Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Massdrop CTH + SDAC DAC/Amp
01 / 10
Massdrop CTH + SDAC DAC/Amp
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
3.5K requests
·
1.5k Sold
·
Free Returns in USA
Product Description
The Massdrop CTH + SDAC DAC/amp brings two of the community’s favorite designers together in one affordable, easy-to-use package. It features the Massdrop x Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid Amp (or CTH), built from the ground up by the founder of Cavalli Audio—a legend in the world of headphone amps Read More
You Might Also Like
search
close
Sort by: Top Conversations
keyboard_arrow_downtessierpg
Sep 8, 2017
I am not sure what is the advantage of having both in one box. The price is the same minus the10$ difference. Okay it uses less space and it's maybe better for esthetics, but having the DAC and amp is separate boxes is better for future changes of one of the components. Also if one component malfunctions, the other is still worth of Keeping. If I read the specs, the SDAC inside still relies on USB power and not on the internal power supply of the amp (tell me if i'm wrong here...) , so using this thing with an iPhone or iPad you still need a powered USB hub (except if you choose to plug the iPhone or iPad in the input of the Amp and bypassing the SDAC using the front input switch, which is not what you'd be expected to want).
CEE_TEE
3480
Sep 8, 2017
Hello Everyone,
First thing to mention: If you participated in the launch of the Cavalli Tube Hybrid standalone version and you want this combo version with the Grace Design Standard DAC, you may contact customer service to upgrade. (You can cancel your previous transaction if you are switching to the purchase of this version. To do so, click in the upper right-hand corner on your profile icon to access the drop down menu. Select “Transactions” from the menu, find the CTH order and click on the “CONTACT SUPPORT” link to submit your request. Please note that the combo unit launch does not guarantee serial numbers below 550.)
EDIT 9/11/2017: If you contacted customer service to upgrade from CTH, we will be reaching out to you even if you received a reply over the weekend that you could not cancel (things were not fully set up for the upgrade but many of you were helped).
About this collaboration…
I came to work at Massdrop as a customer and a fan of custom products. Massdrop brings audiophile community desires directly to partners in order to make customized versions of our favorite products.
The next exciting step in the evolution of the audiophile custom product program was to commission a new design and enable scaled-up production of a favorite boutique designer such as Alex Cavalli. Massdrop’s new production & supply chain makes much higher volumes possible and higher volume allows for lower pricing.
Today’s introduction of the Cavalli Tube Hybrid, in combination with the Grace Design Standard DAC, adds the new ability to bring together our best partners and create novel product combos that wouldn't normally be possible.
This DAC/amp combo is the culmination of Alex Cavalli's amplifier design capability, Grace Design's DAC engineering capability, the community's desired product features, plus Massdrop's hub of partnership & manufacturing capability- resulting in a new, accessible, high-performance product.
First thing to mention: If you participated in the launch of the Cavalli Tube Hybrid standalone version and you want this combo version with the Grace Design Standard DAC, you may contact customer service to upgrade. (You can cancel your previous transaction if you are switching to the purchase of this version. To do so, click in the upper right-hand corner on your profile icon to access the drop down menu. Select “Transactions” from the menu, find the CTH order and click on the “CONTACT SUPPORT” link to submit your request. Please note that the combo unit launch does not guarantee serial numbers below 550.)
EDIT 9/11/2017: If you contacted customer service to upgrade from CTH, we will be reaching out to you even if you received a reply over the weekend that you could not cancel (things were not fully set up for the upgrade but many of you were helped).
About this collaboration…
I came to work at Massdrop as a customer and a fan of custom products. Massdrop brings audiophile community desires directly to partners in order to make customized versions of our favorite products.
The next exciting step in the evolution of the audiophile custom product program was to commission a new design and enable scaled-up production of a favorite boutique designer such as Alex Cavalli. Massdrop’s new production & supply chain makes much higher volumes possible and higher volume allows for lower pricing.
Today’s introduction of the Cavalli Tube Hybrid, in combination with the Grace Design Standard DAC, adds the new ability to bring together our best partners and create novel product combos that wouldn't normally be possible.
This DAC/amp combo is the culmination of Alex Cavalli's amplifier design capability, Grace Design's DAC engineering capability, the community's desired product features, plus Massdrop's hub of partnership & manufacturing capability- resulting in a new, accessible, high-performance product.
CEE_TEE
3480
Oct 23, 2017
Hi @kidau & @Heex,
Sorry...at this time we are not re-opening the standalone CTH drop. But thank you for asking!
rastus
1391
Nov 14, 2018
CEE_TEECan the CTH work with the additional filament current draw of an E80CC tube?
Heliosiah
20
Oct 25, 2017
I got a pair of HD650's. Haven't gotten my Schiit Stack yet, which I was planning on getting cause I wasn't liking what I was finding for any more money without going for the 500$ units. How do people think this unit would be? Would it be a little warm?
