OUR REVIEWS AND AWARDS
X-Factor products were highly estimated by the visitors of the Moscow HiFi & High End Shows in 2022 and 2023 and received the show organizers’ two consecutive “Top High End” awards as “The Best Cost-No-Object DAC”.
Yaroslav Vorobyov (an independent audio reviewer, AVREPORT.ru): “I seized an opportunity to audition the new X-Factor DAC mk. III when we shoot an episode of our “StereoPravda” program at Dmitry Yershov’s premises just outside of Moscow. We managed to conduct a very interesting experiment – to compare the unit’s sound quality (when it was connected to Aurender audio server) with the sonic presentations provided by both a VYGER vinyl turntable and a Studer professional reel-to-reel tape machine. I was completely taken aback by the results of this comparison: with the digital rig in it, the system sounded much more “convincing” to me than when either the vinyl turntable, or the analog tape deck were reproducing the same recordings. You can watch our program, which includes an interview with Dmitry, his detailed discussion of the DAC’s various proprietary technologies and the discussion of the auditioning’s results here: СтереоПравда с Мишей Кучеренко №9 2023. Бескомпромиссный ЦАП X-Factor DAC mk III - YouTube.
Misha Kucherenko (an independent audio reviewer, AVReport.ru/StereoPravda.com): “As of a few days ago, I had a chance to audition [Dmitry’s own] amazing audio system, I fully concur with Yaroslav’s opinion – the DAC does sound fantastic!”
Nikolai Efremov (an independent audio reviewer, Salon Audio Video Online): “The reviewed DAC ‘s sonic properties eventually exceed all capabilities of both vinyl and professional reel-to-reel formats – despite those demonstrated some small advantages over the digital reproduction in some aspects of it, however, you just can’t help totally succumbing to the X-factor mk. III’s overall tide of musical excellence. It’s got the liquidity and plasticity of the Studer tape deck, but added with a tectonic low bass assault and the most transparent top end, and, while its bass articulation and the whole palpability of music presentation is on a par with the vinyl source, then, again, the DAC presents all that within much more extended dynamic range. Even if we would assume that the audio system’s overall sound slightly lacked in some departments, it was obvious to me that those imperfections were having nothing to do with the sound coming off the source components. Nevertheless, the system’s insignificant shortcomings do not stop me from proclaiming that Dmitry’s system IS every audiophile’s ideal come true, and that its sound really left a huge impression on me. As I see it, we deal here not with an “analog” or “digital” sonic characters per se, X-Factor mk. III provides a third kind of music reproduction delivery – which in its overall sonic score exceeds the corresponding capabilities of both the vinyl and magnet tape musical formats.”
Misha Kucherenko (an independent audio reviewer, AVReport.ru/StereoPravda.com): “As of a few days ago, I had a chance to audition [Dmitry’s own] amazing audio system, I fully concur with Yaroslav’s opinion – the DAC does sound fantastic!”
Nikolai Efremov (an independent audio reviewer, Salon Audio Video Online): “The reviewed DAC ‘s sonic properties eventually exceed all capabilities of both vinyl and professional reel-to-reel formats – despite those demonstrated some small advantages over the digital reproduction in some aspects of it, however, you just can’t help totally succumbing to the X-factor mk. III’s overall tide of musical excellence. It’s got the liquidity and plasticity of the Studer tape deck, but added with a tectonic low bass assault and the most transparent top end, and, while its bass articulation and the whole palpability of music presentation is on a par with the vinyl source, then, again, the DAC presents all that within much more extended dynamic range. Even if we would assume that the audio system’s overall sound slightly lacked in some departments, it was obvious to me that those imperfections were having nothing to do with the sound coming off the source components. Nevertheless, the system’s insignificant shortcomings do not stop me from proclaiming that Dmitry’s system IS every audiophile’s ideal come true, and that its sound really left a huge impression on me. As I see it, we deal here not with an “analog” or “digital” sonic characters per se, X-Factor mk. III provides a third kind of music reproduction delivery – which in its overall sonic score exceeds the corresponding capabilities of both the vinyl and magnet tape musical formats.”
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