译者miniwang推荐：来自6moons总编Srajan的评测，作为自购D300REF作为转盘的多年用户，本次系统采用D300REF和iMac作为转盘。
6moons网站成立至今已经二十余年，作为专业评测媒体，拥有十余位资深发烧器材评测员，并在国际HIFI领域有着不俗的影响力。
本文只节选第六页、第七页声音相关的内容和结论，更多原文信息请将下方链接拷贝到浏览器中阅读。
https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/soundaware-pa1ref/
在DAM1表现下，一切都意味着：绝佳的声音。如果套用我对顶级解析力的通用评判通式：不影响听觉的情况下将声压压制到几乎没有声音的跃动的能力，那么Soundaware 这款DAC的解析力就非常出色。然而，解析度并不仅仅包括让你分辨出很多细节。它还包括声音的质感与厚重感。这种质感感通常会随着所谓的解析度提高而减轻。DAM1 的调音大大延缓这种影响，这让它在极低的声压下成为一个美妙的耳语精灵。考虑到这套夜间系统的优化正是为了不打扰经过楼下或楼上走廊的美丽女士“ivette”，这种美妙的耳语声就像高速公路上拍打的羽毛一样高高竖起，意在将过往车辆引向下一个匝道的美食店或其他景点。这根羽毛上写着 "保持平静的同时更多地倾听"。在我看来，这可以说是音响必须具备的最重要的品质，就是所谓的在低音量时依旧能保持说服力。然而大多数评测几乎没有涉及这一点。从技术角度讲，我们称之为极佳的 S/NR。细分起来，这个词是衡量一个元件的自身噪声低于标准信号的程度。经典的电子管放大器可能只有 80dB。如今最好的数字放大器可以达到120dB。我们系统的分析力受限于整套系统中最薄弱的环节。DAM-1 可以测得 140dB，但却因为功放的80dB限制而被取消资格，被剥夺了闪闪发光的金牌。这足以说明，我设计这套系统的初衷是为了实现静音效果。它让 DAM-1 的特殊优势大显身手，而DAM1确实潇洒自如地实现了它。
With the DAM-1 it all meant the same: terrific sound. If we apply my generic formula for top resolution—the ability to choke out SPL to barely a pulse without killing off listening desire—Soundaware's compact reference converter was exceptionally resolved. Yet resolution didn't just cover the realm of how many needles fit on a fir tree. It included tonal substance and weightiness. Such physicality routinely lightens as so-called resolution crystallizes. The DAM1's tuning significantly delayed that effect. That made for a wonderful whisper freak. Seeing how this night-time system is optimized precisely so I won't disturb Ivette right below this room or down the upper hallway, freakish whisper chops stood tall like flapping freeway feathers which mean to divert passing traffic to the next offramp for a food joint or other attraction. This feather read 'listen more while you keep the peace'. In my book it's arguably the most important quality a hifi must possess. It's called remaining persuasive at low levels. Yet most reviews barely cover it. Getting technical, we call it superb S/NR. Broken down, the term is a measure for how far below a standard signal a component's self noise falls. A classic valve amp might only post 80dB. Today's best digital can eclipse 120dB. Wherein lies the proviso. Our system resolution is only as good as our weakest link. The DAM-1 could measure 140dB yet get disqualified and stripped off its shiny gold medal by said 80dB amp. Suffice to say that I curated this system for silent suavity. It allowed the DAM-1's special strength to strut. And boy did it sashay and swagger.
