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Best DAC for pcm files

Hi,

I know i am not super top with my question because all discussion turn around the DSD but i have more than 3500 songs in pcm (apple loss less), and i am confortable with the pcm format.

So my question here is pretty simple, i looking for the best dac for pcm audio file format (please don't say DCS it's out of my budget). I want spend around 2500/3000 usd on the used market. Example : weiss 202, berkley aplha dac 2, etc.....

Do you have any recommandation?
georgelfre
jazzonthehudson's avatar
jazzonthehudson
277 posts
 
+1  for AMR DP-777, has two DAC chips inside. Its digital volume control is one of the best in the DAC market, one user mentioned it replaced his ARC Ref 5. In my case I could get rid of my CJ CT5 in the chain. The DP777's USB input has IME excellent design which is less prone to the jittery USB. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

Yes this AMR DP-777 has two dac chips inside, a "Classic" R2R Ladder Multibit and a "HD" Delta Sigma based one (for dsd replay), they can be switched on the fly while listening, everything else is the same. Here is what a reviewer said when he compared the sound of both of them when he played RedBook cd and PCM files through them.


"16/44 sources replay using the HD DAC"
 If the sources are 16/44, the sound from the HD DAC is quite “HiFi”, seems to have more air and the treble energy is stronger. There is more siblings sound for the female vocal. But after a while, we can sense that it is missing some warmth in the mid range and the vocal is thinner than it should. The sound stage is quite shallow and the rise and fall of each music note is not as clear cut, the rhythm and pace is also less accurate, and finally the “musicality” of the DAC is reduced.

"16/44sources replay using the Classic DAC"
 Now playing the 16/44 sources using the Classic DAC, the sound is a lot more natural, the 3D sound stage is back, there is plenty of space one can sense between the instruments, the vocal and instruments move back a few meters as there is now sound stage depth to take about, the rise and fall of each music note is much more clearly defined."

I remember reading somewhere Thorsten Losche (AMR’s designer) was asked why did you  put in a Delta Sigma dac. As a token gesture for the HD crew, or similar was his answer.


Cheers George 
  

intermediatic's avatar
intermediatic
72 posts
 
Ayre Codex, which also does up to at least 384. Just phenomenal. 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

Overdrive SE. Won a shootout here on Audiogon.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd

There is one that can be updated to SE on sale at audiocircle.com trading post-digital/sources

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=138238.0

The SE beats much more expensive DACs, in the 15K+ range.

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

I wouldn’t say won, This is the AudioStream comparison to the MSB R2R Ladder Multibit chipped dac, make you own mind up on this quote

" Comparisons with Other DACs
The MSB Technology Analog DAC at $6995 welcomes comparison with the $5999 Overdrive SE. These two DACs sound quite different from each other. The Analog DAC is bigger sounding with a less forward presence to its sound. The Overdrive SE is faster sounding, particularly in the low end. The Analog DAC has a more “relaxed sound” overall compared to the Overdrive SE."


Cheers George



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