AudioCircle
Industry Circles => NuPrime Audio => Topic started by: ThomasDK on 30 Mar 2021, 04:27 pm
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Hi will there be an AMG DAC coming out this year?
BR Thomas
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Definitely but schedule for Q3 at the earliest.
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Ok sounds exiting :D
Do you know if it will be all digital like the Evo or with analog like DAC 10?
BR Thomas
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AMG DAC will have one analog input.
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Would the preamp stage in this DAC be the same as the one in DAC-9/10/Alita or would it be an upgraded one?
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Will the AMG DAC have MQA and DSD 512 compatibility?
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Hello…
I’m a very happy french owner of a Ida 8 since four years !
My new Heresy IV want to go higher and i am seriously thinking about a great couple Amg Sta / Amg Dac … :wink:
The third quarter si coming so do you have more informations Rusty please ?
Thanks a lot
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I am pretty sure AMG DAC will be shipping in July.
@ Skyscratch - I am very sure you will love the AMG series. They are two level up from IDA-8.
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Hello @Jason,
the AMG STA is running since yesterday, about 12 hours :wink: !
With the Ida-8 as preamp it sounds allready great, deeper and with a big sound stage ( compare to the integrated).
Now, i’m just thinking about the result with the AMG DAC …
I have understood some element take more time but have you an idea of launch ?
Thanks again for your work, music is more natural in my House and it’s just so good :)
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Oh, some chip (not relevant to performance) was no longer available (yap, the chip shortage problem is very bad, hitting every industry hard) so we have to procure the new chip, change the layout, make a new sample, test and go into production. This little problem caused 3 months delay!
We expect AMG DAC to ship late October to early November.
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Hello Rusty…
I’m coming back to ask you a little teasing about AMG Dac … :roll:
I know you have to keep more informations for your distributors and dealers but i hope you could tell us few details:
- one or two analog inputs ( real and not analog / digital / analog ) ?
- main chip is a AKM or ESS ?
…
STA is wonderfull and i’m thinking to acquire PRA before … two sources, one streamer and one turntable, no more !
In your opinion, PRA is useless with the combo Amg STA / DAC ?
Thanks for your work, for MUSIC :wink:
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Unless you have more than one analog source, or want to optimize the system using PRA's hardware EQ settings, you should just get the AMG DAC.
It has a very good analog input (no A2D). AMG DAC is shipping before the end of November, I think this time it is certain.
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Thanks a lot…
I have just to wait for his coming :wink: ( and continue to break in my STA ) !
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Unless you have more than one analog source, or want to optimize the system using PRA's hardware EQ settings, you should just get the AMG DAC.
It has a very good analog input (no A2D). AMG DAC is shipping before the end of November, I think this time it is certain.
I forgot to add that if you have high-end analog source, you should get the AMG PRA. AMG DAC single analog input is very good, but it is not a purist preamp with all those features that PRA provided. A user is concerned that AMG DAC's analog input makes the AMG PRA obsolete. I suggest that if anyone is confused that a small preamp section (however good) on a DAC can do a better job than an entire product dedicated as a preamp, go read the product description of AMG PRA.
Ulitmately the decision of whether to use a dedicated preamp depends on your analog source and need for optimising the system.
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Hello! Is there news of the new AMG DAC? Will it ship at the end of November as budgeted?
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I think so, I have quite a few new product pages to publish by next week.
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Hi Rusty
What is status with AMG DAC shipping?
And do you know the price in EURO?
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Parts shortage, delayed to mid Feb 2022.
MSRP $2250
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Hello! Is there any news about this DAC?
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Delayed to mid March, some critical parts got delayed. Production has resumed.
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Hello !
I just bought an Amg Sta and an Alita. Superb combo with my Harbeth M30.1. :)
But... do I have to wait for the new Amg Dac with the Amg Sta, what would be the differences please ?
I prefer AKM sound than ESS for exemple.
Thanks for answer, best regards from France :)
Nicolas
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We will have opportunity to compare when AMG DAC shipped in April (this time for real, after months of chips delay :duh:)
When we start to write the manual (next week perhaps), then we will have more info.
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What happened to the AMG DAC? Was he late again?
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Delayed again to sometime in May. It has been in queue for SMD assemble, this is the part that we don't control.
In manufacturing electronics, there are many suppliers in the pipeline: aluminum chassis, aluminum anodisation, parts purchases, bare PCB, SMD assembly, board assembly, final assembly and test. Our factory only controls the purchases and last two steps.
Once we completed SMD assembly, it will be full speed (about 2 weeks for board, final assembly and test).
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Confirmed that the final assembly will start this week at our factory where we have control over the progress. We are definitely going to ship during the last week of May. :thumb:
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Jason,
Please share any details about this new DAC. How is it voiced - warm, neutral, analytical, etc? With or without volume control?
