Comparisons:
Comparing the XI Audio SagraDAC to a similar product is not easy, due to its resistor ladder design. But there are some D/A converters in my arsenal that I really want to compare the XI Audio DAC to. The first is Chord Electronics’ impressive FPGA loaded Hugo TT2. The other is a more traditional silicon DAC chip converter from Matrix Audio – the Element M.
Comparisons were done using Roon as my main source, building zones with the units. All of them have been implemented in my two channel stereo system and set to DAC output.
Mentioned prices are in USD and correct at the time of writing.
Chord Electronics – Hugo TT2 (5,495$)
The Hugo TT2 comes in at over 2,000$ more expensive than the SagraDAC. While the XI Audio is a plain DAC only, the TT2 takes things a little further and also gives you a headphone amp and a pre-amp output. In terms of technical specifications the Chord also goes higher up the samplingrate ladder, offering DSD up to DSD512 and PCM up to 32bit/768kHz. Both units offer you a wide array of digital inputs. Although Chord doubles down on the optical inputs compared to the SagraDAC, it does not come with an I²S input like the XI. So if you really need HDMI input, Chord won’t be a choice here. If you’re after Bluetooth then you can’t walk past the TT2.
In a sonic perspective these two are quite different. The XI Audio DAC is smoother, more organic and warmer overall. It creates a smaller stage, gives lesser resolution and does not paint a picture as clean as the Hugo TT2.
The Hugo TT2 sounds grander and bigger, it gives better separation and a darker background for enhanced imaging capabilities. The SagraDAC does come out on top for pure enjoyment to me though, with its ability to just kick back. The Hugo TT2 on the other hand excites me more with its sound. It keeps my attention on at all times.
The XI Audio DAC has softer notes throughout, which the Hugo TT2 trades for precision and utmost detailing. This is an area where the Chord certainly comes out as top dog. It presents more details up to the finest of micro details.
In the treble region, the Chord sounds a bit more brittle and sharper. But that doesn’t mean that it sounds piercingly sharp, it’s just that the SagraDAC is noticeably smoother and softer up top. Just like it displays throughout its entire frequency range.
Matrix Audio – Element M (1,799$)
The Element M is one of the nicest discoveries I made last year. On paper it is quite different to the SagraDAC. The Element M is a network enabled D/A converter with adjustable outputs. It also comes with a headphone amplifier built in, which the XI Audio as a pure DAC doesn’t offer. The Element M also allows the user to connect storage to the unit. You can hook up your USB harddrive or put in a micro SD card in the dedicated slot.
The XI Audio SagraDAC again displays a more natural sound. It is smoother, lusher and richer overall. The Element M does have the edge when it comes to sheer resolution. The Matrix Audio DAC/Amp has a more forward sound, that is a bit more exciting than the one from XI. The SagraDAC however again wins when it comes to pure enjoyment. Nothing lets me sit back and enjoy my tunes than the SagraDAC.
The Element M is a snappier sounding device. It presents a similarly constructed stage, but reaches further into depth. It layers the scene with higher accuracy than the SagraDAC as well. The SagraDAC however places instruments better on a left/right scale. Although it does not separate them as sharply as the Element M, it manages to catch their performance with very high accuracy still. The Element M on the other hand gives a darker background and better contrast from it to the musicians playing.
The Matrix Audio Element M also comes with a certain flavor of richness in its sound. While the SagraDAC has a smooth richness, the Eement M has a more glowing one which is especially noticeable in the upper mid-range and treble section. The SagraDAC has a softer sound, that’s more silk covered than the saturated one of the Element M.
Conclusion:
R2R digital to analog converters have always tingled my fancy. With their realistic and rich sound, especially in the mids, it is an easy to love D/A flavor. The SagraDAC comes fully equipped with exactly that. It has a hyper-natural and smooth sound, that can turn my brain off at times and just lets me enjoy what I came for – music.
The XI Audio SagraDAC creates a well organized sound stage, where musicians can find their spots easily. Although it might not be the largest of stages that are constructed, it gives an impression of a living room concert, which might just be the thing to kick back to.
XI Audio has made a wonderful product with the SagraDAC and they definitely have found a fan in me. Now let me get back to my Nina Simone records.
Joon
I have this DAC and I also owned the Metrum Pavane L3. They sound similar: organic and smooth, emminantly listenable and not in your face. I also owned the Hugo 2 which grated on my nerves after some time; sort of like long term listening to cello music for me.
XI Audio is under the radar but they make superb components for the music; there is a reason why Abyss collaborates with them. People would do well to audition their components, especially if they are into music and not gear.
Andrew Denis
There’s a reason why this DAC is the top recommendation for pairing with the arguably best headphone in the world, the Abyss 1266 TC Phi— it is capable of revealing every nuance of musical detail that the 1266 is capable of reproducing, without sounding overly analytical, unforgiving or fatiguing in any way.
I own or have owned a wide range of DAC’s at prices from under $50 to almost $40K, and this is at a very rare place in that I could easily use the Sagra in place of any of those other DAC’s and never look back. I wound up selling two DAC’s after acquiring the Sagra. It should cost more than the Chord Dave, which it betters in many respects, while it constantly reveals musical details in music I have listened to for years, but had never been fatiguing.