I am a lucky person that having this Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra today. This model is the highest grade from Parasound DAC line-up in the 90's, which using the latest 20-bit DAC module from the Ultra-analog company.
The Ultra-analog DAC module itself is one of the best DAC and can only be found inside the highest-grade DAC like this. Ultra-analog module has different approach compared to the mainstream DAC manufacturer such as Burr-brown, Analog Device, or Philips. Unlike producing an IC die, this Ultra-analog DAC is producing a module that inside it are consist of many IC's from those popular manufacture as well.
I still believe the reason why this Ultra-analog DAC comes in module is because the engineering behind it knows how the good sound should be, so they combining many IC's to make this DAC module.
So here is the Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra review with Ultra-analog DAC module inside.
Finding this vintage DAC unit, especially in the original form is not an easy task. I think you're not only need a cash but also a luck to having a unit like this.
I got this Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra in the mint condition, with some minor corrosion on the top chassis. But I think it is quite normal for a more than 30 years old product, as long the components inside are still clean and original from manufacture.
By looking to the components inside, you now understand what Ultra-analog module that I've been raving from the beginning of this post.
It is Ultra-analog DAC 20400A, a dual 20 bit DAC that comes in large module package.
Then, it is also having a Ultra-analog AES-21 - C003, ultra low jitter digital receiver.
Other than that, this DAC unit also has the latest technology (at that time) for the oversampling and HDCD decoding. The PMD-100 IC from Pacific-Microsonics is the only company that has the right to decode the HDCD codes and up-sampling it to 20-bit from the standard 16-bit CD medium.
Until today, HDCD are not very popular due to higher price of the HDCD CD and require special DAC unit like this to decode it, or it is just an ordinary CD when played on regular, non HDCD player.
If you look carefully around the HDCD PMD100 IC, there are many small IC's that are built in-house from Parasound engineering to reducing the jitter from digital even more. This logic combination has been used by many DAC manufacture to recreate the clock, lower jitter and directly improve the sound quality from the digital domain.
The Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra using solid-state analog circuitry with combination of op-amp, then NPN & PNP transistor. This careful analog engineering to ensure the sound output are less coloration compares when using the vacuum tubes.
The most common approach for any hi-end DAC manufacturer is using multiple transformer and voltage regulator. This combine approach is to make sure the voltage feed to each DAC components are less interfered from one to another, resulting cleaner voltage.
This Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra using two toroidal transformers, the smaller one is for digital circuitry and the large transformer for analog circuitry. Each of them is regulated with many fixed voltage regulators IC's around it.
As usual, I will check and clean up this unit first before going to my test equipment. I want to make sure this unit is free from any trouble, so I can enjoy listen to the music later.
I raving about this Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra from the beginning, but how is the sound quality?
To be honest, this is what I'm waiting for all the time, to listen the music from the Ultra-analog DAC module.
With the music in my collection, I start listen to the music that I am really aware of.
The music played with this DAC is impressive.
What makes this DAC special is the amount of depth, creating real, life-like soundstage and great music performance experience. It is not presenting the music laid-back, it is not also flat in the front, but it is just like a sphere covering me as listener.
The music detail presenting here is very precise with great stereo imaging. All music presentation is balanced from low to high, with great separation between note.
I have only few CD that contain HDCD recording. One of them is Bee Gees from The Record album.
When the HDCD is locked, shown by the lite up the HDCD LED in front of this DAC, I can pretty sure the difference between normal CD and HDCD is like night and day.
HDCD sound impressive! It pushes so many music details and reveal it in realistic sound experience. This Bee Gees music recording will be sound boring in the non HDCD DAC, which I think is very common for old recording to sound like this. But when they recorded in HDCD, and it decode using the DAC like this, you will appreciate the music like never before.
Honestly, I start digging out any HDCD recording right now to play with this DAC.
This DAC is a keep. Unlike my others DAC unit that come to me for their components, this Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra will be stay as is.
The simple reason is because the sound quality is impressive.
Disclaimer: Any statement and photos in this article are not allowed to copy or publish without written permission from the writer. Any injury or loss from following tips in this article is not under writer responsibility.
What a great blog on a device already older than 30 years. I was curious how it would compare to modern day days in terms of sound quality. You kind of answered the question. Nice!
ReplyDeleteLate reply to this question, but I never heard better modern delta sigma or any multibit especially compare to this Ultra Analog DAC. At least in my experianced.
DeleteI waited for about a year for one of these units to come up for sale at a decent price, and I don't regret it. Previously, I was using a Parasound D/AC-1100 with the mid-grade PCM63P-J chips that I got in mint condition for the amazing price of $75. The D/AC-1100 sounds great, but I've now been listening to the D/AC-2000 for 2 years and I never get tired of it. I listen to a lot of 16bit/44.1k jazz and classic rock and find it is especially suited to jazz.
ReplyDeleteMy preamp is the matching top of the line P/LD-2000 and amplifier is the HCA-1000A. To get a modern system that sounds this good I would easily have to spend $20,000+ if I include the speakers.
Have you discovered the ebay seller "datel-china" in who cloned the D20400A module and sells a drop-in replacement he calls the D20400PLUS? He also makes a clone of the AES21. I have my eye on his stuff just in case my D20400A ever fails. Interested to hear your thoughts!
