LOL! Well, I am not touching this unit! Really. This is the one piece that I feel no urge to “improve”. I did look inside and am very impressed with both build quality and parts selection.
Tron Atlantic dac disrupts both Audiophile and The Audiophile’s Wife.
We had the opportunity to listen to the Tron Atlantic dac in our home last week. I currently own a Mojo Audio Evo dac upgraded to what was esentially the Pro level. In 2021 it retailed for $12,000. We love the Mojo dac as it simply sounds so beautiful and un-digital if you will.
The Tron Atlantic is really not very well known and rarely gets any mention on the audio forums. This is the main reason I wanted to post on the Tron. If you are looking for a DAC that delivers “end game” sonics, then this dac should be on your list. They sell for $11-$17,000 depending on the version. We listened to the top GT model.
We have heard some fantastic dacs in our home selling for $5500-$14,000 and the Tron just moved us more. Let me say this fellow Agoners and I say this after some considerable thought. This single piece of audio gear elevated the realism and emotional beauty of music to a higher level than any other “rectangular box” we have placed in our system. It connected us to our music in a new and special way.
The inner detail and nuance of this dac is quite extraordinary. I really don’t want to use audiophile terms to communicate what the “sound” is like. They just don’t get at the truth of the experience well or completely enough. My wife was moved to tears listening to Heldinnenleben play Por Una Cabeza on their Die Kolophonistinnen recording. I have not seen music influence her like this before. A first. No matter what we played, the music moved and engaged us more deeply.
This dac is priced beyond what many of us can or will spend. This includes myself at this particular point in time. However, for those of you with the budget and in the market for a truly special dac, you are now aware of this wonderful music maker. I was also auditioning another dac priced within my budget that my dealer suggested vs. the Mojo. In the end, I felt that dac was simply a lateral move vs. my Mojo Dac. I was not expecting the Tron Atlantic to disrupt our home music experience so overwhelmingly. I really thought no dac could do that vs. my throughly enjoyable Mojo. Oh well, I was wrong.
I cannot tell you how this dac stacks up against the more known audiophile brands selling for $20,000-$30,000. Brands like MSB, Lampizator etc…I just don’t have that level of first hand experience. I do know the builder set out to make this dac for himself only. Why? Because he had yet to hear any dac that moved him like SOTA analog.
Here is a link to the Tron website: https://tron-electric.co.uk/
Here is a link to the Tron dealer I know (Colin): https://gestalt.audio/
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Here is an update on my Tron Atlantic Signature dac. It has been in my system for some 8 weeks now and is fully burned in. I am so glad I made the decision to buy this dac. It sounds so wonderful. I am enjoying my music more than ever. My wife listened to music till 1:30 AM a few days ago. She listens on her own for hours and that has never happened before! I am drawn more deeply into music because of the Tron’s uncanny purity and realism. I find myself listening more without reading or any other distractions. I am putting down my IPad and getting lost more fully into the music. This dac is expensive, but worth every dollar based on the above facts. |
Let me say I did own my prior speakers for just under 5 years 🙂. My Lyngdorf for 5 years also. I really do think my current speakers, Tron dac and Circle Labs A200 Int amp will stay in place for many years. Ha! We will see.
Charles, I so admire you enjoying your system as is for all these many years. Awesome in so many ways to me. Yes the Helene dac does indeed weigh 88 pounds and the output voltage is 10v both RCA and XLR. |
Does the Helene dac really weight 80 pounds!? Well, that makes it too heavy for my back! I must have read that wrong. The 10 volt output is puzzling and makes me wonder if that spec was printed in error or out of proper context? My dealer has heard these two dacs and greatly respects the Aries Cerat product line. He shared both dacs are top tier in sound, build quality and designer innovation. Tron is a tad more naturally resolved while the Helene is perhaps a tad more fluid. It seems both offer that special sonic “magic” many of us crave. |
@grannyring (Bill) I have considerable respect and admiration for both Tron Audio and Aries Cerat components. Two very different designer/builders but both have demonstrated they surely know what they are doing. The Atlantic and Helene DACs are near polar opposite in approach, yet I have zero doubt that both are extraordinary performers. You and your wife have made an excellent purchasing decision and will enjoy the Atlantic Signature for years. Bill and I say this knowing how much you love to change things in your audio system after awhile. 🙂 Charles |
Been reading about the Aries Cerat Helene dac. Well that is one beast of a dac! Very interesting design. I can see why that one is of interest to you. The Tron Atlantic dac does not incorporate any tubes so a comparison would be interesting. I really have no experience with the Helene, but respect the build from a distance 👍
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+1 laltik @rms456 - "Another quirk, and applies to UK origin products, is the AC inlet is on the RH side when viewed from the front." I have a US made Mojo Audio DAC , the AC inlet is also on the RH side when facing the DAC; no biggie. |
Agree, The one thing that puzzles me about the Aries Cerat Helene (Which I find very interesting along with the Tron DAC) is why they chose a 10 volt output. I am no audio engineer for certain, but just seems unnecessarily a high output. Gain surplus would be a large issue potentially in many systems. Charles |
Funny @steakster ! All Tron gear is designed and maximized for the best sound using single ended connections and topology. The voltage output of this dac is only 1.5v making the use of an active preamp important. I really enjoy the lower output voltage as I find many higher efficiency systems, like mine, benefit from this lower gain structure.
