Aries Cerat Kassandra II Ref DAC: Wow!

[Believe High Fidelity]

I enjoyed reading this. I tell my clients (and mean it) that I am an enthusiast first and a dealer second. While its my lifeline, I don't like to sell products to people who won't enjoy them. As far a the products I carry, it just so happens that I am enthusiastic about them, which is why I carry them - much like Josh here.

PS - Josh, any chance you'd be able to swing by the house with one of these DAC's prior to LSAF? I know you said you were heading up this way sometime in March, but it might have passed already.

It passed. Thought I was going to have some free time while I was out there in your neck of the woods, but wasn't meant to be.

 

[LL21]

Kindly noted astro did not convince me for the price increase anyway

Best
Stavros

Awesome...this the one digital i intend to hear when i get some free time.

 

[Legolas]

I am glad I remembered. That way if we ever see each other you owe me like 10 margaritas....

Yeah ok, big pieces of humble pie for me then. Listening to Klaus Schultze and Pete Namlook > Dark Side of the Moog tonight. It sounds amazing, windows rattling and with an enormous soundstage.

This 10 CD boxed set is great if you like electronic music.

 

[nonesup]

Hi Astro.
We would love to see images of your new Kassandra.
Regards

 

[flyer]

Hi Astro.
We would love to see images of your new Kassandra.
Regards

I think his cleaning lady is ill

 

[nonesup]

 

[Legolas]

Hi Astro.
We would love to see images of your new Kassandra.
Regards

I know, I am stacked with work at the moment. It is coming, sorry.

I will take plenty of photos outside and inside. It lights up like a Christmas tree, red LEDs for the various AD1865 banks, and yellow LEDs for the clocks on the USB and SPDIF/AES. You can view some of these through the big top vent design. Interestingly the front section under the big Kassandra logo - I haven't seen any photos with that off on the web. It actually hides a huge Torriod transformer, 2 x big chokes and a large PCB with 12 big caps on for the PS smoothing. The amount of capacitance / charge in this section must be big. I think it is part of Stavros's 'suedo battery' system design. I am not a tech but that is how I understand it.

I bought my DAC with the super clock option on the digital inputs (none USB). However, finally I am blown away by USB.

Yesterday I tried Amarra, PureMusic, HQ Player, to see if Audirvana+ is still the best on my Mac Mini. I felt A+ still beat those apps. I tried Roon some time ago, and thought, try that again. Well, it has finally overtaken A+. The tier apps did some things well, but lost either soundstage, transparency or layering. Roon has the same signature as A+, which I really like. But crucially somehow it gets rid of some grain, particularly in the treble. I don't know how the have done it, but it is very liquid and master tape like, very undigital. It is subtle, but these changes can transform the system I think.

I was actually looking at used Aurender servers a few weeks back, but with Roon, I have realised my optimised Mac Mini is sorted, no noise is coming from that source. It turned out to be the software. Which makes me super nervous of investing in a 'closed' music server. If it wasn't Roon compatible, it would be no use to me now. The interface in Roon is brilliant, and the way is brings it all under one window (multiple sources - NAS, Internal drive, Tidal etc).

Another cool feature which I didn't really think about before, is the Bias adjustment. The Kassandra has a built in LED meter and 2 x trim pots. You can thus set the bias voltage feeding the tubes. The range is 1.8v-2.9v. It arrived set at 2.2v. I set it at 2.3v, and ran it like that for a while, then tried 2.4v. This was better in my system. It warms the sound slightly, and brings more dynamics. Reducing it to 2.2v or lower softens the transients slightly, and leans it out. Thus if you have a slightly thin sounding system, or a bit bright, you can raise the bias to get it bang on. The supplied Siemens tubes are really good, great detail and very fast, huge soundstage.

Honestly, I can't fault this DAC, in the CH Precision C1 and DAVE there was always something not quite right, not so in this case.

5 months ago I was on the Audio Note UK DAC 5, now the Aries Cerat Kassandra in another league entirely.

 

[Legolas]

I think his cleaning lady is ill

Yeah yeah, I am doing it. Your killing me..... But to take the photos, I have to leave my hot seat, take off my LCD4s

 

[853guy]

You know, I have been thinking. I have for a long time in this hobby been chasing technology and the detail detail. And of course I came to experience many dead ends and disappointments in digital. Then I found NOS DACs with Audio Note. I was basically fairy poor at that time, so I bought the kit DACs instead. I had lots of fun modding them, and ended up with a fully tweaked up ANK DAC 4.1 with many parts from AN UK inc the digital board from a DAC 4/5, 496 I/Vs, Duelund Caps on the gain stage, all NOS tubes, Duelund and Audio Note Kassai caps on the power supply, various other tricked up bits. And it sounded great, in it's own 'envelope'. I then bought the AN UK DAC 5, which was also very good. Bit slower at first, so I ripped out the AN Copper caps and fitted Duelunds again, and that woke it up some, and it sounded very good. But it was still missing something, energy and dynamics mainly. it was a bit thick and slow, as though it has a brake on everything, hard to describe. During this period I tried the CH precision, Chord DAVE, a used Naim CD555, MSB Platinum and some others. They all did something well detail mainly, but fell flat in other areas.

