Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 Announced

Mike

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Berkeley Audio Design is very pleased to announce the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2.

The original Alpha DAC Reference Series was a breakthrough product that reduced noise, particularly in the time domain, to levels significantly lower than any audio D to A converter previously available. The result was an immediacy and presence of music reproduction that was closer to the microphone feed than ever before. Very fine spatial and timbral information heard in real life that was previously lost or hidden by noise was revealed by the Alpha DAC Reference Series.

At Berkeley Audio Design, the principals are perfectionist audiophile engineers, and R&D is continuous. That especially applies to the Reference Series. The unprecedented resolution of the Alpha DAC Reference Series allowed and demanded further development and perfection of digital algorithms and analog circuitry that otherwise would not have been possible. The lengthy development process that resulted in the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 was challenging and resulted in design improvements that we feel again define the edge of what is possible. The only way to appreciate the level of performance achieved by the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 is to listen to it.

The retail price of the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 is $19,500.00. The Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 will begin shipping late this June. The original Alpha DAC Reference Series will no longer be produced.

The Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 will be available to audition at T.H.E. Show in Newport, June 3-5.

Because Berkeley Audio Design doesn’t believe in planned obsolescence and because the original Alpha DAC Reference Series represents a significant investment, Berkeley Audio Design will upgrade the original Alpha DAC Reference Series to the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 at a cost of $3,500.00 plus shipping, which is the difference in cost between the original Alpha DAC Reference Series and the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2. That means existing Alpha DAC Reference Series owners will be able to upgrade to the Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 for the same total cost, plus shipping, as a new Alpha DAC Reference Series 2.

The Alpha DAC Reference Series 2 upgrade process is elaborate and as time consuming as manufacturing a new Alpha DAC Reference Series 2. To minimize the time Alpha DAC Reference Series owners will be without a DAC during the upgrade process a scheduled RMA system will be used.

Once Berkeley Audio Design receives a request for an upgrade an RMA will be issued to the Alpha DAC Reference Series owner with a specific date to ship the Alpha DAC Reference Series to be upgraded. By using this system, the turnaround time for upgrades will be held to two weeks.

Upgraded units will be identical in performance to a new Alpha DAC Reference Series 2.

1409254620496
 
Terrible....just terrible. Buyers waited a long time to get their hands on V1 and now they get screwed by Berkeley, left with an outdated, expensive DAC, with no recourse, except to sell at a big loss or pay up. They should offer free upgrades to anyone who bought their overrated DAC in the last year. Talk about leaving their dealers holding the bag....I know I would be pissed off beyond belief if I recently bought one. So glad I have a Lampizator and a Lumin.
 
Terrible....just terrible. Buyers waited a long time to get their hands on V1 and now they get screwed by Berkeley, left with an outdated, expensive DAC, with no recourse, except to sell at a big loss or pay up. They should offer free upgrades to anyone who bought their overrated DAC in the last year. Talk about leaving their dealers holding the bag....I know I would be pissed off beyond belief if I recently bought one.

+1. So glad I have an Esoteric.
 
Terrible....just terrible. Buyers waited a long time to get their hands on V1 and now they get screwed by Berkeley, left with an outdated, expensive DAC, with no recourse, except to sell at a big loss or pay up. They should offer free upgrades to anyone who bought their overrated DAC in the last year. Talk about leaving their dealers holding the bag....I know I would be pissed off beyond belief if I recently bought one. So glad I have a Lampizator and a Lumin.

Are you glad about Lampizator and Lumin because they don't upgrade their models?

Or would it be better if Berkeley gave the new model a totally different name, so that current Reference owners wouldn't think their units have been downgraded?

Or should Berkeley have announced this Ref 2 model eight months ago, so that afterwards anyone thinking about buying the original Ref model would think twice?

Actually, your idea about free upgrades for all Ref DACs bought in the past year is a good one, or at least discounted upgrades.

Dave, who is a current Ref owner and wonders if it won't sound as good after the Ref 2 is released and also wonders if someone who cites the original Ref as "overrated" has actually lived with it in their homes and in their systems
 
Applies to every other component on the planet.

Of course, but to describe something as "overrated" without experiencing it personally and in detail -- which BruceLet, who posted that description, might have -- is shortsighted and increases the odds for inaccuracy.
 
Did anyone read the OP? It said BA will upgrade the original BADA Reference to a Series 2 for $3500, the price of the difference between the Series 1 and Series 2. Original purchasers will get the new model for the same total price that new purchasers pay. That seem pretty good to me. I haven't ever had that good a deal on an upgrade.

Larry
 
personally I think it is a real kick in the guts style of move from the company & shows that they just don't give a f**k about the average Joe who waited... & waited... & waited... for them to get their crap together & supply something they promised 8 months ago.
 
personally I think it is a real kick in the guts style of move from the company & shows that they just don't give a f**k about the average Joe who waited... & waited... & waited... for them to get their crap together & supply something they promised 8 months ago.

I'm curious - did you order a Berkeley Ref eight months ago, and it never came through?

Was your dealer not helpful?

Did you investigate the (mildly) used market?

Dave, who regularly sees Berkeley Refs for sale with claimed 9/10 condition
 
Did anyone read the OP? It said BA will upgrade the original BADA Reference to a Series 2 for $3500, the price of the difference between the Series 1 and Series 2. Original purchasers will get the new model for the same total price that new purchasers pay. That seem pretty good to me. I haven't ever had that good a deal on an upgrade.

+1

That is more than fair. If anything, I wish ALL hi-end companies would offer this kind of upgrade policy.
 
Personally I think this is a very fair deal. I would be happy that I could upgrade to a better DAC without losing any money.
 
Personally I think this is a very fair deal. I would be happy that I could upgrade to a better DAC without losing any money.

And will the Ref 2 be better?
Most likely, but let's see.
And "better" in what ways?
Better in my system, with my source, cables, amp, speakers, room, ears, choices in music?

I'll most likely wait, see what comments in the audio forums say, and read what the professional reviewers write, and make my decision then.

Dave, who also tends to wait to "upgrade" computer operating systems because he'd prefer for others to be the pioneers and ain't that kinda selfish of him
 
Berkeley should disclose what is actually upgraded for $3.5k. Is BADR2 more expensive because it's more expensive to manufacture or just for the sake of being more expensive?
 
Berkeley should disclose what is actually upgraded for $3.5k. Is BADR2 more expensive because it's more expensive to manufacture or just for the sake of being more expensive?

I could only imagine Berkeley will certainly say what the $3.5K upgrade entails, as well as what makes the Ref 2 a new stage over the original Ref.

However, it would NOT be in the press release that started this thread, because until the Ref 2 is shown to the public at the Newport audio show, Berkeley -- like nearly all other manufacturers, especially in this highly competitive audio space -- is going to leave their cards face down on the table.
 
However, it would NOT be in the press release that started this thread, because until the Ref 2 is shown to the public at the Newport audio show, Berkeley -- like nearly all other manufacturers, especially in this highly competitive audio space -- is going to leave their cards face down on the table.

The Newport show is just a few days away.
Surely, no competitor is going to get a leg up on the Berkeley Ref2 in a few days.
 
The Newport show is just a few days away.
Surely, no competitor is going to get a leg up on the Berkeley Ref2 in a few days.

That is true.

But what's also often true is that companies still typically don't start off by sharing a bunch of tech details in a press release, when they can show it off (hear it off) at a public event first.

That way, the audio press will have some meat to write about, not just the broth of words and an unseen product.
 
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