SHORT VERSION:
This DAC is fantastic sounding. Hear one and you will probably end up buying it.
DISCLAIMER:
I received the D-2 and the X-3 clock at professional discount. It will be in my demonstration space, and future audio shows in the Treehaus Audiolab room. I may also do something collaborative with other Soulnote products at a future show event.
I do not sell Soulnote, and there is no financial benefit for me in this review. The benefit is that this DAC makes my own products sound better!
Normally, I wouldn’t write such a review and impressions on products that are more “known” but there is such little out there about this DAC, I figured relating my experience would benefit the greater (audio) good. This disclaimer is probably more honest than most audio review sites, LOL!
LONG VERSION:
I have been looking for a while for a DAC to pair with the Treehaus Audiolab tube electronics and field coil speakers. My go-to DAC has been the Concert Fidelity BD-040 that has been modified to remove the problematic battery. I also had good success with the PS Audio Directstream, once it was heavily modified with custom nickel output transformers and a variety of power upgrades. I’ve run a Meitner, several other NOS-based DACs, and a DCS Rossini APEX on this particular system. I first learned of Soulnote from a friend who was going to purchase one of their amplifiers. I did a bit of research, and quickly became intrigued with their philosophy about static vs dynamic performance and the bit of quirkiness in their designs. Reviews and online posts about their DAC line are pretty sparse, but what I did find held promise. The amplifiers had a bit more review coverage, and overall seemed pretty glowing. My intuition was telling me this was worth taking a chance. Stories of floating/ loose covers draws the esoteric audiophile in me like a moth to flame.
A few weeks later and Soulnote D-2, along with its companion external clock, the X-3, were here. Unpacking them is interesting, because yes, the metal structures are loose! To achieve these “loose” covers required a bit more effort than a low torque spec on the fasteners. They are attached with brass bushings so they can slide up and down a bit (1-2mm). Pink foam blocks are wedged between the elements to keep them from banging together during shipment. It’s an odd juxtaposition..The D-2 and X-3 are overbuilt, oversized and very heavy for a DAC and a clock, and yet you feel things moving around as you set them up like something is amiss.
There is nothing special about hooking them up, apart from the X-3 clock having no status lights whatsoever (for signal purity.. quirky!). It also uses a 50 ohm cable with SMA terminations rather than the more typical 75 ohm with BNC connectors (more quirky!)
The sound: It is pretty intense. One of the few DACs I’ve ever put into a system where the difference was noticeable and immediate. I had “Paper Bag” from Goldfrapp come up first rather randomly and low volume to let things warm up, and there is a string instrument in the very beginning (maybe a Koto?) that had such realistic body to it I had to get into listening position to turn up the volume and take in what I was hearing with this DAC.
It is very clean sounding, more so than my typical experience with tube DACs and NOS vintage chips. Tons of channel separation and the superlative imaging that can offer. And yet, not sterile. I find it difficult to describe this element of the sound, because calling it “analog” isn’t the right answer. It isn’t trying to emulate vinyl. The sound isn’t warmed over. It is smooth where it needs to be but without a gaussian filter blurring the edges.
The scaling is very well done. A finger snap is small and focused, voices larger with more bloom.
The DAC has a satisfying richness to it, and it comes back down to the amount of body it presents. Take that wood block in Aja: it feels like a little 3D ball of sound. Its palpable. Same goes with tom drums. You can feel their depth. I think this particular element to the sound is really the killer stand out feature of the sound.
That element also seems to be slightly tuneable. The DAC possesses an FIR and a NOS mode: the latter providing more of that body, with a touch more smoothness and warmth. I could see the choice someone makes here being influenced by the rest of the system. After a month with this DAC, I tend to prefer the FIR on the Treehaus system, given that the rest of the chain is all tubes and transformers injecting their own warmth and flavor to the system.
Adding the the X-3 external clock brings a little more focus to the party. Subtle but present. The character of the sound is identical. The D-2 is very strong on its own, so I would say the accompanying clock is a nice-to-have not a must-have to complete the sound. I unfortunately do not have any other clocks handy to compare its performance to other options out there.
I hope my experience here sheds some light on the Soulnote D-2, I’ve a feeling it’s going to become quite popular amongst audio circles soon. Now I am curious to hear the D-3 version..
