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Worlds best DAC

Went to CES this year to work on my transition to high Rez digital. I've heard many of the highly regarded players in my room or in others systems in the past. I'm actually very happy with my current cd based sound. As I listened to various DACS playing CD then high Rez, I was not bowled over. High rez was better, but only slightly so. The best (and most different) sound I heard happened to have one similarity. They were 2 non oversampling DACS with tube analog stages(Zanden and Ypsilon). These were without question the most natural sounding digital systems I heard at the show. They made CDsound miles ahead of high Rez. What gives?

PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
bflowers
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Hi Agear,

Thanks for taking the time to share all of that...fascinating to read. If you do hear how those shootouts went in Asia, please post!!! There is a whole new generation of digital that is coming out which (imho) started with the Vivaldi and has started to combine the organic nature of certain DACS with the precise timing qualities of the most exacting DACs which some felt were a touch cold. ie, the best of both.

I am told Trinity is exactly in this position. I think people expect L7 to be there as well. Thanks for continuing to post!
agear
1,362 posts
 
Lloyd, I was thinking about your digital front end and your intonations early in this thread about the old equipment itch. I think you should be very pleased with yourself. Digital front ends come and go like the wind in most systems. Few manufacturers make dacs that people seem to hold onto. Audionote and Zanden are two that come to mind. You have a fabulous foundation that is imminently tweakable and has made music for 6 years. Bravo. It is VERY hard to find digital that lays down down analog goodness in a realistic manner.

All that being said, the best dac I have "heard" is the Light Harmonic DaVinci. Sadly, the price is a little dear these days...
ps68
230 posts
 
I couldn't agree more Agear, the are some longer term DAC's that still and always will make music!
aplhifi
515 posts
 
Well said Alex. Can we infer then that the Phasure dac is not eating your dac alive? Are you using the all-important software and computer as a pre-ampless transport

In my opinion, PCM1704-based DACs always have certain sound character, regardless of how the rest is designed. This said, comparing such DACs to my reference DSD-M converter is comparing apples to oranges. To simplify things, you can look at PCM as Digital and DSD as Analog. :-)

The DSD-M does not have a built-in attenuator, so it needs a preamp. However, my HAS-M hybrid amplification system has attenuator built-in, so there is no need for additional preamp.

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev
wisnon
700 posts
 
Bill has the PBD MPD-3.
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