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Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Guidocorona, yep, I listen with my ears. I have heard probably 20 different class D amps and can always hear that edge. I own three different amps now. Two are class AB with one running pretty hot, The H-Cat X-10, and the other at about room temperature, the LSA Statement Plus. My other amp, the BMC M2 monoblocks, I have never heard their classification. I continually switch between the H-Cat and the BMCs. The LSA has just become a backup.

I was so fascinated by the quad DSD recording in the German Physics/Merging Technologies room that I've forgotten their amps. Whatever they were the sound was great. If it was class D, I will eat my words.
bill_k
920 posts
 
Tbg - I just checked and that room at RMAF was using Ayre Acoustics electronics between the Merging Technologies DAC and the German Physiks speakers.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Hi Norm, I agree with you... If you have already evaluated in your own system a well broken in Merrill Veritas, Bel canto Black, Rowland Continuum S2, Daemon, and M825 in your system, and found them all to fall short of your nirvanic goals, then it is probably worth while for you to table bothering with class D technology for a couple of years longer.

G.
mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
I am getting another MSB DAC from MSB with a different filter to see if I like that better. Not sure exactly what product it will be. I will keep you all posted.

Also should be able to get my hands on the Berkeley Reference DAC shortly as well. I want to let it burn in for a few hundred hours before I borrow it from my neighbor. But it's definitely arriving next Monday to him.

I'll compare the Berk and the MSB directly. And I still have the Emm Labs dac2x sound fresh in my mind.

Also hoping to get some time tomorrow morning to compare the Aurender n10 and my Mac mini. The N10 has been cooking for about 120 hours. Stay tuned.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

Interesting Mattnshilp, the Berkeley have also now with their Reference Dac has gone back to Multibit as well as the MSB, they were both into Delta Sigma (1 Bit) only a couple f years ago.

It will be interesting how they stack up against each other as the EMM Labs is Delta Sigma, all doing RedBook

From Berkeley
"Alpha DAC Reference Series, use multi-bit D/A converters because they provide better performance than 1-bit converters - even DAC’s who advertise “native” DSD compatibility."

Cheers George
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