What the Best Dac have you heard or owned. How could you tell it was that good.

@magnuman im not going to argue with you. You have been coming on these threads for years with the same ofc junk wire talk and 999999 talk saying you know how to design cables. We actually let people demo cables to see for themselves before they buy. This thread isn’t about cables it’s about dacs. Please don’t fire bomb this thread too. I would appreciate if you would stay on topic. You are part of the reason I left Audiogon. Just trolling. Move on plaease. Let’s get back on topic. 

@wsrrsw seems interesting.  The Infigo method 4 has about 6 or 7 filters. It uses the ess 9038 Sabre dac chip. Our designer used to work for the sister company of the brother that invented the chip.  I usually listen with the apodizing filter which takes limits the pre and post ringing of notes that can cause ear fatigue. The dac does detail extremely well without sounding analytical. I haven’t had a chance to hear a Weiss dac. Sounds interesting though.  

@woots thanks funny thing you said about the Netherlands. The Infigo Dac designer Hans Looman is from the Netherlands. I will try to get my ear on a Nagra as a reference point.   I’ve heard good stuff about them. 

@painter24 20th year in the hobby. Infigo method 4 DAC. I’m done. Does everything I want it to. Went from a solution 540. I have owned 5 or 6 in my life. I’m truly done. We were part of a shootout on Whatsbestforum. Went up against the best of the best and held its own.  I’m happy. 

I used to want a tube dac. But there is always tube noise. My infigo method 4 has a low noise floor. Great detail soundstage and image placement. It’s expensive but delivers. I went from a Resonessence Mirus pro to a soulutions 540 to the Infigo Method 4. It’s a 35k Dac. Went up against the dcs -Weiss - msb- lampizator etc. It does the trick for me. I’m basically done. So full disclosure. I do work for them. I started after I heard the dac. I was sold on it. So I started working for them. SO BEFORE ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING. I have my own business I do audio as an additional hobby/ business. I’m a hobbyist first. I been blessed. I have worked for other companies and it has allowed me to try a lot of stuff near a lot of dacs and Amps and speakers. I recently had along demo of the Esoteric N01xd I was impressed with it as well. I owned the LUMIN s1 it was good but too warm for my taste.  It didn’t get up in the air enough. I will be going out to hear a DCS stack in July and I’m excited to see how that is going to go.  

Anyone who is in the Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana areas. We will be at THE LONE STAR AUDIO FEST IN DALLAS TEXAS JUNE 7-9.  Come out and listen to some music and meet me. The lone Star Audiofest is more of a hobbyist show but I will have my home system there. I love to talk audio and find out about new music.  What equipment you are running and your journey in Audio. Please come out. Would love to listen to some tunes and learn more about other people’s systems. I have some Gato Speakers no affiliation to them. Infigo audio Method 6 amp. Method 4 Dac. I’m affiliated with them.   I use a little homemade server with a power supply. Come check us out and bring some tunes you wanna hear. 

@metaldetektor it just is so I answered the question.  I’m going to be going out to hear a DCS stack in July.  I mainly do the cable side of Infigo.  I just wondered how people thought about the dacs they owned. I just heard the esoteric N01XD I thought it sounded great. I’m a hobbyist first. I been doing this 20 years.  I’ve heard a lot of stuff so I’m allowed to give my opinion.  Most of the guys here know I work with Infigo. So it is what it is.  I get to hear a lot of stuff because of the shows and my audiophile friends. Just because I do work don’t mean I can’t comment etc.  I enjoy talking to fellow audiophiles. I’m also going to build a second less expensive system using my Kr audio va 900 as the tube intergrated. I’m looking for a cheaper dac to possibly pair with it and a pair of Vienna acoustics speakers. Try to find something in the 2-5k range that’s really good. 

@magnuman i left. Audiogon a few years ago. But if I’m correct I think you have changed your name several times. I’m not sure but you seem to be the odd copper 99.99999 guy who responds like that all the time and talks cables all the time. If I’m wrong then I apologize. But I recognize the way you talk and the things you say. Part of the reason I didn’t post on Audiogon anymore because of the constant following and posting on stuff that I would post and pretty soon there would be about 20-30 responses by you alone. If you are not that guy then I apologize but the language you use is similar. Anyway. Anyone who wants to meet me and discuss anything in person. I will be at Axpona in April. Dallas in June and at the Capitol Audiofest in November. Yes I do sell cables so I’m not hiding that. But I would love to meet any of you to learn about equipment music etc. this hobby is fun for me not trying to argue with folks about this and that.

@dwest1023 i understand I thought I was done 5 years ago then I went dine the rabbit hole for the last time. I’m done at this point. My audio is worse than a car hobby for some people. 

@wsrrsw what are your overall thoughts about the Weiss. 

