Objective DAC (ODAC) - Build

Audiolab 9000A Integrated Amplifier
Bijin, great design and craftmanship! The only (minor) suggestion I have are these plastic feet with metal rims available on EBay from Chinese vendors:

wuwp.jpg


It's only faux gold-plated (most probably anodized or Gadolinium-plated aluminium), so it doesn't break the bank - a set of 4 runs to about USD 6, and it''s probably a lot less than that in volume. I used a set of 4 to pimp up a Denon UDRA-M7 microcomponent receiver, but it's small enough (20mm x 9mm) to use on smaller cabinets.
 
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linuxguru said:
Bijin, great design and craftmanship! The only (minor) suggestion I have are these plastic feet with metal rims available on EBay from Chinese vendors:

wuwp.jpg


It's only faux gold-plated (most probably anodized or Gadolinium-plated aluminium), so it doesn't break the bank - a set of 4 runs to about USD 6, and it''s probably a lot less than that in volume. I used a set of 4 to pimp up a Denon UDRA-M7 microcomponent receiver, but it's small enough (20mm x 9mm) to use on smaller cabinets.
Click to expand...

Yes, that will add up beauty, but since the the footer height is comparatively less, there is seldom chance to get that noticed. I personally think spending on small footer is once choice.

BTW the footer which i have fixed will not come into sight. It just makes a clearance between the case and ground.
 
I received one completed from diyaudiocart, thanks to Bijin and Bibin. I am not able to stop myself playing and listening :). Its playing beautifully and neck to neck with another 3X costly DAC. :clapping:
Guys! Stay tuned for detailed review of this.
 
omishra said:
I received one completed from diyaudiocart, thanks to Bijin and Bibin. I am not able to stop myself playing and listening :). Its playing beautifully and neck to neck with another 3X costly DAC. :clapping:
Guys! Stay tuned for detailed review of this.
Click to expand...

Mishra ji,

Waiting to hear your detailed review soon and also would like to know how the cabinet sounds to you...
 
Proud Owner of this Objective DAC

This DAC arrived in the evening and was waiting for me. Packing was professionally done to securely deliver the product. I thought of something little more than twice of credit card size. It is merely around same size.
[Below pictures are in low light without flash]

8h2a.jpg



Build: Wooden cabinet is made of some wood (not recalling) other than Teak. Its superb finishing made it matching to our teakwood furniture. Letter engraving on top and front is marvelous. Overall nice wood working. All gold plated MX RCA connectors on back. Screws are nicely hidden.This comes with quality mini USB cable with gold plated terminals. default black feet look nice, no need to change for anything else. It just separates this from bottom screws scratching below surface. See below pictures. :clapping:
But would like red LED to be little smaller - something like 1.5-2mm opening hole on front.

Cost: Rs 11k INR + Tax, shipping

Setup: HW: Lenevo X201 Laptop with 4GB RAM, SW: foobar 2000 with WASAPI plugin version 3.2.3, media: FLAC file stored on 1TB WD Passport Slim external HDD. Double buffer Pass B1 Preamp with LSA Volume Control and Pass Amp Camp Amp. LS XLS Encore Bookshelf speakers.

obqa.jpg


d7uz.jpg


Impression: As I already stated this, I could not stop listening. :)
This is overall flat response for audio band and tends toward neutral sound - no addition and not deletion into its specs as stated on JDS Lab's site. That's called faithful reproduction. Overall silence in background is instantly felt.

Details:
Vocals: This is good for classical, POP and Bollywood. Bollywood songs had some extra sibilance but I attribute it to my original CD quality. Male and female vocals are near to natural. Chitra, Lata Mangeshkar, Mary Black and Diana Krall - all different sound signatures (from throat) are clean. Male vocals all clean but somehow sound toward clinical. I like the exact reproduction of sound.
Guitar and piano notes dissipate in air to the point.
HF: Cymbals, high hats are precise, little rounded, clean. Never felt fatigue during ~6hrs listening, it says all.
Bass: This was area I was skeptical due to its limited specs but it excelled overall. Bass strings, sustained bass, drum skin fluttering with hand or stick felt difference. details are noted. :clapping:

I compared it with my "Schiit Bifrost with Uber Analog and Gen-2 USB" DAC. Difference is very little but for that I paid 3.5X times more than price of this DAC. :D

Media contents played:
  1. A R Raheman: Dil Se, Hum Se hai Muqabala, Roja
  2. Pop, Jazz from Mumbai Audiophile meet 2013 CD from FM
  3. Country: John Denver
  4. Marathi Songs: Sandhiprakash - MP3 320 kbps
  5. Gazals: Jagjit Singh
  6. Western Dance Mix - with some electronics music.
And many more.

PS: I tried using ASIO4ALL too, but somehow WASAPI was simple cleaner and little more volume.

Summary: Overall good VFM and nice sounding DAC. Keeping in my kitty. Thanks Bibin and Bijin introducing it here. :yahoo:
 
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It looks lovely on your rack!

I haven't tried any other stand-alone DAC yet, but I've been using sound cards/interfaces for more ten years. I would say that the ODAC is extremely clean; probably as transparent as its designer claims. Remember that although it is the ObjectiveDAC, NwAvGuy did not forget ears, which, along with measurements, were used for testing and comparison throughout, and his benchmark was the, err, Benchmark DAC. Difference in cost is more like 10x!

I have recently recabled with Blue Jeans Cable. I think that this has increased the transparency of my set up.

Is there a downside to all this tranparency? Yes: the other side of the coin is unforgiving. Sometimes we just have to listen to bad recordings, because we don't have better and we want to hear that music. It is possible that you might enjoy it a bit less. Try some low-bit-rate MP3s, and you might see what I mean.

Thanks Bibin and Bijin introducing it here
Click to expand...

Actually, it has been a forum favourite for quite a while.
 
Thanks Thad, it matches to my rack. Initially my wife thought I bought some piece of audiophile wood to enhance room acoustic. ;):p
You are correct Thad! This is worldwide forum favorite but I was looking at it from a distance. Once I saw it with good casing, it confirmed my order. Transparency of system is sometime turned into curse due to unforgiving nature for bad source. It strips down the source. But isn't that we want - reproduce the source into its true color?
 
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Yes. There is a saying, isn't there? To be careful about what we want in case we get it!

my wife thought I bought some piece of audiophile wood to enhance room acoustic.
Click to expand...

:lol:

So you really scored a point by being able to tell her that, even in its wooden box, this is still a low-price value for money audiophile component? ;)

Perfect match for your phono amp. Did that come from the same makers?

I'm not a fan of sticking bits of wood on electronic components as a pseudo-retro thing, but of course I am a fan of things looking good. I guess that wooden cabinets were original used because they were, at that time, cheaper and easier, especially for limited-number production. That would still be true today: most DIYers do not have a machine shop, so wood is a lot easier to work.

Bottom line: looks great :)
 
Bijin / Bibin
Fantastic work guys!!. Looks like I will have to loosen my purse strings one more time...damn! can we ever stop doing this.
It is too tempting to not buy one.:licklips:
Now will have to think of some real nice excuses and technical jargon to convince the "high commission";)

Later
Peace
Jetlag
 
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