AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Critic's Circle (Equipment Reviews) => Source Component Reviews => Topic started by: mresseguie on 8 Jun 2018, 07:08 am
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Eric Heider is the man behind the dB Audio Labs Tranquility NOS DAC, and he is very easy to communicate with. He made a point of telling me how to get his Tranquility DAC to sound its best. One very important detail is that it really needs to be paired with a Mac Mini to sound its best. If you use a Windows PC, you probably won't care for his DAC. I guess that limits his DAC's appeal somewhat.
Fortunately, I have a Mac Mini, so I went ahead and ordered an SE model. I decided that as long as I was going to audition it, I may as well ask for a special upgrade that someone I know showed me on his DAC two years ago. I asked Eric to replace his stock output caps with Jupiter Cu caps. He told me it wasn't a problem, but I'd have to pay for the upgrade. I happily accepted. :thumb: When I ordered the Tranquility DAC, I more than half-expected to return it to Eric because I didn't have especially high expectations. After all, it's not exactly a mainstream, always getting press DAC, is it? There is a 10% restocking fee on returns.
I asked Eric to ship it to AC member Aldcoll's home because I wasn't certain where I would be when it arrived. Sure enough, when Alan hooked it up to his Windows PC, it sounded like crap. Poor Alan tried switching cables and I'm not sure what else, but the sound never changed. I collected the DAC from him a few days later and took it home. I added it into my system (Pi Audio UberBUSS, D Sachs Model 2 preamp, D Sachs Kootenay 120 amp, Daedalus Apollos speakers, and a TWL loom) not knowing what kind of music would come out of my speakers.
Let me back up a little...Just before adding it into my system, I had been using my Nuprime DAC-9 to listen to a few familiar songs. Well, with zero burn in, the Tranquility DAC (with Jupiter Cu Caps) sounded wonderful! There was an immediate improvement in the overall sound. The soundstage grew by a couple feet and (most importantly to me) acoustic instruments and vocals took on extra depth and clarity. I liked this DAC right away. The DAC-9 is no slouch, but there was a big difference.
Of course, we're not supposed to like equipment right away, so I told myself to be patient and to give it a good run for my money. I did just that. I burned it in for 20+ hours each day (using my Folsom's chip amp). I didn't do much serious listening during burn in because my Apollos sound a bit thin when the Folsom amp is driving them. [Jeremy's amp sounds great with my Adelphos two-ways!] Once it got close to 150 hours, I began paying closer attention to how it sounded with my tube gear. During burn in, there were a couple times where the music sounded very much like it was coming out of a locker room (those caps need time to burn in), but that's normal for caps, I believe.
At around that time, I packed up my D Sachs gear and the Tranquility DAC and drove up to Bothel, WA for another of Greg Fisk's awesome audio G2Gs. Greg also uses a Mac Mini. Everyone who attended it brought some gear, so we had a blast. I got to compare the Tranquility DAC to Greg's Lampizator Atlantic DAC. It wasn't as nice sounding as the Lampi, but it's also close to $4000 less expensive! Considering the price difference, I was actually quite satisfied with its performance.
After the G2G, I returned home and set everything up again for another couple weeks, I think. Then, unfortunately, I boxed everything back up and put it into storage because I had a flight to Taiwan to catch. I forgot an important point of this write up - I liked the Tranquility DAC so much that I told Eric there was no way I would ship it back to him. I also bought the DAC's power cord that he included for me to try. It's a very nice thick PC with a separate ground cord. Give me a couple days and I'll post a couple pics.
If you own a Mac Mini and are considering a new DAC, I suggest chatting with Eric about his Tranquility DAC. It's definitely worth a listen in my opinion. Eric is mighty quiet here on AC, but maybe he'll stop by to say howdy. :thumb: Thank you, Eric, for creating such a nice DAC.
I can think of a couple negative points worth mentioning. The first is you're not going to like this DAC is you use a Windows PC. Don't even order it. I do not understand why this is, but it's a fact. The second point is more a quibble on my part. There is no volume control. You must have a preamp to use this. [Fortunately, I have a really nice preamp in the States.]
If you live near me and want to listen, we can arrange a G2G. Bring some of your gear (love hearing other people's gear); I'll con....er...persuade my wife to go shopping with friends for the day, and invite some local audiophools over for the day.
Regards,
Michael
[Some of the details have blurred because I waited so long to write about this, but this is close enough for me.]
