Introduction

Hi Guys, 

Today we are talking about an interesting DAC from Romania, the Rockna Wavedream Edition XLR. This is the second Rockna DAC I have owned and reviewed, the first being the brand’s “entry-level” Wavelight DAC. I really enjoyed my time with the Wavelight and was always curious what moving up the line to the Wavedream would bring to the table in terms of sonic differences, or improvements. I remember becoming aware of Rockna back in 2014 when I first learned of the Wavedream DAC, and it has been in the back of my mind since then, especially after owning the Wavelight, to get my ears on one and see how it stacks up. 

Now, before we dive into the review I just need to make a quick clarification. There are a few different versions of the Wavedream. There are the “Wavedream Edition” models, in both SE and XLR versions, and then there are the current top-of-the-line models, the “Wavedream Signature” in both SE and XLR. The Wavedream Edition models have the RD-1 R2R ladder modules (2 for SE, 4 for XLR) and the Wavedream Signature has the RD-0 R2R ladder modules (again 2 for SE and 4 for XLR.) The DAC I have here for review is the Wavedream Edition XLR. The current MSRP for the Wavedream Edition XLR is USD 9600. For the rest of the review, I will refer to the Wavedream Edition XLR simply as the Wavedream but do keep in mind that I am talking about this specific model and that other models do exist. 

The Wavedream comes double-boxed, and encased entirely in a foam sarcophagus, with a velvet bag to protect it from scratches. Rockna nails this aspect of product design, and I think that to this day I haven’t come across better packaging and safety for a piece of gear for its journey. 10/10 for packaging and safety. 

When I owned the Wavelight, I felt it was a very solid performer for its price, with good tonal density, very slight harmonic richness and warmth, though not as resolving of details as something like the Chord Electronics DAVE. You can certainly tell that the Wavedream is cut from a similar cloth as the Wavelight DAC, but there are meaningful differences between the two, which became more apparent the longer I listened. 

Tonal Balance

In terms of tonal balance, I felt the bass of the Wavedream was pretty much dead on neutral. Unlike the Schiitt Audio Yggdrasil, which had the most bass I’ve personally heard from a DAC, the Wavedream plays it right down the middle of the field. With that being said, the bass is noticeably hard-hitting, tight and fast, surprisingly so in fact. The bass is more impactful than it was with the Wavelight and also comes across as being more deft and light on its feet. This isn’t a DAC to choose if you want more bass, but if you want high quality, fast and impactful bass with great dynamic capabilities, this Wavedream excelled in those areas. 

The midrange of the Wavedream is interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s warm, especially not in the lower mids. It is not a warm and “romantic” type of sound. There was a slight amount of that with the Wavelight, not very much, but it was there. There is even less of that type of warmth with the Wavedream. The upper mids are slightly forward, and I think this may be part of what helps contribute to the Wavedream’s more forward and upfront type of sound signature. 

The treble of the Wavedream is also slightly more forward than the Wavedream. It does not go as far as being bright but does have good extension in the top end, and I never got the feeling I was lacking any “air” or upper treble in terms of shimmer or sparkle. If you prefer a slightly darker sound from your DAC or want a more laidback type of sound signature, I don’t think the Wavedream is the right choice. It seems mostly neutral through its frequency range but does have slightly forward upper mids, and well extended treble. 

Technical Performance

In terms of technical performance, the Wavedream is up there with the best I have personally heard. Now, I haven’t heard every DAC on the market, but I have heard quite a few. Still, the Wavedream Signature does exist, and the upcoming, teased at Munich High End, Wavedream Ultra also exists, so there must be more that is possible. The detail levels overall remind me of the Chord DAVE but presented in a very different manner. I felt that the Wavedream does the best “Macro” elements I have heard. Macrodetail, and Macrodynamics, it is a really exciting DAC to listen to. It is not that it does microdetails and microdynamics poorly, it is also very competent at those aspects, but excels with the macro elements. The Wavedream is a very hard-hitting and powerful-sounding DAC, it conveys the big dynamic swings of music in a very compelling manner. One thing that is hard to quantify, but I felt was noticeable from the get-go with the Wavedream was its overall sonic “purity” for lack of a better term. There is this overall lack of grain or fuzziness and clarity present that isn’t there to the same level with most other DACs I have heard. This aspect is probably the most compelling part of the Wavedreams overall sound signature. I think that the overall generalization that R2R Ladder-based DACs are more warm and musical across the board is a bit of a mischaracterization, and it depends on the individual implementation and overall design of a DAC that causes its result in terms of sound signature. Overall, the Wavedream is incredibly competent in terms of technical performance. 

Settings/Options

There are a few various options which you can choose from with the Wavedream. There is a linear filter, a minimum phase filter, and a hybrid phase filter. Similar to my time with the Wavelight DAC, I preferred the linear filter at the end of the day. It felt the most tonally balanced and detailed of them all. I’d recommend experimenting with them to see which you prefer. There is also the dither setting, which can be turned on or off. I ended up leaving it on, but with most music didn’t hear a ton of difference, to be honest. The Wavedream does also provide the preamp volume control feature. This is done in the digital domain, so will incur some loss of dynamic range the more attenuation is used, but is very handy for connection directly to a power amp should you not have a dedicated preamp. You can also choose the absolute phase of the output signal from the menu using the phase select feature. There are two clock settings for the Wavedream, stream and local. Nicolae, the head of Rockna recommends “stream” for a poorer source like direct from a laptop, and for a more dedicated high-performance source, “local” is the right choice. 

The build quality of the Wavedream is awesome. It is a large unit and feels very, very well-built. The internals are gorgeously laid out, and the whole thing just feels “high-end.” Combined with the extremely well-done packaging, and handsome but understated looks, I really feel that Rockna has nailed the “high-end” type of experience. It really does just feel like a quality piece of equipment in every way shape and form. 

Comparisons

In terms of comparison, the Chord DAVE is the most obvious comparison from DACs I have owned, apart from the Wavelight which I have compared to throughout this article. The DAVE has very similar overall detail levels, but presents the music in a different way. It is a more cold and clinical type of sound, with slightly less emphasis on dynamics and overall impact. The DAVE seems to have slightly more micro details and is slightly more delicate in its overall musical presentation. Out of the two, I prefer the Wavedreams presentation, but can totally understand why someone might prefer how the DAVE does things. It’s more of a case of different, rather than better between the two. 

Just to reiterate my thoughts on the Wavedream vs. Wavelight. The Wavedream and Wavelight are similar, and you can tell they are cut from the same cloth. The Wavedream is more technically competent, more detailed, and Seems to be more dynamic and hard-hitting. The Wavelight came across as being slightly less extended in the treble, slightly warmer in the lower midrange, and also less detailed. The Wavelight is still an incredibly competent and high-performing DAC, but I do feel there is a noticeable improvement moving to the Wavedream. The Wavedream is the overall more involving and exciting DAC to listen to. 

Overall, I’m really happy that I have tried the Wavedream. I have been curious about it since 2014, which is almost a decade now. Its sound is detailed, hard-hitting, dynamic and exciting. It’s not the DAC to buy if you want a laid-back listen, or a warm and romantic sound signature. If you want something that is forward, and really commands your attention, the Wavedream is an excellent choice. Its technical performance is up there with the best I have personally heard and backs its sound signature up with a truly excellent level of build quality and attention to detail. If you are in the market for a new DAC and the Wavedream is in the price range you are looking at, I can highly recommend it. A truly superb piece of gear from Rockna Audio!