August 2009

DARED DV-6C 5.1 Channel Tube Hybrid Integrated Amplifier
Bringing tube magic to your home theater room.
Review By Anthony Nicosia
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  DARED is the registered trademark of Shenzhen Danyigao Audio Equipment Limited which was founded on mainland China in 1995. The name DARED is derived partially from the Chinese phrase, "Dan yigao" which means "High-end tube amplifier and artistry". In English DARED is an acronym which stands for Daring, Artistic, Reliable, Elegant and Definitive. The company specializes in tube equipment products and therefore has hired many highly trained professionals with vacuum tube backgrounds to work for them. All amplifiers are tested with their state of the art equipment and "run in" for hours by actual audio engineers before being shipped out to their respective worldwide distributors.

Looking at pictures of their product line I must say they are all very beautiful and that there is quite an assortment of products. While they mainly make amplifiers, both power or integrated, they also create preamplifiers and phono stages as well. All in all I counted a production of twenty-four pieces of audio gear, three each from both the "Flagship" and "Imperial" series with five from the "Mini-Series" and thirteen more from the "New Classic Series". Today’s review of the DARED DV-6C is from this "New Classic Series" line. Before I even received the DV-6C I must admit to being impressed with its price to value ratio as it sells for only six hundred fifty dollars. However after unpacking it and holding it in my own hands I was equally impressed with the quality of workmanship and beauty of its design at this price range. The owner’s manual is very simple to understand and comes with the normal warnings that you should always read before attempting to operate or setup the DV-6C. Of particular note is to leave on the cover for the three tubes as they get very hot to the touch and are particularly dangerous around babies and small children or even animals who could be tempted to touch them. This warning is of course normal with any tube equipment and with the translucent tube cover on I never had a problem with it getting too hot.

Functions And Features
At 6 x 65 watts, all channels driven, this hybrid Class A single-ended triode amplifier is quite powerful yet at the same time both musical and warm. It does this by using a solid-state power amplifier blended with a three 12AX7 tubed preamplifier to form a hybrid integrated unit to bring tube magic to your multi-channel home theater system. The DV-6C was designed for analog only with no digital signal processors and no digital interfaces making it simple yet reliable. The tubes rest inside some gold tube sockets. There are also TDK coupling capacitors and a 400w high-grade torroidal transformer to help prevent overheating. The DV-6C is quite simple to install and its small footprint easily fits in places where it might be difficult for other units to maneuver about in. The DV-6C is only 6 inches high, 7.5 inches wide and 13.75 inches in length. It's loudspeaker adjustments are straightforward and switching from two-channel to multi-channel is simple via the knob on the front panel or by using the supplied remote control. On the front panel there are only two knobs. You can use them to control volume, to select between two or 5.1 channel audio and to adjust various settings such as balancing the sound between the six possible loudspeakers. To adjust these  settings simply press the channel selector knob for one second to the proper setting for the amount of loudspeakers you will be using, 5.1, 5.0, 2.1 or 2.0, and then adjust each loudspeaker with the master volume control knob.

Even though it is marked 5.1 it is still a six channel amplifier that can be connected with a passive subwoofer. Do take note that when you first turn on the DARED, via the switch on the right side, that it will gradually revert back to the last setting on the master volume knob of the previous listening session so it is a good idea to lower the volume before turning off the system. It takes ten seconds for the amplifier to enter its full operative mode and the AUX/5.1 indicator light on the front panel to light up. Green is for AUX and where you would hook up for two-channel setup on the rear of the unit, while 5.1 is for multi-loudspeaker playback. On the same right side of the unit is a voltage switch to set for proper usage depending on the voltage in your house. Next to this is the fuse holder in case the need arises and you need to change a fuse. Looking now to the rear of the unit you will find an IEC power outlet to connect the supplied power cord, a speaker output terminal for up to six loudspeaker cables and the signal input section to connect your audio source to the DV-6C. I do wish though that there was more room on the back for the loudspeaker cable hookup as it did get quite crowded. Also it would be nice to see a terminal which accommodates not just bare wire but also banana and spade loudspeaker terminations as well. It was explained to me that this spring type loudspeaker cable terminal was used because of the limited available space on the back of the amplifier.

