Artnet Posted February 8 Posted February 8 1 hour ago, AJ04 said: Hi guys, wanted feedback on the Bendix 6106 Rectifier tube. Is this tube compatible with 2.3SE(comes with 5y3), and is it any good? Thanks. Don't know what this will do in the 2.3 but works fine in my 3.2. Listening comments are going to be subjective but think its worth a try if you can find one at a reasonable price. Its size is good for the 2.3, and would be a drop in replacement In the 3.2 I can use a U50 or an 80 with an adapter both are direct replacements for the 5Y3, for my taste the 5Y3 or the 80 are good and for less $. Maybe I was just after more of a big bottle sound. 3
Silver Audiophile Posted February 24 Posted February 24 Any update on the new Abbas Psyche Signature DACs that folks have ordered? It's been a while..
Artnet Posted February 25 Posted February 25 My 3.2SE was 8 months from order. 12 months in waiting in line and discussion. Order for the Psyche signature is just over the 6 month mark. Given its a more complex build with some hand made capacitors and some other requested mods I am not expecting an email till April or May. I know he is not responding to emails personally ATM (you may be aware?)which means he is working ! If anyone is getting anxious, I have been here before with my other DAC. And shared this experience with a few people before they ordered. You have to be prepared to wait. There is good reason to hang on to your DAC's in the face of what's happening there but the pain will be a distant memory once landed in Oz. If that's not enough for reassurance I am happy to consult my financial controller, cash in my rare mineral shares ($0) and buy your soon to be finished DAC from you in EURO. REALLY it's worth the wait. 2 1
MrBurns84 Posted February 25 Posted February 25 1 hour ago, Artnet said: My 3.2SE was 8 months from order. 12 months in waiting in line and discussion. Order for the Psyche signature is just over the 6 month mark. Given its a more complex build with some hand made capacitors and some other requested mods I am not expecting an email till April or May. I know he is not responding to emails personally ATM (you may be aware?)which means he is working ! If anyone is getting anxious, I have been here before with my other DAC. And shared this experience with a few people before they ordered. You have to be prepared to wait. This is more common then not from boutique audio shops. Weston acoustics and Decware (my own experiences) have similar wait times, but you are rewarded at the end as @Artnet mentioned. There is so much a person can do in a day and also across different orders to be fulfilled. 4
eyesofra Posted 23 hours ago Posted 23 hours ago Hi guys, As always, I've read through most of the thread, and various other forums. The conclusion that I arrive to is that, I can't go wrong with Abbas DACs for the money. And I've always wanted to try an AN tube/NOS dac but that's a bit out of reach. Abbas is more reasonably priced, relatively speaking even compared to SW1X that I've been looking at as well. My setup is all solid-state and very neutral. Want to inject a bit of that tube magic - holographic 3D imaging, wide/deep soundstage, vocal . I've had tube pre/power many years ago, so trying to get a bit of that back. I've thinking either the DAC 2.41 SE/Sig or DAC 3.21 SE. There is certainly a price difference, but the 'plan' is end-game therefore I can justify the difference. My understanding is the 3.x is higher level, however the 2.x seems more compact, and I like the aesthetics with the tubes sticking out the top. That we'll know. makes listening to music a better experience LOL Can I get some thoughts for those who have tried one or both of these please ? Is it worthwhile getting the 3.x over 2.x ? Cheers, Amuth 2
