Back to the DAC

@klh007 - I was actually mostly just tongue-in-cheek on the comment about cords and fuses. Especially after all of the analysis and shopping for the actual DAC purchase. Kind of "you just THOUGHT you were done..." :)  Although they both can make small differences. Happy weekend everybody.

OK, of course, I will try, thank you!

@tvad Do you think the Bricasti (LAN) could out do the Aurender N200 in the streaming department? As far as that goes, how about as a pre-amp. maybe I could use it in place of the Coda CB?

As always, these are things that should be tried and then decided upon.

I have never heard an Aurender N200, so I can’t speculate.

I have experimented running a Bricasti M1 SE direct versus through a preamp, and I decided direct was preferable and I sold the preamp. However, I haven’t heard a Coda preamp, so I won’t speculate there either.

@tvad Do you think the Bricasti (LAN) could out do the Aurender N200 in the streaming department? As far as that goes, how about as a pre-amp. maybe I could use it in place of the Coda CB?

@klh007 That’s good news. I think?

@rsf507 Thanks for the tips!

@westborn @navyachts , Good luck shopping for fuses for Bricasti, my M3 doesn't have one as a circuit breaker is employed instead of a fuse.

@tvad i am getting Bricast’s network renderer, which, I believe, is the single board version of their M5, installed in the M21.

The Bricasti LAN card sounds very, very good. I think you'll be happy.

The M21 (and M1 Series 2) will convey even better streamer sound quality, if one decides to go that route. Having owned or demo'ed some outstanding streamers from Antipodes, Rockna, Auralic, Innuos and Lumin, I didn't think it was possible...until I heard it. 

@jmeyers the M21 would be my end game DAC. Currently own the M3 and it's perfect for me but if I had the funds I'd get the M21. I've tried different ac cords so do experiment they will improve the M21 just make sure the M21 has some hours on it. Also try different feet yes it comes with Stillpoints but my dealer has lent me several different aftermarket feet and again they do make a difference. Keep us posted once your M21 arrives.

@tvad i am getting Bricast’s network renderer, which, I believe, is the single board version of their M5, installed in the M21. Hopefully, the combination of that and my Nucleus+ and the renderer will provide me with a streamer-like combination  

@navyachts - Congrats on your decision.

I've heard it said that too many focus on design differences of sigma delta modulation, R2R converters, chips and FPGAs, etc. But probably more important is the implementation, and the design of the power supplies, the clocks, and the analog output stage.

I'm sure you will be thrilled with the Bricasti !!

Now you can focus on finding the right power cord, fuses, and isolation devices. 😆

Me, too! I ordered a Bricasti M21 DAC and M19 Transport.

The Bricasti M21 conveys what a truly great streamer brings to the music.

I believe you will hear benefits if and when you upgrade your Lumin T2.

@jmeyers SWEET! It will compliment the rest of your system well!

Me, too! I ordered a Bricasti M21 DAC and M19 Transport.

@oddiofyl thank you for your words of encouragement, I patiently await!

You will love the Bricasti.  It's super high quality stuff.  Enjoy

Power supply affects sound in a meaningful way. 
 

A robust power supply with significant capacitors takes space, hence a larger chassis. 
 

Also, consider some DACs are dual mono balanced design, which also affects sound in a positive manner. Again, more circuitry requires a larger chassis. 

@westborn i try not to go by size and heft alone.  I have a Theta Data transport which is hefty and huge.  Then I had to service it and it turns out it is a repackaged Phillips or Pioneer unit.....

@goose @westborn it seems to be a case of "Flavor of the Week' with DACs these days! I fell for the R26 hype, which is also small in size & off-shore.          Like you, I prefer a full-size chassis.

The LAiV Dac caught my eye even though it's a Dac from China.  I would just have trouble putting major dollars into a Dac with a technology that seems to change a lot with better products.  

@navyachts - could very well be. I’m not sure how the reviewer compensation or accommodation works nowadays.

Although chips and DAC tech and architecture are obviously excluded (duh), my observation was more of a frustration with mini products with higher prices in this inflation-driven world.

