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Digital Drive: REVIEW: C I Audio VDA-1 DAC Processors by DWPC

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REVIEW: C I Audio VDA-1 DAC Processors

207.178.211.66


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Model: VDA-1
Category: DAC Processors
Suggested Retail Price: $349
Description: A superb DAC value
Manufacturer URL: C I Audio
Model Picture: View

Review by DWPC ( A ) on June 20, 2002 at 11:23:09
IP Address: 207.178.211.66
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for the VDA-1


BACKGROUND
After 17 years of faithful service, it was time to retire my venerable dbx DX3 CDP before its increasingly frequent stuttering episodes caused me to do it violence. Since I had a relatively new Sony DVP-s300 DVD player that has a discrete CD laser and a coax output, I decided that I’d get much more bang for my buck with an outboard DAC instead of a new “one-box” CDP that, in the under-$1000 price range, would essentially be an improved DAC and power supply packaged with a garden variety OEM laser head/loading mechanism. And, with the current uncertainty in future audio media, an outboard DAC would maximize my flexibility.

After surveying the under-$1000 DAC market for a few months and familiarizing myself with the units, I zeroed-in on Channel Islands Audio, which conveniently for me, is local. I met Mr. Dusty Vawter, the owner and VDA-1’s designer, who offered me a demo unit for home audition BEFORE purchase. After dealing with Dusty, its hard NOT to write a review that doesn’t read like a promo! No hype. No sales pitch. No negative comments on the competitors. He simply lets the performance of his products do all the selling. And, it was very evident from seeing the CI Audio operation that the very reasonable price of the VDA-1 is the result of careful cost controls, resistance to adding unneeded features, but no compromises in product quality.

NUTS & BOLTS
The VDA-1 is 24 bit, 96kHz sampling DAC. It uses a Burr Brown DIR 1701 low jitter input receiver, and a Burr Brown PCM 1716 DAC chip. For more details, you’ll have to refer to the CI Audio website. The unit is very compact (about 4” w x 2.5” h x 6” d) with a matte aluminum face and black case making for a minimalist appearance. Plug it in, connect the cables, and forget it. No switches or selectors. A blue LED “lock” indicator tells you it’s doing its thing when it senses a signal. It has coax and TOS-link inputs, and one analog RCA output pair. Each input can be connected to a separate source and the VDA-1 will sort out which one is carrying a signal. I should mention that the DAC instantly locked on the signal every time.

The VDA-1 is furnished with a wall-wart power supply. For those wishing to extract the most from the DAC, CI Audio offers an optional VAC-1 power supply, identical to the DAC in size and style. More on that later.

I played the VDA-1 through a Parasound DR65 Class A preamp section and a Parasound HCA 1500 II power amp biwired to Vandersteen 3A speakers on Sound Anchor stands. All interconnects are humble Radio Shack Gold and the speaker cable is plain ol’ Belden 14/4. (I’m not an advocate of expensive cables.) I tried the TOS-link, but preferred the sound using the coax input connection from the CDP; though I can’t say the difference was substantial.

LISTENING
I will state a caveat before presenting my opinions; those wishing to upgrade the redbook CD performance of their DVD player should take note that my particular Sony player has a discrete CD laser, therefore they may not get the same level of performance with this DAC and a player with only a DVD-optimized laser head. That difference would, of course, apply for any outboard DAC.

Two weeks after purchase may be a bit on the early side for a review, but its pretty clear that the VDA-1’s performance will only get better as it burns-in. I generally found A-B testing to be counterproductive, so I used listening periods of at least 20 minutes on a source to ensure enough time to establish an auditory baseline before swapping sources. Audition material included:
-Chopin etudes / Arrau
-Dvorak’s “American” Quartet / Prazak Quartet
-Brahms’ German Requiem / Klemperer
-Beethoven’s 7th / Szell
-Jongen Organ Symphonie Concertante / Mata
-What’s New / Linda Ronstadt
-Big Band Hits / various
-Celtic Harp / The Chieftains

I found that the comparisons were more telling using middle-of-the-road quality CDs of relatively simple selections. High quality recordings tend to compress perception of comparative qualitative differences (i.e., they sound much better on both sources). “Busy” pieces with a lot of parallel musical activity tend to overwhelm attempts at focused evaluation because there’s just too much going on. I have a hard time with common audiophile descriptions for component performance. Regular Asylum readers will realize that these terms are often misapplied and misinterpreted. Therefore I use them sparingly.

