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Relaxed, musical DAC around 2k used?

I tend to differ from many audiophiles in that I am very sensitive to treble and what is commonly referred to as detail retrieval. I want something musical that is forgiving to poor recordings rather than reminding me that I’m not listening an audiophile mastered album, something laid back that gives the sense of ease and relaxation I get from vinyl.

I’ve previously tried DACs like the Chord Mojo, ifi xDSD, and Sabre 9018 based McIntosh D150 and found all to suffer from weak bass and overly emphasized treble (sparkle, air, detail) which is not to my liking. I’ve heard through reviews that something like the PS Audio Directstream DAC might be more of what I’m looking for but at the moment it is out of my budget. 

I also see things like the Mytek Brooklyn and Benchmark recommended at this price range but I fear they will have the same emphasis as the above and won’t be what I’m looking for. 

Im very open to used gear as it gives greater value. Is there anything out there for me?
128x128blorp
erik_squires
16,386 posts
 
Every MQA DAC rolls off the highs for PCM music, so something from Mytek for instance would have less upper treble than a Benchmark DAC3B or Chord Qutest (these have neutral sound).

@mzkmxcv

What?????
Figures 7 and 8 of this review say you have no idea what you are talking about:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mytek-hifi-brooklyn-da-processor%C2%96headphone-amplifier-measur...


I own a Brooklyn. There’s nothing wrong with the treble response of the DAC, but I will say I prefer the fast filter, rather than the apodizing filter which has to be used to get MQA decoding.

To claim having MQA in a DAC lessens the treble response is nonsense. The original Brooklyn has MQA and measures superbly.

pkvintage's avatar
pkvintage
209 posts
 
Audionote ANK 3.1 tube. A little higher than 2k but you won't regret it. It replaced a NAD M51 which is also a highly regarded digital dac. 

The ANK 3.1 is very musical. The strum of a guitar, the ring of a bell is  a beautiful thing through this dac. 

Good luck
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@erik_squires

Caveat I left out, if using the MQA filter. Some MQA DACs only offer 1, so you are stuck with the MQA filter. That Mytek offers more than 1, the SR filter rolls off after 10kHz, as per your measurement link. Also, for that Mytek, you can see that FR has aliasing issues above nyquist, may or may not be audible, but it’s worse than even much cheaper DACs that are PCM only.
blorp's avatar
blorp OP
8 posts
 
@akiravelvet
Which Lampizator model out of curiosity, the Amber 2? Always been interested in trying an R2R dac. 
hgeifman
2,275 posts
 
Ayre CODEX DAC.   "The Codex is hand built in Colorado and can be used as a stand alone DAC, headphone amp, or digital preamp. The Codex can unlock the potential of any system.  A fully-balanced signal path throughout the analog circuitry provides an inherently clean and quiet backdrop for your music. The zero-feedback design maintains the pace and rhythm of your favorite artist, rendering your digital music as effortlessly as if it were live".   List price is $1,995 and used prices around $1,200 (+/-).   Input connections are USB and optical.  

The CODEX DAC has great sound from a very small package and is certainly worth a listen.    If possible, I suggest using its balanced XLR outputs to your amplifier.  
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