Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

On a side not, and a side note that I don't believe has been discussed, I'm very curious of everyone's opinions of line conditioning, surge suppression, power regeneration, balanced power, filtering, magnets and magic pixie dust??? I know I dragged everyone into the depths of my electrical design when I was wiring my room, but we never hit on this subject.

Let's keep it organized and break it up into overall room conditioning at the circuit box, high current conditioning for amps and low current conditioning for rack gear.

My room utilizes a dedicated panel and the only thing I have (actually, am about to install) on my panel for the whole room is the Environmental Potentials EP-2050 Surge and Waveform corrector ion module. I know Mike went all out for the Equi-Tech Balanced power breaker panel. Wish it had been in the budget at the time; maybe some day.

I am currently running my amps direct to the wall using Shinyata Zitron Alpha High Current Power cords but am considering adding an IsoTek Evo3 Titan high current conditioner with Evo3 Syncro power cable (they are very cool. The cable has a small balanced conditioner built right into the cable. DC filtering, no emi/rfi). Or a Shunyata Hydra Triton V2.

Rack is currently under control with a Shunyaya Hydra AV and all Shunyata Zitron Power cords. Although I will definitely be jumping on a Plasmatron for my digital when I can fit it into the budget. Seriously considered the Audience Adept Response gear and that's actually the direction my neighbor went, along with the IsoTek Titan/Syncro for amps (which I am all over borrowing and trying!).

Open forum as always. Nothing is the best, especially in the voodoo world of power conditioning.

Should be a fun side run while we slowly post about dacs.

Mattnshilp, well I certainly would not think you would want to introduce "magic pixie dust" to start a discussion. I have limited experience with anything you introduce and some of which I have never heard of. All that I have ever owned of these products is an IsoTek balanced power unit. It gave me a hum when I used my turntable. It was basically the absence of a ground at the root of this problem.

I have had about 15 different line conditioners dating back at least ten years, ranging from isolation transformers, filtering systems, magnetic filtering systems, and regeneration units. I had some of the Shunyaya equipment in my system but none that I ever bothered to buy.

As always, I find little to discuss as everyone hears differently and has different tastes. But I must say that I find no power cords that challenge
the High Fidelity power cords and that the obscenely expensive "Pro" or clearly the best. With these power cords, I hear more detail as they are so quiet. They allow a holographic presentation.

Finally, I think any dac that cannot play quad DSD will long endure.

"Car analogies only get you so much mileage."
Geoff, I "resemble" that comment!!!! That's exactly why my next car will be the Prius 2016... 60 miles per gallon *grins!* ... With standard audio setup, BTW.

Matt.... IMO, before you indulge in further line conditioning magic etc.... Why not upgrade your Burmies PCs. The new Shunyata Sigmas are obvious contenders.... But Norm brings up an excellent point.... HFCs are relatively new contenders, and they are more than worth careful examination. I have only explored the basic CT-1 and the Ultras, and find them to be astonishingly musical, resolving, and harmonically complex. The only caveat is that for high current amplifiers one must adopt a series that does not limit current.... This probably means at least the Ultras -- which I use on my M925s -- or an even higher series.

G.

I searched for The Ultimate Tweak in archives but didn't find it. Can you provide a link?

How long will the WireWorld cables take to break in? One supposes there will be a review in about 12 months. ;-)