DAC Review: Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2

Chain:

• Lenovo T420 -> Uptone Regen -> Chord Hugo/Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 -> Kimber Kable Silver Streak RCA -> Pathos Aurium -> Abyss AB-1266

Notes on the Uptone Regen (Amber):

• I had my doubts about this seemingly gimmicky device but the W4S DAC-2 sounds completely different with the Regen…in a great way.  You get much more body and warmth, a touch more of the organics. Without the Regen the DAC-2 sounded thin, flat, and sterile. It lacked much needed dynamics and came off a bit harsh. It’s underlying strengths in detail retrieval, effortless resolution, and transparency is still there but misses all the important pieces without the Regen. I will be doing further analysis and testing of the Uptone Regen. What an incredible device.

The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 doesn’t need an introduction. It has graced many high-end audiophile speaker setups for the past 5 years. It is known as a extremely transparent and resolving DAC. I got this DAC a few months ago but felt it was a bit too analytical for my tastes. For that reason it was stored away until now. I wanted to revisit it and compare it to a DAC I really enjoy, the Chord Hugo. Below are my raw notes from the session. I find these types of notes are more honest as they are written down as I A/B.

Raw Notes:

Michael Jackson – Black or White (Remastered)

• DAC-2
  • Sounds a bit thin/leaner, but very detailed
  • Precise and lots of clarity
• Hugo
  • The vocals are much better on the Hugo, more human. The W4S is a bit more strident/edgy.
  • More musical better warmth
  • More impactful bass.

Linda Ronstandt – Blue Bayou

• DAC-2
  • Very tight, not as much impact as Hugo
  • Very precise and “matter-of-fact”
  • Extremely revealing
• Hugo
  • Much warmer, more sub-bass presence.
  • The mids for the W4S sound a bit recessed in comparison.
  • The W4S has a blacker background but doesn’t sound as cohesive
  • More organic

Jay-Z (ft. Justin Timberlake) – Holy Grail

• DAC-2
  • Vocals are crystal clear but lack a bit of organics
  • Not as much depth as the Hugo
  • Bass is tight and quick
• Hugo
  • The dynamics far exceed the W4S
  • More cohesive (back-up singers)
  • More bass

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Foc

• DAC-2
  • Detailed to fault sometimes
  • Bright at times
  • Leaner
  • You could hear the textures of the guitars, very detailed, black background, but the other actors don’t seem to be in the same room.
• Hugo
  • Definitely warmer
  • Soundstage a bit wider
  • Sounds like humans are playing
  • More musical
  • Hugo much more enjoyable

Famoudou Don Moye – Immm (Live Version)

• DAC-2
  • It has a very lean characterisc, not as holographic as the Hugo
  • There’s not a lot of body/weight to the sound
  • The drums don’t have that visceral impact
  • Sounds like a sound test with a mix of instruments all around…not cohesive
• Hugo
  • So realistic it gave me goosebumps

Eiji Oue – Mazeppa, TH 7 – Mazeppa, Act I: Gopak

• DAC-2
  • A bit too lean, lacks the warmth, but details are there though.
• Hugo
  • A lot more engaging, sounds like a real concert
  • The CH sounds so much better

Paramore – Emergency

• DAC-2
  • Vocals are more separated from the rest of the music, not a bad thing.
  • A bit sterile for my tastes
  • Not as organic and not as much depth
  • Separation isn’t as good
• Hugo
  • More engaging

Regina Spektor – Fidelity

• DAC-2
  • Don’t think the intention was to have it sound this lean/thin
  • Might work better with warmer/darker speakers
  • The vocals definitely have a brighter tinge to it, not as organic
• Hugo
  • Very engaging and organic
  • Her voice sounds more natural, you could hear her breath

Conclusion

The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 is an amazingly detailed DAC. It is capable of giving you an X-ray of the recording, almost to a fault. The actors/instruments are all resolved effortlessly and there’s a lot of grip across the spectrum but it lacks a bit of warmth and cohesion. I believe this makes it a bit less engaging and enjoyable to my ears. The Chord Hugo, I have to say, is in another league. It sounds more like what I would expect the artist’s intentions were when mastering. The layering is better on the Hugo, without a doubt. I think the W4S DAC-2 would pair well with warmer/darker speakers/headphones, such as the Audeze LCD-3F.