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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
dragon_vibe
430 posts
 
The GG is a tube stage DAC.

The Merlot is SS

The Playback Design Merlot is a Chipless 1 BIT DSD dac. Andreas Koch uses a different method to in sampling rate before its passed over to the analog stages of the DAC. You might want to read into his paper work.

This DAC balances very well for its price tag against the BIG boys price tags DACs.

Many companies use FPGA and the same applies to playback design. Its the algorithm written for FPGA that matters more in the end. You can constantly update the Dacs Sounds by software instead of hardware.

bar81
791 posts
 
@ksattic   That’s the way to do it - listen. I was just pointing out that FPGA DACs are not a Chord exclusive - several other manufacturers use FPGAs for the heavy lifting in their DACs (such as by EMM Labs in my digital gear and also MSB and dcs afaik).
wisnon
700 posts
 
Dragon...I am in Switzerland. I know all about Andreas who is a Swiss living in Cali. He is a DSD godfather. I dont know him personally, though I have met many of the people behind the famous Swiss Brands like Dartzeel, CH Precision, Audio Consulting, LumenWhite, SoundKaos, Colotube, FM Acoustics,  Heil AMT, Goldmund, Piega, Weiss, Merging, Illusonic, Manufacture Le Son,Rowen and Stenheim. No contact wth Boenicke, Studer/Revox, Soulution, SwissSonor, etc.

I also know that MERLOT IS PROBABLY BETTER DSD THAN THE PBD MPD-5, etc. Since Lampi DSD, many have stepped up their games. Its all good for the consumer. DSD is best with the least amount of processing possible applied.

One last point, Lampi is not just a tube buffer stage stuck onto a Digital section, the Tube stage is intergral. Part filter and part amplifying. The beauty is the minimalistic signal path this approach entails. So minimalistic that if you pull out just a single component the circuit collapses. Its one road leading to Rome.
ctsooner's avatar
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Not sure if Ayre is unveiling their reference DAC in Munich this weekend, but I believe they are.  If so, I was told they went all out assault and it will be a major part of this discussion.  They are working on a few ref components and some other stuff, so I'm not sure they are showing the DAC or not.  We will find out in a few days.
ksattic
9 posts
 
@bar81 very true... I've recently learned that there's only so much you can learn from A/B comparisons. At the end of the day you should spend money on what makes you happy.
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