关于密度和动态：将我的设备调到这里所说的 "金色传说 "级别，只是加强了数据密度。用这个词来形容 DAC 的核心魅力再合适不过了。它确实能在音箱之间和后面挤满各种大小动态的声音。不要条件反射认为声音像挤压的沙丁鱼罐头一样闷，也不要联想到像结块的猫砂一样死板。恰恰相反，这种声音充满了空气感和灵动性，充满了空间感和活力感。传到我座位前的声波，感觉就像一群**群众在举行一场为了得到更好声音的**活动。当然，一个五人乐队并不会突兀多出两个演奏者，那听起来太傻。更多的只是一些细节。它为两个平面声源试图在我们大脑中伪造 3D 成像的画面增添了真实感。即使是初烧的设备也能检索到所有主要的大音量声音。而随着电子设备、扬声器、周边辅助设备和设置的升级，在这些主要的声音的周围和背后会出现一些微小的细节。我称其为 "可听空间 "或 "（音乐的）结缔组织"。它将各种场景结合在一起，成为一个有凝聚力的突破口；一个显然发生在另一个时空的突破。随着越来越多的隐藏在表面下的数据细节从不可听上升到重要的级别，HIFI画面的轮廓也不再是平面的三原色，而是经过精心着色的浓重色调。这些色彩创造出图像的纹理和形状。它们让周围的空间变得清晰可见。这在它们之间建立了特定的相互关联性或背景。我们的房间被它们划分了不同的层次，结构分明。这使得它的“空”反而非常充实（被音乐的动态和细节填满）。
Cranking my rig to what around here leverages lecherous leprechaun levels merely intensified data density. That's an excellent term forthis DAC's core attraction. It really packed the expanse between then behind the speakers with sounds big and small. Don't think sardinestuffiness. Don't conjure up clumped cat litter. Au contraire. This sound had plenty of air and agility, space and spunk. The sonicoccupancy fronting my chair just felt like more audio protesters had shown up for a better-sound demonstration. Obviously a 5-piece band didn't suddenly gain two extra players. That'd be silly. The 'more' was microscopic flotsam. It added realism to the sketchiness of two sound sources attempting to fake up 3D imaging in our brain. Even a beginner's rig retrieves all primary big sounds. As electronics,speakers, ancillaries and setup improve, tiny stuff materializes around and behind those primary sounds. I call it audible space orconnective tissue. It binds together various images into one cohesive happening; one which clearly took place in another time and space.As more and more tertiary data rises above inaudibility to matter, the hifi sketch's outlines fill in not with flat primary colors but carefully shaded heavily variegated hues. Those create textures and shapeliness of images. They make visible the space surrounding them. That builds specific interrelatedness or context between them. Our room's empty space sorts and structures into layers. Its emptiness is really full.
关于背景和解析力：称它为像宇宙真空一样的黑暗是不恰当的。背景黑的意义在于，在它的衬托下，白色会产生最高的信噪比或对比度。当然，这根本谈不上音乐纹理变白。我们把背景称为 "更黑"，是想调侃顺便提醒一下，不像DAM-1显示屏较差的对比度，“我们在闪亮的玻璃后面看一个合适的苹果retina级的分辨率的设备，从而最清楚地看到一切”。除了在背景 "黑 "的方面我们能享受到卓越的对比度之外，高分析力的声音背景也未曾缺席。它们像是密集反射和光晕一样的存在。试想一下，池塘里的小蝌蚪在朦胧中游动。而现在更高的解析度会将更多的光照进那里，从而可以发现以前从未见过的丰富的生命。但这也有层次之分，DAM-1 可以穿透通常情况无法穿透的阴暗处。每当我们对一个系统有了深入的了解，并在不使用更高的声压级的情况下，将新的设备突然加入到系统中，使其听起来更加真实、丰富和饱满时，我们就完全可以使用更高的分析力。我们不需要说得更具体，实际上，更高的解析力仅仅意味着听到更多的声音。就是这样——非常基本，却又非常美好。当然，如果没有参照基准，"更多 "其实毫无意义。要知道，Soundaware 所替换的两台 DAC 分别是：Denafrips Terminator Plus（带 12 周年固件更新）和 iFi iDSD Pro Signature，它的解析度比这两个都高。
Calling it pitched blackness like interstellar vacuum is a misnomer. Black only applies in the sense that against it, white creates the highest S/NR or contrast. We simply don't talk of images getting whiter. We call backgrounds blacker to suggest that unlike the DAM-1's poor display contrast, we look at a properly back-lit Apple Retina equivalent behind shiny glass to see everything most clearly. Quite apart from this 'black' aspect against which we enjoy superior contrast, highly resolved sonic backgrounds aren't solid absences. They're packed presences of reflections and image haloes. Think tiny tadpoles flitting about a pond's murkier measures. Now more resolution shines extra light in there. It uncovers bounteous life where before there was none. Hifi 101. But there are levels to it and the DAM-1 penetrated murk which usually remains off limits. Whenever we know a system intimately and dropping in new kit suddenly has it sound more present, rich and full without playing tricks with higher SPL, it's perfectly legit to invoke higher resolution. We needn't get any more specific. In practice higher res simply means hearing more. That's it; super basic but super beau. Without frame of reference, 'more' just really means nothing. So know that the two DACs which Soundaware replaced were a Denafrips Terminator Plus with 12th Anniversary firmware update; and an iFi iDSD Pro Signature. It was more resolved than either. C'est ça.
