Firestone Spitfire Mk II DAC - update

T

the record spot

Guest
Okay, here goes again...! Tried out the offer Audio Elevation have on this DAC (£100 off), so will let you know how it goes when it arrives. Going by the last series of reviews, this range did well, so hopes are high.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Pros: Connectivity (3 inputs, optical, coa, USB, with balanced XLR and standard phono outputs), functionality (3 phase settings - linear, minimum and steep, it also remembers the setting you used for a given input, when you use it rather than resetting to a default setting each time), good/excellent build, keenly priced, clear sound.

Cons: The resulting sound doesn't match the hype. I found it clear, detailed, but lacking the life the Marantz gives recordings, or the Airport Express manages to dig up from the computer based files I have. In this respect, it was a disappointment and it simply didn't stand up to close scrutiny in my system.
 

Richard Allen

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Jan 9, 2010
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With the greatest of respect RS, gien the vintage of your system, doesn't seem like that DAC you just tried will hold much with anything of the modern era. If your system can find fault ( no disrespect to your system ) I don't think I'll bother coz I was going to buy one.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Hi Richard, not sure I follow your comments exactly. Do you think the amp is too old? A mere stripling at 34 you know...!
 
the record spot:Pros: Connectivity (3 inputs, optical, coa, USB, with balanced XLR and standard phono outputs), functionality (3 phase settings - linear, minimum and steep, it also remembers the setting you used for a given input, when you use it rather than resetting to a default setting each time), good/excellent build, keenly priced, clear sound.

Cons: The resulting sound doesn't match the hype. I found it clear, detailed, but lacking the life the Marantz gives recordings, or the Airport Express manages to dig up from the computer based files I have. In this respect, it was a disappointment and it simply didn't stand up to close scrutiny in my system.

Cheers, RS. Reason why I ask is I'm trying to see how it translates to my set-up. Heard Gerrard's DAC at his place on the Cambridge, and it seemed to be a very noticable difference.

Just trying to get some reassurance. This is a world I know nothing of and the change of format, on the surface sounds better than my Arcam, seems pretty daunting to me.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Nope JD, only that in my system, when I used the same source files off the HDD/iTunes, the AE did a better job. Whether the DAC in the AE is higher spec than that in the DM, I don't know. The arrangement in the DM is more complex, but the performance in my stereo didn't rack up well against either the AE or the Marantz.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
@shooter69 - well, funny you should mention that!

I finally picked it up yesterday. I'd bought it off Ebay last Wednesday, phoned the seller (Audio Elevation in Doncaster - highly recommended, Ian's a decent bloke and do check out their site) the next day to have it sent to my work address, but, as it's a fairly big company, the Royal Mail batch everything up that's going there and it finally arrived yesterday (Monday).

Thanks to being out with a mate last night, I only got it up and running today. It's a neat little unit, and nicely built. Not battleship standard, but robust enough for normal use. I've had it running about four hours now and cutting to the chase, it leaves the DACMagic standing.

There's a nice depth to the bass, full midrange and the treble's there without being in yer face. Currently running one of my test discs (Genesis' "A Trick of the Tail" mastered by Barry Diament) and it's so close to the CDP it's untrue. Yes, it's really that good. Freeview radio also benefitted immesely. Compared to the SA7001-KI, it's a little hemmed-in soundwise, but really, this is a minor quibble. What you get is a spacious, rhythmic and wide open sound that lets the music live in a way the DACMagic toiled to achieve. The DM wins out over connectivity, but the sound is what counts.

The Spitfire II takes three inputs - one each from USB, coax and optical connections. There's no selector, nor does it tell you the incoming or outbound rates, but I can live without that - no biggie.

Given its diminutive size, this'll fit nicely just about anywhere, but one little thing to consider is the brightness of the lights on the fascia - the blue power and green lights are pretty bright and I found also reflect off the surface off the TV stand. Long and the short of it is it might be better to position the unit sideways on and/or away from your line of sight to avoid distraction. Again, minor issues.

For £250, this is a good piece of kit, well built, with great sound and I'm happy to recommend it readily, even after this short time. I bought mine, as I mentioned before, for £150 and thanks to a discount which I think will run out soon, it's a steal. Anyone looking for a cheap, effective and high performance solution, particularly where funds or space might be limited (or both!) should shortlist this little DAC for audition at the drop of a hat. To my way of thinking, this is the giant killing budget DAC on the market right now; a Goliath in David's clothing if you will.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Good review - there is also the USB only Firestone Fubar II which also uses a Burr Brown DAC and at around £125 less than half the normal price.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
True enough - if you can get your hands on the introductory offer though, then the Spitfire II is £150. Nice range of products though - delighted with the latest acquisition.