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Nice looking DAC, at this price point, two omissions come to mind. XLR outputs missing No mention of a level attenuator Defacto standard is 2V for CD players for quite some time, some tube/valve, even solid state amps are at 0.775V, so an attenuator would help. Either analog or digital, the digital ones have worked out the 'missing bits' problem now. Another quirk, and applies to UK origin products, is the AC inlet is on the RH side when viewed from the front. In a rack, the AC cables can be separated from the signal lines by some distance in one bundle on the LH side, crossing to the other side invites AC coupling, unless the AC cables are shielded and doesn't matter so much. |
As I read this thread comment by comment I KNEW @grannyring would buy this Dac. It was written in stone. Might as well get the top one, sir. Enjoy. I would love to hear one of those. |
Thanks all for the kind comments! @facten ,
You may need to contact the designer directly for a better answer, but here is what I know. He does not advertise the GT option on the site. The topology is the same as the Signature, but select parts are upgraded as I understand it. |
I agree with @ghasley @charles1dad and @lalitk. Really hard to unhear something so good. Can’t wait to read about the evolution in your system. Should be amazing with the new Network Acoustics Muon gear. |
Congrats Bill, you keep pushing the ceiling on digital. I concur with @ghasley - once you hear the next level, it's quite difficult to settle back with your previous reference. |
So true! 😊 Congratulations to you Bill. Charles |
I want to update all reading this thread. I ordered Signature model today! I listened to the unit in my system and was once again spellbound at the realism and purity of this dac. The Signature level sells for $13,750. I expect it in 6 or so weeks. I will be sure to report back once I get the new dac. |
In countless audio forum threads where DACs are discussed,the overwhelming emphasis is focused on the "chips" employed. I genuinely believe that the analog output stage and the power supply are more influential in determining the DAC sound quality. So it doesn't surprise me that Graham Tricker improvement gradients of his Atlantic DAC involve additional attention to his power supplies. It seems no matter what the audio component may be, to make it sound better, improve the quality of the power supply. Charles |
@charles1dad Give Graham Tricker of Tron an email, he is certainly a very approachable guy, I am sure he would answer your questions barring maybe some things he might not want to disclose due to design etc.
I think Tron products are certainly worth taking a listen to if you can. |
nice info Bill. We have older Tron preamp and phono stage in our listening room. Nice sounding stuff. Have not heard their DAC products though. The DACs we manufacturer offer all point to point wiring, 101D Direct Heated Triode tube design and we also offer a 6SN7 tube design in one DAC model, R2R, copper plates, V-Caps, Audio Note, custom chokes and transformers, etc. Happy Listening. |
Hi Bill, Yes I ventured to the Tron Audio website after reading your listening impression comments yesterday. But the information was vague. Having heard their amplifiers and line stage I have no doubt that the DAC sounds as you attest to. I was hoping to learn more about what parts/design changes that seperate the Deluxe-Reference-Signature models. Power supply and analog output stage make much more of a difference in sound quality than is often appreciated. So I’m not at all surprised that is where Graham T. wisely focused his attention for improvement and upgrading. I wonder what I/V conversation approach he chose. It requires an excellent ear to do what he is able to accomplish. Charles |
I am only familiar with Tron's tube linestage and phono stage. I like what I heard with these components. That someone making tube gear would make a pure solid state DAC is not that surprising given that the only part of a DAC that can be done with tubes is an analogue gain stage. If their DAC fits the type of sound and sensibilities of their tube gear, I bet it is a winner. |
Charles, the only information I have is from the website. It gives some good information, but not quite complete enough for me. Top models use pure silver internal wire, better quality parts and more robust power supplies. The power supply is particularly important and upgraded with the top models. Here is the info from the website;
Atlantic Deluxe DAC Atlantic Reference DAC Atlantic Signature DAC |
I don't see what a tube amplifier would have to do with this scenario. Bill is describing attributes that are specifically due to the quality level of this DAC. Even a high quality tube amplifier will be limited by the DAC 's performance upstream in the signal path. Bill's detailed listening impressions tell me it is the very high sound quality of the Tron Atlantic itself that's so musically unique and impactful. The best tube amplifiers can't do this with a mediocre DAC thrown in front of it. This is why those who focus heavily on the particular chips used or believe that "bits are simply bits" are quite far off base. So much more involved in making a truly good sounding DAC. Bill do you know what are the power supply and analogue output stage upgrades that distinguish between the 3 different levels of the Tron Atlantic? Charles |
Not sure what tubes have to do with this particular thread? My amp does have tubes for what it is worth. Tron builds nothing but top flight tube gear, however here they determined the best dac they could make was this SS unit. Love to hear more from the builder on this decision and story behind the design. |
For more context around my experience with the Tron Atlantic I think knowing my system helps. System synergy is always an important factor. I have the Network Acoustics Muon ethernet filter and cables and well as the English Electric switch feeding my Innuos Zenith 3 Server. The switch and my modem are powered by an LPS. I use the Tchernov Ultimate USB cable. My amplifier is the Circle Labs A200 integrated amp. Finally, my speakers are the Fyne F704 with upgraded crossover parts and internal wiring. Top flight parts and wire. The Tron’s remarkable extraction of inner detail and dynamic speed are a big plus for my system. My system is in a large 26x34 room with 10 foot ceilings and the speakers 13 feet apart. I do have some diffusion panels on the front and side walls. Before the Tron my system threw a very large stage with what I would describe as natural ease and flow. The sound was always beautiful and full of texture and weight. No problem playing loudly with no fatigue. With the Tron inserted the experience changed from hearing a beautiful sounding system playing recorded music to more of a live event in my room. Piano key stokes had an energetic vibrancy and tone that I hear when listening to the real thing. This sort of experience was true for all instruments and voice now. This was a real shift upward in realism in my particular system. Some may find this difference small, while others would just crave it intensely. The audiophile community is diverse and not all crave this sort of experience equally. It seems my wife and I do appreciate it.
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