Silver Audiophile Posted 22 hours ago Posted 22 hours ago (edited) 1 hour ago, eyesofra said: Hi guys, As always, I've read through most of the thread, and various other forums. The conclusion that I arrive to is that, I can't go wrong with Abbas DACs for the money. And I've always wanted to try an AN tube/NOS dac but that's a bit out of reach. Abbas is more reasonably priced, relatively speaking even compared to SW1X that I've been looking at as well. My setup is all solid-state and very neutral. Want to inject a bit of that tube magic - holographic 3D imaging, wide/deep soundstage, vocal . I've had tube pre/power many years ago, so trying to get a bit of that back. I've thinking either the DAC 2.41 SE/Sig or DAC 3.21 SE. There is certainly a price difference, but the 'plan' is end-game therefore I can justify the difference. My understanding is the 3.x is higher level, however the 2.x seems more compact, and I like the aesthetics with the tubes sticking out the top. That we'll know. makes listening to music a better experience LOL Can I get some thoughts for those who have tried one or both of these please ? Is it worthwhile getting the 3.x over 2.x ? Cheers, Amuth Amuth, you are clearly walking in the right direction In a little while.. what your system will morph into.. Edited 22 hours ago by Silver Audiophile 1 1
Artnet Posted 16 hours ago Posted 16 hours ago 5 hours ago, eyesofra said: I've thinking either the DAC 2.41 SE/Sig or DAC 3.21 SE. There is certainly a price difference, but the 'plan' is end-game therefore I can justify the difference. Hi Amuth, I haven't heard the 2.4SE or 2.4 Signature, but according to Abbas it does not embarrass itself in the company of the 3.2SE I have heard a 2.2SE against a 3.2 and I could almost say the same thing if you have a very revealing system and are prepared to spend on grail tubes and even a TDA 1541 double crown. There is plenty of positive things to experience in the small form factor along with excellent music. The 2.4sig is no longer all sold the older models are superseded with the 2.41 SE and 2.41sig as below but this can change as in price and availability so best to send Abbas an email . DAC2.41 Signature 6SN7 + 6X5 , new LPF !TDA1541A selected2X 6SN7,2X 6X5,EB91,E180Fbranded tubes, 24/192 spdif receiver, black face panel EI hand made transformers 2pcAvailable / $3600 DAC2.41 6SN7 + 6X5 outputTDA1541A2X 6SN7,2 X6X5,EB91,E180Fsoviet tubes 24/96 spdif receive, black face panel, hand made EI transformer 1pcAvailable / $3200 DAC2.41 6BL7 + 5V4TDA1541A6BL7,5V4,EB91,6X5,E180Fpartly soviet tubes, 24/96 spdif receiver,black face panel, hand made EI trasnformer 1pcAvailable / $3200 DAC2.41 6SN7 +6X5 outputTDA15412X 6SN7,2 X6X5,EB91,E180Fsoviet tubes 24/96 spdif receive, black face panel , toroidal transformersAvailable / $2900 DAC2.41 6BL7 + 5V4TDA15416BL7,5V4,EB91,6X5,E180Fsoviet tubes 24/96 spdif receive, black face panel, toroidal transformersAvailable / $2900 The Larger form factors give you a massive power output stage giving you more of everything and plenty of tube options also. I enjoy my 3.2SE very much. The 3.21SE was a very sweet option but looks now to be sold out. The 3.22SE Psyche is the next option up unless you get into the signature versions which are more expensive again. DAC 3.22 PSYCHE SE 24/96 CS8414TDA1541A2pc 5U4,5R4, 2X6080, 6SN7, 6X5soviet tubes, black front panel, toroidal transformersAvailable / $4800 Be Prepared for a long wait but Abbas is good to deal with as long as there is no power outage. If you have read all the threads you will understand that he is busy and may take some time to communicate back. If its end game and you can why not GLW your choice and keep us posted. 2 1
krazywaffle Posted 14 hours ago Posted 14 hours ago 7 hours ago, Silver Audiophile said: In a little while.. what your system will morph into.. Are those Abbas monoblocks? Either way, beauties! 1
