Abbas Audio Owners & Discussion Thread

[cccrchairman]

I am going to add my voice to the commentary on here regarding Abbas Audio. I received my 4.1SE this week from the Ukraine and I was floored immediately by the sound of this DAC. Full disclosure this is my first real move to a digital source in my current setup so no claims to be an expert. What I will say is that out of the box with an RCA interconnect to the transport (no SPDIF) and whatever basic power cable I had kicking around this DAC sounds astonishing. Spacious and detailed with restrained authority. I can only expect it to improve as time goes on and I get organised with cables. Thank you to the members here for the various discussions on Abbas Audio and I would encourage anyone in the market for a DAC to consider the options from Abbas. They maybe light on in the features department but they certainly produce an awesome sound in my opinion.  

[gemini07]

Could you please provide some details of the rest of your system for context?

 

Also, whilst you've mentioned this is your first foray into the digital world, have you tried any dac in your setup previously?

 

I too am very interested in the Abbas range.

 

BTW, how long did it take from purchase to delivery?

[Guest]

Some great stuff coming out of Ukraine!

[cccrchairman]

1 hour ago, gemini07 said:

Could you please provide some details of the rest of your system for context?

 

Also, whilst you've mentioned this is your first foray into the digital world, have you tried any dac in your setup previously?

 

I too am very interested in the Abbas range.

 

BTW, how long did it take from purchase to delivery?

 

System details as follows;

 

Fidelity Research FR-1 MK3F>Rega P9>FRT-3 >Abbas RIAA preamp (EF86)>Line Magnetic LM211>Altec Lansing 846B with external mounted Mantarays 

TEAC VRDS10>Abbas 4.1SE>Line Magnetic LM211>Altecs

 

This is the the first stand alone DAC I have purchased and the first and only I have used in this system. Both the DAC and the RIAA preamp took a month to arrive from ordering.  

[xlr8or]

@MattyW It's time for you to ask for that commission fee.

 

Edit: @cccrchairman Please share some photos. Any showing the inside and any close up shots of the valves will score you a perfect 10.

Edited April 1, 2021 by xlr8or

[cccrchairman]

It is in action at the moment. Following is link with details of the 4.1SE and others.

https://ym6t3zcngbqjloregzh5737kiy-jj2cvlaia66be-abbasaudio-listbb-ru.translate.goog/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=2338&sid=92abe2f3dd6aeac985de24ff9a8e26ba

 

 

[MattyW]

1 hour ago, xlr8or said:

@MattyW It's time for you to ask for that commission fee.

 

Edit: @cccrchairman Please share some photos. Any showing the inside and any close up shots of the valves will score you a perfect 10.

Ha, no need. I'm just grateful to be able to own such a fantastic bit of gear. 

[Mutatis Mutandis]

1 hour ago, cccrchairman said:

System details as follows;

Fidelity Research FR-1 MK3F>Rega P9>FRT-3 >Abbas RIAA preamp (EF86)>Line Magnetic LM211>Altec Lansing 846B with external mounted Mantarays 

TEAC VRDS10>Abbas 4.1SE>Line Magnetic LM211>Altecs

 

Well, the Abbas gear is in pretty good company.  I'm happy with my Gieseler DAC, but would love to hear from anyone who has has the opportunity to compare.

[MattyW]

17 minutes ago, Mutatis Mutandis said:

 

Well, the Abbas gear is in pretty good company.  I'm happy with my Gieseler DAC, but would love to hear from anyone who has has the opportunity to compare.

 

My previous DAC was a Gieseler Gross + Kraftwerk LPS. The best oversampling type DAC I've run though not really in the same league as the Abbas DAC 2.2SE. That said I've not heard the newer Gieseler DAC's. 

[gemini07]

11 minutes ago, MattyW said:

 

My previous DAC was a Gieseler Gross + Kraftwerk LPS. The best oversampling type DAC I've run though not really in the same league as the Abbas DAC 2.2SE. That said I've not heard the newer Gieseler DAC's. 

 

What was the difference in the sound character (assuming nothing else in the system changed)?

[MattyW]

The Abbas is far more natural sounding....  Sounds like you're actually at the performance as opposed to a recording.  No digital glare.... In fact doesn't sound digital at all.

 

The Gross sounded best with DSD content where that's unnecessary for an even higher level of performance with the Abbas.  To be fair though,  the Abbas was a fair bit more expensive.

[kelossus]

17 minutes ago, MattyW said:

The Abbas is far more natural sounding....  Sounds like you're actually at the performance as opposed to a recording.  No digital glare.... In fact doesn't sound digital at all.

