Exlibris: I have had the Manley Ref DAC for several years and for a long time, it was not at all close to the weakest link in my system. But this last year I have changed from a BAT 31SE to Callisto Sig, Wolcott Presence to CAT JL-3, Magnepan 3.5 to Soundlab A1, NBS Statement to almost all Purist Dominus and the addition of an Audio Magic Eclipse II PLC which was the biggest improvement of all. This is an insane amount of changes for me as I typically only have done one such change in the same period of time.
My system is heavy on tubes and the sound has been too much on the warm side mainly due to the Aesthetix Io, Manley DAC and NBS cables. But the Purist cables alone have brought me closer to "center". So I find I like the Manley even more now that I have a greater bass foundation and clarity with the Purist. In other words, even though I know the Manley is more grainy, less resolving, fatter in the mids, lean in the bass, softer on the top, etc., compared to today's new models, the Manley portrays music that for me at least brings on a level of involvement that will not be easy to give up.
Artg brought over his Audio Aero Cap II a few months ago and it clearly was a more refined unit, but it did not take the music to the "next level" that would give me an itch to change. But my system did not have the PLC then and so the AA Cap may have widened the gap with further resolution coming through. Art has since changed to the Reimyo so maybe I can entice him to bring that over and give me a real taste of today's models. And perhaps Jadem6 can bring over his supercharged modified SCD-1.
Hearing the EMM, Zanden, DCS, Spectral, MBL, etc., would be nice, but until I drop these in my system, and then can't give up what they bring to the table, I am a happy camper.
I just got the CD duplicator system and already I love this thing for its improvements in dynamics, clarity and giving instruments and singers more presence without bringing on any fatigue. So it's like I just upgraded the Manley. 8-)
John
My system is heavy on tubes and the sound has been too much on the warm side mainly due to the Aesthetix Io, Manley DAC and NBS cables. But the Purist cables alone have brought me closer to "center". So I find I like the Manley even more now that I have a greater bass foundation and clarity with the Purist. In other words, even though I know the Manley is more grainy, less resolving, fatter in the mids, lean in the bass, softer on the top, etc., compared to today's new models, the Manley portrays music that for me at least brings on a level of involvement that will not be easy to give up.
Artg brought over his Audio Aero Cap II a few months ago and it clearly was a more refined unit, but it did not take the music to the "next level" that would give me an itch to change. But my system did not have the PLC then and so the AA Cap may have widened the gap with further resolution coming through. Art has since changed to the Reimyo so maybe I can entice him to bring that over and give me a real taste of today's models. And perhaps Jadem6 can bring over his supercharged modified SCD-1.
Hearing the EMM, Zanden, DCS, Spectral, MBL, etc., would be nice, but until I drop these in my system, and then can't give up what they bring to the table, I am a happy camper.
I just got the CD duplicator system and already I love this thing for its improvements in dynamics, clarity and giving instruments and singers more presence without bringing on any fatigue. So it's like I just upgraded the Manley. 8-)
John