Let me first start by stating that the Pecan Pi is a really good DAC. Not just for its price, but compared to DACs at double, triple or quadruple the Pecan Pi's modest asking price. The Pecan Pi has a number of strengths and only a few subjective weaknesses, none of which detract significantly from it's excellent overall performance.
In my listening tests, I compared the Pecan Pi to a Chord 2 Qute (US$1500 - discontinued, now replaced by the Chord Qutest US$1900) and a Kinki Studio DAC-1 (US$2000). An unfair comparison, perhaps, but I wanted to hear whether the Pecan Pi could go toe-to-toe with DACs in the next class up (price-wise at least). Could this new light-weight contender slug it out some the with best established middleweights? The Chord and Kinki have excellent reviews and as an owner of both, I was very familiar with their particular sonic attributes, strengths and weaknesses.
One of the first things I noticed about the Pecan Pi is its wonderful sense of pace and timing and significant dynamic prowess, which is comparable to the Chord 2 Qute and superior to the Kinki DAC-1. The Pecan Pi is no shrinking violet and brings a real joie de vivre and foot-tapping boogie factor to musical proceedings.
The mid-range of the Pecan Pi is lifelike and full-bodied, with performers and instruments existing in their own clearly defined space, yet remaining connected as part of the overall fabric of the performance. It is more sophisticated than the mid-range of the 2Qute , if not quite up to the standard of the DAC-1. Treble is clean and extended with only the faintest wisp of sibilance present, once again a step up from the 2Qute, although falling slightly short of the silky smooth treble of the DAC-1.
On balance and in absolute terms (with cost removed from the equation) the Kinki DAC-1 is still by go-to mid-priced DAC. The areas (as I hear them) where the Pecan Pi falls just short of the Kinki are in soundstage depth, centre image focus, treble sophistication and harmonic decay. The soundstage via the Kinki DAC starts at the plane of the speakers and extends many feet to the rear. By comparison, the soundstage on the Pecan Pi is slightly foreshortened, extending a little in front of the speakers and a little behind. Or put another way, the Pecan Pi's perspective has you sitting in the front few rows of a concert rather than in the middle or rear of the hall. With the Pecan Pi there is also a sense of a slight smearing of the centre image and the merest hint of a silvery sheen in the treble region. Likewise, the Kinki provided a greater sense of harmonic decay as notes trailed off - through the Pecan Pi they seemed ever so slightly truncated.
If that sounds a little harsh, on the positive side, the Pecan Pi made the Kinki DAC sound a little soft, slow and small. Everything seemed energised and supercharged via the Pecan Pi, which made for a thoroughly immersive and engrossing listening experience. Overall the Pecan Pi reminded me an awful lot of the musical presentation of the Chord 2Qute, but with some noticeable improvements in the mid-range and treble. By comparison, the 2Qute sounds a little coarse and rough about the edges - like a rowdy party animal compared to the more sophisticated Pecan Pi.
So there you have it - the Pecan Pi is absolutely capable of stepping up a weight class and slugging it out with several highly-regarded DACs in the US$1500 - $2000 range. It's a wonderful all-rounder and strikes a beautiful balance between dynamism and natural tonality and will rarely leave you wanting for more. If it lacks the nth degree of treble purity, image focus and harmonic complexity, that is only noticeable in comparison to a DAC that is four times the Pecan Pi's asking price. I preferred the Pecan Pi to the Chord 2Qute which for several years was one of the critics favourite in the under $2k DAC category - yes, the Pecan Pi is that good and for its asking price is an absolute steal and a massive sonic...
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