Another interesting point:
As I mentioned above, this NOS DAC sounded great right away. In my experience DACs need to burn in for a couple hundred hours before they sound their best. This one did improve further after burn in. What really caught my attention about its sounding great with no burn in was that I had auditioned a Denafrips Venus DAC last year. When I received that DAC, it had already had about 80 hours of burn in, but it sounded thin and unexciting. It needed a further 250 hours of burn in to sound great. The Tranquility DAC impressed me because it sounded great right away. This is no small feat in my opinion. I have no idea how the standard Tranquility SE DAC sounds because I have only heard it with Jupiter Cu caps.
Disclaimer: I got no special discount nor will I receive kickbacks for any sales after I post this critique. I stand to gain no financial benefits from posting this. I paid extra for the Jupiter cap upgrade.
http://www.dbaudiolabs.com/signature-edition/
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=181040)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=181041)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=181042)
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The DAC-9 is no slouch, but there was a big difference.
I know this sounds absurd, but I replaced the stock fuse in my DAC-10 with a HiFi Tuning Supreme fuse and it made a HUGE positive difference - as in waaaaaaay more clarity with a much more spacious and three dimensional presentation. If swapping out the fuse impacts the DAC-9 as much as it did with the DAC-10, then I guarantee you that you'll be astonished at the difference this little tweak makes. It completely transformed the DAC-10 in a way I could not have imagined.
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Nice post Michael,
I own two DB Audio Labs dac's: an original Tranquility and a Tranquility SE. They have been out of rotation for a while I am auditioning other equipment (Chord Mojo as DAC and Schiit Bimby). I tend to let myself become accustomed to new equipment for weeks or months before switching, so rotating through my equipment takes some time. I also have my Mac Mini in another room right now, so I am using an Allo USB Bridge as streamer right now.
A local friend of mine (who is also an amateur musician [piano]) was feeling dissatisfied with his system. He has a Rega RP1, Musical Fidelity DAC (decent level, USB input), Mac Mini, Bryston BP60, and B&W 803's. I lent him my original Tranquility DAC (I paid $300 secondhand) and he reported that on good recordings he has never heard his system sound better, especially with piano. He said he has never heard anything sound so much like a real piano in his house.
The DB Audio Labs DAC's are sleepers. The parts count is low, parts quality is high (higher than it needs to be), and it is focused on replaying Redbook, which is 99% of my digital experience. I believe that Eric uses NOS mutibit ladder dac's (1541? 1543?).
My DAC's are stock at the moment. I am interested in upgrading the caps in the SE. I haven't popped the hood, but I'm sure I could put Jupiter or Dueland caps in there.
Another point: The DB Audio Lab DAC's run a higher than standard output voltage. Instead of the standard 2V, they run closer to 2.5 or 3V. This is pretty much on par with the Chord Mojo in fixed output mode (3V). This is plenty of gain to run straight into may power amps. I am tempted to crack open my original DAC and see if I can easily add an attenuator. The parts count is low and the case seems large enough, but I have to check.
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:D good post. I was wondering if this dac was relavent as it's getting on in years. I have this with the little Apple punter. Glad it still holds water. :D
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"Getting on in years"
This is a hobby in which we chase after 80 year-old-tubes and 60 yer old turntables as the best that have ever been made. Regardless of the age of the Tranquility DAC's, they started out with NOS DAC chips from the 80's or 90's. Border Patrol currently sells a NOS dac that is very similar in architecture to this one. The power supply and output stage (tube) are different, but it is similarly old fashioned.
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:D yup, it's old gear. But we all love to take apart and mod. Reuse and make better/modify. DAC's are getting better by the day with new tech aren't they ? :D most old stuff is just old stuff. :popcorn:
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Good point about Redbook, Roscoe.
I failed to mention this in my original post. This DAC excels at Redbook recordings. It is not a DSD DAC nor is it an up-sampling DAC. Most of my listening is Redbook quality, so it fits my needs very nicely.
At some point, I will open it up to see what's under the hood. I may try one of those super-duper fuses that WindChaser likes.
Michael
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When Michael brought this Dac over the only thing I new about them is that Danny Richie used one of the original dacs at the shows several years ago. People had great things to say about his room at the time so I kept that in the back of my mind.
After that I didn't hear much more, so when Michael brought his Tranquility Dac over I really didn't know what to expect. I will say that this dac is the only dac I have heard so far that is really close to my Lampi Atlantic Plus. I think it sounds wonderful and very similar to my Atlantic Plus. That's how good I think this dac is. If I wanted to buy a preamp and have a separate dac I would be hard pressed to spend the extra money on a Lampi. I think you can get the Atlantic for about $4000.00 or $5000.00 now without volume control? I don't know how much Michael payed for the Tranquility SE so not sure how much difference in cost there would be? But, this is a really good dac and If you already own a preamp that you are really happy with I would definitely try one of these.
