The dB Audio Labs Tranquility DAC - Wow!

wilsynet · « **Reply #640 on:** 23 Oct 2010, 12:21 am »

Connected to my MacBook Pro, the Ayre QB-9 is a much better DAC than the Tranquility connected to same.

However, the Tranquility is better if connected to the Mac Mini.

Think this must be because the QB-9 has async USB and is hence more resilient to the quality of the transport.

If you're planning to get the 2010 Mac Mini anyway, then the Tranquility is great value. If you aren't, the Ayre QB-9 may be a more reliable choice.

Having said that, I highly recommend the Tranquility SE and Mac Mini. Really terrific.

bhobba · « **Reply #641 on:** 23 Oct 2010, 11:59 pm »

Finally got the signature in my system. I previously had it in Milke Lenehans reference system and was hoping Mike could do some break in for me but he is a bit busy (and not to mention totally tired and drained from getting the first production run of his ML3's done) so wasn't able to get a lot of break in on it. Because of that I won't comment too much on the sound except to say we did quite a bit of experimenting down at Mikes yesterday and can assure everyone it sounds excellent. In my system, because I had the standard Tranquility in there for so long I know how that sounds and can say the signature is better even with only a little break in on it. Also guys after chatting with Mike yesterday I have to wimp out and not discuss what we heard when we compared it to some other DAC's. They were different enough for us to think people really should try and make their way to Mike's place on the Gold Coast and hear the differences for themselves. Rest assured this DAC is excellent and you can buy it with confidence - it is just that some DAC's are voiced a little differently and rather than say this DAC is better and reveal your preferences we felt it was better to simply say it's up there.

Like the poster above I also highly recommend the Tranquility SE and mac mini

Thanks
Bill

Janedoe · « **Reply #642 on:** 28 Oct 2010, 04:35 pm »

Hmm.. does anyone know how the tranquility compares with the bel canto dac 2.5?

Also, how would the tranquility compare with cdps such as the marantz / rega/ naim

Thanks for feedback

newzooreview · « **Reply #643 on:** 28 Oct 2010, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: Janedoe on 28 Oct 2010, 04:35 pm

Hmm.. does anyone know how the tranquility compares with the bel canto dac 2.5?

Also, how would the tranquility compare with cdps such as the marantz / rega/ naim

Thanks for feedback

I haven't seen anyone compare the Tranquility to the Bel Canto 2.5. However, the Tranquility is finely tuned for one purpose: USB in and RCA out. No multiple inputs and outputs, no displays or remotes. That allows every dollar to go into the best possible sound for a single purpose. The Tranquility also sells direct vs. through dealers, so you are automatically getting 40%-60% more for your money. That doesn't mean the Bel Canto isn't as good as the Tranquility: I have only heard my Tranquility and a couple other DACs. However, if I had to place a bet on the outcome of a head-to-head comparison I would expect the Tranquility sounds better to most folks.

Regarding CD players, I think the consensus has been for some time that a good hard-drive based system beats a good CD player. I haven't owned a CD player in a few years now, and I expect they will fade out of use among audiophiles over the next few years. It will be more of a vinyl and music server world. So, again, I don't have a direct answer.

Don't know if that helps.

bhobba · « **Reply #644 on:** 29 Oct 2010, 01:14 am »

I took my Tranquility SE down to a local Hi Fi store yesterday. When the guy heard it he started scratching his head. I asked what he thought. He said - man is this thing accurate and neutral but it has not a trace of coldness or analyticality - its just so liquid and smooth. I asked how it compared to the vinyl stuff he sells. He said while he sells it he actually doesn't like vinyl - too many clicks pops etc. He has a highly colored DAC himself he likes so off the top of his head he thought the Tranquility was not to his taste. I have heard this mentioned before and think I know the cause - to really show this DAC off you need some well recorded material. OK I pop on some material I know is well recorded like Tom Jones Praise and Blame. Wow that sounds really good. He listens some more - the more he listens the more he says - this DAC is growing on me. He listens further and says how much is this DAC and I tell him. You can get that sound for this? He thought it was a $10K DAC. The final verdict was he can see this DAC really growing on him and can't believe it costs so little for what you get.

Thanks
Bill

bhobba · « **Reply #645 on:** 29 Oct 2010, 02:05 am »

Quote from: Janedoe on 28 Oct 2010, 04:35 pm

Hmm.. does anyone know how the tranquility compares with the bel canto dac 2.5? Also, how would the tranquility compare with cdps such as the marantz / rega/ naim

I have not done the comparison to the Bel Canto but I know someone who has compared the Belcanto to an Audio GD. The Audio GD clobbered the Belcanto - no contest - and caused the person who had the Belcanto to breath a sigh of relief - he had it on trial and was nearly going to buy it. I have heard the Audio GD and IMHO the Tranquility bests it - but it is not a chalk and cheese thing - the Audio GD is actually quite good. Not in the upper echelon of the best DAC's I have heard like the Tranquility is - but not far from it.

