2. amps-preamps
  3. 1254577435

Berkeley Alpha DAC vs Theta Gen VIII and stuff...

More ramblings of a madman...

So my search for the preamp has lead me here. Thanks to all who posted in my thread about the Spectral pre but i think i have narrowed it down to an odd pair, the 2 Dacs in the title. This arose from a long phone conversation yesterday with the guy who sort of mentored me in this whole audio mess. I had bounced the idea of the Spectral DMC 30SL i was ready to buy off of him and we had gone round and round about the options. A friend of his has some similar gear, WP's and the like, and had had that Spectral as well as the 30SS + the Spectral CD/DAC. He had also been searching for the right fit and came across the Berkeley Alpha Dac. His comments are strong but they mirror what Robert Harley stated in his TAS article, the BAD is better than the Spectral System...the DAC and the Pre...he has replaced all that Spectral gear with the BAD run directly to his amp. WOW! I am in. But...I must complicate this...If i am going to go the DAC/Pre combo route I might as well include the one I personally have always lusted after...the Theta Generation VIII. Ok...so now I have narrowed this down to the final 2, this is great progress. Help me drive this home fella's...

Has anyone compared these 2 fine devices? Anyone have experience with both that may help me close the door? It is not realistic to get them both here to do a listen, that is out. Gotta go on my gut and some input from the forum.

I suppose my first thought is the newer BAD is a better option given the progress in digital these days as well as the higher rez but the Theta is a classic sweet DAC which has been among the finest available for some time. It is also Theta, A company that seems to be a shell of itself since ATI got involved. Hmmmmm.

Whichever i chose will still be a challenge as neither has a solution for ht pass through. I will need to find some sort of switch at the amp or just change cables when I watch TV/Movies.

So this is where I stand. Input on these 2 devices, experience or comparison, greatly appreciated...

Rest of the system (for now!):

Krell FPB 600c
Wilson WP 7's
Logitech Transporter (will be the only source acting as tranport only)
MIT MH850 speaker cables
MIT MI350 CVT Proline Reference interconnects
MIT Oracle AC1 power cords
MIT ZStabalizerIII HG conditioner/filter/surge

HT stuff to pass through some how...

My home theater will pass through.
richard_stacy

Showing 10 responses by richard_stacy

richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
thanks for the input. i am surprised that the bryston was a warmer sounding dac but happy you found what you are looking for. i am hoping to get a dac with volume control so the bryston is not going to work for me.
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
indianaears...i suspect it has more to do with the age of the genviii than an exodus. in addition, the series 2 makes it a dated piece (the gen viii series 1) so i am pretty sure that is the reason for the slide in value. that being said, it also is making it quite the bargain and hard to pass. in an ideal world, i should try to get them both here for a side by side. that would be quite an interesting event and quite telling.

i am surprised there are not more with experience to share on these. i could not even find much in the forum history on the theta despite it's age...
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
one more option would be the modwright transporter, also straight to the amp. anyone compare the mwt with the alpha dac or gen viii? do any of you guys use your mwtransporters straight to your amplifiers?
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
any other suggestions on how to improve? i will be forced to flip a coin.
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
horacio...i will post a follow up when i get whichever i choose here and set up. good luck on your process as well and thanks for the comments.

mtdking...appreciate the input, i actually think the stock transporer run directly to my amp sounds pretty good, i play it every now and then in that configuration just for a change. i'm sure i would prefer it with a preamp but i do not have one at the moment hence this search. i am using a theta casanova for now. it has served me quite well and performs well beyond it's age and price point but i think it is time to move to a better solution.
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
well i have ordered a berkeley alpha dac. just too many crazy strong comments out there on this device, i have to hear it in my system. i still have the quandary of how to handle integration with my home theater. if anyone has ideas by all means throw them in. as it stands now, i plan to run the transporter digital out via aes/ebu to the berkeley then xlr analog out from the alpha dac directly to my krell fpb600c and use the volume control in the dac. this seems to be the way it sounds best according to all i have read. i will have to switch the cables back to my theta casanova to watch tv/movies and will not be able to have the benifit of the alpha dac for that processing. this is a pain to do but may be the only way.

at some point i also plan to set up a computer to use with the dac for higher resolution material. i just do not have any now and really think it will be sometime before i gather enough to make it worth while.
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
bvdiman-thanks for the comment. love your system, great mix of classic and new. nice room too!
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
worldcat...i do not have the generation8 but was looking at it as an option before i chose the bada. i would love to hear your thoughts on the comparison when you get yours. thanks for the comments.

fsarc...nice to know that you are able to integrate your theta using fixed volume. i will remember that as an option in the future. i don't know if that would work on the bada but will see. appreciate the post and the link to the review.

mike...glad to hear you are so pleased with the alpha dac and hope i feel the same. i think this is going to be a long few weeks! it does not surprise me that the preamp removes some of the forwardness, i have read others who have this preference as well. i guess i will have to see how it sounds and am hoping i will be pleased enough direct to the amp. thanks for the well wishes!!
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
thanks for the comparison worldcat! i am still waiting for the bada to be delivered. going on 5 weeks so i hope any day now. nice to know that it compares so well to the theta which is like 2 1/2 times the cost! i am pretty damn anxious for it's arrival!!!!

keep us updated as you get more time with them.
richard_stacy OP
686 posts
 
rja...

yes. after a really long wait it finally arrived and i am very pleased. rarely do i find a piece of gear lives up to the hype but this has and much more (for me). i am generally a skeptic.
i suppose the easiest way to do this is to say robert harley nailed this thing in his review. i am listening as i type and it is just simply hard for me to imagine how it could be better. i have been spending some time on configuring the rest of my network and am experimenting but think i have the basics in place. this week i moved all my files to a nas drive and replaced my router so i am streaming files from the nas to a logitech transporter to the berkeley then run direct to my amp. the volume control is as good as the rest of the dac and although i have not tried it with a preamp, i would think one is not necessary. they recommend running direct and suggest a preamp will degrade the signal.

so...i like! i cannot see myself changing dacs/digital source for a long long time.
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