[bhobba]

Hi Hugh and All

I think guys on this forum will be very interested in the investigations myself and Mike Lenehan are doing into the Tranquility DAC.  Here is Mikes initial thoughts from another forum

Bill had a normal Laptop and I think he was using I River (it was J River) software. First impressions were ! well a little underwhelming. Nice and smooth to be sure , top end seemed a little down to me and the bass was Ahh lazy ! It did nothing wrong but it did nothing right either ! the ConnorNM24 (that's Mike's reference DAC - a heavily tweaked PCM 1704 that is up there with the Killer DAC) killed it in my view. OK so bill leaves and I thought I’d just drop my Compaq laptop on and feed it some of my wav files from I tunes. HOLY SMOKE what just happened, It was instantly competitive with the NM24. This little alloy brick thingy must be very sensitive to what USB signal it’s fed. More on this device soon when we feed it with a Mac mini ( as recommended by Eric Hider ) It did however trail behind the NM24 overall and particularly in the bass , being still a touch inarticulate and rounded. Resolution was very good with no hardness or detectable digititis evident Perhaps with MacMini integration we could have a real competitor. Although Mr Hider has’nt stated what DAC is being used it sounds very 1704 ish to me.

Ok what I am doing is investigating tweaking my Mac Mini with recommendations Eric Hider has given me to optimize it for the Tranquility.  We will then give it another whirl.  Watch this space.  But right now it is competitive with Mikes reference DAC which is itself competitive with the Killer DAC - and the Tranquility is much cheaper.  It may not exceed the Killer DAC or even equal it - but it can only get better and already it is competitive - and it is quite a good deal cheaper and computer audio is really convenient.

Thanks
Bill

[AKSA]

Thanks Bill,

Indeed, this is interesting.....  you will be amused to hear Aspen, with a really clever PhD friend a couple of years ago, did a reclocking DAC, but I decided on doing the sums that it was not economic, and I could not make money from it.  The pcb was huge, it was mighty complicated, and sold as a kit it would have consumed me 24/7 answering emails!!

Bill, do please keep us informed.  This is fascinating;  how do you make a DAC pay its way, that is the question.....

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

Indeed, this is interesting.....  you will be amused to hear Aspen, with a really clever PhD friend a couple of years ago, did a reclocking DAC, but I decided on doing the sums that it was not economic, and I could not make money from it.  The pcb was huge, it was mighty complicated, and sold as a kit it would have consumed me 24/7 answering emails!!Bill, do please keep us informed.  This is fascinating;  how do you make a DAC pay its way, that is the question.....

The tranquility only has one input - usb - everything is optimized for it - leads are kept short - no switches etc to interfere with it.  No jitter - nothing like re-clocking required.  Evidently the inside from people who have looked at it is devastatingly simple - and all bought about by the fact the computer is the source.  Already using a simple Windows machine it is comparable to a statement DAC and associated transport.  It will only get better with a better and heavily optimized computer as the source - a mac mini is evidently what is best plus associated tweaks like a SDD and external fire-wire drive.  But you don't need this to start off - a simply net-book you can pick up on Ebay for $350.00-$400.00 will suffice.  As finances permit you can get the better stuff.  And this is much more convenient than a transport.

Thanks
Bill

[lord dubious]

Hi Bill
How have your investigations progressed?  I am sure that I am not the only one who is really interested in your findings.
Thanks

[bhobba]

Hi Guys

OK previously I had been listening to the Tranquility down at Mike Lenehans on his reference system.  I have now got it connected to my system.  Not with the NAKSA which is my preferred amp, but a little Redgum I have which at $550.00 is staggeringly good value for money.  I am using it because it has a remote volume and I don't have a pre amp.  That's the reason I sent the NAKSA over to some guys I know in Perth to check out with their Killer DAC's - I can't really use it while I am using the Tranquility.  As good as that little Redgum is the NAKSA is at a different level.  Anyway the Redgum IMHO is more than transparent enough to hear the differences in DAC's.

