When I first introduce the dac10 into the system, I was totally disappointed as it is bright to a point I get irritated. Wrote in someones thread, and was told to wait for some time, needs burning in.
Well, after 50 hours, I'm getting used to it or it has improved.
I just had the exact same problem with mine. You may want to try this to speed up the burning in. Play some music that you can play non stop. Turn off the amp when you are not listening, and keep playing through the DAC10. It will burn in even though you hear no music. I went to sleep burning in the DAC10 the other night that way.
Here is a suggestion that can help speed up getting to excellent sound. One big thing I did that made the brightness go away much quicker was switching to an audiophile fuse. Day and night difference! Glass fuses take forever to burn in.. Probably longer than the DAC would take with a better fuse in it.
Though the DAC10 will still need to be burned in, in my opinion, glass fuses in audiophile gear make burn in more painful than need be. And, will take much longer. Its that pesky fuse that can hurt the sound. You can spend a lot more for a super fuse, but this one brand of fuse is a very good match for my NuPrime equipment.
Schurter AUDIOPHILE FUSE 5X20mm Audio Grade GOLD PLATED. Get T 2.5A. Only - US $6.00 Some audiophile fuses go for over 100.00!
This one sits real well with the Nuprime sound. Transparent and naturally warm when the music is warm.
I also have more expensive fuses.. and, they sound good. But, this Schurter is an excellent choice for the DAC (IMHO).
Make sure to try the fuse in both directions. Even the glass fuse will be effected by the direction it sits in the fuse holder, but glass is really not worthy of such an excellent DAC/preamp. I am now joking to myself, wondering where NuPrime hid the tubes!
The entire component has to burn in. That includes the power cord. I use an Pangea audiophile one that was burned in already, but even then, the DAC10 out of the box was a disappointment at first. If you get the new fuse I believe you will find the burning in time much easier to bear and the DAC10 (IMHO) will sound better just the same.
Here is a clip from a fuse review which also covers the Schurter fuse:
http://singaporehifi.blogspot.com/2014/01/aftermarket-fuses-synergistic-research.htmlSchurter actually lists their SMD-SPT fuse line as an audio product ! Thankfully, it comes with a non-audiophile price tag.
Depending on how hard you look, you should be able to find it for less than US$ 2.00.
In my humble opinion, the SMD-SPT handily outperforms the Bussman Ceramic Fuse for negligible price difference.
There is good amount of detail, and nothing seems unduly emphasized. Soundstaging is a bit distant.
If your system is perfectly dialed in, this could be the icing on the cake. This fuse is an absolute no-brainer ! Makes a beautiful difference right away!