 

The Gross sounded best with DSD content where that's unnecessary for an even higher level of performance with the Abbas.  To be fair though,  the Abbas was a fair bit more expensive.

What's the difference between your dac and the 4.1se?

Edited April 1, 2021 by kelossus

[muon*]

Main difference that stands out is Matt's 2.2SE uses the TDA1541 DAC chip and the 4.1 uses the PCM58 DAC chips I think.

 

Edit: Can read about the features of different DACs on that Abbas link, the 4.1 special version for instance about three quarters way down the page.

https://ym6t3zcngbqjloregzh5737kiy-jj2cvlaia66be-abbasaudio-listbb-ru.translate.goog/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=2338&sid=92abe2f3dd6aeac985de24ff9a8e26ba

Edited April 1, 2021 by muon*

[MattyW]

As @muon*has said @kelossus. I've not been lucky enough hear the 4.1. One thing to keep in mind though is that model numbers are not indicative of where a DAC is in the Abbas range. That can be a bit confusing.

 

I'm pretty sure @cccrchairman is the first person in Australia to source one of these and being a relatively new model there wouldn't be many globally though with these low production numbers it's fair to say that's true of all Abbas Audio gear.

 

I took the approach of spending about double what I could afford to spend in the hopes of getting an end game component.  Not having heard his other models I can't honestly say how they compare though as I understand it there are better choices for the money than the bottom of the range DAC Z. The magic is in the 2.1 and above. Under that the $700 mark I'd look at the Denafrips range instead.

 

The thing the Abbas DAC's excel at is just sounding very very real and natural. It actually got me to give up on vinyl playback. Go figure right? 

Edited April 1, 2021 by MattyW

[xlr8or]

Just posting my recommendations for tube rolling the DAC 4.1SE as a few members will no doubt contact me offline to request this info. It's best I post it here for everybody's reference and to keep a record for myself.

 

1. 1950's/60's GEC Hammersmith UK 6X5G CV572 shifted square pattern plate inverted cup getter ST shape rectifier

2. 1950's/60's GEC Hammersmith UK CV4005 6X4 black plate square getter rectifier

3. 1948-1951 Tung-Sol JTL-5687 black ladder plate vertical square getter copper grid post dual triode tube

 

Reference photos attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: Photo order rearranged.

 

Second Edit: It looks like the 6X5 dual diode provides the B+ to the 5687. Further, the 6X4 possibly provides the grid voltage to the 5687. If this is the case, then you have a double toob rectified circuit for each triode (left and right channels). Great stuff.

Edited April 1, 2021 by xlr8or

[kelossus]

15 hours ago, MattyW said:

As @muon*has said @kelossus. I've not been lucky enough hear the 4.1. One thing to keep in mind though is that model numbers are not indicative of where a DAC is in the Abbas range. That can be a bit confusing.

 

I'm pretty sure @cccrchairman is the first person in Australia to source one of these and being a relatively new model there wouldn't be many globally though with these low production numbers it's fair to say that's true of all Abbas Audio gear.

 

I took the approach of spending about double what I could afford to spend in the hopes of getting an end game component.  Not having heard his other models I can't honestly say how they compare though as I understand it there are better choices for the money than the bottom of the range DAC Z. The magic is in the 2.1 and above. Under that the $700 mark I'd look at the Denafrips range instead.

 

The thing the Abbas DAC's excel at is just sounding very very real and natural. It actually got me to give up on vinyl playback. Go figure right? 

I did exactly that, I assumed the 4.1SE was a higher up model based on the number.

 

Is it possible to get one with a USB input? I did a quick check on his website and it looks like he makes USB to SPDIF pcb. Has he ever incorporated one of these into his dac's. I am considering a purchase.

[MattyW]

2 hours ago, kelossus said:

I did exactly that, I assumed the 4.1SE was a higher up model based on the number.

 

Is it possible to get one with a USB input? I did a quick check on his website and it looks like he makes USB to SPDIF pcb. Has he ever incorporated one of these into his dac's. I am considering a purchase.

 

I believe his 3.1SE can incorporate a USB input. It's a full size component rather than half width so more space to fit things in. You'll find you can have a DAC custom built with any part he produces.

 

I find the easiest way to see what is where in the Abbas range is to look at the pricing. My understanding is that he favors TDA1541A R1 over all other chips. I have tried 2x S1 chips in mine and reverted to the R1 chip it came with.  It's all been voiced around the chip. The SE models are worth the extra coin as they've all been voiced individually with various high quality vintage parts. The non SE models as good as they are, have not been.

