What is your budget for a DAC?
New dac
Hello everyone.
My question today deals with my dac and my quest for something better. I have a PS audio digital link iii that I believe might be the weak link in my system. What l like about the dac is its soundstage and clarity, but I find the bass lacking some punch. Not so much the lower octives but more the mid bass. I'm more a music lover then a technical audiophile so please bare with me while I try to describe the sound I'm lacking.
System includes
Belles Aria int. amp
Bluesound node 2
PS audio digital link iii
Vandersteen sig 2Dr sig 2
Integra dpc7.7
Audioquest Gibraltar speaker wires
Audioquest Colorado ICs
Thanks
My question today deals with my dac and my quest for something better. I have a PS audio digital link iii that I believe might be the weak link in my system. What l like about the dac is its soundstage and clarity, but I find the bass lacking some punch. Not so much the lower octives but more the mid bass. I'm more a music lover then a technical audiophile so please bare with me while I try to describe the sound I'm lacking.
System includes
Belles Aria int. amp
Bluesound node 2
PS audio digital link iii
Vandersteen sig 2Dr sig 2
Integra dpc7.7
Audioquest Gibraltar speaker wires
Audioquest Colorado ICs
Thanks
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- 15 posts total
You have a very nice and well balanced system. The weak link on the PS DL 3 is the USB input. I assume you are using the DAC in the Node 2 for streaming purposes and the DL3 with your CD player as transport. I sold my first DL3 about 5 years ago, because I needed additional inputs (used a USB/SPDIF converter which took up the only coax input) converter. Just recently bought another DL3 to use in a second system. I believe the DL3 to be a very good sounding and well built DAC at current used prices. In my opinion it would take considerably more money to do much better (unless USB is required). If I was looking to upgrade beyond the DL3 I would consider a DAC that could serve both the bluesound and disc player. What is your budget for a DAC? |
Before you replace the DAC, see if it isn't the jitter from the Bluesound and transport that is causing this. Do both sources lack mid-bass? Here is some typical jitter: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154408.0 http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154310.0 You might try a Synchro-Mesh reclocker in the S/PDIF coax cable to reduce jitter to ~20psec. 30-day money-back, less shipping.The Synchro-Mesh also has these sonic benefits: 1) Galvanically isolates the source from the DAC, eliminating ground-loops. 2) upsamples 44.1 to 96, so the digital filter used in the DAC is a better one, not brick-wall. Also, I recommend to get a better S/PDIF coax cable, one that is high-performance like the Reference BNC with RCA adapters or the Standard BNC with RCA adapters. The Standard BNC is only $275. Steve N. Empirical Audio |
I'm actually using the PS audio dac instead of the node 2 dac, which sounds better to me. Music seems more alive with a wider soundstage then the node 2s dac. I do remember hooking up my marantz pm 8004 last fall and felt it had more punch, but vocals weren't quite as clear as with the Belles amp. I guess what I want to know is if the dl 3 is still a capable dac giving its age. |
I had a DL3, sold it for a highly reviewed DAC-pre, and was quite disappointed. I tried a highly regarded one box CD player; disappointed again. Then I bought a newer PS Audio DAC and it still didn’t feel right. So I bought another DL3, thinking I’d wait while DSD matures and falls in price. But the magic is back! I think the DL3 is one of those special components where everything came together perfectly. Vandersteen 2Cs, Linn Sondeks, etc. I love mine. I think it’s going to be here a long time. |
- 15 posts total