eyesofra Posted 13 hours ago Posted 13 hours ago (edited) @Silver Audiophile absolutely gorgeous setup you've got here ! I see 2x Abbas DACs, what are these ? @Artnet thanks heaps for your reply, that's great feedback. I have been emailing Abbas and he did share the price list. And yes, I just noticed the last sample of 3.21SE is now sold ;( The next one up from the 2.41 is indeed 3.22 Psyche, getting really steep now. If the 2.41 is going to give me 80-90 % of 3.22 Psyche, that'll be the clear choice given the cost and form-factor i think. Edited 13 hours ago by eyesofra 1
xlr8or Posted 13 hours ago Posted 13 hours ago @Silver Audiophile always sees things in stereovision. That's why you see double in his images for all his gear. The only time he uses single gear is when the tube offers 2 triodes in the same envelope rather than the single triode. 1 3
Silver Audiophile Posted 11 hours ago Posted 11 hours ago @krazywaffle @eyesofra The Abbas on the left is an Abbas USB-Coax converter. It uses 4 tubes on its own. The Abbas on the right is an Abbas 2.2SE DAC. 3
xlr8or Posted 3 hours ago Posted 3 hours ago 12 hours ago, Artnet said: Hi Amuth, I haven't heard the 2.4SE or 2.4 Signature, but according to Abbas it does not embarrass itself in the company of the 3.2SE I have heard a 2.2SE against a 3.2 and I could almost say the same thing if you have a very revealing system and are prepared to spend on grail tubes and even a TDA 1541 double crown. There is plenty of positive things to experience in the small form factor along with excellent music. The 2.4sig is no longer all sold the older models are superseded with the 2.41 SE and 2.41sig as below but this can change as in price and availability so best to send Abbas an email . DAC2.41 Signature 6SN7 + 6X5 , new LPF !TDA1541A selected2X 6SN7,2X 6X5,EB91,E180Fbranded tubes, 24/192 spdif receiver, black face panel EI hand made transformers 2pcAvailable / $3600 DAC2.41 6SN7 + 6X5 outputTDA1541A2X 6SN7,2 X6X5,EB91,E180Fsoviet tubes 24/96 spdif receive, black face panel, hand made EI transformer 1pcAvailable / $3200 DAC2.41 6BL7 + 5V4TDA1541A6BL7,5V4,EB91,6X5,E180Fpartly soviet tubes, 24/96 spdif receiver,black face panel, hand made EI trasnformer 1pcAvailable / $3200 DAC2.41 6SN7 +6X5 outputTDA15412X 6SN7,2 X6X5,EB91,E180Fsoviet tubes 24/96 spdif receive, black face panel , toroidal transformersAvailable / $2900 DAC2.41 6BL7 + 5V4TDA15416BL7,5V4,EB91,6X5,E180Fsoviet tubes 24/96 spdif receive, black face panel, toroidal transformersAvailable / $2900 The Larger form factors give you a massive power output stage giving you more of everything and plenty of tube options also. I enjoy my 3.2SE very much. The 3.21SE was a very sweet option but looks now to be sold out. The 3.22SE Psyche is the next option up unless you get into the signature versions which are more expensive again. DAC 3.22 PSYCHE SE 24/96 CS8414TDA1541A2pc 5U4,5R4, 2X6080, 6SN7, 6X5soviet tubes, black front panel, toroidal transformersAvailable / $4800 Be Prepared for a long wait but Abbas is good to deal with as long as there is no power outage. If you have read all the threads you will understand that he is busy and may take some time to communicate back. If its end game and you can why not GLW your choice and keep us posted. Just also adding that Abbas DACs hold their value extremely well. Most 2nd hand units that come up for sale are priced close to their original value. The main reason being that very few units come up for sale as most owners simply hold onto them. You would be lucky to find them listed for sale. Have a look on hifishark and see what they go for. 2
Silver Audiophile Posted 1 hour ago Posted 1 hour ago Abbas DACs have been discussed in various forums, but information is scattered. The designer, Abbas (Viktor Khomenko Abbas), is a Ukrainian-trained musician and self-taught electronics expert who started building audio gear to achieve a sound he found lacking in commercial designs. His DACs use vintage NOS (Non-Oversampling) chips and tube circuits to create a warm, organic sound. The DAC lineup is structured by the chip used rather than strict quality tiers. Key models include: DAC 1.x (PCM56) DAC 2.x & 3.x (TDA1541) DAC 4.x (PCM58) DAC U (PCM63) DAC