Another new DAC: Audio Mirror

I can safely after a month the maxed out / SE version of the Tubadour iii is just wonderful. For a while I kinda wanted my old dac back. Break-in was tough! The mods offer a more layered and beautiful resolution, greater impact, smoother, and lower noise floor. If you are looking for a DAC in the $1500 price point it is certainly worth putting high on the consideration set. If you can up the budget for the SE, you are rewarded with a better sounding version of the same DAC. As I type I am listening to thom yorke the eraser and I’ve never heard it sound so fresh....

For people who are on the fence about buying a dac that uses an old chip when there are new dac's with better measurables to be had...

I got a demo of a Matrix X-Sabre Pro and the Audio Mirror TIII-SE is just so much better. 

The "modern" Matrix sounds good and is very clean, but lacks emotion and front-to-back layering.  Just so much less dimensional and engaging.  If you go to Audio Science Review, you'll see that the Matrix is the best measuring dac they've ever tested.  I will note that I only listen to standard 44.1k redbook, so that may be one limitation of my comparison.

Hey everybody,

Vlad will be sending me the SE version of this DAC shortly for a review for the website Stereo Times.  It will be very interesting to compare this DAC to the Mhdlab Orchid and Lab 12 which also use NOS DAC chips and tube based analog conversation sections, that I have reviewed in the past and currently use in my systems.

Looking forward to hearing this DAC that has brought great pleasure at a reasonable cost to many of the listeners on this thread.

Well, I received my Tubadour yesterday and have put about 7 hours on it. I am very pleased with the sound and understand it will only get better. I use it with a Cambridge CXC transport. It replaced a Bryston BDA-1, which I felt is a very good DAC also. 

I will get back after my unit has broken in.

Looking forward to your unbiased review Terry @teajay ! Knowing how sweet your Orchid sounded when I heard it at your place, and knowing how awesome my Tubadour III sounds, it will be an interesting read!