OK to the sound.  The first thing I notice is a complete absence of digititus of any form.  You relax more into the music.  The WFS I had previously been using had a slight sibilance issue IMHO.  Interestingly when I listen to the Tranquility it is not so much getting rid of the sibilance as changing how it sounds.  If the sibilance is there you still hear it but it does not seem to grate - instead of clinching and saying thats not nice you go Ahhh.  No coldness or anything like that - simply nice fluidity and liquidity.  It seems to have exactly the same detail as the WFS which I find quite interesting since that is that DAC's strong point.  Is it up to Killer DAC standard? Afraid not.  Comparable - yes but not quite as good.  Is it a significant step up from anything in its price range? Without doubt.  Would it be what Steve Garland, the maker of the Killer DAC, calls making music?  That's a hard one - to my ears - yes but I know Steve has heard a lot more stuff than me so maybe not to him.  Anyway with the surging Australian dollar it is unbelievable value at about $1400.00 landed here.  Right now both Mike Lenehan and myself prefer the DAC he is working on, the PDX, which is still in prototype.  But when finalized it will be a bit more expensive than the Tranquility.  Interestingly Mike has found some recordings that the Tranquility sounds better on. I conjecture this has to do with the quality of the recording.  The Tranquility is dead neutral.  If you have a crappy recording it sounds crappy - if it is good it sounds good.  For some reason the PDX does not seem to be like that - crappy recordings do not sound as crappy.  Anyway this is just conjecture - getting to the bottom of it will involve a lot more investigation.

Also I have just found out the signature version has been finalized and it is on its way over to Mikes.  It is supposed to be a significant step up - we will find out. Just switched to some Dianna Krall - man does she sound so good on this DAC.

One thing I just discovered is that playing back from the MAC's internal drive is quite a good deal better than from an external USB drive.  This probably explains why when we first tried it out using my USB drive it was rather ho hum.  But when Mike tried it later with his machine using its hard drive - wow.  Eric reckons using his recommended firewire drive it will be even better again.  After finding this out both Mike and myself are ordering one.

Thanks
Bill 

[AKSA]

Many thanks Bill,

You are keeping the DAC afficionados in suspense!!  This is a very good review, thank you for taking the trouble.

I wonder how a Squeezebox Touch compares to the Tranquility?  Pretty ordinary, maybe?

I mention it because they are just under $400 on Australian Ebay.....  and full of useful features.

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

I wonder how a Squeezebox Touch compares to the Tranquility?  Pretty ordinary, maybe?

Hi Hugh and All

This is not to denigrate the Touch which like the Redgum is staggeringly good value for money.  But from John Darko's review and what others have told me a DAC Magic bests its internal DAC.  I can tell you my Wyred For Sound totally clobbers a DAC Magic and the Tranquility to my ears is at another level above that again.  Just like the Redgum compared to your NAKSA the extra dosh does buy you something considerably better.  I also have to tell you to my ears the WFS DAC and your NAKSA does not sound as good to me as the Tranquility and the Redgum.  From my viewpoint that is maddening because I can only imagine how much better it will be with the NAKSA - I suspect WOW.  Anyway the Redgum is transparent enough to hear the differences while I tee up a preamp.  I conjecture he reason for that is the NAKSA is so bloody transparent the shortcomings of the WFS were starkly revealed.  Mike thought it may tame some of the issues with the WFS but it didn't.  The great detail of the WFS was revealed in full force with the NAKSA - as well as a slight upper midrange issue that to me showed up as a sibilance control issue and a bit of digital glare that the NAKSA revealed.  But to be fair to the WFS only guys that have checked it out down at  Mikes seem to hear it.  I have mentioned it on a number of forums and everyone (so far) reports they can't hear it.  Again I conjecture this is due to two reasons - their gear may not be revealing enough and they did not have a better DAC to compare it to.

Thanks
Bill

[rab]

One thing I just discovered is that playing back from the MAC's internal drive is quite a good deal better than from an external USB drive.  This probably explains why when we first tried it out using my USB drive it was rather ho hum.  But when Mike tried it later with his machine using its hard drive - wow.  Eric reckons using his recommended firewire drive it will be even better again.  After finding this out both Mike and myself are ordering one.

Bill, when i listened to the Tranquility at Mike's with you, was your Mac Mini using an internal or external hard drive?
... and if the latter, how does it now compare with Mike's PDX?