Thanks
Bill

Jon L · « **Reply #646 on:** 29 Oct 2010, 10:56 am »

Quote from: bhobba on 29 Oct 2010, 02:05 am

The Audio GD clobbered the Belcanto

Which "Audio GD"? There is like a dozen different Audio GD DAC's by now..

bhobba · « **Reply #647 on:** 29 Oct 2010, 11:20 am »

Quote from: Jon L on 29 Oct 2010, 10:56 am

Which "Audio GD"? There is like a dozen different Audio GD DAC's by now..

The Ref 5

Thanks
Bill

saisunil · « **Reply #648 on:** 29 Oct 2010, 01:41 pm »

Man, you need to start working for db Labs and get paid for what you do ...

Quote from: bhobba on 29 Oct 2010, 01:14 am

I took my Tranquility SE down to a local Hi Fi store yesterday. When the guy heard it he started scratching his head. I asked what he thought. He said - man is this thing accurate and neutral but it has not a trace of coldness or analyticality - its just so liquid and smooth. I asked how it compared to the vinyl stuff he sells. He said while he sells it he actually doesn't like vinyl - too many clicks pops etc. He has a highly colored DAC himself he likes so off the top of his head he thought the Tranquility was not to his taste. I have heard this mentioned before and think I know the cause - to really show this DAC off you need some well recorded material. OK I pop on some material I know is well recorded like Tom Jones Praise and Blame. Wow that sounds really good. He listens some more - the more he listens the more he says - this DAC is growing on me. He listens further and says how much is this DAC and I tell him. You can get that sound for this? He thought it was a $10K DAC. The final verdict was he can see this DAC really growing on him and can't believe it costs so little for what you get.

Thanks
Bill

bhobba · « **Reply #649 on:** 30 Oct 2010, 08:31 am »

Quote from: saisunil on 29 Oct 2010, 01:41 pm

Man, you need to start working for db Labs and get paid for what you do ...

I am retired with far too much time on my hands and it was a bit of fun.

Thanks
Bill

Janedoe · « **Reply #650 on:** 31 Oct 2010, 04:25 pm »

Hey, anyone here with the Tranquility Signature can comment of the sound quality after burn in?

ted_b · « **Reply #651 on:** 31 Oct 2010, 05:09 pm »

Quote from: bhobba on 29 Oct 2010, 11:20 am

The Ref 5

Thanks
Bill

The Audio-GD Ref 7 ($1800 instead of $800) is now the standard there, according to many folks I know (and according to headFi forums). There is also a new Sabre DAC he's doing, but reviews are yet forthcoming.

wilsynet · « **Reply #652 on:** 31 Oct 2010, 06:20 pm »

You're probably looking for a comparison of the Tranquility versus the Tranquility Signature Edition. I can't comment on that because I haven't heard the base Tranquility.

In the past 2 months I've also had the Wyred4Sound DAC-2 and the Ayre QB-9 in my home.

The W4S DAC-2 went balanced outputs direct to the Atma-sphere S-30. I found the DAC-2 had a somewhat brittle top end which was only addressed when I inserted the Red Wine Audio Isabella preamplifier in-between. Whether this is because of the DAC chip being used, the relatively low sensitivity of the S-30, the rest of my system, or the DAC-2's output stage isn't as good as claimed, I'm not sure.

With the Isabella in-between, the DAC-2 is detailed, nearly crystalline as the 6moons review describes, but not to my ears particularly musical. Analogue like are not the words I would use to describe the DAC-2. For many systems I would guess that the DAC-2 is just what the doctor ordered.

The Ayre QB-9 is an excellent piece, and if I hadn't heard the Tranquility SE, I would have purchased the QB-9. You can hear the apodizing filter at work on the QB-9: there is a slight euphonic halo at the top end of the QB-9 which some have described as rolled off, others have described as slightly veiled. It's a very minor concession in exchange for the 3-dimensionality and naturalness of the QB-9.

The QB-9 is across the board better than the Tranquility SE when using the Macbook Pro as transport. Extrapolating, I'd say that the Tranquility and Tranquility SE are both somewhat sensitive to transport, and if you want to be robust and resilient against varying quality of transport, the asynchronous USB implementation which is part and parcel of the QB-9 is exactly what you want.

The 2010 Mac Mini is a game changer for the Tranquility SE. In this configuration, the Tranquility SE exceeds the QB-9. Highs are extended but never fatiguing, there is great clarity, sound stage grows in both depth and width, and music flows naturally like spinning good quality vinyl. I will no doubt offend vinyl lovers here when I say that I am now considering whether I should find a new home for the vintage JVC QL-Y66F turntable and Ray Samuels Nighthawk phono stage.

In my DAC travels, I'd say that the Red Wine Audio Isabellina DAC with Empirical Audio Off Ramp 3 and BPT battery supply compares well (although not identically) to the Tranquility SE with 2010 Mac Mini. Having said that, I will confess that when I owned the Isabellina + Off Ramp 3 + BPT combination, I would not have considered getting rid of my vinyl rig. Whether that's a meaningful input or I just happen to have different priorities now, I'm not sure.

