I have a Bryston BDP-1/BDA-1 combo. Can sound quality be noticeably improved by upgrading the DAC? Anyone move from the BDA-1 to the Berkeley Alpha 2 and thought it was a worthy upgrade?
I don't think you can beat the PS Audio DirectStream Dac. Expensive but a value when compared to many others. It's a wonder of breakthrough design and engineering.
Differences between quality DACs are normally swallowed up by the room. The exceptions are headphone listening and to a lesser extent, listening in a well treated room. When doing critical listening through a nice set of headphones, small differences can show up but deciding what's better is normally a taste thing. Be wary of the shill recommending a 4k DAC.
Agree! There's a lot of killer DACs available, new and used, in the $3k-4K range. Auditioning before buying is an absolute must. Especially when spending that kind of money. In this hobby a small improvement in SQ usually requires a lot of money.
I'm currently auditioning the new MSB "Analog" DAC. It easily surpasses the Bryston and most who have compared it to the new Berkeley have preferred the MSB. I haven't heard a better DAC than the Analog.
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