What a coincidence, we have almost the same audio setup. I am using Parasound DAC-1000 and HCA-1206 with passive preamp in the middle. What speaker do you using now? I am using my own build 2 way speaker using SB Acoustic drivers.
DeleteAnyway, congratz for your new accuire for DAC-2000 ultra, mine already sold to my friend. It's one of a kind DAC.
I am don't have any interest to check China copy. The Ultra Analog company is gone, there will now way someone can copy the exact recepie of their one and the only DAC module.
Not a huge coincidence because the 90s Parasound gear is one of the best deals out there in vintage audio, and the components were made to sound great together!
DeleteMy speakers are pretty rare, the Italian company Opera, model Terza IIIa from around the year 2000. The cabinets are solid walnut, no MDF. I got them so cheap a few years ago they were almost free. I wish I had your skills to be able to build my own components and speakers, but there are only so many things we have time to get good at in life.
Based on your advanced knowledge and expertise with circuits, what makes you say that the D20400A can't be cloned? I read some posts from the guy on diyaudio's forums and it sounded like a passion project for him that he's very serious about, so I have no doubt that he made a best effort, but you may know certain facts that I don't. I hope the chip never fails, and it will be harder and harder over time to find an original on the used market.
I know Opera, the heavy speaker cabinet, same like Chario speaker. But I don't have a chance to listen to it.
DeleteD20400A is expensive. Many said they easy to break. And I also not sure the guy on diyaudio's forum can clone it with the same result as the original or not. If he can do it, then it is a good news for Ultra-analog DAC lover like us. I will start watching it.
I'm copying the link to one of the diyaudio posts from the guy who released the D20400PLUS. You can see in the post where he explains a couple of very small changes he had to make that he considers an improvement, but I would be interested in your opinion about that:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/latest-production-of-d20400plus-module.417924/
It's unfortunate that the guy's account now says "banned." I looked at his last posts and I couldn't find any explanation or anything written by him that deserves a ban, but I'm not a member of diyaudio. If you find something out please let me know.
Question about my Parasound D/AC-1100HD: It uses the mid-grade PCM63P-J. Since the D/AC-2000 is my main unit and the 1100 is sitting on shelf, I was thinking about upgrading it with the German board that makes it compatible with 24bit/96k. Good idea? I was also wondering if the difference between PCM63 "J" and "K" is enough that I should find old "K" chips and upgrade. Is that a drop-in replacement, and are there a lot of fakes still out there on ebay?
Nice article you shared, I will read the discussion.
DeleteRegarding your question about the German board for 24/96, is it for the CS8412 replacement? As I know, CS8412 also capable for processing 24/96 in i2s mode. If the German board using newer IC, the noise level should be lower, so the result might be better.
Replace the "J" grade to "K" grade is what I can suggest you to do it. I have non grade PCM63, "J" grade and "K" grade. I can tell you that the "K" is the major upgrade for better sound quality.
The other grade is "Y", taken from Yamaha professional DAC, but I am not recommend to use it at all.
Yes, the CS8412 is upgraded to a CS8414 and the PMD100 is upgraded to the DF1706. You ebay seller is ASE-Audiotuning (https://www.audiotuning.de/) and here's a current ebay listing for the two boards:
Deletehttps://www.ebay.com/itm/374656693435
I'm looking at PCM63P-K chips on ebay and all of them seem to be coming from China, but I think I've found a seller with a 100% feedback rating that appears to be selling genuine chips pulled from old equipment. $100 each, which is high, but not the highest price I've seen.
Sorry for the typo above: "THE ebay seller is ASE-Audiotuning."
DeleteI ordered two PCM63P-K chips from a Chinese ebay seller with a 100% positive feedback rating: https://www.ebay.com/str/hifiaudioic. The items they have listed appear to be authentic chips pulled from vintage equipment.
This is the item, and I think there's a good chance they're not fake (and for $100/each they better not be):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/126654796222?epid=1826570146&itmmeta=01JP6JA6XQEQEC37FQ8ED7FVVY&hash=item1d7d36d1be:g:a7QAAOSwu2ZnX-j5
I would not recommend anyone to buy this PCM63K from ebay or any online seller, except they sell the IC still attached on the PC-board.
DeleteMy friend bought PCM63Y said taken from Yamaha DAC, but I doubt that. I compare to my non-grade PCM63 taken directly from Denon CDP, it sound better.
Later I got PCM63K taken directly from DAC Kinergetic Research and it sound wonderful.
I am not trying to stop you, I believe there are true seller out-there. Good luck.
Before I purchased the chips from the Chinese seller I searched ebay for non-working / parts only DACs and CD players that used the PCM63K chips, but I wasn't able to find anything, so at least I tried!
DeleteSome users on one of the audio forums are scaring me a little talking about rumors of chips that did not test up to spec finding their way into the used market, and also the risk to my unit if there's a short. This is in addition to the danger of fakes.
I'm either going to just risk the swap, or talk to a tech who has the right tools to test for shorts at a minimum, and maybe do some more detailed tests with a scope. I will let you know what happens, and I really appreciate your replies as well as your blog!
Thank you and good luck.
Delete