@audioman58 what are your thoughts about the Rossini. I’m going to hear it in July  at a friends house when I travel to Cali. 

@maghister. I been blessed to be able to get the stuff I have. It’s not for everyone. Music is my hobby and my joy listening to it at its finest is the pursuit I’ve taken on. For  some I spent too much but for me my Friday Saturday and Sunday nights are filled with hours of musical joy the way I wanna hear it. When I started 20 years ago I thought I would never pay X amount for anything. Well I have worked hard. I have a great career in my outside audio life and I’m going enjoy it while I’m still an amongst the living. You don’t have to spend what I spent to be happy. I just want everyone to enjoy what they have and experience hearing as much as you can at all levels take care.

@audioman58 i was using Ansuz cables. They make a great cable.  Very clear and clean. I have my infigo cables all through. Even in my streamer power supply connection. Everything matters once you get to a certain level.  Sounds like he has an expensive system. Believe me it doesn’t take much to spend a lot of dough on stuff 

@kairosman @vthokie83 i want to hear that lampizator as well. I’m going to see if I can check one out at Axpona or the Capitol Audiofest if someone brings one I would love to hear it. I used to be a tube guy. I’m going to hear a dcs in a home listening room environment in July.  

@woots the Nagra is also on my lists of dacs I want hear in an extended listening session just for a reference to see how it sounds into comparison to what I own. I’m going to try to see if anyone at Axpona will be using to see if I can check it out even though we will be showing there I would love to hear how it sounds. 

@mapman i had a buddy that borrowed a dcs for a long audition and in his system he didn’t like it. He currently owns a chord Dave. I think it might me a preference or a system thing. Sometimes it’s synergy as well as what you listen to and for in some peoples systems. 

Also everyone depending on your system you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money on a dac to be happy. For some folks it’s going to synergy. Some of the companies have really put out some great stuff at lower price points. Also we are at all different places in this hobby. Growth and Finances and on what we are willing to spend. There are also trade offs in our systems 

@mahler123 my current dac is going to glory with me. It gets to a point after 20 years where I’m gonna sit and listen. Enjoying the music is most important to me.  Any upgrade at this point probably not worth it for me.  I have 55k front end and 25k in speakers and subs. My stuff has great synergy. Time to sit back and enjoy. However, some of us are forever curious! 

@metaldetektor no problem my man.  It’s cool I understand that. I love the hobby first. I stumbled into working with Infigo. He blew my last Dac out the water after a. Home audition. I like people that push the limits to what’s possible.  I also like people in our hobby that push stuff to get better. So I understand your points.  But I’m an audiophile first. Either way the proof is in the ears and eventually you gotta show and tell through performance.  I’m going to do a second system probably using a 2-3k Vienna acoustics or sonus faber speaker using my old kr audio va900 integrated and a Dac. 

@shkong78 thanks for the compliment. I like my method 4 because it is smooth but still gets the detail and is still transparent. Because of my listening preferences I listen to a lot of jazz with horns cymbals and pianos 75% of the time.  My method 4 does this in spades and does it with the needed speed because of the music.  Thanks for your input on this. 

@wsrrsw yes.  At the reference level it becomes a personal taste thing.  I like smooth but detailed without being analytical and that’s the best way to describe my dac and personal preferences.  

Some people post stuff they have never heard.  I actually let people demo our cables at Infigo.  There are 5 people demoing as we speak. So I let you try before you buy.  You be the judge in your own system.  BOBBY BOOSHAY SHOULDNT BE TELLING YOU WHAT TO BUY OR NOT BUY TRY FOR YOURSELF AND TRUST YOUR OWN EARS. 

@daveyf i recently demoed an esoteric N01xd.  I was actually impressed by it. They make really high level gear. 

@wokeuptobose i can definitely understand your analysis.  Some people think folks are being snooty but there is a lifelike experience with a lot of the higher end dacs. When I hear voices it feels like I’m there in the hall with him. It seems like I can hear the reverbs of his voice. In FINK’S song TROUBLE IS WHAT YOURE IN.  You feel the voice and the the notes jumping off the guitar in a live show. In the lower end dacs I don’t get that. Some will say the extra 7-20k or more on top of what they paid isn’t worth getting a super dac. For some of us it’s worth it for a lot of folks that’s overkill but when you hear a lifelike performance like that. There is no going back. 

@daveyf i thought it was really good.  I like my dac more but the esoteric got a lot right 

@daveyf exactly. I have infigo dac, cables, and amplifier. I actually use a stripped down mini pc with only audio optimized as my streamer and it’s controlled and runs Audirvāna Studio for playback. Great sound.

@dz13 dac is very important. It’s your source. The rest of your system can only reproduce what starts there. 

@dz13 to each his own. I disagree but you have to do what works for you in your system and setup. You have to do what suits you in your system. For you this is the case.  I understand. 

