Wanted: Opinions on Counterpoint DA10A

[laped...@tandem.com]

First, is there really a DA10A or just DA10? Second, what do you think of it?
Where does it place on S'philes list of recommended components? My magazine is
6000 miles away at home and I have a chance to buy a used unit for under $1000.
Obviously I can't audition it in my system, so I need other opinions.
Is the price a good deal? I have a Rotel RCD855, C'point S3000 pre,
McCormack power and Vandy 2Ces.

Thanks!
Ron L.

PS: Remember my previous 'Can't get help from Counterpoint' post? Lance at
Counterpoint is ending me the update for my HC808. Thanks all!

[Gerard Rejskind]

> First, is there really a DA10A or just DA10? Second, what do you
> think of it? Where does it place on S'philes list of recommended
> components? My magazine is 6000 miles away at home and I have a
> chance to buy a used unit for under $1000.

Get it, get it, get it.

Yes, there is a DA-10A, but upgrades are easy with the Counterpoint
"mainframe" approach: plug in new cards. You'll probably want to
upgrade, but even so it's a good deal.

The upgrades include the DACcard, which lets you choose which DAC
chip you want (hint: don't get either of the bitstream ones) and what
Counterpoint calls the JACcard. Changing that one lets you add HDCD
decoding. And that makes it a very, very good converter. Under
$1000???

Gerard Rejskind
UHF Magazine

[Mike Elliott]

laped...@tandem.com wrote: First, is there really a DA10A or just

> DA10? Second, what do you think of it? Where does it place on
> S'philes list of recommended components? My magazine is 6000 miles
> away at home and I have a chance to buy a used unit for under $1000.

> Obviously I can't audition it in my system, so I need other
> opinions. Is the price a good deal? I have a Rotel RCD855, C'point
> S3000 pre, McCormack power and Vandy 2Ces. Thanks! Ron L. PS:
> Remember my previous 'Can't get help from Counterpoint' post? Lance

> at Counterpoint is sending me the update for my HC808. Thanks all!

Thanks for the kind words about lance. He is overworked, but being
from Texas, can buckle down when needed. Trustworthy fellow.

Now, re DA-10's there is no difference between a DA-10 and a
DA-10A. The designators were invented to help overseas distributors
who must compete ads in stereophile offering the same product ("We'll
ship anywhere, give us your credit card number") for a lower price
than the overseas distie can offer (he has import duties, customs and
stocking fees and spends money placing ads with local magazines, and
has other overhead costs: His price /cannot/ compete with that of a US
dealer.) As a result, US DA-10's are suffixed "A" and the the exported
units we suffix "E".

Second, the less-than USD$1,000 is a serious bargain. Stereophile's
lack of interest in my company's product notwithstanding, when folks
gather together together a bunch of d-a converters and do some honest
listening, people pick us. Why? Music.

We cannot influence the Stereophile summation o' the year ratings. Of
course, the fact that our CEO, Laura Hendershot, was the only Governor
of the Board for The Academy For the Advancement of High End Audio
(AAHEA or, The Academy) who went to the mat to prevent The Academy
from selling out to Stereophile and handing them the Academy show on a
platter as a money-making adjunct to their High-End show for ever and
for ever. This /might/ have had some influence on their decsion. But
then again, maybe not. One man's opinion.

Listen to our DA-10 (plain, "A" or "E"). Borrow some other d-a
converters and compare. E-mail me or post your observations (please
describe if the '10 had a low-jitter JACcard reciver, with HDCD or not
and what d-a converter card was installed) if you have questions.

Yr Obt Svt
--
Mike Elliott tel: 619 431 5050 x 106
Counterpoint Electronics fax: 619 431 5986
2281 Las Palmas Drive email: mi...@attmail.com
Carlsbad, CA 92009 http://www.counter-point.com/~cpoint

[SSS]

Mike's observations are absolutely true. The DA-10 is a great
sounding D/A converter, so musical that it is up there with the most
expensive ones, not only in sound performance, but in quality of parts
and construction. Not only it sounds utterly musical, but it does
what most D/A's can't do: allow you to pick your preference in DAC,
ie: 1-bit, 20-bit Analog Devices, Burr Brown, Crystal, and the
glorious Ultra Analog. It also allows you to have up to 6 digital
devices including 2 full digital loops for DAT recorders and alike.

I find it best sounding with the Ultra Analog DAC card and HDCD JAC
jitter reducer.

Also, it sounds best (just as all audio gear does) when a good power
line conditioner is used.

It's too bad that Stereophile hasn't "rediscovered" the DA-10 and
written a follow-up, I bet they would be in for a surprise of how good
this D/A really sounds. Remember that it's been what, a couple of
years since it was reviewed, and if Stereophile listened to it with
all the latest upgrades and with the DA-11 transport which they didn't
seem to have at the original review, I bet they would like it a lot.

Just recently, Stereophile reviewed the Classe DAC-1, and after
reading Robert Harley's description of the internal circuit, it seemed
to me like he was describing the internal circuit of the DA-10, only
that 2 DACs were used instead of 1.

Similarly, the Audio Research DAC-1 and the new Parasound D/AC-2000-
Ultra, seem to be knock-outs of the DA-10 (with the Philips SAA-7350
and Ultra Analog DACs respectively).

Finally, I don't know what Stereophile seems to have against
Counterpoint by underating their products.

After comparing the DA-10 with even the most expensive D/A's the DA-10
was just as good, even better than some and at a fraction of the
price. It is clearly much better than Stereophile's claimed class C.
In my opinion it should be a class A component.

Without bashing any particular company, if you really want to compare
D/A's, take various units and compare their sound to the DA-10. Also,
remove their covers and compare the quality of construction and parts,
you'll be in for a surprise when comparing others to the DA-10.

I hope this is helpful.

Regards,

Ramon
--
Ramon E. De la Cruz
rdel...@iastate.edu

[jac...@net4all.be]

Hi,

I stumbled across your mail concerning the Counterpoint DAC and as I
have purchased a Counterpoint NPS-100E Power hybrid amp I was actually
considering changing my Audiolab Pre amp 8000C for the Counterpoint
3000 model. I have two turntables, one Mc and one MM Three tape deks:
DAT Sony ES-60, Teac open reel and Denon Cassettes. Meridian 206 CD
and I was considering adding the Cambridge Audio DacMagic1.

A lot of inputs to work around with, as I do Audio visual slide shows.

What do you think of the Counterpoint PRE ?

Best regards from Belgium

Harold