Tron DAC heard and loved

Profuse apologies for not having posted for a fair while. Work and family life have intruded slightly and I’ve not been able to focus on those things I said I would look into, such as power and RFI effects on the system. However, there have been a few changes since my last post. 

First, I have sold the Lindemann, a decision I may regret since some lucky soul will now be able to play SACDs and I can no longer – I can play the CD player, of course, but not gain the full sound quality effect of the SACD material itself. It doesn’t bother me much, because whilst the Lindemann was an excellent player, the DacMagic proved to be not far behind and much more accessible when driven by my laptop with Wireworld USB cable, AQVOX low noise USB power supply and Audiophilleo 2 USB to SPDIF converter. 

Selling the Lindemann is an investment in the future since I’m now committed to the computer/DAC mechanism for delivering music, and the money can be put down against a replacement DAC. Speaking of which … 

I was fortunate enough to have a demo of a pre-production Tron Seven DAC in my system at home. Everyone should save for one. I am not sure it could be possible to find a more musically satisfying piece of digital audiophile equipment than this. Yes, I am biased because I know GT personally, have two Tron amps already and plainly like the sound and the service. Even so… I recall hearing an EMM labs DAC at one of the shows many years ago and thinking “this is it!” – even in the noisy, harsh and unwelcoming atmosphere of a hotel demo room crammed with people. Something about that equipment sounded right, regardless of tonal balance, separation, bass response, soundstage and so on and so forth, none of which matters but more importantly none of which could be reliably judged at the time. But, it sounded like music. 

The Tron feels the same; my memory of the positive elements of the >£10k EMM are how it sounded natural and like music – a real musician not a facsimile, a flow rather than a staccato peppering of audio imagery. In that respect the Tron is identical and possibly superior. 

 Let me backtrack a bit to the technology. This is a non-oversampling, filterless DAC with valves and transformers inside an unprepossessing black box. There is a discreet red LED and a Tron logo on the front, and some simple SPDIF connections on the back, into which the Audiophilleo plugs without incident. There is nothing else to see and it will tuck away nicely into my AV cabinet and never be seen again – just the way I like my equipment! Not flashy, just a musical instrument that makes me happy. 

The preproduction DAC I heard had been completed the night before and was not run in. Therefore, it sounded a bit bland and colourless from switch on. Four hours later it had transformed, and I understand continues to grow in weight, depth, scale and surprising dynamics since being taken away. 

I have read that non-oversampling, filterless DACs can sound like they have rolled off the treble in order to make themselves less digital. On hearing the Tron I understood that statement; I feared that it was missing some element of high frequency reproduction that had been engineered to make it sound ‘nice’. But, as it warmed up and burned it, I realised that wasn’t the case at all. It sounded like the music, like the recorded ambience, and didn’t add any treble lift or accentuate any highs to make itself sound exciting. It was dead quiet and (if this isn’t an odd adjective to use) sounded ‘black’ – but missed nothing. Midrange was clear, bass deep, tunefull and extremely well defined. Instruments startled with lifelike emergence and no forewarning, just like real music. Woody tones sounded woody, brass instruments like brass. Just music. 

With due respect to the need for system synergy, I’d be surprised if this couldn’t compete – musically, at least - with any DAC from any vendor. I have owned the dCS Elgar/Purcell, Sony SCD1 and Lindemann, heard the EMM, Esotetic, Devialet and top Audio Note and Audio Research DACs, and I can only recall the EMM for the reaction it engendered in me. The Audiphilleo proved to be a marvellous conduit for digital data and nothing missed a beat as the same “rightness” I heard with each small upgrade to my digital front end came through the Tron in spades. Going back to the DacMagic showed it to still have a tiny edge in terms of tension, but of course much less capable overall. I can live with it in place because it is an amazing bargain for the price, and makes great music with the tweaks I’ve been able to install, but the Lindemann sale is clearly part of an overall Tron DAC fund now.

Downsides? It only plays 16/44 or below. I have almost no high res music so I don’t care, and GT may release a different chipset in a later model (this one is yet to reach full production anyway) that supports the full 24/192 monty should you need it. So the DAC is next and then I’ll look at doing a Roy Riches on the mains!