A Top DAC

CH Precision C1.1 with T1 and X1 power supply. You can also go for the mono version of the above set. Best I've ever heard. (admit that I have not heard all of the others)

Stickman451

I have not had a chance to compare any of these to any of the other ones on your list so I can only comment on what I’ve heard. Based on everything you read my vote would go to the DCS. A good friend of mine owns a high end audio store in the Chicago area and he is a DCS dealer and has been so for the last 3 years. His top digital brands used to be Esoteric, Berkeley & Playback Design, All well respected brands. When he got the DCS on the floor and customers started comparing this dac against that dac it was not even close. In the first year alone, he sold three times as many DCS dacs then all 3 of the other brands combined. 

I visit sit there frequently so I get a chance to listen to both the Bartok and the Rossini on many different types of electronics and speakers and the DCS stuff just sounds so good. They are very reliable as well. He has been in business for over 40 years and he claims that the DCS gear is the best digital he’s ever heard. I agree. If you want a streamer/dac I think the DCS is going to be tough to beat. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Scot

I’m going to get an in-house demo of the DCS Rossini and the external clock this weekend.  It’ll be an interesting comparison to my Analog DAC.  Will post my impressions early next week.

This thread feels like a bunch of people arguing over the right shade of white. You can pretty much guarantee that whatever is hooked up to this level of DAC is going to have a far greater impact on the sound ... far far greater, than the DAC itself, so unless you are demoing it in your system, it is at best a crap shoot.

@stickman451 

What did you end up purchasing and why?
Have you been happy with your purchase?

Thanks... 👍