D1-Six comfortably outperforms the Weiss in terms of bass power and resolution. The TT2 with Mscaler will outperform the Weiss in my view.
Do let me know if you have any other questions or comments.
Thanks Eric. I've been thinking dac between weiss dac204, chord dave, and sonnet morpheus(perfer small size devices). Your description was precise and distinct and helps a lot. My phone is susvara, current dac is lakepeople rs06 and likes it a lot. Can you give a suggestion?
Hi Ryder, I did a review of the Susvara some years ago. Great pair of headphones, but needs careful matching with a good headphone amp to really sound good.
I would consider the Chord TT2 with MScaler in lieu of the Dave. Higher performance for a lower price. The other DAC that should be considered is the Geshelli Labs J2S with the AKM4499. I appreciate that it would be almost impossible to listen to it in Singapore, and would require a leap of faith. Although this is cheaper than the rest of the options you list, this DAC punches well above its price tag.
Hi Eric, thank you very much for the recommend! I had hugo2 and mojo, and like the sound very much, a energetic and graceful sound.
And I've looked the Geshelli J2S review, really like the looks. They only support USPS and FedEx, a bit hard to handle in China, I'll try my luck in used market.
Hi Eric,
Do you remember in which position you used the output level switches on the back for the review (the ones saying 10 and 20db). In my case with but in the upper position the sound is super sharp and fatiguing. when both are down it' very quiet. I currently use it with the 10b swith in the upper position.
Maybe my speakers are a bit more analytical, i use Dynaudio Confidence 20, with pass labs int 60. I like the sound but i feel it lacks a bit of bottom end body.
I also am using plixir but the newer statement model with the statement cable.
Any suggestions on the output voltage/gain setting is appriciated...
Regards,
Pepo
Hello Pepo, it seems -10db is correct for you. The settings for me will not be applicable for you due to the differing gains of our equipment and speaker sensitivity. Too high a level and the sound will be punchy but very fatiguing. Too low and it will sound lifeless and flat.
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