Uzuzu
1431
Jul 22, 2018
Jude always has a higher-than-thou stance when dealing with people. Can't say it changes the fact blind ab testing was banned on headfi, especially when it showed people couldn't tell a difference between a 300 dollar setup versus a 10,000 dollar one...
remember, Jude isn't operating a forums about hifi, he's operating a forums making his sponsor's products look good. Step out of line = ban.
RyCan
144
Oct 25, 2018
Would something like a Magni3 or a JDS Labs EL AMP provide better support for the HD650/6XX?
SoundMix
55
May 23, 2019
Do yourself a favor. Buy something WITHOUT tubes. Tubes are meant to color sound, or as some say, warm-it-up. Get a Topping DAC, something without tubes, it will sound better. I've worked the past 40 years as a recording engineer in many studios. None of the equipment used for making music has tubes...none. So why muck it up with a tube now?
Strikerr
8
Sep 12, 2017
Upon taking a look at the PCB I see that there is a MCI Transformer Corporation 4-05 series Low Profile PC Mount transformer. It is not an EI core as you stated. It also has 10 pins as can be seen on the data sticker. That tells me power is separated to each channel through 1&2 , 3&4. Outgoing to each channel are 3 pins using a center tapped secondary winding that can be used to provide 2 anti phase (or balanced) signals. As for sharing a ground, it would not require one as long as it complies with all double insulation standards.
Jackula
1743
Sep 12, 2017
StrikerrThanks I'll trust you on the windings as I don't have the board in front of me. But the transformer is still an EI core regardless of the model number or the company that made it, and suffers from the same native deficiencies of EI core transformers.
jersey_boy
197
Sep 8, 2017
so uh i most certainly would not have bought the cavalli amp drop had i known you were gonna release a dac/amp with the same design, and would have jumped straight to this.
apudapus
3
Sep 8, 2017
jersey_boyAgreed. Any chance of cancelling the previous drop for this one instead?
jforce713
50
Sep 8, 2017
In the comment section on the CTH drop people were speculating that the design of the amp with the fairly useless 4-pin output implied a further development by MD towards the the implementation of an eventual integrated DAC, but that was nevertheless only conjecture as MD had not announced an upcoming combo unit. Now that this is known to be the case, and not only that, but that the DAC section is the collaboration DAC from a drop that just ended, I hate to parrot everyone in the comments so far, but yes that is a completely shitty move. I didn't purchase either unit, but certainly they both appeared tempting. Can we agree on a boycott of this drop? MD has drifted away their previous business model and relied increasingly on dishonesty which overstates the box price of drops and now, it appears, dropped a product which they ought reasonably to have seen that the majority if not all of the customers of the previous drop would want over their finalized orders. MD would do well to remember the customer base that made them the power they are in the audio world.
CEE_TEE
3480
Sep 8, 2017
jforce713Sorry for the late first post, we had a partner visit this morning!
You may opt to upgrade to this combo unit if you bought the standalone:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-cth-sdac-dac-amp/talk/1807349
CEE_TEE
3480
Oct 23, 2017
Hey All,
Good news!
Massdrop had several new amps, DACs, and DAC/Amp Combos available at the same time. This way, people had the maximum amount of choices we could provide and still produce before Chinese New Year.
We got the jump on some long lead time parts to try and speed up production where possible (even before the numbers came in).
After the dust has settled, we are going to have enough parts to build 300 more CTH+SDAC combo units than we sold on the first drop.
So, we are going to re-open the drop to give another chance to get in on the first run of CTH+SDAC combo units without affecting the original shipping date.
Hopefully this helps some of you where the timing was not right or you didn’t know about these products during the initial launch!
Good news!
Massdrop had several new amps, DACs, and DAC/Amp Combos available at the same time. This way, people had the maximum amount of choices we could provide and still produce before Chinese New Year.
We got the jump on some long lead time parts to try and speed up production where possible (even before the numbers came in).
After the dust has settled, we are going to have enough parts to build 300 more CTH+SDAC combo units than we sold on the first drop.
So, we are going to re-open the drop to give another chance to get in on the first run of CTH+SDAC combo units without affecting the original shipping date.
Hopefully this helps some of you where the timing was not right or you didn’t know about these products during the initial launch!
RockyMountains
478
Nov 8, 2017
I've got one of those units on order, and TBH the enclosures seem a bit on the budget end (I could be wrong and would love to be surprised when it arrives), so I really don't care about how they look or how neatly they stack on top of each other.
If I was going to be fussy about stacking or appearances, I'd shell out for it and also not have to wait several months. Thankfully for my wallet, I don't need to be fussy.
If I was going to be fussy about stacking or appearances, I'd shell out for it and also not have to wait several months. Thankfully for my wallet, I don't need to be fussy.
smile17
69
Sep 9, 2017
I feel like this is a half baked product. Most dac/amp combos over $50 in the market have some kind of output, either RCA or 3.5mm. This combo has exactly none. I already can imagine the uproar when Massdrop comes out with the "better and improved" version that includes the preout. I usually buy separate dac and amp for ease of upgrades anyway, so I won't be joining this drop, just want to put in my 2c.
Showing 180 of 618
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop