Merason DAC1 grassroots segment DAC
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- In a time where extreme high sampling rates and lots of features seem to reign, the Swiss company Merason brings a very basic DAC that does 192 kHz over SPDIF and AES/EBU, uses a seven year old DAC chip, has no remote control and no display. What are they thinking?
Contents of this video
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Start of program
02:24 - The outside
03:32 - The inside
05:46 - In use
06:39 - How tested
07:57 - Sound quality
09:55 - The wrap
Manufacturer:
merason.ch
Equipment lent by:
www.klangq.nl
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Hans, another great review - thanks. I respect your approach and objectivity - a class act for sure! About 2 weeks ago, I switched back to a 23 year old DAC using similar topology (Burr Brown PCM1794 chips) - the Mark Levinson 360S. And, I experienced similar results - so musical; especially extended hi-frequency details which were neither harsh nor etched - just musical. Okay, to be fair, I didn't just reinsert the DAC. I connected it via AES/EBU to a USB Interface similar to the Singxer SU-6; a Xingcore AF200 using the same Crystek CCHD-957 clocks but in my case powered by an external linear power supply. For this very old DAC it made all the difference - the Mark Levinson 360S never sounded this good even connected to it's own Mark Levinson No. 37 transport. I'm also limited to 24 bit, 96kHz on this setup - not a hardship for me. In fact, I prefer it - it had always been annoying to readjust the volume whenever 192kHz material streamed over Qobuz. So, why buy a new DAC at all?
Enjoy the music!
Hans, thank you for this review 🙏 Another Merason DAC1 owner here, I confirm it is a very musical no frills DAC 👍
Very cool!
Also an owner, appreciate the excellent and very balanced review 🙏
If you just want to enjoy music, this is a crazy good dac. Unbelievably musical and contender for best DAC at any price 😉
What usb cable do you use ?
@@magnusblom44 Hey Magnus, thanks for asking. I'm using Kimber Kable KS 2426 HB between my Innuos Zenith Mk3 and the Merason DAC and I'm very happy with that cable, which clearly bettered the Cardas Clear USB cable (now in my headphone system)
Great review as always Hans
! I'd be interested if you could do a review of the Lab12 dac 1 reference. I recently bought this dac and it's absolutely incredible for the money. It's a tube based Nos dac using an array of 8 x Phillips 1543 chips . I've never heard a dac that sounds as natural and musical. Still very detailed and has super bass too. Very nicely configured and designed dac....with Vu meters as well!
I'll check it out
Very professional review… Merason Dac is an excellent unit… When you see it musically... All the technical stuff about it… disappears..!
Thanks Han
I use
1. Synergistic Research Maxell12 Power Conditioner
2. SOTM Transport Sme200 ultra, USB regen
With Roon integrated with Nas
3. Merason Dac
4. Ayon Stratos Tube stage preamp
5. McIntosh MC611 600w @8ohms Monoblocks
6. B&W 802 D 500w @ 8 ohms
7. Kimber Sp cables
8. Signal projects XLR’s
9. Siltech Power cables
10. Sotm Cat6 Isolater cable
11. ddHiFi - TC09BA USB-A to USB-B USB Cable
12. Tidal Source to roon
--x---
Enjoy the music
Hans, thank you very much for all your instructive, detailed and rigorous reviews. Being, for many years, an studio user of RME and as you, an audio evangelist, I really would love a review on the RME ADI-2 DAC fs, which is loaded with functions and high sample rate, but how about sound?. Thank you again for your great work.
Noted
Please sir, I have followed your setup classifications, but what is the meaning of "classifies in the lower quarter of my setup 1a"?
Think of it ar ranges. In setup 1 we have class b and class a. Lower quarter class A is one step higher than upper quarter class b.
Thank you for the review, I have bought a one years old Merason dac 1, what usb cable can you recommend that's not so super expensive ? :)
I don't do cable reviews so I can't say.
Hans, will you be reviewing the new, totally redesigned MK2 version of the Merason DAC1? The company claims improvements in almost all areas of sound and I don’t see that anyone has reviewed it yet, anywhere.
I have no direct plans.
If you get a chance, can you review the IfI Zen Streamer. Your videos are appreciated.😀
I'll check it out
Have MERASON DAC1 for month now, what a lovely dac!!! Just curious now, what is better for this dac - spdif or usb? and xlr or rca?
That also depends on the gear you connect the Merason to. If the digital source is of high quality, SPDIF might be the best, otherwise USB might be better. If the amp has true balanced inputs, XLR is the better choice, otherwise RCA might be equal or better. Just listen....
Thank tou, dear Hans. I have auralic aries g1 streamer and gryphon diablo120 amp. Now gave aq diamond and cofe usb cables, and very good coax cable. From Merason dac i have good xlr And very good rca. Rca sounds more relaxed, without frustration.. Xlr sounds more articulated, more intense.. Hard to decide..
I keep hearing that in hi end music reproduction there is no difference between DSD and PCM, while at low end side, let's say 1400Euro (Chord Qtest) there is a very distinct sound difference between DSD and PCM; that is both in same song comparison and general music presentation. While comparing the same song I hear details being far less apparent and lost in the song, while general assessment over multiple songs I feel in instant veil over the songs when switching between PCM and DSD. I am just starting my DSD collection but I just go for native DSD recording (usually from Native DSD or Blue Coast Music), no PCM to DSD and may that be why there is a difference? Also I need to ask if one of hi end audio benefits is it compensate for the shortcomings of a format, or low end DACs are just bad at PCM reproduction.
It just proves that your DAC is moderately priced and favours DSD. High end equipment isn't compensating for shortcomings of a format, it is reproducing both formats the right way.
Hans, I stumbled across this nice review just recently. Somehow I must have missed it when it came out. I am interested in either the Merason Dac 1 or a Chord Hugo TT2 without MScaler. How would you rate the Hugo when the Merason is "just" in the lower Quarter of your setup 1? Similar level or higher? Thanks in advance, Gottfried
Btw: my distributor told me that 192 khz via s/pdif should work just fine. Also the homepage of Merason does not mention any limitation to 96 khz.
I have reviewed the TT2 here: ruclips.net/video/6SFwxUQKUjg/видео.html
Of course does 192 kHz work fine, why shouldn’t it.
Hans, according to Merason, the AES and TOSLINK inputs of the DAC1 are not limited to 96k. Here is what Daniel of Merason told me:
“the information that the AES input is limited to 96k is wrong. In fact, the AES input (like the SPDIF and USB inputs) understands 192k.”
I do see in the specifications, “(USB)” appears next to 176k. I’m not sure what this means, and I am waiting for Merason to confirm this.
Correction: I meant to say SPDIF instead of TOSLINK in my above post. As stated, according to Merason, the DAC1’s AES and SPDIF can operate with up to 192k, and are not limited to 96k as you mentioned in the video.
Of course Merason is right. It was a stupid mistake on my behalf. AES/EBU and SPDIF both support up to192 kHz
Thanks for acknowledging this Hans. After watching your otherwise excellent review, I was concerned as I have purchased a Grimm MU1 and I was worried that it wouldn’t be able to use it’s 4X oversampling on its AES output to the Merason DAC1. This is why I reached out to Merason to check. So I am happy to find out you were wrong on this point! :)
I enjoyed the review and agree with the rest of your assessments!
Hi Hans, I posted a comment earlier about this DAC design being from a design from 10 years ago and had posted reference links. Why was my comment deleted?
If it was a request to review the Merason: I remove these requests often to keep direct responses to that video 'clean'.
I enjoyed your weekly review Hans. You make some valid points regarding theoretical playback sample rates. I wonder how many subscribers to your channel dared to take Mark Waldrep’s challenge: listen to the same track in proper high resolution and red Book CD quality - I only just managed to identify more high res files, but from his large sample there was no significant correct identification of the high resolution files, not even by those with very expensive equipment.
I know what they were thinking....create a good DAC that is actually affordable without all the extra stuff nobody needs, like a display or DSD playback. Thanks!
Hans, are you losing your "damping factor"? Looking good buddy!
Thanks. Lost 7 kg🤗
How did you come by this Hans. Was it offered to you by the manufacturer or did you request a sample? Just curious
Did you watch the video? It’s about the first thing I mentioned 😊
Thanks Hans for this review. I agree its a very nice dac. Having One myself. Did you compare it to Dave for example?
Of course, but that is the top of setup 1a. This is the lower quarter of 1a which is great.
Sorry Hans. I think that the only input limited to 24/96 is the Toslink-Optical?
I plug in a request: MERASON ferot vs DAC1!
Incorrect. All AES3 inputs are limited to 96kHz
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Humble apologies. I mostly read about the MERASON ferot where there is no such limitations (?). And was based on reviews that only mention the 96k limits for optical input. But, reading the DAC1 manual it is discretely mentioned.
Thank you for your correction and once again...sorry 🥺
i too have not heard a peep from them? wonder how serious they are. would like to buy one. also emailed a few of their dealers in Sussie. meanwhile their is a Mytek dealer literally 2 blocks from me who has the new Liberty 2 in stock.
Beste Hans, dank voor je review, ik heb de Aries G2 en heb deze verbonden met een USB kabel naar de Hegel H590. Is dit de juiste verbinding jij hebt er ook een gehad zoals je zegt. Of is de AES-EBU een betere optie zoals bij deze Merason DAC. Misschien dat ik voor een andere DAC ga, hoor het graag van je, succes met je werkzaamheden,
I would go for AES/EBU or SPDIF.
Is the merasonDAC 1 a step up from the merason frerot? I would love to see a chart on how you tier what ends up at top, middle and bottom of your system one list. Great insight as always!
The info is in the video. You have to do something too. That's called a hobby.