At only six hundred fifty dollars I would not mind seeing the price raised a bit to accommodate a large amplifier with ample room for audiophile type binding posts that would allow high-end speaker cable use. The signal input section marked AUX is for two channel hookups like a CD player and one marked CEN (for the center channel loudspeaker), SW (subwoofer), two for SR (for both left and right rear surround sound loudspeakers) and two more marked FR (for both left and right front surround sound loudspeakers). On the remote control, which is small and rather thin (both traits I find appealing), is a mute button and controls for volume as well as a power on/off control. There are also buttons to control the volume settings for the various loudspeakers which allows you to remain seated in your listening chair as you do so. All in all a simple yet very functional remote control that fits easily in ones front shirt pocket or out of the way on the table. Please do understand though that there are no video hookups on this DARED as it is an audio only piece. No problem really as I like connecting my video sources directly anyway. I am a believer in the straight line approach when possible so that there is less chance of distortion and noise to enter the system.

Movie System
I Inserted the DV-6C into my home theater system displacing the Marantz Audio/Video SR880 MK II receiver. For this review I used a Samsung HD-841 Universal audio/video player which had RCA outputs for all five channels plus a subwoofer. The subwoofer outlet than hooked up directly to my Martin Login Dynamo powered subwoofer and then out to the DV-6C via an RCA cable. There were no loudspeaker wire terminals for the Dynamo and so none were used to connect it to the DV-6C but rather just the single RCA cable. Luckily my loudspeaker wire was already bare ended and therefore posed no additional adjustments on my part as they easily hooked up to the DV-6V filling all the loudspeaker terminal inputs, sans the subwoofer loudspeaker cables as previously mentioned. Video output on the Samsung was done through a component video cable linked directly to my JVC projector. All RCA cables connected to the DV-6C were some very good quality Audience Conductor e cables. Since there were no video hookups with the DARED I will discuss only the audio portions of the following four movies for this review. Also since I was using a powered subwoofer (I did not have a non-powered one on hand) I preferred not to discuss the subwoofer audio portion of this review in any great length as it was not relying on the power from the DV-6C. I can tell you this; I would use a powered subwoofer for a system with large non-efficient loudspeakers like in my home theater. The Dynamo subwoofer I inserted into the loop sounded just great with the DARED and posed no problems at all. I would think though that a non-powered subwoofer would work in the proper environment with the right loudspeakers but I could not test this.

From the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [WB 59388] I noticed immediately that the sound coming from all five loudspeakers to be quite clear. You could sense the softness that these three tubes brought to my system while still retaining the solid-state power that this 65-watt hybrid amplifier proudly displayed whenever it was called upon to do so. There was one scene when a rather larger tower clock at the school struck midnight causing a very large bell to toll. This bell rung with just the proper amount of decay as one ring of the bell’s sound overlapped into the next. It sounded like it brought a slightly greater depth to the audio portion of the movie than my solid-state Marantz receiver did. Scenes with "magical" flames and scenes of fireplaces, took on an added layer of realism as the sound from these flames had a soft natural texture to them. I felt more drawn into the movie as if I was actually in the room hearing the flames flicker but a few feet in front of me. Then of course there was the sound of magical spells as they were being cast which give an added aspect to the illusion of wonder and amazement to some scenes. Again I believe that the hybrid sound of solid-state and tubes tended to allow for what I believe was a more magical experience. The DV-6C gave the movie a soft yet three-dimensional appearance which enhanced the overall feeling of the soundtrack.

