Berkeley Audio Reference 2 DAC

Cycleman said:
This is now officially confusing for me.

I (slightly) prefer the Chord DAVE over the Berkeley Ref 1 for my all-PCM music served up by an Aurender N10.
But I still have the Berkeley Ref 1, and now I'll likely send it back to BADA for the upgrade to Series 2.

So, after I get the now Ref 2 back from BADA, which one will I prefer: DAVE or Ref 2?
Will I agree with Mike's perceptions, since I'm a "strictly PCM (mostly/only) guy"?
Or will the DAVE still be the tops?

Mike, you cause trouble. Thank you.

Dave, who wonders how the upgrade to Ref 2 process works since there's nothing on the BADA site about that and so will likely call them this week
Click to expand...

Dave, I won't be surprised if you still feel you prefer the DAVE in the end. It does layering, depth of soundstage and separation as good as I've ever heard. VERY system dependent. I went back to the DAVE after Howard took the REF2 back and I didn't feel I gave up anything. Both are neck and neck in excellence.


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Mike said:
Using Siltech Royal Signature AES/EBU and Aurender N10.

Special thanks to Howard (sandman) for letting me be the first to try his - even before him. I was breaking it in...yeah...let's go with that.

Vocals are gorgeous, absolutely freaking GORGEOUS, with such a nice sweet bloom. The "weightiness" of piano and acoustic guitar is the best I've heard. The piano sounds so full. Joni Mitchell's guitar has such beautiful decay.

The Ref2 is a definite step up from the Ref1, an already great DAC. The Ref2 takes things to another level. The vocals...wow. Wow. Wow. Checking now to see if there is a 300b stuffed in there somewhere.

Is the upgrade worth it? HELL YES!!!!!

The vocals. Holy crap. Listening to Gregory Porter gave me goosebumps. There is just no digital hash, no digital edge at all anywhere, at all. None.

Wow.




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Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing Mike, I find this to be the most interesting top DAC to come out recently.

And as you say, difference to V1 supposedly easily worth the 3.5K upgrade.


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LOL - Robert Harley's full review of the Ref2 arrived soon after I posted my impressions. Seems we are in pretty much complete agreement as he hit all the same points as I did. Of course, he wrote it prettier. :)
 
Cycleman said:
This is now officially confusing for me.

I (slightly) prefer the Chord DAVE over the Berkeley Ref 1 for my all-PCM music served up by an Aurender N10.
But I still have the Berkeley Ref 1, and now I'll likely send it back to BADA for the upgrade to Series 2.

So, after I get the now Ref 2 back from BADA, which one will I prefer: DAVE or Ref 2?
Will I agree with Mike's perceptions, since I'm a "strictly PCM (mostly/only) guy"?
Or will the DAVE still be the tops?

Mike, you cause trouble. Thank you.

Dave, who wonders how the upgrade to Ref 2 process works since there's nothing on the BADA site about that and so will likely call them this week
Click to expand...

Pressure, pressure, pressure - but luckily on a pleasantly high level of audio existence [emoji3].


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