 

@DrMikeOz owns both his tube USB interface and a Mutec MC-3+USB. Based on conversations I've had with him the Mutec makes a better interface. Further to that I've found the Mutec can be improved further with a high precision external OCXO clock.

 

I found some nice gains with an Afterdark "Queen" 75ohm Square Wave OCXO clock + linear power supply. That's pretty low down in the range too. Apparently the sweet point is the Afterdark "Emperor Double Crown" . I just wasn't willing to spend more at the time as I just wasn't sure an external clock would bring any real benefit.  I may move further up the range eventually..... Or not. Things already sound incredible.

Edited April 2, 2021 by MattyW

[cccrchairman]

Thanks @xlr8or for your advice on the tubes. Unfortunately the cover of the DAC was damaged by a customs inspection. I contacted Abbas Audio to enquire about purchasing a replacement cover and he is going to ship out a replacement free of charge. As per his suggestion I am going with a 2.3SE cover with a hole allowing for the big bottle 6x5. Not that I have big bottle 6x5 dollars. Those tubes do not come cheap.

[Whites]

@MattyW Just to make sure I understand, you use the Mutec MC3+USB to convert from USB to SPDIF? This then can be connected to an Abbas DAC ?

[MattyW]

29 minutes ago, Whites said:

@MattyW Just to make sure I understand, you use the Mutec MC3+USB to convert from USB to SPDIF? This then can be connected to an Abbas DAC ?

Correct yes. It has galvanic isolation and reclocking though does still benefit from a better external clock. It has USB, fibre and coax digital inputs.  I'm not aware of any other product with its featureset though if you only need USB a Singxer SU2 would do the trick and still have the ability to add an external clock should you wish to do so.

[xlr8or]

55 minutes ago, cccrchairman said:

Thanks @xlr8or for your advice on the tubes. Unfortunately the cover of the DAC was damaged by a customs inspection. I contacted Abbas Audio to enquire about purchasing a replacement cover and he is going to ship out a replacement free of charge. As per his suggestion I am going with a 2.3SE cover with a hole allowing for the big bottle 6x5. Not that I have big bottle 6x5 dollars. Those tubes do not come cheap.

 

Agreed - I'll look out for a reasonably priced 6X5G for you in the background and let you know when I come across one.

[Artnet]

On 01/04/2021 at 12:45 PM, cccrchairman said:

I would encourage anyone in the market for a DAC to consider the options from Abbas.

Only just discovering how many fans there are of his devises.

 

3 hours ago, cccrchairman said:

Thanks @xlr8or for your advice on the tubes.

Ditto.  Thank you as I wasn't aware of how many current users here in AUS.  Growing confidence has made me push the buy button.  @MattyW all ways a good read on your views!  Have left a couple of questions to Abbas on his USB convertor and when I can afford may entertain the Mutec but it sounds like the Abbas will be the more affordable for now.

 

3 hours ago, cccrchairman said:

I am going with a 2.3SE cover with a hole allowing for the big bottle 6x5.

Sounds a seriously good idea for the flexibility but will be a little way of for tube rolling for me . @cccrchairman are you using with a streamer or with a transport? I guess you can swap out but I am after 2 inputs.  Unlikely in the slimmer chassis I think.

 

 

 

[cccrchairman]

14 hours ago, Artnet said:

Only just discovering how many fans there are of his devises.

 

Ditto.  Thank you as I wasn't aware of how many current users here in AUS.  Growing confidence has made me push the buy button.  @MattyW all ways a good read on your views!  Have left a couple of questions to Abbas on his USB convertor and when I can afford may entertain the Mutec but it sounds like the Abbas will be the more affordable for now.

 

Sounds a seriously good idea for the flexibility but will be a little way of for tube rolling for me . @cccrchairman are you using with a streamer or with a transport? I guess you can swap out but I am after 2 inputs.  Unlikely in the slimmer chassis I think.

 

 

 

I am only using with a transport. Maybe down the track I will look at other options as other members have described. 

[blakey72]

@cccrchairman and @MattyW Do you have a link to a site that has the various models, prices and how you can order??

[MattyW]

20 minutes ago, blakey72 said:

@cccrchairman and @MattyW Do you have a link to a site that has the various models, prices and how you can order??

@muon*already linked the only source of information Abbas provide. I'd suggest figuring out which models interest you and messaging on eBay.

 

It may not be a particularly buyer friendly way of doing things however demand already outstrips supply so you can be the judge of its success. I believe for the Ukraine he already does rather well. 

Edited April 3, 2021 by MattyW