- RIchard

[bhobba]

Bill, when i listened to the Tranquility at Mike's with you, was your Mac Mini using an internal or external hard drive? and if the latter, how does it now compare with Mike's PDX?

Hi Richard

Mike was using the internal hard drive.  In fact Itunes defaults to that - I had to muck around with it a bit to use the USB drive and noticed when I did it suffered quite considerably so switched back to the default.  Eric Hider thinks an external Firewire drive is even better again so both Mike and I have ordered one.

Thanks
Bill

[bhobba]

I have recently been doing some experimentation with my Tranquility.  I downloaded Pure Music:
http://www.channld.com/puremusic/

It immediately sounded more detailed, lively, dynamic and real.  However it had a slight edginess to it that while it's positive virtues more than compensated for nonetheless was a negative.  I then discovered a feature called HOG Mode.  Tried that - all I can say is WOW.  No edginess and it is now even more detailed, real, and dynamic.  Simply fantastic.

Thanks
Bill

[bhobba]

I headed down to Mike Lenehan's place to check out the Tranquility with Pure Music on his reference system. I was hopeful it may now pip the prototype of the DAC he is working on, the PDX. But they had made a few changes to it that lifted it to another level and it wasn't to be - it still was better. It must be pointed out it is also more expensive. The signature is the PDX's more natural competitor.

We verified PM in hog mode was better. However we noticed a couple things - first for some reason Itunes was louder which really should not happen if it is bit perfect. Which is not bit perfect who knows. Secondly it took on a 'cold' character and Mike thought it may have been a bit grungy. I really couldn't hear the grunge thing but the coldness was there for sure. I will have to give Eric a ring to check out what's going on.

Thanks
Bill

[Dracule1]

Bill, not too keen on Australglish. What does "pip" mean?  From what I can tell from your sentence, it means "beat" or "better".

[AKSA]

You got it, Dracule....

Australglish derives from convict English - Cockneys, particularly the distorted vowels.  The Poms have quite a bit to live down.

Wonderful name Dracule, immortalised by Gary Oldman.  That was a very cool performance.

Hugh

[bhobba]

Bill, not too keen on Australglish. What does "pip" mean?  From what I can tell from your sentence, it means "beat" or "better".

Sorry about that.  Actually it is not Australian slang, although I can occasionally slip into that - its a legit word defined in the dictionary as 'pip tr.v. pipped, pip·ping, pips Chiefly British 1. To wound or kill with a bullet. 2. To get the better of; defeat. 3. To blackball.'

Thanks
Bill

[JohnR]

Interesting definition, in usage doesn't it usually mean by a small amount and implies a close contest - pipped at the post.

[low.pfile]

Interesting definition, in usage doesn't it usually mean by a small amount and implies a close contest - pipped at the post.

Quite correct you are sir....

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pip_3

pip   verb v [T] (-pp-) UK informal
to beat someone either by a very small amount or right at the end of a competition
I got through to the final interview, but I was pipped at the post (= in the final stage) by a candidate with better qualifications.

(Definition of pip verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

[bhobba]

Interesting definition, in usage doesn't it usually mean by a small amount and implies a close contest - pipped at the post.

Yes.  The definition I posted was just the first I found - I don't believe it is the best or most authoritative.

Thanks
Bill

[Afterimage]

I headed down to Mike Lenehan's place to check out the Tranquility with Pure Music on his reference system. I was hopeful it may now pip the prototype of the DAC he is working on, the PDX. But they had made a few changes to it that lifted it to another level and it wasn't to be - it still was better. It must be pointed out it is also more expensive. The signature is the PDX's more natural competito

We verified PM in hog mode was better. However we noticed a couple things - first for some reason Itunes was louder which really should not happen if it is bit perfect. Which is not bit perfect who knows. Secondly it took on a 'cold' character and Mike thought it may have been a bit grungy. I really couldn't

hear the grunge thing but the coldness was there for sure. I will have to give Eric a ring to check out what's going on.

Thanks
Bill

Keep us updated.  I have thinking about Pure Music for download, but want to make sure it performs well and is user friendly.

[mamba315]

Pure Music can be tried free for 2 weeks.  No reason not to try it for yourself.

[Afterimage]

Pure Music can be tried free for 2 weeks.  No reason not to try it for yourself.

Cool, thanks for the heads up.