This DAC is fantastic sounding. Hear one and you will probably end up buying it.
DISCLAIMER:
I received the D-2 and the X-3 clock at professional discount. It will be in my demonstration space, and future audio shows in the Treehaus Audiolab room. I may also do something collaborative with other Soulnote products at a future show event.
I do not sell Soulnote, and there is no financial benefit for me in this review. The benefit is that this DAC makes my own products sound better!
Normally, I wouldn’t write such a review and impressions on products that are more “known” but there is such little out there about this DAC, I figured relating my experience would benefit the greater (audio) good. This disclaimer is probably more honest than most audio review sites, LOL!
LONG VERSION:
I have been looking for a while for a DAC to pair with the Treehaus Audiolab tube electronics and field coil speakers. My go-to DAC has been the Concert Fidelity BD-040 that has been modified to remove the problematic battery. I also had good success with the PS Audio Directstream, once it was heavily modified with custom nickel output transformers and a variety of power upgrades. I’ve run a Meitner, several other NOS-based DACs, and a DCS Rossini APEX on this particular system. I first learned of Soulnote from a friend who was going to purchase one of their amplifiers. I did a bit of research, and quickly became intrigued with their philosophy about static vs dynamic performance and the bit of quirkiness in their designs. Reviews and online posts about their DAC line are pretty sparse, but what I did find held promise. The amplifiers had a bit more review coverage, and overall seemed pretty glowing. My intuition was telling me this was worth taking a chance. Stories of floating/ loose covers draws the esoteric audiophile in me like a moth to flame.
A few weeks later and Soulnote D-2, along with its companion external clock, the X-3, were here. Unpacking them is interesting, because yes, the metal structures are loose! To achieve these “loose” covers required a bit more effort than a low torque spec on the fasteners. They are attached with brass bushings so they can slide up and down a bit (1-2mm). Pink foam blocks are wedged between the elements to keep them from banging together during shipment. It’s an odd juxtaposition..The D-2 and X-3 are overbuilt, oversized and very heavy for a DAC and a clock, and yet you feel things moving around as you set them up like something is amiss.
There is nothing special about hooking them up, apart from the X-3 clock having no status lights whatsoever (for signal purity.. quirky!). It also uses a 50 ohm cable with SMA terminations rather than the more typical 75 ohm with BNC connectors (more quirky!)
The sound: It is pretty intense. One of the few DACs I’ve ever put into a system where the difference was noticeable and immediate. I had “Paper Bag” from Goldfrapp come up first rather randomly and low volume to let things warm up, and there is a string instrument in the very beginning (maybe a Koto?) that had such realistic body to it I had to get into listening position to turn up the volume and take in what I was hearing with this DAC.
It is very clean sounding, more so than my typical experience with tube DACs and NOS vintage chips. Tons of channel separation and the superlative imaging that can offer. And yet, not sterile. I find it difficult to describe this element of the sound, because calling it “analog” isn’t the right answer. It isn’t trying to emulate vinyl. The sound isn’t warmed over. It is smooth where it needs to be but without a gaussian filter blurring the edges.
The scaling is very well done. A finger snap is small and focused, voices larger with more bloom.
The DAC has a satisfying richness to it, and it comes back down to the amount of body it presents. Take that wood block in Aja: it feels like a little 3D ball of sound. Its palpable. Same goes with tom drums. You can feel their depth. I think this particular element to the sound is really the killer stand out feature of the sound.
That element also seems to be slightly tuneable. The DAC possesses an FIR and a NOS mode: the latter providing more of that body, with a touch more smoothness and warmth. I could see the choice someone makes here being influenced by the rest of the system. After a month with this DAC, I tend to prefer the FIR on the Treehaus system, given that the rest of the chain is all tubes and transformers injecting their own warmth and flavor to the system.
Adding the the X-3 external clock brings a little more focus to the party. Subtle but present. The character of the sound is identical. The D-2 is very strong on its own, so I would say the accompanying clock is a nice-to-have not a must-have to complete the sound. I unfortunately do not have any other clocks handy to compare its performance to other options out there.
I hope my experience here sheds some light on the Soulnote D-2, I’ve a feeling it’s going to become quite popular amongst audio circles soon. Now I am curious to hear the D-3 version..
