Hey everyone,
Just wondering if someone else been following the new creation of mr. Westlake, also known as the creator of the DacMagic and most other Cambridge Audio products (Peachtree Audio too). They are just launching a few DAC (8200DQ), that on paper looks very promising:
- Sabre32 ESS9018
- Single ended and balanced output
- Digital preamp functionality via 64-bit DSP
- Async USB without extra drivers
- Made in China and mass produced with SMD components: good value
- Over 5 switchable digital filters for different sound signatures
It´s slowly starting to show up in some EU webstore lists already: http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Audiolab-8200DQ-DAC/Pre-Amp/product_5026 for example. The 8200CDQ is already on the market. It´s the DQ with a CD tray, otherwise pretty much the same. I just bought one for my active monitors and I´m realy liking the supremely smooth sound. It doesn´t like some records, but on some it´s almost unreal how three dimensional it is. This is my first Sabre32 experience and I have to say I´m really impressed. It was just a loan from a local store, and I ended up keeping it. I still prefer my REF7, but this doubles as a preamp and has tons of inputs. It sounds so different compared to the REF7 that I don´t really see much point in comparing the two, at least since they run different rigs now.
My personal prediction is that this will become the next DacMagic in popularity (the early info seems to point out that it´ll be closer to the 800-1000 dollar market though, but still very good value for a Sabre32 product). The only drawback is that the chassis is pretty big, but later there will be a desktop version that will use a separate power supply.
Oh and mr. Westlake has been answering tons of question on a forum (the thread is over 130 pages) at http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=83778
No, I have nothing to do with Audiolab as a company, just wanted to bring this up for discussion as I haven´t seen it mentioned here yet. As most readers here are from the US and Audiolab is a less known brand there.
Just wondering if someone else been following the new creation of mr. Westlake, also known as the creator of the DacMagic and most other Cambridge Audio products (Peachtree Audio too). They are just launching a few DAC (8200DQ), that on paper looks very promising:
- Sabre32 ESS9018
- Single ended and balanced output
- Digital preamp functionality via 64-bit DSP
- Async USB without extra drivers
- Made in China and mass produced with SMD components: good value
- Over 5 switchable digital filters for different sound signatures
It´s slowly starting to show up in some EU webstore lists already: http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Audiolab-8200DQ-DAC/Pre-Amp/product_5026 for example. The 8200CDQ is already on the market. It´s the DQ with a CD tray, otherwise pretty much the same. I just bought one for my active monitors and I´m realy liking the supremely smooth sound. It doesn´t like some records, but on some it´s almost unreal how three dimensional it is. This is my first Sabre32 experience and I have to say I´m really impressed. It was just a loan from a local store, and I ended up keeping it. I still prefer my REF7, but this doubles as a preamp and has tons of inputs. It sounds so different compared to the REF7 that I don´t really see much point in comparing the two, at least since they run different rigs now.
My personal prediction is that this will become the next DacMagic in popularity (the early info seems to point out that it´ll be closer to the 800-1000 dollar market though, but still very good value for a Sabre32 product). The only drawback is that the chassis is pretty big, but later there will be a desktop version that will use a separate power supply.
Oh and mr. Westlake has been answering tons of question on a forum (the thread is over 130 pages) at http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=83778
No, I have nothing to do with Audiolab as a company, just wanted to bring this up for discussion as I haven´t seen it mentioned here yet. As most readers here are from the US and Audiolab is a less known brand there.