What was my take on the sound? Well, like the Atlantic it is on the slightly warm side of things with a full rich sound. Unlike some tube gear it's got a ton of detail and clarity. No sacrifices like one expects from something too warm sounding that sacrifices detail for richness. I think Michael summed it up well and I wouldn't hesitate to try one out. In fact now I'm curious what the older Tranquility Dacs sound like?
Nice write up Micheal and thank you for bringing over your gear so I and several others could enjoy the music!
Greg
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I'm still using the SE that I upgraded to from Eric after I tried and liked the standard version. It has been so long I can't remember what all I had Eric do for upgrades to it beyond that; I just remember the conversation went something to the effect of anything more would be a very system specific "different" rather than a definitive "better". This was an interesting read, as I've wondered every now and again what it would sound like if one went ham and put some crazy caps in there.
What prompted my post was that the Border Patrol NOS DAC was mentioned. I've thought recently about whether to give one of the BP DACs a go and if I would hear a noticeable improvement over my dB SE. All I play is redbook, so no worries about DSD. I heard a prototype or two of Gary's BP DAC at shows over the years, but haven't heard the final production version. I'm curious if anyone here has heard both in the same system and could comment on any differences.
Thanks!
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I wonder how this dac would perform with a renderer? I have a Mac mini that has my Roon core loaded but I use a Sonore ultraRendu between the mini and my dac, which happens to be an Atlantic Plus.
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To lower noise, most DAC chips run balanced (versus single ended). Too bad a nice DAC like that doesn't offer balanced outputs, but balanced outputs were fairly rare in DACs of that vintage. Professional 24 dBu output would be really sweet.
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It would be cool if Eric chimed in to talk a little bit about his dac. I’m curious what is it exactly about the Mac Mini that mates with the Tranquilty so well? And I’m assuming from comments this is pcm only? Does it go to 192 or higher?
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It uses the TDA1543 DAC chip, so limited to redbook and possibly as much as 24/92? Certainly no higher. Same as BorderPatrol DAC uses, as mentioned above I believe. My first time hearing a 1543 DAC was a modded version of a DDDAC, battery powered, and I fell in love with it until I butchered it trying to convert it to USB input from the original SPDIF. I should have never tried that and just enjoyed what I had. But that was back in the mid-2000's, and USB input tech was just starting to come about, and certainly nowhere near where it is today. If there was a Singxer F-1 back then, that DDDAC probably would have been end-game for me.
I also owned in the past a very fine Tranquility SE that had some additional mods by Eric to take it to the next level, after having first caught the bug with the initial base level Tranquility. Really nice DAC, especially for the money. A Lampizator level 5 board in level 4 clothing/PS eventually supplanted it, and I didn't look back. But it was a very enjoyable and reliable DAC for me for about 3 years.
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It would be cool if Eric chimed in to talk a little bit about his dac. I’m curious what is it exactly about the Mac Mini that mates with the Tranquilty so well? And I’m assuming from comments this is pcm only? Does it go to 192 or higher?
Eric has weighed in regarding the Mac Mini here and in other venues. In general, Mac > Windows as a default OS. It has had a history of native support for virtually all devices, and there is much greater control over output format. Then, given the Apple choices, the Mac mini is the best choice for a couple of reasons (both related to noise): It has minimal devices (display, etc.) connected to its power supply, it has cleaner power to USB, and it can be set up from hardware (SSD, using NAS for files) and software (turning off all unnecessary processes, optimizing for sound output, running headless) sides to optimize sound quality. I would also argue that in this particular use case, Eric has likely optimized the Tranquility for the Mac Mini.
There are increasingly more alternatives to the Mac Mini. For Roon users, the Rock OS/Server is a custom Linux build optimized for the Room core, intended to be installed on an Intel NUC. We would then need a renderer connected to Roon, either standalone or embedded into our DAC. The most obvious candidate would be the microrendu for standalone DAC’s.
