Customer Reviews

DAC4800A Amp --- Ultra Linear Stereo (2-Channel) Digital Power Amplifier for High Performance High End Music, Studio, and Reference Audio Systems --- Beats Tubes and Class-A --- 1000W!

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have owned this amp for 2 years. It is hands down the clearest,most powerful and precise amp I have ever heard. It power my Ohm5 mkII's. The ohms have a top end that requirres a lot of juice and this is the only amp I have had that truely opened them up. My Quad 22L2's sound crisp with this amp. All four of them at once. Reproducing a piano precisely is difficult. All equipment has to be tops, source amp and speakers. The DAC4800A is the best in reproducing a piano through my Apogee Stages. The stages can sound muddled if the power is not clean. Low end can roll off with an inferior amp. Not with the Dac. Pink Floyd goes real low when I use the DAC4800A. Harp, Jazz, classical, female vocals they all sound great through the DAC4800A. The DAC4800A is the best value I have found in the high end market. Friends know I am an audiophile. They marvel at the different speakers. But what makes them sound so good is this amp. I kid you not. The specs are as good as amps costing twice as much and this amp delivers. Try playing Dagda through inefficient speakers at high volumes for a long time. Standard solid state amps fry. Not the DAC4800A. It never quites. My wife and I like to relax and listen to soft music. The DAC4800A is just as fine at low volumes as at high. Hard to say anything negative. It is that good.

Absolutely the best amp I have ever heard regardless of price. If you ever listened to a great Class-A amplifier with its complete lack of crossover distortion and smooth silky highs and rock solid low end, then you'll know what to expect from this unit. Yet, the amp is a very powerful digital amp with all of the punch you would expect from a bipolar class-AB amp, combined with the silky smoothness of a class A. This amp sounds fantastic played soft or loud.

I'm not what you'd call an "audio pro", but I have heard this amplifier in a side-by-side comparison to others on the market. Bottom line, Digital Amplifier Corp. is doing something truly unique, for they can drive an incredibly clear signal that is rich, yet coupled with an incredible depth of sound. If someone's looking for the ultimate in Home Theater, I can't see what could be better. What's really amazing is the limited heat disapation from this unit. Their digital technology must be the cause for the low power, and noticeably missing heat sinks (no fins!!). It's obvious these guys are going to gobble up the consumer high-end market.
Just wait until you hook up your subwoofer.. Hold on to your hat!!!

The DAC 4800-A amp looks sort of like a pro amp and it's definitely sturdy. Not sure where the model number comes from (4800?). Digital Amplifier Company is new to me. The enclosure is not super pretty but not ugly either and it's nice and heavy. Don't let the looks fool you! SURPRISE! The power is more than enough to drive ESLs or extra-large or low efficiency speakers, and the specs are just spectacular. It runs cool and quiet. Just try the ear against the tweeter test. Jazz and classical music comes through true and smooth, but it really rocks too. Vocals are very revealing. It has what I call the "wow factor". The bass is solid and the little details just come out. There's a mute/stand-by mode that you don't really need to use if you don't want. I don't like to power cycle my equipment anyway. Preamp wise, I'd recommend a tube or hybrid unit, like Audio Research or most of the good amp brands. It's a shame DAC doesn't make a preamp. I'm most familiar with Balanced Audio, Krell, Bryston, Classe, VTL, Cary and McIntosh amps. I haven't done head-to-head comparisons, but I'd suspect the DAC amp is able to take on any of them. For speakers, I like Wilson (Watt), Sonus, Paradigm, Martin Logan (ESL hybrid), Dunleavey, Quad (ESL), Dali and Mission. Even though I haven't heard the 4800 amp with all these, I'd like to. A friend of mine has B&W, and he said they are hard to drive, so I recommended the DAC amp. This amp is low priced compared to amps of similar quality. Lots and lots of headroom. Highly recommended.

This product is outstanding! It sounds as good as tubes, but without the limitations. Typically, tubes have limited power output and limited low impedance drive capability. The DAC4800A doesn't have these problems, and it sounds pure and clean at any listening level. There's never a question if this amp can handle peaks or extreme detail, like guitar plucks and whispery singing. The simmer of cymbals is clean and long lasting. The transients are super accurate and the highs are limitless. This amp does everything well that solid state doesn't. It runs quiet and even saves on your electricity bill (less than 30W from the wall when idle). Best amp ever!

Actually I like the case/box of this amp. It is like a tank. Sonics are just about perfect. It did great with old recordings like Jazz Singer (Neil Diamond) and Sinatra (Reprise Collection). I listened to Maroon 5 and the punch was there. I listened to a Telarc 1812 disc and nearly blew the windows out with the cannon shots! Call me crazy but I listened to Metallica (Master of Puppets) on it too and even though the recording is not the best I've never heard it better. Some Diana Krall (World on a String) sounded live. Great job!

Without a doubt, the best sound for the money we've ever heard! Whether you decide to use this for personal use or in a public building, you cannot lose. Guaranteed, you will not find anything better. The value for what you receive is Outstanding! A total winner!

I'm not a big believer in all the "audiophile hype" about things like special cables, green coated CDs, and the like. This amp really sounds better than conventional amps, SS or valve, and it has lots of power to boot.

The specs are great, but the "perfection" of the sound is what really impressed me. This thing never breaks a sweat, even playing "Run Like Hell", loud as hell, from Pink Floyd. It uncovered recording problems on Jazz at the Pawnshop.

Flawless!

Great bass and voice reproduction. Rugged design. I like the stand-by mode. Runs cool. Recommended.