Turning now to the movie, Gladiator [Dreamworks Home Entertainment 86386] I just had to play the famous opening battle scene, "Hell unleashed". Here the DV-6C added a nice dimension of subtleties to the movie such as the sound of arrows shooting through the air with a gentle yet detailed feel as they pierced through enemy lines. As fire balls were catapulted again each had a nice soft swishing sound to them as the flames were sent high into the morning sky until they crashed down onto the terrified troops below. There was, during this battle, a scene with a dog running and breathing hard where its panting appeared quite realistic as were the sound of its paws upon the soft forest floor as he charges into battle. Later in the film, during scenes from the "The Battle of Carthage" whenever swords were unsheathed or blood splattered, as a person was struck by a weapon, I sensed that some solid-state edginess to these sound had been somewhat softened. Again I believe this was partially due to the introduction of the three tubes to my system through the preamplifier section of the DARED. The breathing of horses and the galloping sound their hoofs made as they struck the hard ground beneath them seemed to have an added three-dimensional tone to it. Of particular mention were scenes involving a background violin musical score as tubes tend to soften the sound of violins while giving a more involving texture to their sound.

A little less detailed yet without a hard edge to them, the violins sounded quite natural. During a scene from "Maximus the merciful" the roar from the tigers had a nice lifelike timbre to its tone. Another reason it is good to inject a tube hybrid amplifier into a home theater system is that dialog sounds so much better with tubes added. Tube collectors have often noted the seductive midrange that tubes can introduce into a system.

It was during the many narrative moments from the movie, Seabiscuit [Universal 23288], that the DV-6C seemed to shine most prominently. Small subtle sounds can make all the difference in scenes when you listen carefully. I particularly liked the sound the DV-6C gave to the clank the ring bit made as it was being put on one of the horses before a race with Seabiscuit. The sound of rain gently falling the night before one of the big races also benefited from this slightly softer approach. During the race at Santa Anita there was a very beautiful musical score with a full orchestra accompaniment as the sound of horns and percussions took on a very relaxed sense of grandeur adding much to the enjoyment of watching the race.

Lastly I must mention the video Star Wars The Phantom Menace, [Lucasfilm Ltd and TM discs 1 and disc 2]. There is, as always, the opening logos scene where the THX sound is displayed and believe me the DV-6C did it justice. The power of the bass, with the Martin Login subwoofer, and the clarity of the sound stemming from the DV-6C was reproduced in a grand manor at strikingly high volumes. This was a truly impressive moment for the DV-6C. It shook up my room with the power of the armada when they descended on a planet to look for the Jedi knights or when spaceships increased speed as the sound of their thrusters opened to full power. During the famous race scene at the end I often felt as if I were a part of the movie. Sounds were coming from all five of my loudspeakers enhancing the illusion of being brought deep within the race. Overall I liked the combination of the power of a solid-state amplifier coupled with the taming effects of a tubed front-end. The details within each movie are where the tubes were particularly helpful as well as with dialog. Do not however overlook the DV-6C's solid-state side as it also could stand alone with its own good merits.

DARED DV-6C Within My Stereo System
When used in my two-channel review system I decided to forgo connecting it up to as many high end pieces as I could and instead kept it relatively simple. I used only its original power cord, plugged it into the wall outlet directly (although the outlet was a PS Audio power port receptacle) and did not use my DAC but rather only an inexpensive Samsung HD-841 universal player. Interconnects were Audience Conductor e (the company’s basic entry level cable) and the loudspeaker cables were a ten foot pair of bare wired Tributaries that I believe only cost one dollar and fifty cents a foot when purchased new maybe ten years ago. I played everything through my Klipsch Klipschorn (1989 version unmodified) loudspeakers since they do not take much power to fill a room with great sound and can be picked up for about two thousand dollars on the used marked in good condition. I figured people buying the DV-6C would not put it into an expensive high-end setup so I adjusted the associated equipment in a way I thought appropriate.

With the Jackson Browne song, "The Road", from the CD Running On Empty [Asylum 6E 113-2] I found the DV-6C to throw before me a rather large soundstage with pretty decent depth to it. Bass was fairly strong and vocals quite clear but the best part was David Lindley on fiddle. The fiddle had a nice truth to its tonal quality was well as a proper sense of attack to the transients. As for noise, this is one quiet amplifier and I mean not just for a tubed unit but even rated as a solid-state device as well. Moving along now to Joan Baez's song "Amazing Grace" on the CD Classics Volume 8 [A&M Records CD 2506] I thought to test the amplifiers layering abilities. Here with her rendition of the song Joan Baez gets the audience to sing along with her. She does this for not just part a small of the song, as is quite customary with performers, but rather for the entire length of it. The song lasted for four minutes and thirty two seconds which gave me a change to fully appreciate the DV-6C's ability to properly layer the soundstage. I could hear not only the separation of Joan Baez from the audience but the rows within that audience as well. Again the soundstage from left to right was also good.