I would trust the designer’s opinion regarding the optimum renderer. While there are more options available than there were when the first Tranquility came out, I think Eric’s choices still have validity. However, I think we can improve on them a little:
If we are running Roon, I would install the Ron ROCK on an Intel NUC. This is our core and will do the heavy lifting. If I am using a different DAC, say a Chord DAC, I might choose an Ultrarendu as my renderer. If I am using my Tranquility DAC, I would choose a Mac Mini running only Roon Player as my renderer. I would argue that this wold offer a performance increase since we are no longer running our core on the Mac Mini. I would also posit that we could choose the cheapest model ($49 list) and add a $50 SSD and be done with it. If we are only running the player software, our needs are minimal.
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I first heard Eric's Tranquility on Danny Ritchie's award winning best buy systems at the audio shows, run by battery. Eric's DAC sounded very nice on Danny's system
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To lower noise, most DAC chips run balanced (versus single ended). Too bad a nice DAC like that doesn't offer balanced outputs, but balanced outputs were fairly rare in DACs of that vintage. Professional 24 dBu output would be really sweet.
After typing and deleting a few non-constructive replies to this post, I sent an email to Gary at Border Patrol this afternoon to ask about the possibility of a balanced version of his DAC. His reply was that because the DAC chip he is using is a single-ended chip, there isn't an uncomplicated path to making a balanced version.
I'm not saying that there is absolutely no way it can be done, because I'm sure there is, but straight from the words of the man who I followed literally taking years to get his DAC to where it is today, I don't think it is "too bad" this "nice" DAC doesn't have a balanced topology or pro gear output level, but rather that this is an example of taking a DAC chip and unapologetically striving to make that chip the best of what it can be, for what it is, and not fussing with trying to make it into something it is not for sake of what sometimes could be argued to be little more than marketing buzzwords.
In the spirit of what seems to be a consensus of the reviews of these kind of DACs, they bluntly are not for everyone, but for those who have goals that align with what they do, they offer an extraordinary value for the dollar.
For what it is worth, I was kind of hoping (or not depending on the disposition of my wallet) that Gary was going to come back with a, "Sure; no problem," answer to the question because I currently am using a balanced passive pre and the thought of giving one of his DACs a go on a balanced connection might have pushed me closer to the edge of having to fight with said wallet for a new DAC.
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I guess I don't really understand why if something sounds good it is somehow viewed as inferior because it doesn't have this or that. The design is clearly sound and was made to work the way it is. If it sounds good that's really all I care about.
I heard it in my system and it is the real deal. I didn't hear any noise and the music that it produced was really very good. My Atlantic is balanced but I'm not even using it that way. Yet another dac that doesn't seem to care if it's being used balanced or not.
Enough said,
Greg
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I told Eric about this thread. He said he may drop in to explain some things. [That's a hint, Eric.]
I asked Eric if a volume control can be added. If he doesn't answer here, I'll let you all know what he tells me.
Jonathon, perhaps the Tranquility DAC can be modded to accept XLR(?). :dunno:
That night at Greg's G2G, I decided that if I didn't already own a very fine preamp (D Sachs Model 2), I would want to own nearly the same model that Greg owns (Lampi Atlantic with volume control). It would work out to pretty much the same investment. [Model 2 + Tranquility SE w/Jupiter caps more or less equals Lampi Atlantic (Plus?) with VC on Redbook music.] However, I do own a very nice preamp, so this Tranquility DAC fits my needs quite nicely. :thumb:
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I told Eric about this thread. He said he may drop in to explain some things. [That's a hint, Eric.]
I asked Eric if a volume control can be added. If he doesn't answer here, I'll let you all know what he tells me.
Jonathon, perhaps the Tranquility DAC can be modded to accept XLR(?). :dunno:
That night at Greg's G2G, I decided that if I didn't already own a very fine preamp (D Sachs Model 2), I would want to own nearly the same model that Greg owns (Lampi Atlantic with volume control). It would work out to pretty much the same investment. [Model 2 + Tranquility SE w/Jupiter caps more or less equals Lampi Atlantic (Plus?) with VC on Redbook music.] However, I do own a very nice preamp, so this Tranquility DAC fits my needs quite nicely. :thumb:
the Tranquility SE is a thing of beauty for music, if not detail lovers. I have had a dozen DACs through my system and my choice for musical enjoyment is the SE. It is my wife’s choice, too. For me, after listening to all of the “super” DACs I choose the Tranquility for my system. :thumb:
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The Tranquility DAC falls into the category of equipment that values music over ultimate sizzle. One increasingly popular path toward the ultra high end values musicality over the artificial detail that many mainstream high end designers have sought. This sound was big in the 80’s and 90’s, with German manufacturers being the worst. It is an extension of the “East Coast vs. West Coast” sound of the 1970’s. If you want the West Coast Sound, choose speakers with hyper detail, amplification with flat frequency response, and HiREZ DAC’s. If you prefer the East Coast Sound, you may choose single driver speakers, Altec Horns, Volti, Audio Note, Devore, or other speakers voiced to be a little laid back. You may like “forgiving” tube amps, likely single ended. Your Dac may be NOS like the Tranquility, or another laid back option like Chord.
