LFD DAC3 external DAC anyone?

[bigburner]

I have been offered an LFD DAC3 external DAC.

LFD is a small British hi-fi manufacturer. All I could find after an hour on the Internet was this link http://www.aanvilaudio.u-net.com/lfd_page5.htm which provides a brief description of the DAC3, and this advertisement in Hi-Fi World:

LFD DAC3 £2999 Aug 01 Three grand is a lot to spend, but few other digital convertors come close. Brilliantly warm, musical and engaging sound makes the most of any music.

That's a fairly high-end price and the unit weighs as much as a 60 watt power amp so there must be quite a lot of electronics in there.

Any comments anyone?

[David Meek]

Nigel, can you audition it? That might answer all your questions.

[bigburner]

Nigel, can you audition it? That might answer all your questions.

David, I can audition it, so that's what I will do. I do appreciate that listening to it is the ultimate test.

However I am interested in expert opinions on the componentry used (e.g. Digital to Analogue Converter utilising a custom made Ultra Analog 20 bit converter) and the specifications of this device:

Inputs (3) BNC, Phono (75 ohm), AES/EBU (110 ohm)
Channel balance <0.1dB (1Hz-20kHz)
Bandwidth DC-20kHz (-1dB)
Crosstalk >100dB
Output Imp 24R
Output (max) 3V rms
THD (0dB) < -90dB
IMD (0dB) < -90dB
Signal to Noise 110dB (typical)

If someone tells me that you can get better performance from a modern $50 CD player from K-Mart then I'd think twice about buying the LFD DAC3!

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Well I installed it today - in conjunction with my Oppo 971 - and my initial impression is that I like it. Live music sounds more live, which is important to me because I watch a lot of concert DVDs. The sound is fuller too. With my eyes closed, the musicians seem to be closer to the front of the stage. The bass is also more pronounced, which is good because that's a weakness of my system with some recordings.

Unlike the Benchmark DAC1, the LFD DAC3 does not have a volume control, which makes it hard to do an A/B comparision with the Oppo's DAC because the LFD is louder than the Oppo. Therefore I plan to listen to it for a couple of weeks and make a decision then. However my initial impressions are that it's a keeper, as long as the price is right. My friend hasn't mentioned dosh yet...

The power of suggestion is pervasive when it comes to hi-hi, so am I influenced by the fact that it originally cost US$5,800? Does that mean it MUST sound good? Sexyness is also an important consideration so should I be put off by the fact that the LFD DAC3 is butt ugly? At least mine is black, unlike the attached picture. Stay tuned to this station.

[bigburner]

My friend phoned me earlier this evening. "How do you like the DAC?" he said. "It's great" I replied. "I'm in the middle of a Bonnie Raitt DVD right now and I haven't even thought about switching over to the Oppo's DAC". "Good" he replied, "it's yours - a gift from me. It was sitting in my garage gathering dust and it needs to be used".

So I am now the proud owner of an LFD DAC3. More importantly my music listening experience has just been upgraded.

I need to repay my friend in some way. I'll probably start by inviting him over for a DVD evening but that's going to be interesting because today he took ownership of a pair of B&W 800D speakers. 800D's!! In my book that's about as good as it gets. A nice bottle of wine (or two) might be the answer. New Zealand produces some very nice Pinot Noirs these days...

Woo hoo!

[fordster]

I wish we all had friends like that!