@kairosman great points.  Try to explain that to some folks and they think we are being uppity.  When you have great components you got to feed it the best you can through the entire system. A lot of the time it will require a substantial investment. Like getting a high end dac. 

@everyone we are all in different places audio wise. Wherever you are in this journey. Enjoy it. Listen to all the stuff you can. Gain as much experience as you can. Trust your ears. Get the best gear you can and don’t over extend yourself doing so. Some of us have more disposable income than others. But don’t worry about it. Just get what fits your system. Do it all in moderation. Some people it’s watches. Some people it’s cars. Some it’s audio. That would be us. If anyone is going to Axpona this month hit me up. I would love to see some of you guys face to face. Infigo will be there. I’m not hiding.  Come hear for yourself. Also I would just like to meet fellow audiophiles to out names to face and talk audio.  

@jetter no one is calling me out on anything. If it’s the best I heard it’s the best I’ve heard. Regardless. Look I’m a hobbyist first. I enjoy this I like learning about audio. Whether it’s Infigo or not.  Look a lot of us are never going to see each other.  A lot of us will never hear each others systems or even hear the equipment that some others have. Look I actually loan cables and equipment out. People here will tell you that. I’ve loaned out stuff to folks here. I do it for the experience.  I’ve had folks give me long demos of cables and equipment. I want to know what others are using or hearing. But anyway to each his or her own. 

@jetter no one is calling me out on anything. If it’s the best I heard it’s the best I’ve heard. Regardless. Look I’m a hobbyist first. I enjoy this I like learning about audio. Whether it’s Infigo or not.  Look a lot of us are never going to see each other.  A lot of us will never hear each others systems or even hear the equipment that some others have. Look I actually loan cables and equipment out. People here will tell you that. I’ve loaned out stuff to folks here. I do it for the experience.  I’ve had folks give me long demos of cables and equipment. I want to know what others are using or hearing. But anyway to each his or her own. 

One last thing. If I paid for a 35k it better be damn well one of the best I have heard. Ah duh. 

@jetter I left Audiogon years ago.  I started to post more recently since we got back from pandemic.  I only started on the business side by happenstance. Hans Looman of Infigo flew from Canada to my house 5 years ago after I assisted another company at an audio show.  He told me about this amp he had been developing for the last 7 years. I was dismissive at first so he flew down I invited 15 friends over and it proceeded to blow my the amp in my system to smithereens.  First I was surprised that he flew to Dallas and I thought so much of him I decided to work with him.  That’s how I ended up working with his company.  I did it because I saw he was innovative smart and was a good person.  But more than that I believed in the product and it gave amazing sound.  Man I know so guys come here to sell sell sell. I don’t have to. I have a regular career where I have represented nba players and others etc.  I do this because I’m an audiophile that’s excited about what I’m hearing. That’s all. Thanks for your response brother. 

@wsrrsw a guy named Ron Resnick did a Dac shoot out on another forum .  Weiss, Msb,Weiss, DCS, lampiztor, Infigo and Nagra.   My Infigo fared pretty good with the others. It became a matter of personal tastes in terms of what he liked most.  He placed our Infigo on the detailed with a hint of tube warmth and smooth side.  There were small differences in most comparisons. I’m going out to Beverly Hills to hear his home system in July. 

@kairosman great points.  

@kairosman. I don’t know. But I’m going to hear his system.  I have cousin that is getting married in July so I will be there. I love to hear folks systems. It gives me a different perspective. Although I work for Infigo. I respect well made gear regardless of brand. I like to hear as much different gear as possible and love meeting up with audiophiles just to talk music and gear. 

@kairosman i can see your point. I think I got used to hearing really good high end gear. So for some a 35k dac is a no go. But I have a 90k system. I have spent years building it up to this point.  If you are musically happy it’s worth it. 

@bwguy I had that on a 6 week demo. It was nice. 

@metaldetektor I was in the room with them. 11-6 and 11-4 Sunday. Sounded great. A sterophile guy came in and loved it. I was the bald head guy.  However I stepped out a couple of times 

@mesch I did this so that many people would read it and depending on what price point you can afford they would all get suggestions.  My system is pretty much on the higher end. So I typically go towards certain ones because of where my system is at but I will soon do a smaller back up system. So lower price points will be in that one but I still want good performance. 

@mikelavigne im actually feeding mines for a stripped down mini cpu that took all non audio functions out streaming from audiarvana. Just want the server to get out of the way. I use our Infigo power cords that just get out of the way and let the music flow.  I tried top of line Melco.  Tried a couple other things. This sounds best. 

@mikelavigne my method 4 dac replaced my soulutions 540 cd/dac player. I haven’t looked back since.  It’s open airy and spacious without sounding thin and retains musicality.  Has a great soundstage. It allows me to have detail but not in a clinical way.  Thanks for the compliment.