Affordable alternativ to the PS Audio DirectStream DAC

If your looking for a DAC only the closest you make come to the DS at a lower price may be a used Aqua La Voce S2.  I own both and they are both in a similar vein.  My S2 is headed back to Italy for the S3 upgrade after the Munich show. 

Audiotroy
I understand completely.
However it is still a consideration to be made if one needs other than a USB input IMHO.
One can claim it is stripped down for audio purity agreed.
One could also claim the PS costs more because it offers more.

Just depends on your point of view.

Over and out.

Yes Uberwaltz those are all valid points, in terms of value that is only determined by the listener.

We would recommend that the OP listen to a T2 and decide for himself. We are willing to believe he will find the T2 to match the PS and perhaps may even enjoy it more, only the OP will know for himself.

In our store we sell a lot of digital products, from Mytek, Ifi, Naim, Lumin, Innous, Baetis, NAD, Light Harmonic, T+A, Rega, Aqua Hifi,and a few others.

We agree with you on that Lumin will not work for everyone, that is why we don’t sell only Lumin. A person has to consider what their needs are.

If you think about it locking down the system is generally very effective at eliminating any noise entering the piece along with the digital signal, but it does limit you if you want to spin a CD as well as stream.

For many of our clients the world of Tidal and Qbouzz are eliminating the desire to play a CD, howerver, if you have a rare CD or an artist not available via streaming that could be an issue. You can also rip a CD to a computer on your network and play the disc that way, we know that isn’t for everybody.

We are big proponents of the Lumin products because they sound and work wonderfully well and are among the best sounding products in their price range.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

jackd:

The Aqua La Voce S2 uses PCM1704-K which is an R-2R ladder that also is used in the renowned Theta and some Wadia DACs. I much prefer this to any Saber-based DAC that I've heard. 

Jburidan, we also sell the Aqua, we have a Formula and a Lascala Mk II on display and we are not going to say they don't sound good.

We would also ask you have you heard a Lumin T2 or an X1.

The X1 is an extraordinary digital product one of the best sounding front ends we have ever heard, it is magical and it also uses a Sabre dac. 

Their are many great dac chips from AKM, Sabre and Burr Brown including the 1796 and the 1792 chips what really matters is not the chip but how you impliment your design. R2R dac chips and the best multi bit chips are sounding more and more alike these days.

However, again, you are basing your love of the Aqua on just the chip the Aqua analog stage is superb.

This discussion is about Streamers both the PS audio and the Lumin are streamers the Aqua Hifi is not a streamer so you can't really bring up one in the same conversation also the new La Voice MK III is $4,750 add in a good server and you are in the $7k or so catagory so not a valid comparison unless you are talking one $7k package vs another.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