Digital Processor Reviews

I auditioned the UltraLink II on its own and in comparison with the original UltraLink, the Audio Alchemy DDE v.3 (which offers terrific sound for the $799 price), the DDE v.3 with Audio Alchemy's DTI v.2 and the I²S bus interface (the DDE v.3 and DTI v.2 are sold together for $999), the Classé DAC 1 (reviewed elsewhere in this issue), and, as an absolute reference, the Mark Levinson No.30.5 Reference Digital Processor. Transports included the Mark Levinson No.31 and new $2295 Sonic Frontiers SFT-1. The Theta Data Basic that I normally use as a reference in affordable transports is back at Theta being updated to a Data Basic II.

The processors under audition fed a Sonic Frontiers SFL-2 linestage, which drove a pair of Audio Research VT150 monoblocks. Loudspeakers were Genesis II.5s, connected with short runs of AudioQuest Dragon II. Interconnects included the superb WireWorld Gold Eclipse (balanced and unbalanced), AudioQuest Diamond (unbalanced) and Diamond X3 (balanced), and AudioQuest Lapis. Digital interconnects were Illuminati DataFlex Studio (coaxial), AudioQuest Diamond X3 (AES/EBU), and WireWorld Gold Starlight (coaxial and AES/EBU).—Robert Harley