@hilde45 I bought my MHDT Labs Orchid second hand. USB was not working when I received it. I reached out to Jian at MHDT. He sent me a replacement board at no cost, knowing I wasn't the original owner. Maybe the best customer service I've ever experienced. I think they're made in Taiwan, but don't quote me on that.
MHDT or Border Patrol
I've been switching between a DACmagic Pus with an LPS, and a Schiit Modi Multibit DACs and while the sound is decent/acceptable I would like to "upgrade" to a non-OS tube DAC just to see if it adds more body and texture to the music without losing detail. Has anyone had a chance to compare the MHDT and Border Patrol DACs and can comment on their sound quality? I have Bluesound Node2 feeding the DAC, into an upgraded Aric Audio tube preamp, McIntosh MC2200, and Vandersteen 2Ci speakers. I'm actually looking for more texture in the low/high treble and mid/low bass. Aric's preamp gives plenty of body/texture in the midrange spectrum.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
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gelle The Orchid uses Phillips TDA1541A-R1, which is the top of the line DAC from that Phillips 15xx series, compared to the lower cost TDA1545A chips used in the Canary. The Orchid uses an OPA861 transistor for output gain whereas the Canary uses additional TDA1545A chips for output gain. This link below summarizes all differences; http://www.mhdtlab.com/mhdt%20dac%20families.htm |
Guys, what a fascinating thread. Normally I only hang around the analog forums (more shade there, I can stay hidden Lol), but I'm finally (Covid-permitting) gonna try and get off the fence and make that streaming purchase, obv needing to settle on a dac. My dilemmas are trying to converge on a SQ level-price point based on streaming likely to run alongside my tt and also my cdp...yes, I still buy cds to add to the 1.5k that I already own played thru a $15k cdp. Even w streaming, I'm likely to carry on buying lps and cds. I have no idea where streaming will take me...if I end up with an unengaging server/dac, or I struggle w the interface, or I don't find much I like on the æther (I'll be looking for unusual prog, fusion and ambient electronica deep genre searches), the whole thing could be a waste of cash ...hence my joy at finding this line of dacs. MHDT almost looks too good to be true. Warm AND revealing, toneful AND dynamic...and open to tube rolling ...and critically for this potential customer at least who is really unsure of the lay of the land, hugely affordable. Am I reading you fanboys correctly...you CAN have it (almost) all, for a fraction of the cost of spendy bigger names like Chord, Aqua, Lampi etc? |
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