[donno]

Hello *,

I am planning to buy one the stainless version of nick's TVC and I was wondering if the output of the Beresford DAC (I use it w/ my SB3) was enuff.

Stan told me it s 1.2 V and I ve read around that the min output suggested is 1.5V. Anyone tried it and how does it work?

I am planning to use a vintage marantz (2230, 1120 or 170DC) final.

Thanks,

g.

[wilsynet]

I've had the Beresford TC-7510 and it wasn't for me.  It might be for you though. =)

If you're looking for an alternative, for $200 including shipping, the VALAB DAC (search on Ebay for Valab DAC) can be had for only slightly more money than the TC-7510.  Some really nice reviews on Head-Fi.org.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/valab-dac-first-impressions-378459/

It outputs 2.19 volts, and should be plenty for your passive preamp.  With a resistor change, it goes down to 1.9 volts.  There's also a modding thread, although I don't have a link handy for that right now.
 

[donno]

I've had the Beresford TC-7510 and it wasn't for me. 

Thanks for your replay, I am not sure I am getting you here tho.

Are you saying that you used the TC-7510 with a prom TVC and it didn't work well with it specifically or that you didn't like how the DAC sounded in general?

Cuz I already like my DAC, I only need to know how's the work it does w/ the prom preamp.

grazie.

[Starburst]

Hi,

I'm using a Beresford TC7510 6/4 with a stock Ref4 TVC for a couple of weeks now. I've not noticed any compatibility  problems at all. The sound of the pairing is perhaps too slightly civilised in my system. Certainly better than variable headphone out on the Beresford or Beresford to Exposure 19 pre amp.

I posted a similar query on the Art OF Sound Forum where Stanley hangs out and got some positive feedback there from a user using the 7510 with another makers TVC too.

If you don't have the DAC already I'd be tempted to go the TC7520 (better DAC and headphone out plus op amp rolling) or Cambridge DACMagic (for balanced out) route if you can stretch the budget.

I've been impressed with the TVC in the couple of weeks I've had it. Very detailed and neutral. I'm not sure that it has a sonic characteristic of it's own.

[Starburst]

Hmm. Maybe scratch what I said above.

I'd be interested in comments on the findings I report below. My techie knowledge is minimal and somewhat rusty. The sound differences I report are absolutely massive, the sort of difference your wife and auntie would notice, not subtle at all.

I was using an MC2 Audio MC1250 power amp that I was trying out. This is a massive 750wpc into 8 ohm beast. Driving Acoustic Energy AE1 speakers (200wpc, 88/89dB1w1m). The sound was near glorious. I've just swapped back to a Rotel RB991 power amp (200wpc) and need to crank the volume quite a bit more for the same level. I guess this makes sense as the amp is a quarter the size (12dB less) and the volume steps are 2dB for most of the gain range.

After only a few minutes listening the whole sound is hollow in a very strange way, body has disappeared and there's a hole in the middle of the stereo image effect. I had to check that I hadn't crossed the phase on one of the speakers and check all drive units were working, turn the DAC off and on a few times etc thinking there was a hardware fault. I'm familiar with the Rotel power amp and the fault is not there, it has a big full bodied sound generally. I've swapped back to the MC1250 and order is restored.

I think I might be suffering as I normalise FLAC and MP3 albums to 89dB so they won't clip on peaks. This is a fairly low average. Is this combined with the low output voltage on the Beresford DAC not providing enough input to the TVC for it's higher volume settings. Was I  able to get away with it before due to the sheer power of the MC2 amp meaning I could use lower volume settings?

Well, I've just turned off normalisation. That should give me about 6dB extra into the DAC.