This also highlights the importance of system matching. One of my amps is a little dark sounding, and even my most neutral sounding amps (ironically tube amps) are ultimately somewhat forgiving. I can only be satisfied with this amp while using my “sharpest” DAC. I otherwise sounds too rolled off. My other amps are all compatible with all my DAC’s.
One thing that listening to some modestly priced but still fairly high quality equipment from manufacturers like Omega, DB Audio Labs, Dennis Had, Oliver Sayes, and Chord is that I needed to recalibrate my expectations of extension and detail. I think may of us are very impressed with the “detail” a resolving system presents. But that detail seems to arrive on the leading edge of transients, almost like a sharpening filter in Photoshop. In contrast, with DAC’s like the Chord Mojo, Schiit Bimby, or Tranquility the leading edge seems a little softer, the presentation ever so slightly rolled off by comparison, but there is an increase in detail from within the music itself. Rather than applying a sharpening filter, both the focus and depth of field have been increased.
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the Tranquility SE is a thing of beauty for music, if not detail lovers. I have had a dozen DACs through my system and my choice for musical enjoyment is the SE. It is my wife’s choice, too. For me, after listening to all of the “super” DACs I choose the Tranquility for my system. :thumb:
Which DAC’s have you listened to?
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Jonathon, perhaps the Tranquility DAC can be modded to accept XLR(?). :dunno:
Michael, in the case of my upgradeitis itch, it isn't just swapping connectors for RCA to XLR that I would be looking for, but going from a single ended to balanced design, as others have mentioned my pre sounds very good and debatable better running fully balanced from source to amps. This would also lead me to shopping for amps and so the rabbit hole goes... I've been happy with my Tranquility SE for years and because I've never nor have any intention to move on from redbook, and the general DAC market has more or less passed me by, the only compelling need to change I could see is if I were to move from the mac mini as a source on to something else, which at least for now is also a non-issue.
What your thread here has done is make me vaguely consider finding another Tranquility SE on the cheap to send to Eric to put some Jupiter caps in, though. :lol: It is kind of cool that we are talking about such an "old" DAC again with enthusiasm considering the way tech generally marches on. Although unassuming, I said years ago and still believe today that even if it doesn't ever end up the end-all of DACs, this DAC will some day end up being talked about as one of the truly classic pieces of audio gear.
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Don't forget his mods for the Mac Mini. I had him mod mine and what a huge difference it made to the imaging and soundstage with more air around the instruments and vocals.
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A used one for $700, great price. With upgraded caps about a year ago. Jupiter's?
http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649438117-db-tranquility-signature-edition-nos-usbdac-possible-trade/
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Which DAC’s have you listened to?
PS Audio Direct Stream, Mytek, Wyred, Buffalo, Schiit (several), Border Patrol, Cambridge... etc.
The Border Patrol and dB Audio Labs are our favorites
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Don't forget his mods for the Mac Mini. I had him mod mine and what a huge difference it made to the imaging and soundstage with more air around the instruments and vocals.
Hi, Trianglezerius.
I've read a couple people's comments about this. I've considered buying a second hand Mini and asking Eric to mod it. It's not alway convenient to use my regular Mini for music because my desk is usually in a different room. Thanks for the recommendation.
OzarkTom:
Good find! Perhaps someone reading this thread will snag it.
Michael
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What a pleasant surprise to see this review and subsequent discussion. Well done Michael.
I've often wondered if anyone still uses their Tranquility (original or SE). l still use my non-SE Tranquility, which was upgraded (Gold Level Mods) by Eric about 5 years ago, and still sounds wonderful.
The Tranquility DAC falls into the category of equipment that values music over ultimate sizzle. One increasingly popular path toward the ultra high end values musicality over the artificial detail that many mainstream high end designers have sought. This sound was big in the 80’s and 90’s, with German manufacturers being the worst. It is an extension of the “East Coast vs. West Coast” sound of the 1970’s. If you want the West Coast Sound, choose speakers with hyper detail, amplification with flat frequency response, and HiREZ DAC’s. If you prefer the East Coast Sound, you may choose single driver speakers, Altec Horns, Volti, Audio Note, Devore, or other speakers voiced to be a little laid back. You may like “forgiving” tube amps, likely single ended. Your Dac may be NOS like the Tranquility, or another laid back option like Chord.
