Spell check. Mids, to be clear. Also, the Berkeley is Awesome driving amps directly. I prefer it driving my Ayre MX-R Twenties directly, to running through an Ayre KX-R Twenty preamp.
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I haven't heard the dCS. But I just received a Berkeley Reference 2, swapped from an original Reference. The difference is Not Subtle. Huge Upgrade. Much more musical. The trace of hardness in the upper mods and highs is gone. I'm super satisfied with the Berkeley Alpha Reference 2.
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The Berkeley upgrade is Substantial, not subtle. You will be pleased. I have no cabling issue. If I drive my Atma Sphere MA-1 amps, the sound is both much more dynamic and focused using the Ayre preamp in the chain. So I am not universally bemoaning the use of a preamp. Preamps have merit. I'm just saying that I prefer the sound of the Berkeley Reference 2 DAC driving my Ayre MX-R Twenties directly, with no preamp. I have two runs of balanced Synergistic Element CTS, so its a piece of cake to A\B the sound with or without a preamp. With the Ayre preamp in the chain, the sound is more focused, so I prefer the more airy Synergistic presentation. With the Berkeley driving the Ayre amps directly, I prefer a shade more focus, and run Audioquest WEL. I hear more details, and more realistic harmonics around those details without the preamp, in this case. |
Yeah. I was #82 in the queue. Got tired of waiting. Contacted my dealer, Galen Carol. Swapped my V1 for V2 for $8K. Don't regret it for a second. The Reference 2 sounds like a whole different processor. When I got it, I had my old V1 in house also. I placed them both in my rack, and was prepared for an A/B session. I listened to three familiar songs thru the V2. It wasn't even fully warmed up. Then I simply packed up the V1 and sent it to Galen. No comparison needed. Its a No Brainer.
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I haven't spent Big Money on power conditioning. I live in a small town out in Wyoming and the power is quite clean. But since you asked, I run an API power wedge, an older model with three isolation transformers. And I run a Shunyata Venom cord. I do plan to check out the Shunyata Denali system. For the price, it looks intriguing. |
In my system, its more about isolating the components from each other. I use Shunyata Venom digital cables on both my PS Audio Perfectwave transport and my Esoteric SACD player. Shunyata Venom power cables to the Berkeley and the Ayre preamp. Then I plug the two transports into one isolation transformer since they are never used at the same time, the Berkeley into its own iso, and the preamp into its own iso. Like I said, I plan to check out the Shunyata Denali system. There is a review online at Absolute Sound, if you're curious. |
Thanks. I've settled on two things. The Berkeley Alpha Reference 2 DAC. And my Wilson Alexia loudspeakers. Will investigate the merits of MQA once its more fully established. I'm still playing with amps. Will likely sell my Atma Sphere amps, mainly on the different presentation of the Berkeley 2. It makes my Ayre amps, now completely acceptable. But as I say that, I have a D'Agostino S-250 on the way. Lol. Will settle on interconnects once the amp decision is made. Also plan to play around a bit with that Shunyata Denali system. It Never Ends.
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There must not be that many people who have heard both the dCS and the Berkeley DACs. But I did have a dealer, and it wasn't Galen, tell me he preferred the Ref 2 to the dCS stuff. But he is a Berkeley dealer, so take that one with a grain of salt. When I initially talked to Galen about upgrading to a Ref 2, he mentioned to me he was running one direct into a pair of big Jeff Rowland amps in one of his showrooms, to great effect. So, if you have one, I highly recommend at least trying direct. And FWIW, I noted a substantial improvement on AC cords swapping to a Venom Digital on my transport. The Berkeley seems to like the regular Venom cord just fine.
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Hey khrys. What did you prefer about the sound from the Vivaldi? And have you heard the Berkeley Reference V2? Big improvement over V1. |
Let us know what you think of the Ref. 2, aldenberry. |
Good feedback. Right now I'm waiting to see where this MQA thing goes. |
True shame about the Berkeley upgrade, and not good for business, one would think. I was afraid that might happen when the upgrades crawled to a halt late 2016. That's why back in Feb 2017, I bit the bullet and traded my Berkeley Ref 1 for a Ref 2. No regrets. I Love my Berkeley Ref 2 MQA. Although I've never heard dCS components in my system, they have always sounded outstanding when I have heard them. So you should be well equipped, aldenberry. |
Regarding the use of a preamp or not, way back when I was running Ayre equipment, I came to the conclusion that I could do without the preamp. The Berkeley driving the Ayre amps directly sounded great. I contacted Galen Carol, from whom I purchased the DAC, and at the time he was running the Berkeley direct into a pair of big Rowland amps with good results.
My system has evolved considerably over the past year. I am now running both VTL and Lamm amps. In both cases, the system sounds considerably better with a preamp in the chain, in this case a VTL TL7.5 III. I consider my preamp a cornerstone to the system, now.
So, all I can suggest is to listen to as many options as you can, and to trust your ears. |
Nagra. Yes! I heard a demo at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest last fall. In the Nagra suite they were playing master tapes on a reel-to-reel tape machine feeding the new HD preamp, and a pair of HD monoblocks driving Wilson Alexia 2s. Best sound of the show, IMO. Enchanting. |
One thing I do love about the Berkeley DAC is that it is simple to operate. Reliable and simple. That's worth something, to me at least. I don't like to feel like I'm in computer school when I want to listen to my stereo. |
