MOLA-MOLA TAMBAQUI STANDALONE DAC ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

Posted on 22nd January, 2019
MOLA-MOLA TAMBAQUI STANDALONE DAC ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

Well, there you have it! If you were wondering where audio brand Mola-Mola gets its inspiration for its distinctive name, wonder no more: Mola-Mola is the name of a very large fish.

But whatever the origin of one of audio’s most alluring brand names, the company’s new Tambaqui DAC lives up to Mola-Mola’s exquisite sense of audio circuitry and styling.

Yes, Tambaqui is a species of a big freshwater fish and here’s betting buyers of this leading edge DAC will feel they’ve landed the big one every time they hear its detailed sound.

Credentially, the Tambaqui swims in very deep waters. It’s a DAC whose creator is audio luminary, Bruno Putzey, the man associated with design for Grimm, Kii Audio and Hypex Amplification. A fairly amazing pedigree, you’ll agree.

Mola-Mola loves audio gear with a clear, uncluttered look. And most notably, a small footprint.

Tambaqui delivers all of these features in a chassis derived from Mola-Mola’s handsome Kaluga mono amplifiers.

A quick squiz reveals a DAC embellished by a sumptuous chrome bezeled display that shows important settings and functions and is easy on the eye.

As for the casework, you’d be right in assuming the flowing lines are modelled on a fish. But not just any fish. The styling cue is taken from the Mola-Mola fish according to a brand spokesperson.

Internally, the thinking behind the circuitry is as fresh as the external styling. Where rivals use off-the-shelf DAC chipsets and mundane resistor networks, Mola-Mola has given its new DAC the processing grunt of the latest ASIC technology for the brand’s in-house FPGA, and upsampling and decoding algorithms.

Moreover, digital upsampling filters have been specifically designed for each of the DAC’s unique sample rates.  So the Tambaqui is a lot more than a pretty chassis.

Connections abound, and these include USB, SPDIF, AES/EBU and Toslink inputs. These are complemented by i2s and also the fact that the Tambaqui is also Roon Ready.

The new DAC supports all high-res content including DSD256, DXD and up to 32/384kHz PCM.

A fully modern DAC, the Tambaqui’s settings, pre-sets, firmware updates and volume happen over the air using Mola-Mola’s Remote smartphone app. A separate IR remote can also be used.

The Tambaqui is available now and sells for $15,990 RRP.

For more information visit Mola-Mola.

Gallery

Mola mola tambaqui
Mola mola tambaqui-2-2
Mola mola tambaqui-3
Mola-mola tambaqui dac rear
Peter Familari's avatar
Peter Familari

One of the veterans of the Australian HiFi industry, Peter was formerly the Audio-Video Editor of the Herald Sun for over two decades. One of the most-respected audio journalists in Australia, Peter brings his unparalleled experience and a unique story-telling ability to StereoNET.

Posted in: StereoLUX! | Hi-Fi

JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION

Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the MessageForums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP

applause awards

Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.

Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.

The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.

We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.

00007609