The Kassandra was a leap of faith for me on my limited income. It seemed from a design perspective to go further than many other NOS designs, and of course, had the AD1865 chip (but 16 of them). No upsampling, no filter, a class A gain stage, 2 x super tubes, which by the way is on average 35 USD each and have a great tube life of expected 10,000 hours. It also barely gets warm to anyone worried about heat.

I can confirm this DAC does have outstanding detail and dynamics, but there is no price for it, i.e. digital has become analogue, which in itself is a ridiculous statement, like we are going backwards. But that is the best way I can describe the Kassandra. It has an uncanny ability to play micro details and subtleties, yet kicks hard when the music (recording) demands. It is I think, an open gate, not held back, as though we have a lot of pressure (power) in the Power Supply driving the music, and it if asks for it, it gives it 100%.

Congrats astrostar59 on your new addition. Great to hear how much you’re enjoying it.

Having heard the Kassandra II Sig three times, I share many of your observations. I say that, having never heard it outside of an AC system (and only with the EVO server), and never in direct comparison to anything else - so I hope you can accept my perspective with a large dose of subjectivity/system contextuality.

And while I completely agree with your observations in regard to dynamics, detail and energy propagation especially, what most stays with me is it’s the only digital component I’ve heard that manages to portray diametrically opposed musically and sonically significant variables with equanimity and equivalence.

That is, yes, it possesses tremendous rhythmic alacrity and authority - but does flow and ease just as well. Yes, it’s tonally, timbrally, texturally and harmonically vibrant and intricate - but does cohesion, density and weight too. Yes, it’s extremely delicate, filigreed and renders gossamer sounds with great detail (organic decays within the instrument, natural/artificial reverbs, delays and other modulated effects) - but the energy propagation of those sounds is kept intact while also serving fundamentals, large dynamic swings and stacked (harmonious/dissonant) tones of varying amplitude. However, it’s not just that it can do these things equally well that impresses me most, it’s that it can do these things - all of these things - all at the same time.

The consequences for music, which as I’ve always argued is never a static phenomenon but always a dynamic, high-order and interdependently complex signal (multiple frequencies at multiple amplitudes all modulating over time), are therefore significant. Minimally-miked 24/96 piano works? Of course, they sounded fantastic. But all those CDs, downloads and self-produced files that were never ever going to be available on some high-res format - or even less likely, vinyl or (ha!) reel-to-reel? Suddenly I had no need to feel ambivalent about playing them. As is perhaps obvious from the posts I make in "What’s Spinning Tonight", I tend to enjoy music that many consider to not be. Via the Kassandra, noise and distortion was made meaningful, important and, dare I say it, approached the sublime.

For me, it was the first time I had heard a digital system that I believed I would not always be referring to with backhanded comments relative to vinyl like, “Oh, it’s great. Y’know… for a digital component…” (like "digital" was some sort of cuss word).

Perhaps all the above simply reveals the limits of my perception. I would say that’s likely, especially, as I mention at the start, I’ve only ever heard it in the context of an all-AC system, and have no comparative reference points outside of my own historical experience. Nevertheless, the Kassandra is the only digital component I've heard that most meets my needs to be emotionally engaged whilst being intellectually stimulated at the same time, on all forms of music, irrespective of its genre/provenance and the demands it places on the system.

Poetically speaking, as someone who likes to think of themselves as relatively agnostic when it comes to both genre and format, were the Kassandra capable of sentience, I would say it would be even less interested in the sorts of ideological boxes we use to contextualise our preferences, and completely dismissive of anything approaching bias.

Be well, astrostar, and congrats again.

853guy

 

[Legolas]

Thanks for your additional insight 853guy.

What do you use on the digital front at the moment? I can't see your signature.

Since I wrote that post, I have had some more thoughts. The Kassandra besides the aforementioned big dynamics and body / fullness to the mid range etc, I am realising something else. It is beginning to disappear. I have had some seriously late nights with my LCD4s going through albums that I haven't visited for way too long. And I find I am immersed in the music, forgetting the gear, which is surely a good sign. To add to this illusional effect, I kill the lights and get totally absorbed in it.

Here is a copy of one of my posts in another thread, where I try to explain what is going on here:

Noise shaping in many modern DACs to get the perceived perfect lab report, that has killed music for years IMO. They seem to have more and more complex filtering and circuits designs but 25 years on many DACs just don't do it for me, no PRaT, in fact pretty lifeless. But hey, we have a nice lab report.

In digital, half of the enjoyment is the timing and music pace / sway / foot tapping. And to enjoy that I think we have to have zero noise and digital hash in the sound, along with dynamics and drive of course.

Why do we 'accept' tape hiss and still enjoy the music? My many early years on cassette tapes attest to that. Why do we accept pops and clicks in a TT replay system? It seems those things in our brains we have no problem with, put it to the back and not analyse it. Maybe like wind noise or a distant bird or something.

But digital noise or hash, especially inconsistent noise, speaking for myself, I find it gets my attention (unwanted attention). It seems like a piece of plastic in a field, stands out right away, ruins the view (the sound). Bit like a mobile phone going off at the other end of a concert hall, it bugs me and ruins the illusion, reminds me I am listing to a 'digital' device.

It may be the DACs at fault here, but some of the blame is also IMO squarely at the original studio where it was recorded / mastered. Adele for example, terribly recorded masters and over the top processing to get her voice to sound more pitchy. Why did they do that? Totally unnecessary, her voice sounds amazing without it. Interestingly there is a big forum where studio engineers post a lot, and Adel is on the 'bad' list, along with Metallica Death Magnetic, many other modern studio disastrous recordings.

So I think there is noise and noise. Some noise we perceive as a 'natural' element we are ok with, no problem, it isn't bothering me. Other noise we perceive as unnatural, we have an issue with.... and right there we have even coined a phrase for it - 'digital sound'. Oh my.....

My current DAC is the best and most natural sound I have heard in digital to date.

Thus IMO the Kassandra is erasing this 'noise' from the music, pealing it back to what I perceive as the unaffected and pure data stream, in my mind very like what a master tape would sound like. And in doing this it is also retaining the dynamics and multi layering of the music, especially in complex music, that is the acid test here.

 

[nonesup]

Oh my God, Astro, 853guy, do not follow, this is torture.
Until next year I can not think about changing the DAC

Note. I love your comments

 

[Legolas]

Ok, here is my promised review, to follow on from my teaser on 19th March. Sorry for the delay.


My first impressions in my first review might seem a bit over the top, but it was how I felt on the first few days of listening to the Kassandra. I have been in the hobby at a decent level for 20 years+ and have had incremental improvements along the way. Some things have 'surprised' me a bit, mainly it’s been a slow upward direction over the years.

Right from the first song I played on the DAC, it shocked me. It was very different to what I have heard before or had in my system. My previous DAC was the Audio Note DAC 5 Special (circa 30K new, mine was used) but with Duelund copper cast caps on the line board. That DAC was until then the best I have heard at home, nearest to my ‘ideal’. While I owned that DAC, I also had the CH Precision C1 on a day long demo, the Chord DAVE, the Lampizator Golden Gate (think it was 2017 spec), the Naim CD555 (used example), MSB Platinum and various others. Some of these DACs did some things very well, detail, soundstage etc,. But I always got bored. It was really only the DAC 5 that had my attention for most of that period.




Enter the Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref II
I have been following this DAC for some time. It has some of the design ideas I find interesting such as Non Oversampling, the excellent AD1865 chip (but 16 of them), I/V stage using transformers, tube gain stage, output transformers. It also has a very healthy gain stage design with the E280F ’super tube by*Siemens*with very low output*impedance. My DAC 5 was 1.8v output and 300 ohms, the Kassandra is 10v on 55 ohms, or 6v on 12 ohms - a very good gain stage indeed I thought.

Then those huge capacitors, none of the typical weedy caps in many Dacs here, big mains transformer, huge output transformers. The DAC is BIG, 60 kilos and 540mm wide x 520mm deep, 165mm high.

Anyway, this was all a taster for things to come. When the Kassandra arrived, I was apprehensive. Would it live up to my expectations? Maybe slightly better than my DAC 5? Well - it was a revelation I can tell you, hand on heart, a fantastic sound. I was*very happy as you can tell.

I’ll try and detail my impressions of the sound below

1. The very first bar on one of my favourite test tracks (some EDM) it was obvious, this thing is on another level to anything I have heard before. The amount of information coming right at my listening*position* incredible. I have heard this level of detail in other*‘modern’ Dacs such as the CH, but not with this level of realism, the flow of the music, so smooth and solid, really 3D, and very unlike any digital I heard. The timbre and texture of instruments, I don’t know how Stavros did it, but he has managed to get so much detail out of this Dac without the usual digital payoffs of thin and flat dynamics and a generally cold presentation. It does remind me of the better turntables and how they carry so much body and energy with the music AND detail.

2. The punch and drive to the speakers, it is an iron grip and super charged, really big dynamics. It isn't fake or false either, it just sounds hard wired, nearer live music in energy. The Zingalis are flying off the stands I am not kidding. I can listen to everything going on at a low*level without*difficulty, but playing a bit louder, it is addictive. There are part of the music, tracks I am very familiar with that fly out at you, as though there is another layer revealed, and all this information is stacked up as*separate*entities. In other words, I can so much more even when the music is very busy, nothing seems to faze it.

3. The bass goes so low and has so much texture, my listening room is energised. It has an iron grip on my speakers, as though I have upgraded my power amplifier as well. Obviously the pot is a lot lower for the same volume now with 10v line out, but it also seems to drive and thrust the bass energy with limitless power. I get the feeling my previous Dac was strangled for power, as though it was on it’s limit. The Kassandra seems to be just ticking over, like a big American Muscle Car, tons of torque on tap for instantaneous response to the music.

4. The midrange at first seemed more forward than I was used to, but after a few hours it settled. After a few more weeks of running in the Dac, and getting used to the sound, I find vocals in all types of music sound very natural. I used to hear a lot of female vocals that were a bit pitchy, possibly over processed in the studio, but on this Dac this is no longer an issue. I have no idea why, but the mids are creamy smooth and very detailed indeed. On the LCD4s which already have a superb midrange, the sound of female vocals is just perfect.

5. The treble, oh my. My love / hate thing with digital since I bought my first CD player right back the 1980s. The Kassandra nails it to me. Vocals are very very smooth and natural, the detail is all there, but it has no extra edges or emphasis. Female vocals have no pitching on the chorus. It is all very natural to my ears. Beyonce, amazing. After a few weeks, I think it is even better here. I also bought 2 x Golden Dragon tube rings. Note how close my Dac is to the right speaker.

 

[Legolas]

Review continued.....



So, super super happy with this beast. It is huge, and doesn’t let you forget it is in your system either, it has totally changed my system for the better. I always thought the source is so important, and the Kassandra confirms that to me. It also confirms that not all Dacs sound alike, far from it in fact…..

I can say IMO - Stavros is the real deal
Very highly recommended. It is not easy to demo it, I bought it blind! Ha Ha, yes I know, crazy. But I did talk to some AC owners first, it gave me some confidence. But I am so happy I did risk that. There are dealers in the EU and a new one in the UK, and Joshua in Texas. Feel free to PM me if you want more info, I seem to be glued to my listening chair at*the moment LOL.

BTW the build quality is excellent, as good as the CH Precision but obviously bigger and heavier as well. The faceplate for example, it is engraved in thick smoked glass. Normally that would be printed (cheaper). The source readouts are tubes that glow behind the front panel, it looks fantastic. Thick stainless steel plates for the chassis, no thin bent mild steel sheet here. The graphics are bold on the top plates, I think it works great. I can see the LEDs and tubes glowing inside. On a night it looks superb. Even the back plate with big connections is first rate finish. I can’t fault it. It is even better in the flesh than the photos on the Aries Carat website.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Great to read, and you’re one happy owner.
My epiphany with digital is at a much lower level, and as an analog man first and foremost, finding my dream cdp was a v special day.
Which dac is this in the AC range?

 

[Legolas]

Great to read, and you’re one happy owner.
My epiphany with digital is at a much lower level, and as an analog man first and foremost, finding my dream cdp was a v special day.
Which dac is this in the AC range?

It is the Ref II (the 'baby'). There is the Kassandra Signature, a 2 box design, then the amazing Kassandra Signature Limited Edition. I haven't heard those, but basically the Ref II beat DACs in the 30k range that I got my hands on. I would be confident it can beat more than that...... it is that good.

 

[spiritofmusic]

It’s just so good to hear about a dac which excels, that isn’t from the usual list of suspects.

 

[Narayan]

Thank you very much for your impressions and pictures astro, they were a great read and it always puts a smile on my face when I read posts such as yours that exude happiness and satisfaction with a purchase.

 

[lordcloud]

Thanks for the great review. I really love reading the reviews for Aries Cerat gear, their digital in particular, as everyone seems to have the most wonderful things to say about how they sound and (just as, if not more importantly) how it makes them feel. I'm very happy for you, as you seem to be in heaven.

I would love to see some pictures of your system. I love what you've shown of yours speakers.

Henri

 

[Hifi Boy]

It is the Ref II (the 'baby'). There is the Kassandra Signature, a 2 box design, then the amazing Kassandra Signature Limited Edition. I haven't heard those, but basically the Ref II beat DACs in the 30k range that I got my hands on. I would be confident it can beat more than that...... it is that good.

Thanks for the review and pics, it looks amazing. The most shocking thing to me is not actually that it's that good, it's that is the entry level model!

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Thank you Astro for taking the time to write up such a detailed and accurate review of the Kassandra Ref DAC. I wish you the most enjoyment possible out of the equipment