How does it compare to the Evo DAC?
If paired to the Evolution One dual-mono amp, how would it sound?
Michael
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but also some specifics in general .....
chip used
sampling supported
sinad
output impedance
inputs available
etc. etc.
:D
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Ooh. Looky, looky:
https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/amg-dac/?v=7516fd43adaa
$2250
The AMG DAC uses dual ESS DACs with discrete Class-A transistors for natural, detailed, and expansive sound stage sound characteristics. With five digital including IIS/DSD and one analog stereo inputs, RCA stereo and XLR balanced outputs, and decoding capability of PCM 384K, DSD256, the NuPrime AMG-DAC is a reference-class DAC designed for studio professionals and high-end audiophiles.
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Specifications:
Inputs:
C1: Coaxial input for CD/DVD/BD players, TV and any device with a coaxial source.
O2: Optical input for CD/DVD/BD players, TV and any device with an optical source.
U3: USB input for computer (PC/MAC) and for NAS devices.
E4: Extension port for Bluetooth or WIFI. (Optional)
A5: Stereo analog for CD/DVD/BD players, TV and any analog source device.
HE: IIS/DSD Digital input With HDMI cable to transfer IIS and DSD data from NuPrime source devices. Do not connect to the HDMI output of Set Top Box or BD / DVD player.
Note: AMG-DAC does not guarantee that all NAS devices will operate and be compatible due to
wide variety of brands and custom specs.
Outputs:
1 x Balance XLR Out
1 x Stereo RCA Out
1 x TRIGGER out
RCA unbalanced outputs: 2 Vrms
XLR balanced outputs: 4 Vrms
High Low Gain = X2
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 KHz / ±0.3 dB
S/N ratio > 110 dB
THD+N: < 0.05%
Dimensions: (W x H x D): 235 mm x 55 mm x 300 mm
Weight: 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg)
Worldwide AC Voltage: 90VAC~130VAC / 210VAC~ 250VAC with Voltage Select Switch
AC Fuse: Slow-blow, T2.5A, 250VAC
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Maybe I missed it - what's the output impedence?
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There is little room for improvement to state of the art DAC chips, so what makes AMG DAC different is the extensive use of Class-A transistors to give it an analog sound.
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There is little room for improvement to state of the art DAC chips, so what makes AMG DAC different is the extensive use of Class-A transistors to give it an analog sound.
Jason,
Thank you. Of the two DACs, which is more analog sounding?
Which one is right for me? [I know. There's only one way to learn this.] :thumb:
Michael
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Jason: Can you explain to us if this DAC reads the MQA format?
The specifications do not say anything about it, but it is very surprising that a DAC of that price value does not say anything about it, since the DAC-9X, which is much cheaper, does read that format.
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AMG DAC does not support MQA as it required XMOS USB chip.
We want AMG DAC to have high-end analogue sound so that takes precedent over MQA.
The plan is that MQA, if needed, will be supported across all our streaming devices so users can use the future AMG Stream to decode MQA.
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Since the new AMG DAC is designed as a "reference-class DAC" with a high end analogue sound, wondering how its sound quality compares with the EVO DAC or other NuPrime DACs. Is it the new reference? TIA
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Good question, I have to check with chief engineer. I can guess that they are the same level, just sounded different. Evo DAC is known for super detailed and neutral. The AMG series usually have the warmer, fuller sound.
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The design goal for Evolution and AMG series are slightly different. We consider both series our "flagship" series, whereas the "9" series is the giant killer.
Therefore, Evolution DAC was designed to be exceptionally detailed and neutral. AMG DAC is still incredibly detailed but adhere to the AMG series sound characteristic (fuller/warmer, analog). This is the result of design and component choice (not inferior parts but parts that tend to have the desire sound characteristic). Evolution DAC cost more because to achieve its design goal, the power supply and noise isolation would have to be superb. Furthermore, Evo series come with expensive chassis and connectors.
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Jason,
Thank you for the clarification. I have another question.
I am a very happy owner of an EVO STA. It's both warm and revealing - just marvelous sounding in my main system. Could the AMG DAC + EVO STA combination be too warm? Has your engineer listened to this combination?
Thank you.
Michael
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Michael,
As I have not heard the new amg dac, I cannot exactly answer your question.
However, I can tell about experiences with my setup.
A year ago I bought amg pra and amg sta, and later evo dac and stream-9.
It played very well, but as I had read many reviews of the evo one, I decided to try them out.
At the same time, the new evo sta came out, so I borrowed one as well, and was able to compare the 3 amplifiers.
Conclusion of the test ended in favor of the evo sta.
And I find it works really well with the evo dac, neutral, and very realistic way to play music, for the first time ever, I felt that digital music sounded right and real. As I have a lot of lp’s, I needed to keep the amg pra.
But as the digital music now sounds so good, and streaming with qobuz offers that much music, it is not often the grammophone is used.
Good luck with your decisions.
Lars
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Michael,
As I have not heard the new amg dac, I cannot exactly answer your question.
However, I can tell about experiences with my setup.
A year ago I bought amg pra and amg sta, and later evo dac and stream-9.
It played very well, but as I had read many reviews of the evo one, I decided to try them out.
At the same time, the new evo sta came out, so I borrowed one as well, and was able to compare the 3 amplifiers.
Conclusion of the test ended in favor of the evo sta.
And I find it works really well with the evo dac, neutral, and very realistic way to play music, for the first time ever, I felt that digital music sounded right and real. As I have a lot of lp’s, I needed to keep the amg pra.
But as the digital music now sounds so good, and streaming with qobuz offers that much music, it is not often the grammophone is used.
Good luck with your decisions.
Lars
Lars,
Valuable input! Thank you! :thumb:
I've been bouncing around trying to decide between three DACs for a while now- the AMG DAC (because it's so new), the EVO DAC, and another brand's DAC. I think it's time for me to stop worrying about details, and take the plunge.
Fortunately for me, I own precious few albums (35, I think), so I'm not overly concerned about being able to connect a TT to this system.
Time to send John Casler another email. Oh, John.... :icon_lol:
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Dear NuPrime team,
[please forgive my poor English]
I own an AMG-PRA & AMG-STA combo.
QUESTION regarding AMG-DAC & AMG-PRA:
1. does it make sense to "concatenate" them? (as each one has its own volume control !).
2. with the AMG-DAC, does its volume control plays the role of a genuine preamplifier, or is it merely a DAC with variable output level? (if those two things are indeed NOT quite the same, which I am not sure)
3. Alternatively, I could use the AMG-DAC in another system (with an Aries Cerat tube high-end preamp + YBA Signature Classic power amp), where the volume on 1 already generates an output level which is already a bit high if I want to listen late at night (neighbors).
CONTEXT
I presently use an integrated (vintage, high-end) CD player: YBA CD 1 double power supply. In terms of "liquidity", naturalness, fluidity, extreme variety of the treble (which is by no mean emphasized), the results are very high.
I have no CD drive, no DAC.
The AMG-DAC intrigues me. Very much.
AMG-DAC
I see it has a voume control. The chip which controls the volume is a Muse 72320.
- Does it uses the "amplification part" of that chip, or only the "attenuation part" of it? (as Pass Labs does, in his X30 preamplifier).
- does it make sense to use AMG-DAC + AMG-PRA in a row: the signal would pass through not one, but TWO volume control, right?
- is there a way to bypass the volume control of the AMG-DAC?
- should I consider another, specific, DAC without any volume control (I a m looking for maximising the quality, with as few compromise as possible).
Generally speaking, the NuPrime website does not let prospect understand clearly the various use cases that can be considered with the AMG-DAC, in relation with the AMG-PRA. It is a bit confusing.
Thanks for you help.
Kind regards from Brussel.
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Read this FAQ about high-end DAC and volume control: https://nuprimeaudio.com/ufaqs/what-kind-of-volume-control-and-preamp-do-you-use-for-your-dac/ (https://nuprimeaudio.com/ufaqs/what-kind-of-volume-control-and-preamp-do-you-use-for-your-dac/)
1. does it make sense to "concatenate" them? (as each one has its own volume control !).
It is fine if you stack the DAC and preamp. The volume control has memory on each input so you can fix one (start with 0db) and adjust the other.
Keep in mind that if your source is digital, you are not using the analog volume control. When you fix the volume, it is almost like a switch, with no performance degradation.
2. with the AMG-DAC, does its volume control plays the role of a genuine preamplifier, or is it merely a DAC with variable output level? (if those two things are indeed NOT quite the same, which I am not sure)
AMG-DAC volume control can play the role of a genuine preamp.
I think you can try to compare the integrated CD player versus CD play's digital output going to AMG DAC.
In many volume control designs, a variable resistance volume pot is used, therefore we have the need to "bypass volume control". The concept of "bypassing volume control" is outdated, as explained in the FAQ. The preamp in a high-end DAC should perform like a switch if the input source is digital. Even if the input source is analog, it should act almost like a switch.
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AMG DAC just installed and frist impressions are promising. Will write a review in Dutch.
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Hi,
I'm Korean, and using AMG DAC/HPA stack and CDT8pro for Head-fi.
Recentyl, I bought AMG DAC after long long waiting, really satisfy and enjoy with this DAC!
I have one question about AMG DAC.
1. Is it possible to replace op-amps like EVO DAC?
2. If it can be, is there any op-amp model you recommend.
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Please, don't replace the opamp. The opamps we used are not simply for sound characteristics but the desired specifications.
Furthermore, changing opamp will void the warranty for AMG DAC.