Kalista Dreamplay XC – High-End Universal Digital Source Review

The manufacturer itself calls the universal disc player Kalista Dreamplay XC a combination of all the best digital capabilities. In addition to playing CDs and SACDs, the device can work with a network stream (full functionality of a streamer), has a luxurious digital-to-analog converter and even provides preamplifier functions (although, also in digital form). The French company tried to make Kalista Dreamplay XC impressive in every sense - both in terms of characteristics, and in terms of ultimate sound quality, and in appearance. So, we are testing Kalista Dreamplay XC.

Design

The device is designed in a two-case design - the transport/player and DAC unit is separated from the power section. The weight of the entire system approaching 37 kg – in addition to the 17 kg main unit, you get a dual Elektra external power supply. The solution with the removal of the power section into a separate case is not new on the High-End market, it always has a beneficial effect both on interference suppression and on the possibility of using oversize transformers that produce more stable characteristics. However, in our case, we have two independent buses at once, which are designed for separate voltage supply to the transport and DAC – so the advantages of external power supply are implemented in the model to the maximum. All electronic components of the Kalista Dreamplay XC, as the company claims, "are soldered by hand, and the units are assembled in our workshop by metronome technicians."

The Kalista Dreamplay XC is truly luxuriously designed – the main unit has a case made of acrylic, aluminum and steel, in addition, there is an option for a custom finish, for example, our test subject was partially finished with 24-karat gold (display frame and front supports). It looked fantastic in real life – but if you want a more subdued finish, you can always choose silver (Diamond) and black (Black Pearl finish). The build quality is exemplary, the accuracy of the joints of all the design elements is impeccable – in this regard, the model resembles a Swiss watch.

Technology

As already mentioned, the Kalista Dreamplay XC is a CD/SACD player with a built-in network streamer and digital preamplifier. The model can work as an external digital-to-analog converter, but not in the mode of working with external devices, but in tandem with a network streamer (or, obviously, a built-in disc transport). For streaming, there is full support for UPnP via the RJ-45 Ethernet port or via wireless (Wi-Fi) and a USB-A connector for working with computers or disk drives. The Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Deezer client is embroidered; information about the compositions is displayed on the round 3” touch screen.

The range of outputs is more extensive and includes AES/EBU, HDMI I2S and a coaxial port. From the analog switching there are RCA and balanced XLR outputs, the voltage level on which can be either fixed or adjustable, which makes it possible to connect directly to the power amplifier.

The chassis of the Kalista Dreamplay XC is made of a thick acrylic plate, the material perfectly dampens vibrations and guarantees excellent decoupling of the sensitive transport mechanism from the rack. By the way, the transport itself is quite interesting - a top-loader model from D&M, which was heavily customized by the company's developers and enclosed in a shielding aluminum case. The DAC and streamer sections have similar shielding. Additional steel supports provide a second level of decoupling with the surface. If this seems insufficient, the manufacturer allows an external upgrade - an additional (third level) acrylic desktop platform (the test unit was installed on it) and a Tripod Stand Classic.

The top eight-channel ESS Technology Sabre ES9038PRO chip with PCM support up to 32 bit / 384 kHz and DSD256 is responsible for digital-to-analog conversion in Kalista Dreamplay XC. MQA support is also implemented. Each channel of the player uses four channels of the DAC chip, operating in parallel. Digital filtering settings are adjusted by the user.

Test system

We listened to the Kalista Dreamplay XC in a test system with an Octave Jubilee Preamp, a pair of Octave Jubilee Mono SE tube monoblocks and Penaudio Karelia loudspeakers. All connections were made using Nordost (Frey 2, Heimdall 2 and Red Dawn) cables. The device worked for 100 hours before testing.

Listening

Let's lay our cards on the table right away - the sound of the Kalista Dreamplay XC corresponds to the reference standard level. The double bass parts seemed so tangible, as if the musicians came into our room and started playing live. Vocals and guitar made an equally strong impression - in terms of textured, sculptural precision of the formation of sound images, the device really has few equals. At the same time, this fantastic authenticity was combined with a flurry of details – but Kalista Dreamplay XC handled the musical canvas elegantly, which never slipped into excessive pedantry or surgical delivery. On the contrary, the sound of the device was more like an analog source, the music flowed like a stream – and we had to wonder how organically the player introduced nuances into the canvas and how texturally rich the sound turned out to be.

Starting to listen with Pentatone recording of Mozart - Symphonies 29 & 33, we noted exceptional localization accuracy while maintaining the integrity of the musical narrative. The rhythmic pattern, the author's emotions of the performer – Kalista Dreamplay XC presented all this with truly magnificent accuracy, and the black tone in the pauses seemed absolutely inky.

Switching to Metallica – Load clearly demonstrated the genre impartiality of Kalista Dreamplay XC – the player easily moved from the finest nuances of analog instruments to the wall of sound and formed an excellent punch. We have seen devices that offered a little greater bass extension on rock – but in terms of the effect of presence at a concert, when your legs start dancing on their own, our test subject has few equals.

Finally, our favorite record, Duke Ellington - The Duke Plays Ellington. And, again, Kalista Dreamplay XC offered such an incredible performance in terms of emotional intensity that those present in the hall simply did not have the desire to disassemble the presentation into its parts and analyze them.

Conclusion

Kalista Dreamplay XC easily copes with any genre and demonstrates amazing involvement of the listener in the musical flow. A truly magical device that is worth listening to for everyone choosing a universal High-End source today.