Feeling the need to test the DV-6C in a more complex musical environment I next played the Santana CD Abraxas [Columbia/Legacy CK 65490], which was the 30th anniversary expanded edition 24-bit digitally mastered version. The DARED DV-6C appeared to have no problem with a full soundstage of drums, congas, keyboard, bass and lead guitar as well as two vocal accompaniments from the song "Oye Como Va". This song is hard to just sit down and listen to as it makes one want to get up and dance which I could have easily done hearing it through the DARED. For a six hundred and fifty dollar integrated amplifier it handled everything quite well. Before leaving the DV-6C I thought to insert my more revealing Legacy Focus 20/20 loudspeakers into the equation, which when new listed in the mid six thousand dollar range for the basic finish (mine is rosewood and retailed for a little over seven thousand dollars). Here re-listening to "Oye Como Va" I noticed more clarity in the higher frequencies and detail coming from the keyboard as well as better texture from the voices of Carlos Santana and Gregg Rolie. Going back also to Jackson Browne's "The Road", as previously mentioned, I heard  better truth of timber from the fiddle of David Lindley. These differences I noticed had to do with the change of loudspeakers showing that the DV-6C could be placed in a more high-end environment and still not be embarrassed. Please do not get me wrong this little inexpensive amplifier could not compete with the equipment in my review rig but it also was not out of place there as well. Yes it did not sound as open, especially at higher volumes, detail was not all there and no bass notes did not growl at me like when I reviewed the Bryston 7B SST squared C-Series mono block amplifiers which retailed for $7990 a pair. I am hoping you will not expect it to be on par with true high end gear when purchasing this amplifier. What I am saying though is that it surprised me with how far it went with what it does and that I could be very pleased using it as a two channel amplifier in a moderately priced system. Give it about forty minutes to warm up those tubes then give it a listen and see for yourself, I know I was sure glad I did.

Conclusion
Sometimes simplicity is key and with the DARED DV-6C I must say it surely has worked here. It is lightweight, simple to use, small in size plus has the added value of offering both tube and solid-state magic to its sound. Add the fact that it sells brand new for only six hundred fifty dollars and I was floored. The DV-6C can be an excellent choice for a young student in college living in the dorms, for use in your office space, attached to a computer for gaming via the 5.1 channel mode, in a dedicated home theater setup or even used as a two channel system alone. If your high school or college kids are used to listening to MP3 and iPod-like sound, you just might want them to try the DV-6C and see what they think. If you have SACD and DVD-Audio plus a universal or dedicated player, here is your chance to hear them played back through a cost effective 5.1 channel setup with tube warmth added into the mix.

No, it does not have an HDMI or optical input and video processing must be done elsewhere such as hooking up the DVD player directly to the TV or projector. But for what it did and what you pay for this is one product worth every penny of what they charge. Lest we forget I would also like to again mention that it worked wonderfully as a two-channel integrated amplifier which was worth its full selling price even if you never used its multi-channel capabilities for home theater. As for its warranty most others offer only ninety-days on their vacuum tubes where the DARED includes the tubes in their twelve month limited warranty. I defiantly liked that.

Overall for what you are paying you get a product that seems should be selling for a great deal more than its asking price without sacrificing sound quality or craftsmanship. Do not confuse this with amplifiers of lesser quality that are mass produced and selling at popular consumer stores. This is a high quality amplifier using good design philosophy and quality parts. If you want to bring a touch of tube like sense to your home theater sound, give the DV-6C a listen. Looking at the ratings below you will notice that on "value for the money" I gave it a 4.0 out of a possible 5.0 and another 4.0 on "self noise" as this was a very quiet amplifier. Overall this is a great first product for the company’s first leap into multi-channel playback and I am very glad to have given it a listen.

