Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
I really liked my X16, but I'm liking this more, and I'm sure the ES9038PRO has much to do with it. The new Toppings of the 7 Pro Sabre series and the two brand new SMSL DO300EX DAC and DO400 DAC are much more to my taste as for styling, at approximately the same price level for the two last ones (the Topping 7 new series are separate DAC/Head amps combos and about 2 times more expensive, though reasonably priced considering their quality level). At the heart of this DAC, the ESS ES9038PRO is aided by the ES9311 "ultra-low noise" linear regulator to provide reference voltage to the DAC. Headphone amplifier is based on the TI TPA6120A2.
That looks good overall. For the most part DSD performance is close to the PCM 192kHz from which the test signal was sourced. DSD64 as usual tends to be more noisy with ultrasonic content from noise shaping. These drop outs do not happen when using the headphone output and only when using the A20d as a pre amp. I've had more time to try this and compare it to the SMSL SP200 using an M300 DAC with the same default settings. With the Beyerdynamic T90 I like it more overall, but the differences are few. Wednesday the 600ohm DT880 is coming in so I can adventure in high gain mode and really give it a workout. On the T90 in middle gain -24db is already feeling too loud to stay at. I'll try to keep a spare one here to send in for measurements if Amirm gets time, but with the move that's a big project by itself.
On Sale
The 2023 Sabaj A20d features a sleek and functional design. All wired input ports support DSD transmission, and the coaxial and optical fiber inputs support DoP64. The rear placement of the interfaces ensures easy wiring and minimizes interference from other devices. MQA-CD Support and High-Spec Bluetooth
The really odd thing about this issue is that it seems to mainly occur during gaming. When listening to music I haven't experienced any cut outs at all. Hmmm. As far as I can tell, the only purpose "Processor" mode provides is MQA decoding. It looks like whatever it's doing has added quite a bit of jitter-like sidebands. Some kind of unintended consequence as the processor tries to sniff out an MQA signal? Maybe it's applying MQA decoding to the lower bits even though this is not encoded? bits resolution is really not much to ask of modern DACs these days and the graphs basically look like they're layered on top of each other with minuscule variations. Notice that the only mentionable difference is that DACs do have slight frequency response variations, but even this is less than 1dB difference up at 20kHz (and often this is a reflection of the filter selected). Other menu settings include the choice of 7 PCM filters, 4 DSD low-pass options (47/50/60/70kHz), the DPLL setting to fine-tuning jitter tolerance (level 5 default), and there's a switch for "SPDIF Mode" for "Normal" or "Processor" - the latter setting routes the S/PDIF interface data through the XMOS processor which allows MQA processing. Of note, there's also a headphone gain setting of LOW or HIGH (+8dB).The 2023 Sabaj A20d version boasts a preamp mode that enhances your audio output. With an output amplitude of up to 4.6Vrms through the XLR output and 2.3Vrms through the RCA output, you have the freedom to choose from three different output modes. Whether you prefer a fixed volume, variable volume control, or DSD pass-through, this device caters to your specific needs. High-Performance Headphone AMP IMO, comparisons based on pure objective measured performances with the ultra (too much) expensive DSC Rossini are irrelevant : they're not intended for the same market nor the same use, they're not based on the same technology as for the DCS. Yes, top range pro and high end brands like DCS, Merging, Prism Sound, etc, are making VERY expensive products, but they're also making VERY good ones. Reliability on the long term and brand services matter too, not only the price tag nor the pure SInad ! I never heard of a major recording, broadcasting or mastering studio using Sabaj or Topping Dacs (maybe it will change soon, but now, that's it). So far, this DAC looks great and the performance is certainly very promising! And yes, it does sound excellent as a high-fidelity DAC. But let me not get ahead of myself quite yet - all in good time. ;-) Temps not even very warm, the amp and DAC are the same temps to the touch, just to give an idea how not warm it is.
The DAC is really solid and on the SP200 I love the sound and 5.14 volts I think it does. No driver issues, standard USB drivers and ASIO like every SMSL DAC. T011bc: TL08: WASAPI EndPointVolume CH:2 PhysicalSpeakers:0x00000003 MixFormat CH:2 MixFormat Mask:0x00000003 Overall, I have to say I’m pleased with Sabaj’s 2022 design overhaul. I took a look at the older units and they looked very plain and boring. I believe this new design matches the great performance the new units offer. I would very much like to see bigger, better units with the same design lines and aesthetics. Good job, Sabaj!Finally, with the passing of Olivia Newton-John lately, I thought I'd revisit her album Physical (1981, first release DR13). Ah yes, the early days of aerobics, "athletic" fashion, leggings, lycra and leotards... Disclaimer: Hifi-Express sent us the Sabaj A10D for this review, free of charge. We thank them for this opportunity. As always, I am here to honestly convey my thoughts about the product to you. Sabaj
MQA is available...The 16-core XMOS will fully decode an MQA signal. We can see the standard impulse responses used in "rendering" to a higher resolution like 192kHz. A simple system like this with balanced out from the Sabaj to a little Class D Hypex nCore amp would I bet provide higher fidelity than many very expensive "High End" products out there! Add good speakers of course, a Raspberry Pi streamer, set up a computer server somewhere on your home network, and you're good to go with a very high performance "Type 2" computer audio system! From there, enjoy the music, upgrade speakers when you can, add room treatments as needed. Good to avoid contracting audiophilia nervosa whenever possible, friends. ;-) Discover the ultimate audio experience with the 2023 Sabaj A20d High Res USB Audio DAC & Headphone AMP. This groundbreaking product combines state-of-the-art technology, unrivaled performance, and versatile features to redefine your audio journey. I played with the DPLL menu setting a bit; supposedly lower values could improve jitter performance, and larger number improves compatibility. I did not see any significant difference with the Squeezebox Touch so just kept the setting at the default of 5 for the remainder of my tests.Kudos to Sabaj for a job well done across so many areas from design to performance. Yes, there is a bit of room left for products even higher in performance but that gap is incredibly small while cost savings are significant. I am so glad I am not in desktop audio business to compete with products like this!
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