I ordered the DAC3 SPX from the Dutch distributor, Callas Audio. I have been friends with Callas for 15 years, but that is not the reason for the purchase.
The DAC3 SPX will replace my Lampizator Amber 4 DAC.
The reason for the switch is not that I don’t like the Lampizator. It is a good and musical DAC, which sounds relaxing.
The SW1X DAC3 SPX is in a different league. To begin with, I find the build quality of the SW1X DACs to be of a much higher level. The internal finish and components really caught my eye. I’m not going to bring Lampizator down here, but it’s my opinion based on what I’ve seen from the inside.
When I opened up my Amber 4 for tube rolling I was a bit shocked. The soldering and how the cabling is pulled too tight by tie wraps. I think it looks like a DIY project. It says nothing about the sound, but I see very big differences between the two brands in the way of building.
I want to emphasize that this is my opinion and I say this because it has been the reason for me to look at a new DAC with, in my opinion, a higher build quality.
When I have the SW1X in my setup in two months and it’s broken in, I’ll share the differences based on my opinion and my set.
A short update and mini review from Amsterdam. I have now received the DAC3 SPX.
Unpacking was a party.
The D3 is luxuriously finished with beautiful materials. It hurts to hide the D3 in the rack, because it’s too beautiful.
I let the D3 burn in for three days with no signal. The last two days only left on at night and turned off during the day. I have now listened to some hours of music.
I had expected a heavy break-in period, but after a few hours the D3 starts to play very nicely. The very first thing that strikes me is the musicality. It is balanced over the entire frequency range. Round and full tones from bottom to top. The Lampizator Amber 4 had more aggression in it. The midrange was slightly behind compared to the lows and highs. Clearly more gain and push in the sound. It sounds heavier than it was, but there is clearly a big difference between the two.
I can’t fully judge the D3 yet, but my experience is that this will only get better and the D3 will show very special things. The combination SW1X D3, CEC TL5 and Hijiri cabling works incredibly well. The balance between the components is magical and musical.
I will share more later, but it is clear that SW1X build a very special DAC that just play music in a smooth relaxed way without it becoming boring or too romantic. Clarity and detailing is sufficient without dominating.
My compliments to the UK.