更多的是铿锵有力的音调。Rubato的专辑曲目 "Mapushanelere Attim Postumu"就是一个很好的例子。这首歌由低音单簧管、大提琴、电贝司、土耳其班卓琴（又名 cümbüs ）和八度双声人声组成。它给人的感觉有些沉重，甚至有些浑浊；就像肉汁太多，而维生素不够。Soundaware 采用固定增益模式，分接自动变压器处理无损衰减，分辨率随着穿透力的提升而提高，将阴霾一扫而空，音色的丰满度也随之提高。这尤其为大提琴和低音单簧管带来了美妙的音质。尽管许多数字音量调节的声音已经好得令人震惊--Ancient Audio的新型顶级 CD 播放器对模拟音量和数字音量进行了比较，并认为后者更胜一筹--但在这里，没有任何一款数字音量调节的声音比模拟音量更好听。我完全熄灭了显示屏，将 DAM1 设为 SAW 模式，对 PCM 进行升频，对 DSD 进行 NOS处理。如果这是我自己的新设备，而不仅仅是借来的，那么我会在这里使用它，也会这样使用它。有一个问题我还不知道答案，那就是昂贵的PA1-REF比标准版提升了多少。或许为了留下最好的印象，SOUNDAWARE这次只派出了它们中的老大。
More mores on guttural conviction and tonal bone. An ace track to make the point is the dark moody "Mapushanelere Attim Postumu" (I made my home in jails) from Rubato's BIr album. It features bass clarinet, cello, electric bass, Turkish banjo aka cümbüs and octave-doubled vocals. It can feel a bit heavy even murky; like too much gravy, not enough zingy vitamins. With the Soundaware in fixed-gain mode and a tapped autoformer handling lossless attenuation, resolution as penetrating in-sight moved up to banish the overcast; and timbre voluptuousness improved in tandem. That gave particularly cello and bass clarinet wonderful sonority. Whilst beaucoup digital signal cut had already sounded shockingly good—Ancient Audio's new top CD player compared analog to digital volume then implemented the latter for being superior—here none was still better. I extinguished the display altogether and left the DAM1 in SAW mode so upsampling of PCM, NOS for DSD. If this were my shiny new kit and not just a loaner, that's where and how I'd use it.One question I haven't the answer to is how much the costly super-cap PSU adds over the standard brick. Hoping to make their bestimpression, Soundaware had only dispatched the big boy.
当jungle drums音乐停止，一切都令人明了：DAM-1在所有模式下都能发出令人血脉贲张的美妙声音。实际上，它与模式或格式无关。虽然有细微差别，但没有任何增减。它们只是略有不同而已。如果您想体验这些细微不同，那尽管玩就是了。而如果你想真正聆听音乐，那就选择其中一种模式，然后忘掉关于模式选择的一切。我选择 SAW 是因为我的名字以 S 开头。回到我之前提出的问题--越来越多的证据表明，中国的高保真音响产品现在可以与欧洲和美国的顶尖产品一较高下。SOUNDAWARE 是否也将加入这一行列？答案显而易见以“Y”（yes）开头，而DAM1只需要一两个仅针对直连后级用户的固件功能升级就能够得到最终的认可。至于在生产质量和声音方面，对于他们来说已经非常不错。而对于其他所有人而言，DAM1可以说是无条件稳操胜券的，这是来自中国高保真界的另一位少林大师。
......When the jungle drums go silent, the truth prevails: the DAM-1 sounds bloody brilliant in all modes. It's actually mode/format agnostic. There are small differences but none take away or add anything. They just go slightly sideways. If you want to play sliders, have at it. If you want to really listen, pick one mode then forget all about the M word. I picked SAW because my name starts with S. To segue back to my earlier question—"if one knows where to look, mounting evidence suggests that hifi components from the PRC now go head to head with top-tier competition from Europe and the US. Are Soundaware about to join this league?"—the obvious answer starts with Y. The DAM-1 is just one or two firmware updates from crossing the final T on some functionality items applicable only to amp-direct users. On build quality and sonics, it's already very much there even for them. For all others, it's home free without qualifications. It's another shaolin ambassador (assassin?) for high-performance hifi from the Middle Kingdom.