And a disclosure - aesthetically, I just prefer standard 17"-19" components in my main system|rack. I have and love a Musetec DA-005 with lots of power supply regulation. It is a delta/sigma ES9038 Pro based DAC and weighs almost 25 pounds. So it could kick any 8 pound, half width DAC’s butt !! LOL ☺

Latest update from Bricasti:

"It going to be a few weeks, the panel is off the machine and is now being blasted and will need to be sent for platting"

@westborn I'm sure all the reviewers that LAiV is sending their DAC to get to keep it. They are spending that $1,000 difference on marketing, I bet.

I haven’t heard it and I’m sure it’s nice, but the LAiV at first glance looks to me like an 8 pound, half-sized, $1,700 Chinese R2R mini DAC.

In a nice case and box. With a $2,700 price tag.

Obviously, size doesn’t matter (says the Tambaqui to the Playback Designs and others). And of course almost everything has gotten smaller and cost 35-40% more over the last year or three.

So maybe smaller size for higher cost is the new normal. 

@navyachts it is very neat and so far sounds very well. Wish i had a Lampi on hand to compare

@audphile1 that is the plan! really busy week for me so I have not been able to put it through its paces.

Of all things that i realize is that it is not fatiguing. I guess I’m saying that the Topping is fatiguing; at least on Filter 7 where I use it. Odd since the changes on filter 7 occur beyond my hearing range.

@ervikingo thanks for your thoughts on LAiV! Keep running it around 200hrs is usually what DACs require for break in. Could still improve! 
I was thinking of giving it a try…

@ervikingo Thanks for sharing, sounds like a steal! It will be interesting to see how others like this DAC as more people get a hold of it. The reviews have been stunning so far.

Well, my LAiV was delivered last night.  Initial impressions:

- beautiful packaging and attention to details

- unit looks and feels great.  Remote is on another level

- played P Gabriel on DSD (i2s) set on NOS mode and compared a/b to the topping (on filter 7).  Less sibilance, soundstage feels wider with better separation.  Bass and mids are deep; no sibilance

- CD's and Stream (Pros and Cons/R Waters, Lord Zuthula - Dean Peer, Eye in the Sky - Alan Parsons, Regret #9 - Steve Wilson, Also Sprach Zarathustra - Eumir Deodato Trio Live,Chan Chan - Buena Vista Social Club and Birds by Dominique Fils-Aime).

Compared LAiV v Topping D90SE v Sony ES Modwright v Oppo Modwright v Theta DS Pro Gen V.

The Sony, Oppo and Theta sound similar; clean yet not sterile

The Topping is fast narrow soundstage some sibilance

LAiV good lows, wide and clear mids sparkling highs with no excessive sibilance.   Listening to acoustic guitars and wind instruments, it is clean and enjoyable.

No listening fatigue!

All in all, I like it very much.  This were a couple/three hours. More to come.

I bought a second  hand Merason Frerot DAC with the external power supply over a year ago ( @ Zlone I would recommend it) and I am truly enjoying the detail and sound stage I never knew existed. 
 

@agentwja Thanks, I am pretty sure a Merason is in my future. Probably the new Reuss model.

Honestly though, I didn't ever think I would be springing for a DAC that cost more than my amp & pre-amp combined.

I will always remember what my Linn dealer said 20+ years ago:  $5000 sources with $500 amplifiers always sounded better than the $500 sources with $5000 amplifiers. Sources then meaning vinyl and cd spinners. 

@mclinnguy That should have read "VAC" has sucked my dry, lol! Honestly though, I didn't ever think I would be springing for a DAC that cost more than my amp & pre-amp combined.

@agentwja thanks for the tip on the Merason Frerot DAC. There is the MF DAC: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisb9bi0-merason-frerot-dac-d-a-converter-pow1-lps-63219-da-converters?refsource=hifishark

and then there is the Merason DAC1:

: https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/650096273-merason-dac-1-mk1/

It would be the later here that I think I would consider. Thanks

I bought a second  hand Merason Frerot DAC with the external power supply over a year ago ( @ Zlone I would recommend it) and I am truly enjoying the detail and sound stage I never knew existed. I stream through a Blusound Node2i. I have no plans to upgrade at the minute. 
 

this DAC has sucked me dry

Wow, that must be quite the DAC. 

OK, I boned up on it & have got it now (with the D.BOB.) It sounds interesting, but this DAC has sucked me dry, but I'll keep in mind, thanks again!

My DACs do not have HDMI either.

The HDMI I refer to is the output from the transport. In my case the transport is a used $250 OPPO Blu-ray player. That HDMI goes into the D.BOB. The D.BOB outputs SPDIF, which I expect any DAC you buy to have. The DAC ouput goes into your preamp.

This is reference level SACD and CD sound for under $1k for me. I am comparing this to the reference level Sony SCD-1 modded by Vacuum State. 

@yyzsantabarbara The DAC I’m getting doesn’t have an HDMI port so I think I’m kind of out of luck with your suggestion. But thanks anyways!

@audphile1 @tvad thank you for your words of encouragement, I will heed your advice(s)

CD transport, unless it’s the caliber of Audio Note or Jays Audio

Do not see the need for such high caliber transport when the output is HDMI (DSD or PCM). 

Relax. Breathe. Enjoy.

Don’t over think it.

The combo of N200 with Conductor (streaming or onboard SSD) and M1 Series 2 will be remarkably satisfying.

Set it up and enjoy. Don’t worry about roon. 

I'm with ya there. I need to spend more time with the N200 rather than thinking CDs. I had a lot of trouble getting things up and running smoothly at first. Lot's of back & forth with tech support and little time to play with it. 

Finally finished my 3 1/2 year remodel and mostly done with my dad's affairs, so after my daughter's 2 week visit (and I get my M1) I'm all over it!!!

It came with one fully loaded SSD card with a bunch of music already on it, so it's career itself just getting on to the network, and into the N200 to sort all those tunes out, let alone adding more,

Now there's the Roon factor and figuring out if I even want go there.

I played around with it. It’s fun for a while and I love it but then it gets old. 
I still have around 2,000 CDs and a good collection of vinyl. I definitely don’t see myself going back to analog. I had a decent sounding setup though but it was a constant arms race between analog and digital and I ended up being neither here nor there. Sold the table, cartridge and phono stage. Focused on digital. Never looked back. 

@audphile1 make sense to me, but it's just like I went from records to CDs. Ya kinda miss that interaction.

CD transport, unless it’s the caliber of Audio Note or Jays Audio, is most likely a waste of money, time and space when you have N200 as a streamer with Bricasti M1S2 dac. You can rip CDs onto SSD and mount it inside the N200. And I would only do this with CDs that aren’t available for streaming and you can’t live without.  
 

@yyzsantabarbara  I am done spending money too!  The M1 is my last kick at the cat. The audio component cookie jar has all but dried up! With streaming, I really don't need a CD player. If I come to downsize at some point, I'll definitely look into the D.BOB. at that time. Thanks

Read up on the D.BOB on Stereophile or some other places. Mine cost $650 but it has gone up in price to $1k. Excellent way to listen to CD's and SACD's. My frame of reference is the great Sony SCD-1 SACD player (modded), which died after 20+ years.

BTW - that Yggi+ OG DAC I got now has about 100 hours on it and I am done DAC shopping for the Livingroom. Amazing sound.

Yggi+ OG | Benchmark HPA4 preamp | CODA #16 | Yamaha NS5000 speakers

I am not going to spend $15k-$24k on a better DAC as was the original plan.

@yyzsantabarbara Thanks, the URD looks interesting, for sure, but I'm more into your Oppo price range!

The Schitt URD is interesting and similar to the D.BOB I have for SACD/CD

Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California ($1300)

The URD is a transport with streaming bypass that will allow you to use your Briscasti M1 SE.

My D.BOB is similar but I use a used $250 OPPO player to take DSD or PCM via HDMI into my DAC.

@tomwipf although I do have quite a few CDs still so if you happen to run across a good deal on a CD player, maybe I could hook it up and have a listen. Especially while I’m waiting for my M1! Lol.

@tomwipf Yes, I see there is one listed here on AG but I am committed now to the Bricasti M1 SE II...fingers crossed that it's end game for me!

Used QX-5 are less than $5k which I will never understand. Ayre Codex, QB9 are even less.

@fleschler I don't play CD's nor do I have $24K for a Poseidon, but thanks for sharing!