Should add I tried the Spitfire with the Sony S370 Blu-Ray player today and that was very interesting. Need to compare against the Marantz a little more, but the Yes album "Fragile" sounded magnificent - and of the brief comparison I did against the KI, was a little ahead on proceedings...!
emotion-3.gif
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Okay, the deal was on EBay but not through Audio Elevation's own site. One other site had it for £150 too though the name of that one escapes me.

Edit: the other site mentioned above is Ardhowen Hifi, so check there too.
 

idc

Well-known member
Great review RS. I am still delighted with the Fubar and Supplier. Would you consider getting the Supplier as well? For me it added dynamics to the sound. I agree about the brightness of the LEDs.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I've found this very interesting reading.

I had the MkI on loan for a week or so, using it nearly round the clock. At first, I'd have been tempted to endorse certainly the drift of the record spot's remarks, but, as I listened closely, a began to detect some hardness in the upper midrange/lower treble. The trouble is, when you've identified a flaw, however slight like this, it's hard not to ignore it in future listening, and, to cut a long story short, I gave the unit back.

The WHFSAV test also found this, which, when I read the test, led me to wonder why they gave the DAC 5 stars since, for me anyway, it is a flawed piece of equipment.

I thought this DAC did many things well, so I'm just wondering whether they've fixed the problem in the MkII. It was particularly noticeable in female vocals, such as Joni Mitchell's Blue (it's a hard recording anyway, which is also why I use it as a test piece) and, more worryingly, in the first Norah Jones CD.

Have you noticed any sign of this, the record spot? If you could try the same recordings, that would be excellent. My feeling was and is that the Firestone is potentially an excellent DAC, were it not for that slight hardness problem.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I bought the V-DAC with the power supply upgrade. It lacks the hardness I noted in the Firestone, but otherwise is its equal. It does work out quite a bit more expensive, however, once you factor in the PS upgrade.

Haven't heard the other DAC you mention.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
I think there's a power supply upgrade for the Spitfire II - might be around £95 though. One other thing I noticed. When the DVD player switched off, connected to the DAC via HDMI to the TV and optical to Firestone, it makes a loud static / crackling noise through the speakers. Any ideas folks? Doesn't happen when anthing's being played though.
 

Craig M.

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Mar 20, 2008
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this happens to my cousins adms when he plugs his tv optical into them, but it only happens when changing channels - he gets a split second of noise, and then back to normal. maybe your tv briefly does something 'weird' when the signal to the optical is cut.
emotion-42.gif
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Okay. Seems to be consistent with your report - nothing to worry about there then. Will report back later when I get a chance to run the thing with female vocals - been a bit busy since it arrived so not had too much time to spare with it!
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Okay, so, been running it with some vocal pieces tonight - Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell, Katie Melua and some Bach, courtesy of John Eliot Gardiner conducting Orchestre R‚volutionnaire Et Romantique and Monteverdi Choir!

Have to say, I didn't detect much in the way of "glare". The tone is clear, with good depth and dynamic when the music needs it to be. In short, highly listenable. I tried other pieces out too and I thought the Spitfire II performed admirably. I also ran it with the Sony Blu-Ray player and it pipped the Marantz for sound quality. A touch clear, more focused but not so analytical as it becomes a case of the sum of the parts trouncing the whole.

End result, I'm really very impressed with this DAC. I suspect I'll be splashing the cash soon on the additional power supply in the shape of the Firestone Supplier at around £100 which results in a greater yield in sound quality.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Save your cash and wait or get into DS, its the way forward!!!!!! Unless you ahve alot of decent vinyl and a good TT, then CD is dead.
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Need to excuse my ignorance but DS...? I wouldn't say CD is dead, there's plenty of life in the format yet, but the trend is very much towards downloads and convenience and computers lie behind much of that. There will always be a market for CD however.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I think DS=Digital Streaming, by which I hope they meant hi res FLAC downloads and not Spotify...

The CD will live on, but only for nostalgia; a hi res download is magnificent (studio) source quality and can add something to the mix which you can't get anywhere else. The downside is you need a DAC that handles 24bit inputs, preferably on USB.
 

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