Best DAC

Definitely time for a DAC upgrade.  An Audio Mirror Tubadour Mklll SE would be a big upgrade across the board, and they offer a trial period so you can try it in your system (which is obviously huge).  Same for MHDT Pagoda if you run balanced.  Agree with others to use some form of a noise reduction device if you continue using your computer as a source.  Best of luck in your search. 

the arc sp-6 is a fairly honey colored unit (a good thing) but with decent high end extension and an expansive image (i used to have one many moons ago) - you did not mention which version you have... of course you can roll the 12ax7’s or 6dj8’s inside to shift more or less honey colored

of the dacs mentioned so far which i have tried i would break into the following groupings - for your benefit in system matching for tonality

smoothest/most analog/warmest mids-midbass: mhdt, audio mirror, a-n - bear in mind these dacs can have tonality tuned with tube choice as well

slightly brighter: denafrips, schiit mb (gumby and yggy)

brightest/leanest/’fastest’: rme adi2, mytek bb

others to consider which are exceptionally natural sounding and great sq for $ -- metrum and ayre codex (fitting in 1st group), ava valve dacs (second group)

@jjss49 makes solid points that seem spot on as usual, although I’m not sure what the current status of Metrum is as last time I heard they were in flux (I for one hope they come back strong with Cees aboard again).  Anyway, it would be most helpful if you could share what improvements you’d like to achieve and what aspects of sound reproduction are most important to you.  My bad for suggesting a DAC without this critical info.  

@jjss49 @audiotroy @so
I have the new MacBook on the way with thunderbolt/usb 4.0, and I’m having difficulty finding cleaners.  Most of them seem to be the old USB.  I was thinking the solid state drive would cut down on any noise being introduced into the system.  I believe I will have to use a thunderbolt to USB dongle to connect most DACs.  Let me know if you have any further insight.

@jjss49 @soix 
I was thinking that the DACs sole purpose should be to unpack the digital file into an analog signal, and be as transparent as possible.  The DAC should bring out all the minor details in the music, create air/space, separation, etc, and the preamp/amp are the only components really coloring the music.  Let me know if this is incorrect, or if I should look at things differently.

I have a large music library on my drive that won’t need to be streamed.  It was either downloaded or ripped from CDs.  It does vary from lower quality, up to WAV.  I think my system now does a great job of playing the WAV files beautifully, while also letting the lower quality songs still be enjoyable (I think that may be attributable to the sp-6).  This is important to me.  Ideally, the DAC can bring out whatever details/separation/space may be in the lower quality files.  I may upgrade to Tidal HiFi to expand the library easily, and start streaming more music in higher quality.

@unsound 
Unfortunately, I am maxed out on space at the moment, so an upgrade in speaker size will
have to hold off.  I do love the 1.6 Maggies though, and Maggies in general.  I listen to a pair of tympani’s often.  Also, the threshold has been recapped.  Are you saying that in some cases, a high end DAC may render the preamp useless?


@luisma31  
The Holoaudio DACs are looking like great options.  I see the May won the 2020 stereophile award, though they used a $5k version.

op

to answer you

1) i am not a computer streaming expert (i use a dedicated streamer) but as i understand it it is the whole computer that generates electrical noise, not just the drive ... the computer has many elements that are not optimized for noise suppression in conveying data through its usb output for hifi music (you may want to search youtube for john darko videos on streamers and computers, he is easy to understand yet also complete with his explanations)

2) yes any dac translates conveyed bits back into an analog signal fed into the arc tube preamp, yet all dacs do so with a certain ’voice’ and ’tonality’ - just like a phono cartridge does with the grooves cut into a record ... your tube preamp does add some warmth to the signal fed to it, but only to a degree... if the signal fed into it is too lean, treble centric, ’digital’ sounding, it still won’t sound too good coming out of the preamp with its mild, flattering coloration ... the trick is to find right balance - the job of a dac is not just to ’dredge out detail’, it is to make the bits sound like real music again

of course this depends so much on one’s taste... some listeners are detail freaks who like a ’hyper-real’ sound, some value natural tonality as one would hear in a live unamplified voice/guitar or jazz or string quartet performance... there is detail but it is conveyed within a context of warmth, dimensionality, wholeness, naturalness of tone

good luck have fun