If you already own the Isabellina (or some other favorite DAC) a perfectly reasonable option may be to buy an Off Ramp 4 for $800 and add the Paul Hynes regulator upgrade for another $250 and be done with it. I think the Empirical gear is very good indeed, although you do pay dearly for it as I think it's the most expensive and appropriately best USB to SPDIF converter on the market. Personally, I wanted the Mac Mini anyway, and the one box Tranquility SE is a nice simplification in a complex world.

NET - with the appropriate transport, the Tranquility SE is among the finest digital front ends I've ever heard.

Jon L · « **Reply #653 on:** 2 Nov 2010, 08:44 pm »

Quote from: wilsynet

The 2010 Mac Mini is a game changer for the Tranquility SE. In this configuration, the Tranquility SE exceeds the QB-9.

Do you mean Tran SE+Mac mini is better than QB-9+Mac mini and/or QB-9+MacBook Pro?

newzooreview · « **Reply #654 on:** 2 Nov 2010, 10:09 pm »

I just got my new Tranquility SE and Essential USB cable SE. Out of the box the sound in comparison to the regular Tranquility and Essential USB cable is more fluid, detailed, open, and has better bass definition and timbre. The original Tranquility was not bad at all in any of those respects, but the SE does up the ante.

I'll run it in for 200 hours and report back. First impressions, however, are very good, and the upgrade seems well worth it to me.

P.S. The Tranquility SE is noticeably heavier than the original Tranquility (for what it's worth).

wilsynet · « **Reply #655 on:** 3 Nov 2010, 11:26 pm »

Quote from: Jon L on 2 Nov 2010, 08:44 pm

Do you mean Tran SE+Mac mini is better than QB-9+Mac mini and/or QB-9+MacBook Pro?

I didn't test the QB-9 against the 2010 Mac Mini, but other user impressions have suggested that the quality of the QB-9 does not change by much from transport to transport. This makes sense to me, as you would expect asynchronous USB to be generally robust and resilient against varying quality of transport, so long as those transports are at least bit perfect.

But to answer your question, the Tranquility SE + 2010 Mac Mini is clearly better (to my ears, in my system) than the Ayre QB-9 + Macbook Pro.

Jon L · « **Reply #656 on:** 4 Nov 2010, 05:57 pm »

Quote from: wilsynet on 3 Nov 2010, 11:26 pm

This makes sense to me, as you would expect asynchronous USB to be generally robust and resilient against varying quality of transport, so long as those transports are at least bit perfect.

Asynch or not, I do not believe there is a DAC available today that is truly immune to transport/digital-USB cable quality. Often claimed, yes, but so far never in practice. For example, compare the Tranquility SE USB cable on the QB-9 vs. cheap generic USB cable and see if sound remains the same. I would be interested in how QB-9 sounds with Mac Mini myself..

jrebman · « **Reply #657 on:** 4 Nov 2010, 06:11 pm »

John L,

As far as I'm concerned, you're correct. I have had and do have several async dacs -- Wavelength Proton and Cosecant, and HRT MusicStreamer II +, and all of them have benefitted noticeably from better usb cables and various tweaks to the computers feeding them -- i.e. better data integrity from source file to dac receiver chip.

-- Jim

Audioclyde · « **Reply #658 on:** 5 Nov 2010, 12:49 am »

I've had my Tranquility Sig. running for about a full week now. 2010 Mac Mini with SSD, 8g ram, Oyade external fw drive for music files, using Pure Music. I have Dave's Elledge (as well as his Uber Buss on the dac) cords on both the mini and dac.

I'm coming from a MW Transporter, and more recently an EE dac (which will likely go in a second system).

I'm really excited with the sound of the Tranq. Sig.! Everything sounds so natural for want of a better term. My 300B SET amp, driving Daedalus DA-RMas seems to be a really good match.

More ( and comparisons to the EE dac) later.

Randy

bhobba · « **Reply #659 on:** 7 Nov 2010, 01:06 am »

Hi Guys

Just for the heck of it I decided to download AyreWave and give it a go through the Tranquility SE. Didn't expect much over Pure Music. But when I did WOW.

First for some reason it is louder which means I can have the volume lower so I now don't notice a slight buzz/hum issue I had. BTW guys the buzz/hum is not in the Tranquility. To check that I fed the Tranquility direct (no volume control) into some 500W Macintosh 501's and fed them to some 89db speakers and got only a slight buzz/hum with my ears next to the speakers. But for some reason it is worse in my system. Decided to try a better power chord into the Tranquility and it did seem to lower the buzz a bit but I noticed other improvements as well such as better detail.

But with AireWave detail, air, accuracy, staging improved, and stuff I really can't get a handle on well enough to put into words changed except to say it is more realistic. Right now I prefer it to Pure Music

Listening to Simon and Garfunkle right now and man it sounds good. Highly recommend you give it a go.

Thanks
Bill