Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi all.

Nothing to post since I’m waiting for my odsx to come back.

The Emm Labs DA-2 demands a better source then my Mac mini. The N10 works well. So once I get my odsx I will head to head the Emm/N-10 via AES against the odsx fed via Ethernet from my Mac mini. The winner will take up permanent residence.

The rest of my system is stunningly good and needs nothing but some power cable tweaking. I’ve been to 2 dozen dealerships, a dozen audio shows and a myriad audiophile systems. Only 3 have, to my ears, outperformed my system; and all 3 were million dollar systems.....

down to the DAC wire. I’ll keep you all posted.

Thanks for keeping this going CTSooner!!! Enjoy that Ayre!

LOL,, of course Matt.  Call if you have some time tomorrow. I have to take the wife to Brooklyn for an all day seminar and then to LaGuardia. I"ll drop her off around 9:30 and then head to the city to see what shops are open.  I haven't really been to the shops in the city in awhile.  Not even sure where to go.  Was thinking about Innovation as I have never been there.  

I would recommend the New Merlot Dac from Playback design over lampi. The Merlot Dac is designed and coded by the very guy who made DSD in the first place for sony.

CT - so many stores in Manhatten. A few are appointment only. Wes Bender is in Brooklynn and is a great guy with a great ear. Innovative, Sound Exchange, Audio Arts, EarsNova, Lyric, Sound by Singer are all worth a visit. 

Dragon_Vibe - thanks for the input. Playback has always had a strong product. 

Fascinating exercise.....

So last night I went to my son’s annual November symphony performance. He’s in an advanced Youth Symphony program and the performances are practically professional level; truly a treat and something I always look forward to. Typically they are held at the NJ PAC in Newark or one of the local High School PAC’s with exceptional acoustics. I am very familiar with the sound of this Symphony’s live performances.

Well, they lost the NJ PAC at the last minute and had to have it at a local church (smallish to medium) and I got to hear, first hand, just how much the room can affect the acoustics!

I was listening to the most accurate stereo system imaginable.... Live Music. Familiar live music no less.

Normally the performance whisks me to that wonderful music land where nothing else exists and my soul feeds on adagio and forte until it swells satiated with the meal it consumed. In this cramped space, my ears bled on every horn flourish and flute twitter. In audiophile terms, it sounded like I was listening to a horn speaker sitting in a room way to small and way to close to the speakers. If this had been a stereo system I would have declared it an utter failure. I have heard upstairs rooms at the stereo shows that sounded better then this live performance!!!

But the experiment was a resounding success. The "system", whether it be a live performance or a $3k modest stereo is COMPLETELY at the whim of the room!!! For those that spend a fortune on gear and nothing on sound treatments...... let this be your wake up call!