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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
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Thank you Mitch and Al.... I concur completely with your tightening up of my original definition....

Yes Audiolabyrinth, my pref is for neutral+rich.... I often call this kind of sound "complex", which is what I usually seek... Although, I freely admit that on occasion I do fall for the seductiveness of just trace amounts of comfie pillowing in the lower mid bass... Provided the integrity of the rest of the frequency band is unaffected... Vienna Acoustics DIe Muzik anyone *Grins!*

G.



Regards, G.
agear
1,362 posts
 
What a ship of fools...and to think you shot down George and his technobabble for this? Is this not a dac thread after all....?

I found a good new definition for "audiophile" on Urban dictionary:

audiophile
One who enjoys sex acts involving the ear.
After they stopped kissing, Jenny felt something touch her ear. She sighed. Why did she always end up with the audiophiles?
by Darcy_Tucker June 19, 2008

Please note that the definition was submitted by a woman. One could take the definition a little further into the land of autoerotica, but I don't want to be crude. It would however be more accurate since our hobby is a closed loop phenomena....
paul79
174 posts
 
This DAC looks VERY interesting to me....

http://aries-cerat.eu/products/digital-processor/kassandra-series
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
Thankyou everyone, I have been reading these new descriptions of sound and really didn't know what rich sound meant, although I knew what warm sound was, interesting, let's see what others may say?
mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
Warm - what my room feels like after about 2 hours of listening.

Rich - what I have made the dealers I bought all my gear from....
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