The Listening Environment
I have converted my two car, side by side, garage into a seventy percent home theater room and thirty percent storage/laundry area. The concrete floor where I listen has a pad and carpet covering it, with a five by nine foot oriental style area rug placed the long way in front of my main viewing area. The section allocated for home theater is eighteen feet long by twelve feet wide and a little over nine feet in height. The distance from the viewing screen to the main sitting area is about seventeen feet. One sofa is off to the left facing the screen the long ways (so that you may lay down to watch) with a bureau behind it, the main viewing area sofa is about a foot from the rear wall opposite the screen with a bookcase to its right and an audio/video rack to its left. The wall behind this sofa is adorned by various pictures and artifacts. My two main floorstanding loudspeakers are just in front of the wall to the left and right of the screen about eleven feet apart, measured from the center of both loudspeakers. On the floor just below the screen is a floorstanding center channel loudspeaker while the rear loudspeakers are to the left and right of my sofa just barely behind my ears. All the center channel and rear loudspeakers are identical, the only difference being that the rears are mounted on short floor mounting stands. The subwoofer is located to the left of the main sofa with the driver facing the floor below it. This subwoofer is situated on the concrete rather than carpeted area of the room. The Projector is mounted on the ceiling in a custom made device that can be moved front to rear as well as up and down if need be. The viewing area has no windows and thusly is in a dark environment with the section of the wall where the screen is mounted painted a Merlot (dark Burgundy) color.

Review Equipment
Projector: JVC DLA-RS10U Reference Series 1080P projector

Screen: Permanently wall mounted Carada Criterion Series 16 x 9, 118-inch diagonal screen with their 3.5 inch wide velvet trim frame that is 1.5 inches deep with the Brilliant White projector screen material

Audio/Video Receiver: Marantz SR880 MK II

Samsung HD-841 Universal player for Video playback and SACD/DVD AUDIO and Redbook Cd

DVD playback system and Gaming: Sony Playstation 3 Blue Ray Disc player with PS Audio LAB II power cord

Loudspeaker audio cables: Monster Cable flat series cables for the two front Polk loudspeakers as well as the two rear loudspeakers and a Canare 4S11 cable for the center channel loudspeaker. All the cables have bare-ends.

HDMI Cable: Mediabridge Ultra -High Speed 120Hz Version 1.3 Category 2, Blu-ray fifteen foot HDMI cable

Fiber Optical Toslink Cable: Eforcity six foot digital audio optic interface cable

Power Conditioner: Monster HTPS 7000 Power Center

Front Loudspeakers: Polk Audio SDA-SRS floor standing loudspeakers (thirteen drivers per side)

Center and both rear loudspeakers: Optimus Pro LX-10 loudspeakers by Radio Shack

Subwoofer: Martin Logan Dynamo 200-watt powered subwoofer with ten inch aluminum element woofer that can be used either in the front or down-firing configuration (I use it down-firing)

Specifications
Type: 5.1 channel tube hybrid integrated amplifier
Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 22 kHz
Tube Compliment: Three 12AX7
Power Output: Six channel at 65 watt per (4 Ohms)
Inputs: One stereo and one 6-channel all via RCA
Output Mode: 5.1, 5.0, 2.1 and Stereo
Volume Adjustments:
     Sub-woof: -60dB=60dB
     Front: -12dB=12db
     Surround: -12dB=12dB
     Centre: -12dB=12dB
     Master Volume: -60dB=60dB
Distortion: Less than 1% (55w at 1KHz four ohms)
SNR: Greater than 88dB
Input Impedance: 47K ohms
Size: 13.75 x 7.5 x 6 (DxWxH in inches)
Weight: 13 lbs.
Colors: black or silver
Warranty: one year parts and labor limited warranty, including tubes (see manufacturer for details)
Price: $650

Company Information
E-mail: dared@daredtube.com
Website: www.daredtube.com

United States Distributor
JPZ Technologies Inc.
1212 S. Naper Blvd., Suite 119-287
Naperville, Illinois 60540

Voice: (630) 632-4630
E-mail: info@dared.us
Website: www.dared.us