This also highlights the importance of system matching. One of my amps is a little dark sounding, and even my most neutral sounding amps (ironically tube amps) are ultimately somewhat forgiving. I can only be satisfied with this amp while using my “sharpest” DAC. I otherwise sounds too rolled off. My other amps are all compatible with all my DAC’s.
One thing that listening to some modestly priced but still fairly high quality equipment from manufacturers like Omega, DB Audio Labs, Dennis Had, Oliver Sayes, and Chord is that I needed to recalibrate my expectations of extension and detail. I think may of us are very impressed with the “detail” a resolving system presents. But that detail seems to arrive on the leading edge of transients, almost like a sharpening filter in Photoshop. In contrast, with DAC’s like the Chord Mojo, Schiit Bimby, or Tranquility the leading edge seems a little softer, the presentation ever so slightly rolled off by comparison, but there is an increase in detail from within the music itself. Rather than applying a sharpening filter, both the focus and depth of field have been increased.
roscoe65 .. you really nailed it with this post.
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PS Audio Direct Stream, Mytek, Wyred, Buffalo, Schiit (several), Border Patrol, Cambridge... etc.
The Border Patrol and dB Audio Labs are our favorites
The BorderPatrol & dB Audio Labs DACs have a lot in common! Just sayin'... both are great!
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Don't forget his mods for the Mac Mini. I had him mod mine and what a huge difference it made to the imaging and soundstage with more air around the instruments and vocals.
Do you recall what the mods consist of and what they cost?
This has me very intrigued as I've been wanting to do more to my macmini to see if I can improve my source a bit more.
Greg
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Hey Guys!
Thanks for the invite to this discussion about the Tranquility. I will attempt to answer everyone's inquiries as there are quite a few here for sure! -
Tranquility's digital section
The Tranquility uses an NOS 1543 chipset that is powered, regulated and configured very different than most other NOS DACs using this chipset. Historically in the past. other DACs using this chipset. They were always known to be smooth and relaxed but not very dynamic nor on par with more modern chipsets on handling complex music either. All of that was solved with the Tranquility design as this chip can be seriously improved with the correct surrounding supporting circuit surrounding it. Just takes tons of experiments that go beyond the typical "measurement" criteria that most DAC manufacturers think is all they need.
The "old stuff" used in digital designs today
One of the things rarely talked about in reviews and by "the experts" in audio is how many of the newer chipsets don't really sound nearly as relaxed or really like a good turntable compared to the old NOS designs. What they seemingly don't realize is that many of the newer chipsets are designed from the outset to perform high resolution digital as their main goal. The problem that occurs is that these chipset designs just assume that those chips will also do Redbook 44.1 CD rips just as good. This is an unfortunate assumption. It's anything but this simple when you do comparative listening tests of different DAC chipsets both "old" and the newer "it will do all resolutions". Along with this unfortunate assumption is the filters for the high rez playback are not very good on lower CD rips either. Those filters for high rez are not optimized for CD rips either! As a side note, the Tranquility doesn't have to use any digital filters whatsoever as it is native 44.1. Another thing that even the "old" designers didn't realize they could avoid using altogether and get much more liquidity. Great filters are very difficult to design without stripping out some of the overtone harmonics and decay that allow a much more relaxed sound that is much closer to analog or the original master tape.
The Tranquility winning at shows I did with Danny Richie
We won best digital for the money and best digital cost no object at our very last show (Absolute Sound). And this was all done playing ONLY Redbook CD rips! This was no accident mind you. I've been tackling the entire digital chain and finding a myriad of weaknesses. So many that needed to be addressed in order to make this achievement happen. As those parts of the chain were addressed, I found that Redbook can contain FAR more information from a CD than most could imagine. It's just quite a bit more fragile. There are about 50 areas that need to be tackled in the design chain, from the computer type, to the way it's powered, to the connectivity and the DAC and of course the power and a myriad of other small things as well. Once those are addressed, Redbook CD rips can seriously give analog a run for the money. Who would have thought that CDs could sound so good. Not even me! I now am helping my customers with the entire digital set-up, not just selling DACs. That's where the real magic is IMHO. Knowing what to do that keeps the digital chain from truncating delicate harmonics, overtones and decay which analog usually does so much better than most digital, even today. Yet this lofty goal is achievable, with an understanding of the entire configuration Server to the DAC!
Tranquility performance with a renderer?
