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DAC/Preamp quandry

I used to have a great group of friends, most with very nice equipment, much better than mine.  They were mostly older than I, but also had more money to put into their systems.  But now, all who were in this circle have either moved away or passed away.  And since I have no dealers within about 200 miles of me, I've found myself leaning much on the opinions in this group and of course the normal AS and SP reviewers. 

Here's the background.  In the mid 90's I upgraded my system to Vandersteen 2CIi, McCormack 0.5, which has been upgraded with new a power supply and boards. I also have a Marantz CD player.  I am a retired electrical engineer and built my own preamp.  It was a temporary endeavor but turned out to last longer than I planned.  I've been pretty absent from the audio scene for the above reasons - however, since streaming has entered the scene, I've decided to move in that direction and upgrade a few things.  I'd like to continue to use the McCormack amp and the speakers while stepping into the new to me streaming/preamp world. 

I was just about to order the Wiim Ultra, and then a preamp.  I am considering the Schiit Kara F or possibly the Freya+ F  

However, while waiting a few weeks on a supposedly WIIM Amazon prime sale, I'm reconsidering (I do this a lot).  I've been reading about the Eversolo A6 and A8 and I'm wondering if I'm compromising myself.  I would have about the same dollar amount in the A6 Masters Edition as the Ultra and one of the Schiits.  The A8 is about $800-$1200 more than I was planning on spending, but I might be convinced to go that direction if the full streamer/DAC/Preamp combo satisfied my needs, likely for a long time. 

I'd love to be able to compare these combos for at least a few days, but that can't happen.  So, if you have some experience with these products and what might make sense for my current and possibly future needs, please feel free to comment.

 

 

 

 

  

scooterbug
patrickalston
175 posts
 

@wturkey wrote "Not going to beat the OP up with AI slop. Buy the WiiM"

Sure, the WiiM is a great value and if the OP prioritizes features and price over sound quality, then he could buy the WiiM Ultra but (and I'm not throwing shade) let's not confuse its capability with serious sound.  I spent three weeks with the WiiM when my system was down.  So, I'm familiar with it and was happy when when my system was repaired.   My approach to component selection is to research and select a pieces for the long term as opposed to a stepping stone approach akin to training wheels before moving up to big boy components that deliver lasting value long after the price is forgotten. 

BTW, not sure how providing an AI chart that compares features would "beat the OP up."  He's asking for guidance/suggestions and that's what I offered based on my  personal experience with the A8. 

@Scooterbug, further, you may want to also consider the Matrix Mini‑i Pro 4.  It's under $1000.  It uses balanced outputs (XLRs).So, if your system doesn't use XLRs, then you can get adapters.  It's not s good as the A8, but it's supposed to be several steps above (in terms of sound quality) the more budget-friendly WiiM Ultra. If you buy the an A8, then you don't need a preamp.  The A8 has an analog volume control (WiiM uses an inferior Digital volume).  WiiM + Emotiva XDA-3 is about $1200.  A used A8 for a few dollars more beats the WiiM + XDA-3 combo.

 

 

chenry's avatar
chenry
296 posts
 

If your sources are CD and a streamer, your use case for the preamp is for a source selector, volume control and possibly a headphone amp section. A remote control is good. (The Wiim Ultra also gives you bluetooth, USB, a DAC headphone amp, a SE phono in with phono preamp for MM and MC, volume control and also a remote, so you could use it as your preamp and call it done.) I had a Freya+ for a while. It sounded good, but you should know it gets fairly hot (and not just around the four tubes it has but in its solid state board.) It is one of the few preamps with a selectable preamp tube section and takes 4 6SN7s. It has no DAC or headphone amp. I have used the compact and well-featured ProJect Pre Box RS2 Digital preamp which  also has a selectable tube output (4x 6922s to the speaker amp) a dual DAC, headphone amp, remote, USB, I2S, coax, optical and AES and bluetooth, and SE and balanced out. The tubes aren't exposed and it gets warm, but not hot like the Freya+ did.  

kennyc
2,979 posts
 

The WIIM is great for the money, but the Eversolo performance is superior but more money. Better parts and engineering cost more.

It’s your money, only you can decide if spending more is worth it.

motown-l
356 posts
 

I had a WIIM ultra briefly and was disapointed. I returned it and bought a Cambridge Audio MNX10 and am very pleased. For $120 more, I found the CA to sound more open and have a more intuitive user interface. It can be used as a preamp, but only in the digital realm.  

chenry's avatar
chenry
296 posts
 

I stopped reading that AI comparison as soon as it called the ESS Sabre 9038Q2M  "entry-level" because it is in the WiiM and the AKM 4499/4919 pair the "flagship", as if there was some meaningful difference between them. Both are found in entry-level and premium products. There is more to the design of a DAC than the choice of the DAC chip. 

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