Where does one begin . . . Let me start by saying that the TP is a $2000 price point device, and it should not be reasonably expected to contain the parts selection or execution of a $3000-$5000 DAC. It is performing much more functions than the latter, and it is an understandable from a purchasing and manufacturing standpoint that some compromises have to be made somewhere. This is not a no-cost-barred product. I have no doubt that the manufacturer may deride the use of some upper tier parts, but the reality is that there is no way they could have employed them and kept to price point. And there is nothing wrong with that.
In addition, some of the more subtle differences in these matters are not going to be noticeable on the vast majority of hobbyists systems. Systems capable of detecting those very subtle differences will typically have downstream components of very high caliber. While this is not always desirable, and I am not an adherent to the detail cult, the very best systems are extremely revealing while still remaining musical and relatively forgiving. Someone comparing the TP to a Wadia on a $2000 Rotel system is not going to hear the differences that a Classe/Thiel pairing might reveal. I am no fan of rows of Holcos, Blackgates, and Hovlands for the sake of them. Some of my very best sounding equipment has 29 cent polyester interstage coupling caps throughout. It is the synergy of all the equipment together that matters most. But bear in mind that we are talking strictly about output stages here. Not the DSP stages, and not anything else. The TP's is, predictably, an op-amp design. However, while there are some very nice op-amp based designs out there, my ears have always found them ultimately wanting against a discrete FET or tubed output stage. Tonal depth and smaller nuances in complex passages are usually missing or thinned down with the former. There is no need to name names; JFET output stage DACs can be bought right now for under $1500. And they do sound terrific, albeit with less resolution than a more premium DAC might provide. The old CAL Alphas of ten years ago had similarly wonderful sounding output stages, but were limited in their DSP execution (I think CAL overweighted the back end of their products), so were not quite as resolving. Most DACs and players have effective bit resolution of under 10 bits once all deficiencies are factored in. Unfortunately, the vast majority of gear out there uses opamps, including my present DAC. I compromised on the output stage to get a stronger DSP section, keep balance, and stay under $5000. But where a premium design like my Assemblage DAC 3.1 might use an OPA627, which is a good sounding chip, the TP opted for the NE5534. That's a tried and true solution, but very middle of the road sounding. Every one I have ever heard has been unruly in the upper midrange and into the treble. That the TP has capacitively coupled it (if my research is correct) will help tame that edginess, but at the expense of some resolution. Why did they use a 5534? Cost. Implementing a OPA627 solution is expensive, and involves additional capacitance headroom to accommodate its current demands that most manufacturers would rather not spend on, and I would never expect to find it in a $2000 all-in-one digital box. The difference a better opamp implementation can make can be nothing short of incredible. Dropping OPA627s and doubling supply capacitance turned a Marantz CD67se into a giant killer in some informal experiments we did around here recently. Absolutely amazing transformation, noticeable even in a modest system. While I have not gotten my hands on a schematic, the few internal pictures of the TP chassis (plenty of wasted space in there - the chassis could be reduced by half) I have seen do not indicate supplies of the overall robustness I typically see (and hear) in more expensive designs. Is that bad? No. And the 5534 doesn't really need or will necessarily benefit much from a big Nichicon sitting next to it. And again, I would never expect to see that sort of implementation at this price point. I am in the process of getting my hands on a TP for audition at some point. While my ears will be the final judge, I am fully expecting the TP to sound reasonably dynamic, and somewhat musical, but slightly restrained at the very bottom and rounded off in the upper midrange and treble, and not with the same equal measure of tonal clarity and fullness as a proper OPA627 implementation, and nothing near the lush presentation of a tube or FET design. The TP looks to be a super deal at $2000. But I would never match its output stages up against a higher end DAC. I don't care what you do with it, a 5534 is never going to better a well executed FET design. Never. Does that mean that the TP should sound worse? Not necessarily, as it is the complete package that always counts. If the TP's front end is strong enough to compensate for its downstream bits, who knows. -- sgmlaw ------------------------------------------------------------------------ sgmlaw's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13995 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=41160 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
