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MHDT or Border Patrol

I've been switching between a DACmagic Pus with an LPS, and a Schiit Modi Multibit DACs and while the sound is decent/acceptable I would like to "upgrade" to a non-OS tube DAC just to see if it adds more body and texture to the music without losing detail. Has anyone had a chance to compare the MHDT and Border Patrol DACs and can comment on their sound quality?  I have Bluesound Node2 feeding the DAC, into an upgraded Aric Audio tube preamp, McIntosh MC2200, and Vandersteen 2Ci speakers. I'm actually looking for more texture in the low/high treble and mid/low bass. Aric's preamp gives plenty of body/texture in the midrange spectrum.
Thanks in advance.  
128x128kalali
decooney
2,046 posts
 
01-14-2019 7:23pm
...I really wish the MHDT units were offered without the tube buffer stage as I run a tube preamp and don't really need/want more 'tube' sound in the signal chain.

fwiw, my MHDT Orchid DAC plugs into a Cary SLP-98 tube preamp with four NOS Sylvania 6SN7 front end tubes and I find the sound to be clean, musical, and fast as-long-as I don't run overly syrupy tubes in the preamp or the DAC or my tube amp.  All tube.  Sounds nice and natural - no edge.  The MHDT factory suppled stock GE 5670 5-star Triple Mica tube works out nicely in this particular Orchid DAC. The ability to tune sound with different tubes in the DAC is a nice feature I prefer, actually.






lordcloud
155 posts
 
@jeenam 

If you're not wanting "tube sound", I would recommend the Pagoda. Mine doesn't sound like a tube DAC at all. It is the most neutral and revealing is the MHDT DACs.

I didn't and don't want a tube sounding DAC either. The Pagoda fits the bill. And it's modifiable for even better performance 
wtf's avatar
wtf
307 posts
 
Lavorgna's latest review (Twittering Machines) on the Border Patrol DAC SE:

https://twitteringmachines.com/review-border-patrol-dac-se/

Pretty high praise I'd say.
atl4love
91 posts
 
I have own balance Pagoda DAC for less than a month but so far I love the sound of it , very natural and musical , even the music or music video from you tube was sound allot separate and better , can’t go wrong with either mhdt 
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,178 posts
 
The Pogota has what many feel the best dac chipset ever made the Lsser trimmed Burr Brown 1704/dacs  ,the use 1 per channel and is a true 20 bit 
not 16 like the Havana which is still very good ,the Pogota takes it to another level.   The only competition maybe the New Audio mirror Trubadour-3 dac
which is $1500 .
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