The products by YBA always had a special personality, both acoustic and aesthetic. In the past, they had made a move towards more modestly priced products, essentially creating a new brand, but within the context of these financially difficult times, they went one step further and, with their new series, it’s obvious that they understand that things have changed.

So now even those with more modest budgets can purchase one of their products without spending a fortune. We are talking about the new YBA converter with the code-name WD-202, which is quite reasonably priced. The small price-tag is obviously due to where the device is manufactured, namely China (the design and development were, of course, carried out in France by YBA). The first surprise comes upon opening the package, as the device is only 32 cm wide instead of the usual 44 cm. This, combined with the fact that there are no lateral bolts, gives this converter a very solid feel.The construction is very good and the chassis is particularly sturdy.The front, top and sides are made of black, brushed aluminum panels and are very well assembled. The bottom and rear are made of a single, thick steel plate.

Looking at the front panel, on the left side next to the YBA logo, we have the power switch.

Next to that is a vertical array of LED diodes that serve two purposes:
They indicate which digital input is selected and the output volume if we have selected it to be variable.

Then there is the input selector and the remote-control sensor and next to that, approximately in the middle of the front panel, are two push buttons that control the output volume.The headphone jack is on the right side.On the rear panel we have: on the right, the power supply plug with integrated fuse protection.Moving on to the left are two ports (one for eventual future software upgrades and the other for control through an external infrared port).

Next are four digital inputs that cover any connection requirements including a coaxial digital output. The inputs include 1 AES/EBU, 1 USB port, 1 optical port and 1 coaxial.We move on to the digital outputs which, besides the standard RCA, also include balanced XLR ports. The connectors are standard quality.We were also very pleasantly impressed with the construction quality of the device’s remote control. It comes in an elegant pouch and can also control other devices by the same maker. Furthermore, it allows the user to select variable output level.
 

Article was published on: 2010-06-19

In Depth >>

To enter the WD202’s “inner world”, one has to remove the bottom by unscrewing a series of hex-screws. The first thing that stands out is the quality of the craftsmanship.After disconnecting three little connectors that tie the front panel with the main circuit board and which control the device one can examine the “heart” of the converter.It consists of a high quality main circuit board. The manufacturer has managed to keep it relatively small by using several surface support materials.

Let me add at this point that I was duly impressed with how well the main circuit is affixed to the chassis.
 

Let’s start with the power supply which is based on a very good C-core transformer that has an input filter for the elimination of interferences from the mains grid. The transformer has three secondary windings. One at 6,5 volt 2 Ampere that feeds the digital circuits and two at  14 volt 0,3 Ampere for the analog section.The power supplies are of good quality and high capacity (about 20000 μF in total) with excellent capacitors.Depending on their use, there are capacitors by Nichicon, Rubycon as well as Panasonic.
In the power supply for the digital section and its clocking του we found three 7805 stabilizers whereas in the one for the analog section are the familiar 317 and 337.

As far as the digital circuits are concerned, the one “receiving” the USB input signal is the ever-popular PCM2704 by Burr Brown with 16Bit resolution and 48 KHz maximum sampling.The CS8416 is the digital signal receiver, while the SRC4192 handles the up-sampling.Finally, the conversion of the digital signal to analog is performed by Burr Brown’s PCM1796, with a 24-bit resolution and sampling at 192 KHz.The converter’s analog section uses four double 2134 op-amps, again from Burr Brown.These also act as filters and convert the PCM1796’s output current to (I/V) tension, and also serve as buffers for the now analog signal.As a whole it is a very well constructed device, both circuit-wise as well as in material quality.

Article was published on: 2010-06-19

Listening >>

We got a device that was brand new so we thought it necessary that it work for a few hours before beginning auditory evaluations..So after leaving it plugged-in for a few hours, playing music at a low volume, it was time to see – or rather hear – what’s what. We mostly used the coaxial input, and -of course- also the USB.

The converter’s character becomes apparent within the first few seconds. Summed up in a few words, we would say it is pleasant and relaxed.It is an ideal companion for prolonged hours of listening, with no fussing about how and why, but merely listening to our favorite music. Deep tight bass, body and the harmonics of the instruments as well are all present.

More specifically for each frequency spectrum are, we observed the following…

The deep, low frequencies’ range is more than adequate with the notes from the double bass, the electric bass and the church organ all present with plenty of air. The whole tonal balance appeared correct in my system  and doesn’t infringe on the rest of the spectrum.The transients attack is very good and discreet and did not distract us or leave us wanting for more.The low mid-range area is well placed and appears as a logical and balanced continuation of the low range. The percussion beats and piano notes have the correct volume. The male voices gain slightly in weight and texture, which makes their presence slightly more impressive. The same applies to the string sections within intense sequences.The voices and instruments whose main content is the – very important – midband are the ones who can characterize WD202 as being soft and airy. but not thin sounding.The sound is under no circumstances aggressive and, consequently, listening never becomes tiresome.This relaxed approach keeps the listener calm while the area’s transparency and fullness of information are more than sufficient.High frequencies have a good range, with excellent speed and decay. Their volume is quite sufficient and in none of the music genres we listened to did they sound zippy,etched or distorted at extreme. We can say that they were very well placed and consider them to be one of the WD’s stronger points. YBA design is a clear winner in these areas.

The converter creates an image of adequate width, which extends through the limits of the speakers, accurately pinpointing the placement of each instrument and performer and giving a good sense of depth.The general impression it leaves is that we are listening from the first rows of a concert hall. Despite this, YBA knows very well how to avoid listening fatigue, unlike some other major converters near Design's price that may sound thin or etched on many rather well recordings.
 
When comparing this converter to other, much more expensive ones of our reference system, we noticed a slight lack of energy in the percussion beats, especially in the low frequencies, as well as a slightly poorer set of information and detail retrieval.
 

Article was published on: 2010-06-19

Conclusion >>

This move by YBA to give the opportunity of acquiring one of their devices to people who could only dream of it up to now is a welcome one.If we add to this the impeccable – for the price – craftsmanship and its more than adequate capabilities, we have here a device that is a very advantageous buy.The very slight shortcomings of its sound are certainly more than justifiable for its price category.
 

Petros Menidiatis

petermenidiatis@yahoo.gr

Article was published on: 2010-06-19