As of today, we still are finding that a properly set-up Mac Mini, with all the tweaks myself and many of my customers have discovered still cannot be eclipsed by any other digital delivery system. Somehow, it has been lost on the audiophile world that the Mac Mini offers a much better delivery of digital code. What I am saying here is that the Mac Mini is still the best sounding computer anyone could use for delicate, harmonic analog like extraction! My entire direct customer base in 22 countries are all in agreement and many have tried other much more expensive high end audio servers and custom computers only to find the Mini is the king of delivering the most delicate information as other servers don't do nearly as well. Nor any laptop either mind you! (I may have to start a whole thread on the Mini itself as I have identified much of the actual architecture that Apple managed to bring with this design, by accident for us crazy audiophiles. So much to write about that I have discovered that would take many pages to really explain).
Playing High Rez through the Tranquility
The Tranquility can play high rez as it just tells the computer to send it 44.1 prior so those files are playable. The funny thing about this is how well it does compared to many "high rez" labelled DAC offerings. I have received dozens of phone calls over the years from guys who contact me with this comparative against a true native "high rez" DAC. They start by saying, how is it that the Tranquility had better depth and air and was more musical compared to this XYZ high rez DAC we just compared it to. I thought you said it wouldn't play high rez at native, but we like it much better? I then ask them questions like - Did the XYZ high rez DAC have a heroic output stage, not using Op Amps? What about the power supply? And did the designers know to not use steep filters that truncate depth and air? What about the quality of the components too? All of these things were addressed in the Tranquility to the point where even high rez. reconfigured into 44.1 can sound way more musical. Of course, if the "high rez" DAC design had everything addressed entirely from end to end in it's design, then it would sound superior comparatively. It's just not typical for complete thorough end to end serious parts and topologies in most of the "high rez" designs to see this done under the $5,000 price point.
Is Noise even an issue?
There is not an issue with noise, even with these "old" NOS DAC chipsets if they are configured correctly. When we first launched the DAC, there were direct comparatives done, outside of my control against "modern" award winning DACs that where touted as having "much better Signal to Noise" as their improvements. The DACs which the Tranquility won against by listener panel comparatives at events were the well regarded Berkley, PS Audio and Ayre. All costing much more and noise was no different to any of the listeners between any of these DACs. What people are forgetting is that Signal to Noise ratios in virtually any decent DAC design are ABOVE the threshold of the recording itself. I still see tons of advertisements by DAC manufacturers implying that 140 dB is better than 120 dB etc. It's like saying my speaker can play out to a million hz! Why are we even worried about noise when our device is way above the hearing threshold. BTW - If you really are worried about getting those heroic Signal to Noise ratios, you better sell all your tube gear immediately! ;-)
Hyper detail, is it really the judge of great sound?
Roscoe65 does great job pointing out issues of system matching with hyper detail from some DACs and dealing with this potential issue. My point with the Tranquility design and supporting server (Mini) is to just bring the listener very close if not identical to the master tape harmonic structure or a great neutral turntable sonically. If somehow the digital configuration sounds more hyper detailed or clinical or sharper than even the original master tape itself, then it is changing the original configuration of the original recorded music overtones. That is something that some audiophiles adore. My intent is just to get the sound back to the master tape. In particular, the overtones, decay and correct sounding high frequencies that we hear so easily on analog. For me and most my customers. that is where the soul of the music actually exists.
The Mac Mini mods
There are quite a few things to take a stock Mac Mini up scale in terms of liquidity and more analog like overtone extraction. This will most likely require me to start another thread for me to explain the hows and whys of those tweaks, etc. For anyone who owns a Mini, please feel free to call me and I will explain the various options I have found to make it state of the art sonically. And for Tranquility owners who bought directly from me, I provide a huge list of tweaks (over 20) that anyone can do to their Mini. There are other things that can be purchased mind you. But my goal is to help everyone achieve the most sound for any budget, always pointing them to the most cost effective upgrades. Not everyone has crazy money in this hobbie. But everyone wants the best sound for their hard earned dollar, right?
Tranquility Mods and current customer support
I have been finding quite a few improvements over the years for the entire digital construct. The majority of improvements are centered around getting closer to analog with better depth, decay and relaxed long term musicality, without euphonic coloration or frequency tilts. Some would call this "a purist approach". I am just attempting to get my customers the sound of a $20K turntable done right. For all my original customers, I offer big discounts on various mods and tweaks that have been discovered, year over year. My research is always part of my musical life. And, many of my customers contact me with their findings as well. When truly double blind verified as improvements, I add those to the list I can offer my customers. For those who have already purchased updates in the past, I offer many free updates to bring their Tranquility to the most recent iteration.
