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Non Analytical Sounding DAC Upgrade- Budget $1,500 or less

After upgrading my speakers and turntable over the last 3 years it's time to get rid of my nearly 7-year old Beresford DAC. I originally started with a budget of $750 or less, but after researching possible options it seems like $1,500 might be more realistic. This will be in my dedicated 2 channel system. 80% listening through speakers and the rest through headphones. Analog is about 50% of listening, the 50% that is digital is mostly standard res streaming (via Roon/Tidal) or physical CD (using Oppo player as transport) with some higher res stuff tossed in. Music is mostly classic rock, prog, jazz, classical.

Downstream is NAD326 Integrated and Tekton Enzo XL speakers. I'll probably upgrade the amp in the next year. The speakers are long-term keepers.

I want something that gives a nice detailed sound-stage. Being a fan of good vinyl playback I'm not looking for an overly analytical sound. Because of that it seems like a R2R dac might be a better fit. I know there's lots of choices so hoping you can help to narrow the list down to a manageable number. Here's what's on the list so far:

  1. MHDT Orchid or Pagoda
  2. Denafrips Ares 2
  3. Musical Paradise MP-D2
  4. Soekris dac1541
I'm definitely open to other suggestions.

Thanks in advance!
ruleof72
akgwhiz
184 posts
 
@ken7, of the Orchid mods, do you know which may have yielded the greatest bang for buck, or ease of installation?  Did you try other tubes first, can you comment on their sound?  I have this unit and love it but who doesn't love to tweak something for the right price/reward ratio.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 
Thanks, @ianrodger. I didn't know "analytical" was a negative — I thought it meant toward the more crisp, clean, maybe lighter side of the spectrum — which was a set of characteristics some people like. Now I realize it's a cluster of negative qualities (in your definition). The OP said "overly analytical" but I suspect that you mean that — not all analytical is bad, but too much is…well, too much!

@ken7, I second the question by akgwhiz about the Orchid. I'm interested in playing around with it, too.

letch
109 posts
 
I just pulled the trigger on an Orchid this week. I've also got a CEC TL5 coming to pair with it. I bought it with the upgraded Tung Sol  since you get the standard tube as well. 

@hilde45 I think analytical is negative depending on how one views such things. I think your understanding is spot on. 

I was listening to a friend's system (Conrad Johnson, Totem, Rega) and it was good, but too analytical. My friend called it revealing and admitted that there was music he loved that he couldn't listen to on it. I shoot for what I call musical, which means the system is there to play music not "recordings." He loves his system, I admired it, but could never live like that. But he completely understood and that was his preference and I respect that.

Now I have to figure out where I can get me one of those Western Electric tubes everyone is going on about. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 
@letch I'd be interested to hear about your experiments. Perhaps start a thread called "Tube-rolling with the MHDT Orchid DAC"? It's a popular enough product that we might find some interesting contributions which detail how different tubes and associated equipment combine to create different sonic outcomes. 
One person relayed the following to me:
Brighter: GE 5670 5-star (stock tube); a good tube.
Softer: Tesla 6cc42; great midpoint tube.
Extra soft: Western Electric 2C51
djones51
4,947 posts
 
@ruleof72

You said " I’m definitely open to other suggestions." so I’m going out on a limb here with another suggestion. I am not disparaging anyone’s choice on a DAC this is addressed to the OP. You mention non analytical DAC then describe your system having a NAD integrated. The NAD is fairly analytical which to me means it reproduces what is fed to it as accurately as possible. If you decide to keep a fairly precise SS amp then the products mentioned so far would probably meet your expectations. On the other hand if you move to a tube system the idea of adding a tube DAC or other tube sounding DAC just adds more coloration to the tube amps. In my opinion in order to get the "flavor" of your tube preamps or amps it makes more sense to go with as neutral a DAC as possible. The more precise the DAC at conveying the signal without adding or taking away in other words analytical would give you a much better idea at what the tubes offer in your tube components. So far I have seen 1 DAC mentioned the Benchmark and it is a pretty neutral DAC. There are others that would qualify as neutral pretty much any modern Delta Sigma DAC.
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