lots of good options at your price point, but don't downplay the importance of the transport. And the free DirectStream DAC upgrade should be available next week...
detailed vs. warm DAC - which do I prefer?
My first post on GON... I recently purchased a PS Audio DirectStream DAC and when I do an A/B comparison with my old NAD C542 cd player (Burr-Brown Sigma Delta DAC), I prefer the cd player every time. The DSD just sounds too laid-back and muted for my taste with a less-defined soundstage. In all fairness to PS Audio, I've only had the DSD for a couple of weeks so it's nowhere near to being broken in. My question to the group is what, if anything, does this say about my preference in DACs? I live in the sticks, so I don't have the luxury of listening to demos at a dealer or in my own system. If I do seek out a replacement for the DSD, should I consider a more "detailed" or "warm" DAC? I honestly don't know what I prefer. My budget is $7K and I'm considering the mytek manhattan II, bryston, luxman, and exogal. Surely there's a DAC in this price range that will sound better than spinning discs in my old cd player. Or maybe I've grown so accustomed to the digital redbook sound that I haven't learned to appreciate the more analog sounding DSD and it might grow on me after break-in.
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- 15 posts total
- 15 posts total