Many thanks to all the kind and thoughtful overviews by various posters and owners. I am hopeful we can all educate the audiophile world in the mine field of mis-information and unfortunate technical assumptions thrown around these forums in regard to digital playback. You guys rock!
Eric Hider - dB Audio Labs www.dbaudiolabs.com
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Thanks for the detailed rely Eric. I own two of your DAC's (original Tranquility and SE) which I purchased secondhand. They are both wonderful and hands down one of the greatest bargains in digital audio.
While I don't see myself putting more money into the original Tranquility, I am interested in upgrades to my SE (within reason) as well as my Mac Mini.
Randy
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Excellent stuff Eric, thank you. There was a Tranquility SE that was for sale here late last year for $500 and I remember thinking of just grabbing it to try out but didn't...dag nabbit
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That's a decent deal and the probably the going rate. Resale on these DAC's is very low, so buying secondhand is a real deal. Unfortunately, the market for these is small, so finding them on the resale market is tough. It also doesn't help Eric pay his mortgage if no one buys his products new.
I paid $295 for my Tranquility, and $600CAD ($462USD) for my Tranquility SE.
I'm thinking of contacting Eric to inquire about upgrades to the SE. I am also thinking about cracking open the case of the original Tranquility and see it there is room for a potentiometer. With >2V output from the FET stage, I think this would be great directly into an amp. A Tranquility feeding a Pass ACA feeding a pair of Omega's would make a killer compact system.
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A new Tranquility SE might be attractive compared to used plus modifications if the new has the mods already included. You'd gain a warrantee plus feed Eric and avoid aging capacitors/buying used worries. Wonder if he could do the same with a Mac Mini. If such a great pairing why not Eric?
Regarding the volume control, check to see if impedances with your chosen amp are a good match. Beyond that being old and lazy I'd need a remote volume control. :oops:
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A new Tranquility SE might be attractive compared to used plus modifications if the new has the mods already included. You'd gain a warrantee plus feed Eric and avoid aging capacitors/buying used worries. Wonder if he could do the same with a Mac Mini. If such a great pairing why not Eric?
Regarding the volume control, check to see if impedances with your chosen amp are a good match. Beyond that being old and lazy I'd need a remote volume control. :oops:
While I am more than happy to help Eric pay his mortgage, I am more concerned about paying my own first. I own two of Eric's DAC's. If I sell them both and buy a new one from Eric I am still about $1,000 in the hole. His stock SE does not come with boutique capacitors or other tweaks. I would argue that Eric would rather I pay him for parts and his labor to mod my existing DAC rather than spend the money on a new board, PS, case, NOS chips, etc.
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A used one for $700, great price. With upgraded caps about a year ago. Jupiter's?
http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649438117-db-tranquility-signature-edition-nos-usbdac-possible-trade/
This one is now marked sold. Hoping someone here snatched it up. :thumb:
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I cannot open the dbaudiolabs site. Is he still in business?
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Yes he is. I contacted Eric not too long ago and asked what was up and he reported he was having problems and his webmaster is not immediately available. Eric said he should have this ironed out in a few weeks.
I thought it was in a PM but it must be email and I'm at work so I can't check.
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Wow. Amazing timing...I just emailed Eric a couple days ago because a buddy (Sam) from Vancouver, BC is visiting, and he's expressed interest in buying the entry level Tranquility DAC. Eric said the guy who is webmaster for his website (is that the correct description??) is (was?) in the hospital, but that the website would return soon.
Sam likes my system so much he may end up calling Don Sachs for an amp and preamp. Hmm. Must sound pretty good. 8)
Rick,
I'll PM you with Eric's email address and phone number.
Michael
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mresseguie, the db Audio Labs web site still does not work. I bought an early Tranquility dac from Eric a long time ago and would like to have him modify a Mac Mini for me. B&H has a late 2014 mac mini w/ 2.8 GHz Core i5 w/8G and 1TB for $499. Is Eric still in business? Is he still making DACs? I don't see any internet chatter anymore on the Tranquility DAC, So i'm assuming he is out of business. If he is still in business, can you send me his e:mail address and phone number.
Thank you
Kurt
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Hello, Kurt.
I'm sending you a PM email with his contact information on the off-chance that it's not a 'public' number. You've got just two posts, which means you cannot initiate a PM. However, you are able to receive PMs.
Michael