For the first few days, I used the standard power supply. Even with the humble wall-wart, the VDA-1 is a real eye-opener. Its dynamics and transparency are superb. It has no trouble maintaining a clean distinction of instruments at all amplitudes and through transients. The noise floor, down somewhere below the Mesozoic layer, exposes almost imperceptibly soft sounds not heard before on familiar CDs. Positional imaging of instruments is well focused, and provides a good aural perception of the soundstage.

I always felt that my dbx cdp had good bass performance, but the VDA-1 is a huge improvement in extension of and tightening lows, plus it opens up highs without harshness. To my ears, it sounds quite refined with nothing I’d categorize as “digital” or glaring in sound.

String musicians are familiar with the term “consonance”; the musical quality that separates one tone from another. The analogous audiophile term is “attack”, but it just doesn’t say enough. Too much sounds harsh, too little sounds undefined and mushy. Well, the VDA-1 has marvelous consonance. The inner transients of each instrument, from the bloom of a cello to the rip of jazz trombone are outstandingly articulated without overdoing it. Multiple instruments or voices are nicely articulated.

Vocalists move right out in front of the speakers; immediate and open without excessive silabance. Individual voices in large chorals are much more distinct. Strings simply sound “right”; neither overly warm nor raspy. Horns are bright, and appropriately brassy. Percussion, too, is tight and bright without harshness. Brushes on cymbals come alive with airy decay. Piano is said to be particularly hard to reproduce, but sustains and decay with the VDA-1 are vibrant, and almost as immediate as from my wife’s baby grand across the room. Instrumental timbre and resonance are clean and lifelike, limited only by the quality of the CD and downstream components. CDs that I previously considered no better than OK now bloom with new fullness and detail.

VAC-1 POWER SUPPLY
After a few days, I replaced the wall-wart with the matching CI Audio VAC-1 power supply that Mr. Vawter had offered for trial. The improvement was almost subtle, but there’s no doubt it added refinement to the dynamics and detail. Even my wife, who’s usually relatively indifferent such things, commented enthusiastically about the improvement in lifelikeness with the CI power supply. I’d say that the VAC-1 power supply lifted the VDA-1’s overall performance by a good 20%; not a bad return when you consider that its progressively more expensive to squeeze those last few drops of performance out of any component. For those with revealing systems that can exploit its benefits, the VAC-1 is worth the added cost. For more modest system, it’s probably not going to add much.

SUMMARY
Audio perception is much like food tasting. Gourmets have more detailed knowledge of the components of esoteric dishes and are able to pick out every nuance of flavor, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t know a great meal when we’ve had one.

I believe the Channel Islands Audio VDA-1 DAC is an excellent addition to my system, and at a cost that makes it all the more satisfactory a decision. The VDA-1 gave me the best improvement in my system’s sound since I switched from Wharfedale bookshelf speakers to Vandersteen 3As.
I might have obsessed for more months about finding another DAC that sounded better in my system, but if I did, it would probably cost multiples of the VDA-1’s modest price (and I’d probably still obsess about it). I have no doubt that CI Audio could combine the DAC and power supply in a chic, heavy aluminum case with an array of glowing LED’s and sell it for a grand or more. This DAC is an extraordinary audio value.


Product Weakness: Plain appearance won't impress (but may sneak under spousal radar)
Product Strengths: Dynamic response
Imaging
Timbral accuracy


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Parasound HCA1500 II
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Parasound DR 65
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sony DVP-s300
Speakers: Vandersteen 3A
Cables/Interconnects: Radio Shack Gold
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Mostly classical
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: C I Audio VDA-1 DAC Processors - DWPC 11:23:09 06/20/02 ( 1)