Theta Pro Basic ll DAC

Bass

The bass has a very strong punch with very good control and speed. When it needs to it can get really aggressive. It’s just insane on electronic music. Love it.  

Mids

The midrange is another very strong point of this old DAC. Everything from instruments to voice sound rich and nicely detailed.

Treble

The treble is quite detailed. It knows when to sparkle and to when to shine. Nicely extended, but not in a disturbing way.

Voices

The voices are nicely textured and extended, with good presence and emotion, but they are still on the neutral side. Their presentation is addictive, as they can create a very intimate bond between the listener and the singer.

Transients

These transients are just amazing. Exploding attack and laser decays, leading to a fast, energetic & exploding sound signature. I find this DAC to be quite unique in this department. Can’t wait to listen to the newer versions.

Details

The details are not something to ignore either as this is another chapter where this old theta shines. You can hear subtle things in the scene, like the movements of the artists, or their breath. But this also extends to instruments and voices which just let more sound get to you.

Soundstage and Imaging

The imaging is very good showing very good precision. The soundstage seemed natural to me, with good depth, but I felt that it would need a little more width.

Neutrality

This R2R dac has a neutral sound signature. It doesn’t fall into either bright nor warm categories.

Textures

Both voices and instruments have very detailed and quite natural textures. Wood sounds like wood, metal sounds like metal, etc. It’s less digital harshness that you usually find in delta sigma DACs.