Digital Drive: REVIEW: Ack!Industries dAck! DAC Processors by Adriel

Model:	dAck!
Category:	DAC Processors
Suggested Retail Price:	$395
Description:	Kusunoki style Non-OS filterless D-to-A converter
Manufacturer URL:	Ack!Industries

Review by Adriel on June 13, 2009 at 13:35:45
IP Address: 75.60.99.68 Add Your Review
for the dAck!

Product Review for Ack Dack 2.0 ("ultra-resolution option" ie teflon coupling caps)

Relevant specs:

Type: 1545A, SLA +12/-12 power, digital filterless
Output: 8610A JFET opamp, class A biasing

Product Specific Notes:

Several layers removed from the music. Significant occlusion in the midrange. Treble more rolled off than 1543 designs. Textural timbres smoothed out and lost.

Conclusion:

Dack's sonic signature carried over to all music, and all available listening platforms. It was inescapable.

Digital playback is successful when it provides an enjoyable listening experience, day in and day out, at all hours of the day, reliably and repeatedly. Can the listener come home from work any given day, and relax into the sound, or not?

Based on the digital listening chart below, my personal taste says this device is a BLS - type "too little information".

Platforms used:

Primary: SET, 8 inch speakers
Secondary: MOSFET hybrid, 5 inch speakers
Verifying: Senn HD600, Bose On-ear, Stax 202

Comparisons used:

Primary: Scott Nixon Chibi Saru Dackit
Secondary: Channel Islands VDA2

Transport used:

Primary: foobar plugin SSRC 96khz ultra, x-fi bitperfect mode
Verifying: Sony SCD-CE775

Digital files:

Lossless redbook, lossless HD files

Setup: Adriel's DAC testbed

Product Weakness:	colored sound
Product Strengths:	battery power for predictable daily performance

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Sophia Electric 300B Monoblock SET
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Primaluna Prologue Three
Sources (CDP/Turntable): foobar, x-fi bitperfect, Monarchy DIP tcxo
Speakers: Omega Super8 XRS hemp alnico
Cables/Interconnects: audioquest
Music Used (Genre/Selections): indie, classical, reference, games, movies
Room Size (LxWxH): 16.5 ft x 12 ft x 8 ft
Room Comments/Treatments: Realtraps minigobo, Auralex foam
Time Period/Length of Audition: 6 months
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Sophia Electric 300B Monoblock SET
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Primaluna Prologue Three
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	foobar, x-fi bitperfect, Monarchy DIP tcxo
Speakers:	Omega Super8 XRS hemp alnico
Cables/Interconnects:	audioquest
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	indie, classical, reference, games, movies
Room Size (LxWxH):	16.5 ft x 12 ft x 8 ft
Room Comments/Treatments:	Realtraps minigobo, Auralex foam
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner