Bif, when I compared the DEQX DAC to the Chord 64 I was previously using, it was more lively sounding and I happily used this as a replacement. I like very precise transient attack, including bass that is clean & deep but starts/stops very fast. Much more realistic to true life and the DEQX DAC has that
The DAC I changed to at the beginning of 2014 was auditioned first and sounded just as lively but somehow has almost the same analogue 'smoothness' as vinyl (input via the HDP3 balanced XLR input). It gives me exactly what I was looking for
I did a back-to-back comparison yesterday to check again before posting and the DEQX DAC still sounds slightly more artificial and brittle at the extreme top end, a bit more 'Hi-Fi' than natural to my ears
The DAC I changed to at the beginning of 2014 was auditioned first and sounded just as lively but somehow has almost the same analogue 'smoothness' as vinyl (input via the HDP3 balanced XLR input). It gives me exactly what I was looking for
I did a back-to-back comparison yesterday to check again before posting and the DEQX DAC still sounds slightly more artificial and brittle at the extreme top end, a bit more 'Hi-Fi' than natural to my ears