Musical Fidelity Tri-vista 21 DAC

Panderso is right. The DAC performance is heavily dependent on the transport. With a friend of mine we played a bit with the Trivista dac. The system was: Krell kpsc-28, siltech classic qs-110 ic, krell kav-280pre, siltech classic qs-110 ic Krell kav 2550, siltech ls classic 110 (?), Sonus Faber Cremona (plus siltech powercords). Putting into the system the Trivista DAc connected to a MF 3.2 cd player as a transport, you get the typical bad cheapo MF sound of the E-series: rolled off highs, muddy bass, slow creamy sound - some like this sound, but compared to the Krell kpsc-28 it was really very bad. It was so disapponting that after a few minutes we stopped it. Than we changed the MF 3.2 to Orelle 2500 (that UFO-style transport). We got a clean crisp, transparent, quick and punctial sound, comparable to the kpsc-28. The Orelle-MF pair was a bit warmer, and richer midrange, the krell seemed to have more quicker transient responses and better micro-dynamic. But whether one liked this or that sound was really taste issue, but not difference in resolution. So, dont buy it without adressing your transport and hearing it in your system.

Sorry. orelle is oracle 2500.

I've only had mine several days, though broken in. At first I had reservations, but I now am almost stunned at the realness of the sound. Images are incredible:: there is a 3D but perfectly clear, defined, round. With a you-are-there sort of recreation of the physical space in a manner I have never heard before.

It should be understood, however, that I have no experience with any of the costly DACs, not even the Levinsons.

It may not be perfect, but it will take me more listening to know. Irregardless, I consider this an exceptional piece, and until something else is found better, it stays.

Some further thoughts. You guys saying it sounded 'organic' are correct. It has a wholeness, a correctness, and a minor richness that just really sound right and sound like the real thing. I'm excited. (Remember SNL's Chris Farley as Lauri Davis? "It's exciting!"

Tubes. The trivistors probably have something to do with this. They probably deliver a good portion of the positive qualities of tubes, and an absence of the negative ones. I never thought I would praise Musical Fidelity, but Antony Michaelson is obviously much more than just a good salesman peddling attractive products if this DAC is representative of what he does.

My Trivista 21 replaced an elderly Theta G3 which had become a bit temperamental (sometime has difficulty locking onto the signal). I was not expecting major improvements but I was wrong. The biggest difference was the soundstage; it became so much wider that on the best recordings, I had effectively an all emcompassing soundstage with images spreading from the front, round the side and even to behind the listening position. You can even hear and locate echos seemingly bouncing off the rear wall on some recordings.

Resolution, timing and warmth was better than the G3 and it also had this ability to project the sound in a very natural way from anywhere between or to the outside of the left or right speakers. Needless to say, the speakers did one of the best disappearing act that I have experienced.

It is possible that my G3 was not 100%, and which I may not have noticed as it might have deteriorated slowly over time. But one thing's for sure, my G3 never had that amazing sound stage, even when new.

All in all, an amazing DAC, especially when you take into account the price.