Please help to chose Integrated amp Diablo 300 , darTZeel CTH-8550 Or ....


Speakers : Sopra 2
Source : Chord DAVE and Hometheater for the front speakers.
Just sold JC1 + JC2 that i liked a lot.. but looking to upgrade.

Im thinking followig

Diablo 300 , darTZeel CTH-8550  or PS Audio BHK 300 with BHK Pre
All 3 options are priced same for me +- 1000$...
Please give me some recommendations thanks  
128x128datka3
Just tried setting amp in bypass mode and dac as digital preamp .

sound became too edgy, imaging got changed and overall I did not enjoy the sound of it , it sounds much nicer with more Dynamics when going in to preamp if integrated amp whatever that mode is called :) , at least it was easy to try and go back to original config . 
I am using my chord dave on two sources, an aurender and my
onkyo and plinius cd player. I use my vitus preamp on my
aurender and dave preamp on my cd player. I think you
have to give it time to settle in or break in its preamp mode
since it took mine quite a long time to settle in.. i like it for
its more forward presentation with thicker density on vocals.

I have the Diablo 300 with a Chord MScaler and Hugo TT2 and I’m using Focal Sopra 2’s. I have not heard the darTZeel CTH-8550. But I can tell you I’ve heard many other combinations including the D’Agostino Momentum, T+A, and many others and you can’t beat the sound of the Gryphon. Very organic without sounding clinical or overly warm.

It makes my system hum along with great soundstage and imaging!
Mrc4u, I have the TT 2+mscaler and will be receiving my Diablo 300 in a couple of days. Do you think that the Chord gear add brightness to the sounds, even with the Diablo Sonic signature?

I am really curious to know more about your impressions with your sistem and synergy. I will be using a pair o Harbeth 40.2 speakers and can't wait too get the Gryphon...
Hi allears,

Let me congratulate you on your purchases.  The Harbeths are great speakers.  As for the question about the Chord MScaler and Hugo TTs "brightness" I would say that is a misnomer.  As you mentioned most things are very system dependent. So for instance, if you are running certain cabling that tends to transmit higher frequencies more prominently you'll more likely hear the high frequencies dominate the musical spectrum.  The same holds true for mids and lows.  Thus the "Weakest Link Theory."

My point is the Chord combo is one of the best in the world (in my humble opinion).  That's coming from someone who has heard the dCS Vivaldi stack, Esoteric Grandioso D1,  and other fine DACs.  That said, I believe your Diablo 300 (once broken in) will produce a nice neutral and slightly warmer and organic sound that will have few peers in the integrated amp class (and I do mean few).  And while when most read "warm," they think of excessive coloration. That's not what I mean. It just doesn't have a very dry, clinical sound that many of the integrated amps in its class have. Its signature is lively, without being brash.  It's smooth without being pretentious.  There's just a certain "right feel" to it that you can't put into words, you just know it when you hear it!  Your transducers will benefit from that.  And the Chord combo will give you nice depth and very natural sound staging as well, so they should mate very well. 

Again, I wouldn't call the MScaler/TT2 innately bright at all. As a matter of fact, I think it is a bit more neutral than most other DACs I've heard with a very nice holographic sound staging.

For me system synergy is paramount.  Make sure you get some very nice speaker cables, interconnects and digital BNC's for your Chord MScaler and TT2.

As for recommendations, I'm using Audience's Au24Sx ($2k+) speaker cables and XLR's (2K+), respectively.  And as for digital BNC's cables, I'm using (3) Black Cat TRONS ($1,499/ea).

If you don't want to get everything at once I'd say wait or buy some "get by" cabling from a company like Blue Jean Cables until you can make the investment for some higher-end cables.  But I would suggest auditioning as many cables as you can.  I have found other manufacturers to be Audience's equal like Cardas Audio Crimson speaker cables and interconnects.  But for my ears Audience is great! And more than likely the last cable I'll be purchasing for a while.

Sorry for the longwindedness.  Hope you enjoy your system because it sounds like a really good one!