Higher End DACs


I am looking for a DAC (potentially streamer&DAC) to be paired in a mcintosh system (c1100/611). Its my first foray into digital streaming and I have no need for a CD player.

I see a lot of love for Esoteric, however, most seems to be around their transports? Are they not as renowned for pure digital streaming and/or standalone DACs? I see DCS (for instance) often referenced for standalone DACs - how does Esoteric compare?
ufguy73
My 2 bits of recent experience:

This past October I had the  Innuos Zenith -- Chord TT2 -- M. Scaler. It was incredibly detailed but found the sound a little thin. Happened upon a Lumin X1 (purchased here) and it literally blew my gourd. Every bit as detailed as the Chord stack but fuller, less fatiguing. Now putting the finishing touches on what I consider to be my endgame 2ch rig built around the X1. 
I've been at this game a long time (just ask Lalitik), so I don't make this claim lightly, it's really that good.  
The thread is really good, i find quite remarkable replies to my inquiries in this thread, i occasionally also read your earlier posts on the website and relatively reliably they are so attractive that once i start i can't stop myself.
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Thanks david_ten

Very interesting article...

I downloaded the music samples that the reviewer listen to also....I listen from my PC also....

It makes me envious of those who will be able to purchase this 24,000 Euro piece of engineering...

But not too much envious tough, if I compare my listening with his description of the music samples used...

Like I said in another thread almost all S.Q. comes from the implementation and controls of the 4 embeddings of an audio system at whatever price ( 60 % at least )more than from the electronical component "per se".... A consolation for the "poor" audiophile.... :)


My best to you...
I have a lowly celeron NUC as my server.  Its inside a 90dB RF-STOP isolation chamber with only optical I/O. This means zero RF noise escapes to impinge on my DAC and sounds, IMO, like endgame quality.  If we are all pragmatic, we know that the SGM Extreme bitstream is the same as my NUC's.  Exactly the same. The SGM is just a very very low RF noise source. All that metal and engineering buries the noise to be highly uncorrelated or at a level below where it matters to the DAC.  Yes, you can go in the $GM direction or be objective and focus on RF reduction with a few simple principles to get essentially the same result.