Any DAC kit like the HoloAudio Cyan 2?

[zintolo]

Hi,

is there anyone aware of some kit (here, in aliexpress or elsewhere) with characteristics similar to the HoloAudio Cyan 2 ?
I read very good reviews of it and I would like to see if I can build myself something similar with a lower budget by building myself.

Thanks

 

[Markw4]

It would be very hard to diy something like that (of equal quality), for less money than it costs to buy a real Cyan 2. However we do know how to make some pretty good diy dacs, but its not necessarily cheap and or easy for the best ones.

 

[zintolo]

Thanks @Markw4 ,
indeed big numbers in China usually make the items less pricey than DIY, but I was curious to see if there are some known similar kits.
I looked at the used market, but at least in EU there's no one, or they sell too fast.

 

[Joseph K]

there is always Andrea's discrete dac kit which is similar in price, and sounds very good to me - it would be interesting if somebody with access to both could do some comparison
(but yes, sold out ATM..)

 

[Markw4]

True. But Cyan 2 does both PCM and DSD. An entry level Andrea bundle for one type of dac or the other was a little higher cost than Cyan 2, IIRC. Are Andrea dacs better? Of course the clocks will be better. Probably the same for the whole dac, but I've never directly lcompared them to a Cyan 2 either.

One way to think about Cyan 2 is what it probably costs to make one. If it sells for, say, $1,200, we can probably assume the retail markup is roughly 3-5 times the incremental manufacturing cost. If the markup factor is 4, it can't cost them more than about $300 to make one, including the case, the shipping box, the manual, Thesycon USB driver licensing, etc. Of course they manufacture in high enough volume that they can get the cost of building a dac to much lower than what a one-off or low production volume diy dac costs to make.

 

[zintolo]

Andrea's discrete dac kit

Which one is it?

 

[Markw4]

There were two, one for R2R and one for DSD. So, depends which type captures your interest the most.

 

[Joseph K]

Which one is it?

I was thinking of this, given that a discrete R2R kit (so similar to the main dac in Cyan) But yes, Mark is right, the Cyan includes also the DSD part.
the one type base kit is the ~same price in EU as the Cyan here..

https://www.thewellaudio.com/product/twsdac-lt-bndl/

 

[zintolo]

Indeed it would become too expensive.

 

[soekris]

I can recommend my R-2R boards and DACs, you can see the different models on my website, the dam1021 or dam2941 might fit your needs...