help me with a DAC decision please

ok a used april music DAC came up for sale and i bought it. i checked in to each and every suggestion. i want to thank all of you. hopefully when i need help in the future i can come away with the same amount of help. thanks

I used to own PS Audio Directstream. I think it would be a good choice, too.

PS Audio Perfect Wave is outstanding. 

You owe it to your self to hear the Audio Alchemy DDP-1 DAC/PRE for $1895.  It does DSD and has a built-in Tidal app.  Great sounding DAC and very good preamp.

dpm2340

whitestix70 posts10-10-2016 8:35am I must ask why you sense a need to get a new DAC? Wadia gear is tip-top. I sure hope you have a chance to audition before you buy because is is very possible that any replacement for your Wadia will be a pricey side-ways move.

I’m 100% with whitestix there

Your going to find it hard (impossible) to beat your wadia 121 (delta sigma) based DAC with it’s own output level control, that can be set to match your system gain, don’t even bother, with another (delta Sigma) based dac.

BTW: your Wadia has the ESS ES9018S Saber (Delta Sigma) D/A converter so it may do DSD if you like it.

Unless your not liking the sound of Delta Sigma conversion with Red book which is in the Wadia, then this is another story, a "good" Multibit dac will sound better doing PCM Redbook.

From MoJo Sound
" When a PCM file is played on a Delta Sigma, DSD or Bit Stream converter, the DAC chip has to convert the PCM to DSD in real time. This is one of the major reasons people claim DSD sounds better than PCM, when in fact, it is just that the chip in most modern single-bit/Delta Sigma DACs do a poor job of decoding PCM."

Question is all you want is just a better sound from Redbook (PCM) and forget about DSD?

Cheers George