LAiV HARMONY vs T+A DAC 200 - Feedback After 2 Months Of Use

Рет қаралды 8,970

Күн бұрын

LAiV HARMONY vs T+A DAC 200 - Feedback After 2 Months Of Use
I have now spent over 2 months with both T+A DAC 200 and LAiV Harmony and I enjoy bot of them very much. I bought the T+A DAC 200 about 2 weeks before receiving the LAiV Harmony so I now spent very similar time with both DACs. Let me tell you listening to both of them is truly amazing. Both are way out of their league and can play the music in a very engaging immersive way. Both have some very strong sides and well are keepers. Which one is for you that only depends on your sound signature expectations.
Both DACS were feed the DSD 512 format via USB. Even though the LAiV does not have dedicated DSD DAC and internally resample the sound to PCM for some reason the DSD richess and magic is still audible in the sound character and I prefer it over the PCM 705.6
SYSTEM IN THE VIDEO:
SPEAKERS: QUALIO IQ - www.qualioaudio.com
AMP: NORMA AUDIO REVO IPA 140 - normaudio.com/en/
STREAMER: PC with HQ PLAYER for Upsampling to DSD512 on the fly Using Tidal and Roon
DAC: LAiV HARMONY & T+A DAC 200
CABLES: Audiomica Excellence USB, VirtualHiFi interconnects and speaker cables
FOOTERS: VirtualHiFi Vibron
Join this channel to get access to 32-bit uncompressed sound quality 4k video :
/ @virtualhifi
00:00 - Introduction LAiV HARMONY vs T+A DAC 200
01:09 - That's How You Know That You're in Love - Loving Caliber
02:39 - Purple Beach - Giants’ nest
04:09 - The One - Ritchie Everett
05:39 - Love You For It All - Daniel Gunnarsson
07:09 - Wood & Skin - Hara Node
08:39 - The Blues This Morning - The Tap Room
10:08 - I Am Better Off (Jazz version) - Wildson
11:37 - Erase My Truth - Deaf Election
13:06 - Folium - Bladverk Band
14:36 - LAiV HARMONY vs T+A DAC 200 Both are great options but ...

Пікірлер: 115

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

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@jos5067 Ай бұрын

The LAIV is simply the far better DAC for the money, no question about that!

@TheKent2288 28 күн бұрын

For anyone lucky enough to experience ultra high end gear at their local store demo room you will recognise what high end equipments bring to the table. Clear front to back instrument separation and ultra high clarity. Pitch black background to reveal those tiny tiny detail like a faint instrument playing at the bottom left corner of the room. Vocals seem to come out of thin air with 3D presence. The T+A delivers in this regard and to me it is truly next level. Paired with Focal Sopra 2, Parasound A21+ and matching REL subwoofer for anyone interested.

@kenmcglown6642 Ай бұрын

Both DAC's are great, but it's the speakers that are amazing me!!!

@patrickgeorge141 Ай бұрын

I am glad you compared these two dac's to each other. I was wanting the T+A yet now am far mor inclined to get the LAiV since I have two nice preamplifiers already.

@ericlofroos2405 9 күн бұрын

I thought B, was more holographic than A, so we disagree on that. I thought A, was more clear in the vocals, but was lacking in bass. EXCELLENT REVIEW! Thank you for sharing

@jerryj.7905 Ай бұрын

Interesting. B is the more organic ands musical experience. A is very good too, but has that typical cleanness that sometimes goes on my nerves in long listening sessions. B to my ears is more beautiful in mid and low end and high frequencies sound a tad more natural. A was very good with Jazz, suddenly sounding better than before. But the rock guitar had more bite with B. Thanks for this excellent sound comparison.

@oliivioljy9700 4 күн бұрын

The mid-range frequencies come out a little better wider and clearer using the B-dac. The A-Dac is generally similar in tone, in my opinion, but does not separate the tones from the midrange so excitingly. Both dacs are of course excellent and the speakers sound really nice. The system in my own living room is win10/pc/genelec 1237a aes/ebu digital as an output for my speakers' elements directly and super clearly.

@TheJCG1968 Ай бұрын

Thanks so much for your great reviews and honest opinion. Much needed indeed!!!

@stevemd8947 Ай бұрын

Thank you for the honest and sincere review. Keep them coming.

@D1N02 Ай бұрын

DAC A was better up top, B (the Laiv) was better in the midrange. For most tracks I prefered the LAIV. You just can't have it all. Trade in some air and stage for organic sound an save a lot of money. With careful pairing you can improve the soundstage width and airyness up top a bit.

@johnratcliffe6438 28 күн бұрын

You can have it all. It just costs.

@ericlofroos2405 9 күн бұрын

I completely agree!

@hifirulezzz Ай бұрын

DAC B, I would put everything for a good vocal range :) I am already ordered one, wait time is long.

@jazzlouise 26 күн бұрын

Excellent test. I went back and forth depending on the track.

@Wharariki Ай бұрын

Another great comparison thanks. The LAiV certainly punches well above its weight doesn’t it. I noted the differences you described but also a bit more grip and resolution of the DAC200 in the lower bass.

@sgt_major8419 Ай бұрын

Biggest difference for me was in the bass. DAC A displayed more grip, dug deeper and had more resolution and detail in the bass, especially the lower bass tones, overall had a more convincing bass performance. I do have a very good DAC myself and very good headphones that dig deep, so perhaps its easier to miss this on other set ups. Did anyone else notice this?

@bentleygt3716 Ай бұрын

i kept hoping while listening to Tracks that B was LAiV . indeed it turned out to be.. it's good for my ears and pocket. so there it is my choice. GREAT Demo. thank you so much for your work, efforts , and help..

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

thank you for your comment. it means a lot and gives me more power to keep forward ;)

@KubilayTUFEKCI 18 күн бұрын

Great comparison as always, thank you. I own a Weiss 204 and would be happy to hear your take between Laiv Harmony and Weiss 204.

@torus186 Ай бұрын

I prefered DAC B which is great as it costs half the price as the T+A. I'll take the rich natural sound over the airy holographic and slightly more present upper treble. Thumbs up for another fantastic useful video.😁

@BillyKueekSG Ай бұрын

Thank you for the video. These are 2 DACs I am looking at at the moment. Thinking of selling my Gustard R26 to upgrade. 2 units of T+A DAC 200 just popped up in the used market and the Laiv Harmony is cheaper and sold by local company.

@stratenboek Ай бұрын

Hey, I came across these speakers in Munich, they sounded great with the Tektron amplifiers 🎶🎷🎹🎻

@johntucker5994 Ай бұрын

Thank you for your sharing your findings and comparing all of the dacs you are trying out. It really is helpful to folks considering which dac to purchase. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering. First, you liked the LAiV dac ($2700) better than the Holo May KTE (now $5600 in U.S., so roughly double the LAiV). Could you compare the soundstage width and depth of those two dacs? Secondly, you have said that you are employing upsampling through Audirvana having found that to be preferable. My question is: do you need an especially fast CPU and lots of RAM to accomplish that upsampling? What kind of Intel chip, size of SSD etc. are you using to accomplish that? I think many of us are intrigued by using upsampling through Audirvana, but we lack information on the hardware required. Thanks if you can get to this.

@maynardewm Ай бұрын

Those are some great speakers!

@bagrubmeister4973 Ай бұрын

Yes heard the difference. My harmony has been on order and shipping this week, The rich full sound of the harmony is what I am looking for!!

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

Wonderful! I'm sure you will enjoy it very much 😉

@neo4bremen Ай бұрын

nice review, the Laiv is not anymore that cheap after a few good reviews and following good sales. I think a T+A on the used market is the better choice now.

@SlotHits777 Ай бұрын

sound identical to me and my gear is pretty good for playback .. no wrong or bad answer here, both performed very well imo .. very slight, edge to B on sax

@connorduke4619 Ай бұрын

Another excellent review! To my ears, LAiV has better bass texture and vocal texture, less sibilant top end, but less distinct transient attack and a more closed in soundstage,

@a29h17 Ай бұрын

You nailed it. Very well done.

@williams9117 Ай бұрын

Maybe you are not able anymore but I would love you to revisit the Kinki Studio EXM1 with op amps swapping. I have one unit and find that 2 Burson classic singles make a nice difference. The cold nature of the Kinki went away. Would you love to hear some amp variations on your speakers with the Kinki. Anyway thanks for your videos !

@frankssustainabilitysustai9928 18 күн бұрын

Good review and listen. However, the T+A DAC sounds much better with DSD than with PCM since it has two DACs inside. If you have mostly PCM I would go for the LAiV.

@gregbonda756 Ай бұрын

Any chance you could test Aqua La Scala Optologic MK II dac? Very curious how it compares against the likes of T+A 200, Holo Audio May or even Laiv Harmony.

@scottmuhlbaier1945 Ай бұрын

Didn't realize how good that T+A DAC is. I'm surprised you haven't reviewed the Ferrum Wandla yet considering they're a fellow Polish manufacturer. That would be a good comparison.

@dansisternas9158 Ай бұрын

Hi, Nice vid ! My current config is: - Holo Audio Serene - Keces S300 - Eversolo A8 And I own a Holo Audio Cyan 2 and a Merason Frerot. I pre-ordered a Laiv Harmony on Audiophonics here in France to remplace them. I also can buy a T+A Dac 200 on the second hand market at 3100€... So I'm hesitating a lot 😄

@connorduke4619 Ай бұрын

In that system, Serene already provides the clarity so I would match it with the better bass and mid texture of LAiV.

@rodm1949 Ай бұрын

Diving into your videos with my thinking hat on. Could you line up a comparison between a KT88 pushpull and a 300B Single ended? From a logistical standpoint by the time the 300B has been rolled to perfection is it close to the output of a pushpull? Major money difference between the two but where does the sound sit?

@plyush Ай бұрын

@VirtualHiFi What is the LAiV HARMONY settings for this video? Is it OS or NOS? What digital input used?

@ericelmore887 Ай бұрын

I was hoping to see the Weiss 204 in some comparison

@stephenbailey9969 Ай бұрын

To me, dac A reaches for the sweetness, while B seems to clip off before getting there and has a darker feel.

@stevenconnectingtogether6703 Ай бұрын

Wood & Skin .. the drum kick better with DAC B, deeper and darker but clean with DAC A. Up to your reference & taste mates

@johncallaghan3097 Ай бұрын

I preferred A, the T+A. Seemed richer and more involving to me on my headphones, but might have been different if I had been in the room with them. Certainly, at twice the price -- if it is better -- it ought to be! Still, personally, I find the price differential hard to justify. Thing is, whilst I very much enjoy your videos, things at these levels of price are more than I am prepared to pay and so the comparison is somewhat academic. Whilst you've delved into (very) economical power amps, I don't remember you comparing a few DACs in lower price ranges with those in higher ones. Ranges might be a good example from €1000 or less, €2000 or less, €3000 or less and so on (including VAT). I must declare an interest here, because I have the Gustard R26 R2R DAC in the second price range and would love to hear it compared to the LAiV in the third range in one of your incomparable sound demos. Certainly, Tarun from the British Audiophile channel (who isn't given to exaggeration) rates the R26 as possibly above the Holo Spring 3 -- but he doesn't do sound demos unfortunately. 🙂

@rubinsteinkleer8334 Ай бұрын

Would also love to get your opinion on the PS audio Directstream Dac Mk2

@valvaholic6800 Ай бұрын

Initially A sounded thinner in the mids but cleaner up top and more dynamic and tight down low. Listening again, A sounds more natural, B sounded a tad too thick. Bear in mind I’m using an $8k tube pre into $10k parallel 300B monos.

@krzysztofgilowski1736 28 күн бұрын

It would be great to hear demos of different qualio speakers side by side. :) Do you know if there is a store where i can demo them in Gdańsk, Sopot or Gdynia?

@grommie Ай бұрын

How do these dacs compare to weismann dac204? A sounds more live and detaild in seperation. Stereo image is telling a better story imho. I think people will prefer B for more (distorted?) bass.

@DonPrimitivo263 Ай бұрын

Try to compare the Dac's but can only enjoy the sound of this amazing speakers😂 love them totally if i save the money i try to test them in GER or PL.

@SpaceEncounter Ай бұрын

Last month I heard the Qualio speaker at the High End Munich show and I didn‘t like the midrange. It seemed to me a little bit forward in the midrange and not cohesive sounding speakers. I would love to hear a DAC comparison with different speakers.

@mitchellburns92 Ай бұрын

What digital streamer are you using?

@vekanoid Күн бұрын

Did you tried Holo Audio Cyan 2? How it compares to these?

@irishman-GalesHSB Ай бұрын

It would be curious to hear the difference between these 2 when fed with PCM instead of DSD.

@johenkay1129 6 күн бұрын

I preferred DAC A, it's mids were not as fatiguing as DAC B's. DAC B caused me to wince on certain songs.

@buckaroobonsi555 Ай бұрын

I thought DAC A had better low bass and DAC B had better Mid's. On Vocals I liked DAC B better. On the instrumental segments it was harder to tell which one I liked better they each had things I liked but I am sticking with B! B is my final answer especialy on vocals! Both sound great though! I would not feel short changed with either.

@richardsaila8073 Ай бұрын

This is the first time I can't hear any difference. So the individual price/feature/looks preferences have to decide.

@shkermanshahi Ай бұрын

Thanks for the review and sound demo. I wish you have tried LAIV Harmony in NOS mode pcm and Hqplayer at 760k.

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

I will do a Laiv no upsampling vs pcm 705.6 vs DSD 512 comparison. Thanks for the idea ;)

@critic86 Ай бұрын

@@VirtualHiFi The most interesting comparison would be DAC 200 + HQPlayer DSD512 vs Laiv + HQPlayer PCM705.6 (since Laiv converts input DSD into PCM internally)

@shkermanshahi Ай бұрын

@@VirtualHiFi as @critic86 mentioned, Harmony does not support native DSD. So please compare it with dsd512 on t+a using pcm 768 on Harmony

@a3marketing991 Ай бұрын

DAC A is the one for me. Better all around, but B sounded real good.

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

thanks for sharing ;)

@FernandoMartinez-ho3ey Ай бұрын

Please make the comparation of the Wiim Pro Vs Wiim Pro Plus

@rubinsteinkleer8334 Ай бұрын

I think you might be mistaken on LAiv including all taxes, shipping and vat in there £2700 price. When I did a pre order on there website over £500 was added to the £2700 as tax. They do handle customs clearance, shipping vat etc, but as I understand it, you do have to pay all duties,. Please correct me if im wrong on this as I cancelled the order because of it.

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

Hi, that is my mistake I checked yesterday and need to correct it asap

@rubinsteinkleer8334 Ай бұрын

@@VirtualHiFi Ive just checked in my country (uk) and Harmony DAC is now available as a pre order at £2,599 all inc, excellent !!!

@matytinman Ай бұрын

Both sound very good and different, and it is very easy to tell when it is one or the other. It is a matter of the rest of the team, the music you listen to and personal taste. And money. Whoever does not appreciate the differences has a problem with their audio system

@AdiMaco Ай бұрын

Dac A is a bit harsh but somehow more direct and a bit closed in. Dac B is not harsh at all and is more open and, the soundstage is larger. I have also heard a small distortion on the left channel with DAC B, on low frequencies. Oh my god, on the 3rd song, I could not stand the harshness of medium frequencies with DAC A. With DACA the low frequencies are more controlled and again I have herd in the left channel some distortions on low frequencies (bass-drums) on DACB.

@robotstonka7118 Ай бұрын

They are pretty close, but T+A D200 was better to me. As you said, it's more natural, open and transparent. That Laiv sounded a tiny bit squash to me and definitely not as transparent, but for what it costs, it would be hard to complain about it.

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your opinion 😊

@User_not_found_403 Ай бұрын

In my system, DAC A had a little more forward vocals, clearer separation and edges and soundstage width a little more narrow - seems the opposite of your impression. With DAC B, I find it a little more neutral and natural sounding - sound stage width was not so contained as with DAC A, its seemed to be more enveloping and expansive, yet more subtle. less stuff popped out. Kinda hard to distinguish between the two blind I think. We had visual cues when A and B switched in the video, not sure I would notice so much if I didn't have those. I suppose for the price, the harmony is a great value considering the sound quality is so close.

@User_not_found_403 Ай бұрын

Listened to this a few times now and I think I get it now...Initially the clarity, edge and separation of A commanded my attention more, but it's a little artificial. Kind of like on cameras with lenses that are ultra sharp digital in nature. Initial wow factor but hyper-realistic. This is why people like vintage lenses, or put a black mist filter to take off the digital edge. I can see how for longer listening sessions the naturalness and analog nature of B is really appealing.

@skyidea Ай бұрын

Thank you for share

@stevemd8947 Ай бұрын

OK - I am going to open a "can of worms" so to speak. The T+A is delta/sigma. My experience with DS is that the treble is pushed forward/airy but the soundstage is not as dense or filled in. Whereas, the R2R soundstage is natural and filled in. R2R the treble is more natural. I own the Adcom GDA 600 DAC which is R2R and 30 years old. 99% of my listening is to classical piano music. The Adcom R2R provides a rock solid piano image which DS does not provide. I am not saying one is better than the other but my preference is R2R. The DS open airy pushed forward sound ruins the treble response of a piano CD recording. So, I am going to buy the Holo Cyan2 and Laiv Dac and do some extensive listening. I might also buy the Holo May.

@patouskii Ай бұрын

T+A is delta-sigma (8x BB1795) only for PCM-signal. In this case it was fed with DSD512, which T+A handles through a dedicated design. You could say there's two completely different DACs inside DAC200. I own DAC200 nowadays and upgraded to it from Holo Spring 3 lvl 2, which DAC200 outperformed. Clearly better dynamics and bass punch, more airy and 3D soundstage. Holo sounded thicker and denser, but smaller and flatter also. I also use HQPlayer to upsample everything I play to DSD256.

@adamos9879 25 күн бұрын

DAC A superior. Tonally, both similar. Where DAC A (T&A) really outshone the Harmony was in the way it organized the musical presentation. DAC A was more organized with yhe center image surrounded by space/ air. The Harmony presented what I perceived to be more of homogenized 'wall of sound' , with the left right sides of soundstage bleeding into the center. Yes, DAC B, the Harmony, sounded tonally similar but in my opinion the T&A was significantly superior. The presentation sounded more believable to me.

@albertwahyu2299 Ай бұрын

Harganya berapa tuch?

@phillipmorris9847 Ай бұрын

A for vocals and symbols, B for everything else

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

Thanks for your vote 😀

@fidelizer. Ай бұрын

DAC A is more transparent and more true to source. DAC B is more controlled and can make any transport sounding okay.

@tictocbang7443 Ай бұрын

No question for me, it was B (Laiv). I would find DAC A too fatiguing after a short time, even though it checks a lot of boxes.

@BobCoalWater Ай бұрын

Through my headphones, DAC B has that same sound I hear when an amplifier is really good at controlling bass, but I am not in the room.

@justasimplefox Ай бұрын

Any chance you can review Fezz Equinox? 😊

@Vamon_Kinctuarinwhe 6 күн бұрын

Comparing a $7,600 DAC vs a $2,700 DAC?

@dennishaley4443 28 күн бұрын

DAC A is hollow and somewhat fatiguing.....B is a beautiful, full sounding DAC.>>> IMHO...Especially in the vocals and soundstage.

@dennis3779 Ай бұрын

The TA 200 is a nice dac with volume adjustment. Forget the Laiv hype. Just buy a FX Glass Dac or Cyan 2 dac or Teac 505. Or try the NewOntech or a Sugden Dac 4 or the AAdac with volume adjustment 🤔

@dennis3779 Ай бұрын

I see again, I even was saying that even before I listened this second comparison, A is so much less artificial even with artificial music instruments and now listening via my floorstanders but yet, even though all those hassle with dacs, it is not even vinyl or even mastertape analog quality. You can buy a nice MM or MC element for less than 1000 🤔

@word2RG Ай бұрын

T+A is the next level up, but is worth twice the price? If you can afford it!

@ralbin5734 Ай бұрын

Think I prefer the clarity and dynamics of DAC A... Before you revealed which DAC is T+A. Though... they're very close...

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

thank you for sharing your opinion ;)

@stijnvanderlooy5311 Ай бұрын

Import taxes are added in the last ordering step of the laiv. So it comes on top

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

Thank you I'll try to update the video with some text correction

@user-cf2bu6if2k 23 күн бұрын

DAC A FOR ME THX

@Soundapple Ай бұрын

Not true about VAT - it’s not included in Europe. Real price in Europe is 2999 EUR from Audiophonics, 150 EUR more expensive if you buy direct from Asia.

@mediascapes2011 29 күн бұрын

could you please something a little more demanding, like Yuja Wang Prokofiev, this is just too easy for the the system, thanks.

@richardseibold7795 Ай бұрын

They sound the same but the Laiv is $4000 less!

@dennis3779 Ай бұрын

The FX Glass dac or Cyan 2 is even cheaper and better. Even better the Arcam A5 or higher up has a dac and comes as well with amp function and multiple inputs 🤔

@justasimplefox Ай бұрын

No no no, tax and VAT is not included for Europe. Please check your with supplier 🙏 i´m 100% sure

@VirtualHiFi Ай бұрын

hi, I just checked and you are right. I did misunderstood since only in the last step in the basket it added a 600$ tak to the order. so yes you are right thank you

@justasimplefox Ай бұрын

@@VirtualHiFi 🫡😊

@D1N02 Ай бұрын

@@VirtualHiFi €2999,- at Audiophonics

@williams9117 Ай бұрын

@@VirtualHiFi In Europe you. can buy it from Audiophonics for 2999€ with VAT included.

@dansisternas9158 Ай бұрын

Here in France the Laiv is sold 2999€.

@kineahora8736 24 күн бұрын

Well, when there’s a price difference of 3:1, the expensive equipment had better be reproduceably identifiable as way better. And it just wasn’t.

@beslemeto 3 күн бұрын

I think Venus II is better than either of them...

@cesarjlisboa7586 27 күн бұрын

DAC B away better

@vitalll84 18 күн бұрын

T+A is better

@dzemoski45 Ай бұрын

We are splitting hairs here, barely any difference.

@fatdoi003 Ай бұрын

this is splitting hair.... dac A better on instrumentation and dac B better on vocals

@C0wb0yh3nk Ай бұрын

It"s not true about the €2700 you have to pay €500 vat in europe, so it's €3200!!!

@kineahora8736 24 күн бұрын

Some of the audience here doesn’t live in Europe- for instance me

@C0wb0yh3nk 21 күн бұрын

@@kineahora8736 But in the the video you mention specifically that there is no vat or anything even for Europe, you just pay 2700. Which is not true for Europe!!!

@kineahora8736 21 күн бұрын

@@C0wb0yh3nk I didn’t mention anything in the video-I am not in the video🤣 Europeans pay a VAT. I just bought something at Audiophonics and the listed price included a VAT, until i entered my shipping address in the US, and then the VAT was removed from my price…