X (TDA1540) DAC Z & 0.x (TDA1543) There are several downsides to consider: NOS sound signature – Warm but potentially too colored for some. Limited inputs – Often only one SPDIF RCA. Tubes in the signal path – Adds maintenance and cost. Hand-built in Ukraine – Long lead times, difficult servicing. Frequent design changes – Models evolve over time. Hi-res limitations – Requires downsampling for some files. Sonically, Abbas DACs emphasize rich mids, strong macrodynamics, and a euphonic, vintage-like sound. They are not focused on microdetail, layering, or "black background" precision like modern DACs. The sound is described as akin to Technicolor movies—vivid and engaging but not strictly neutral. They are highly system-dependent and sensitive to cables, tubes, and power sources, making them ideal for those who enjoy tweaking their setup. If you seek a warm, analog-like sound, they are worth considering. If you prefer neutrality and precision, they may not be a good fit. 1
Silver Audiophile Posted 1 hour ago Posted 1 hour ago The above is just a summary of one post on another HiFi site regarding Abbas DACs (Super Best AUdio Friends). Plenty of useful information of user experiences in the thread including comparisons between models (link below): https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/abbas-dacs.12943/
Silver Audiophile Posted 1 hour ago Posted 1 hour ago (edited) I just wanted to further explain the following from the above "The sound is described as akin to Technicolor movies—vivid and engaging but not strictly neutral." Yes, that was my experience when I first received my Abbas 2.2SE with Mr Abbas selected vintage soviet tubes. All the excitement of an old Technicolor movie, including the occasional light static, slight imperfections and even some old vinyl like pops! I replaced the 6X5 (for GEC NOS) and 5687 with UOS Tung-sols rib plates D-getter (circa late 40s) thanks to advise from @xlr8or. Suddenly, wow! It's like those AI generated 4K videos of ancient Rome made to look like the exciting old Technicolor films of Rome, but without the background soft imperfections, background noise etc!! Best of both Worlds. You keep all the good vibe and excitement, without the drawbacks. Edited 1 hour ago by Silver Audiophile
Bisguittin Posted 58 minutes ago Posted 58 minutes ago 41 minutes ago, Silver Audiophile said: Sonically, Abbas DACs emphasize rich mids, strong macrodynamics, and a euphonic, vintage-like sound. They are not focused on microdetail, layering, or "black background" precision like modern DACs. The sound is described as akin to Technicolor movies—vivid and engaging but not strictly neutral. They are highly system-dependent and sensitive to cables, tubes, and power sources, making them ideal for those who enjoy tweaking their setup. If you seek a warm, analog-like sound, they are worth considering. If you prefer neutrality and precision, they may not be a good fit. A very succinct summation. By and large I'm not an incessant tweaker. (Other than invariably following the gospel according to Kirk @xlr8or) How system dependent? Purposely, without thinking about or analysing the phenomenon in any way, it appears that in my case a 2.2SE has crash landed into my system and brought about a sublime listening experience much akin to my vinyl offerings. Maybe I was just lucky. 1
Silver Audiophile Posted 48 minutes ago Posted 48 minutes ago 4 minutes ago, Bisguittin said: ..in my case a 2.2SE has crash landed into my system and brought about a sublime listening experience much akin to my vinyl offerings. Maybe I was just lucky. I found the same, a profoundly enjoyable vinyl-like experience. To be honest, more like vinyl paired up the best single ended triode and take that combined effect and multiple it by three-fold again! The slightly audible imperfections on the original soviet tubes did nothing to dampen the sublime listening pleasure I found.
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