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The Mhdt lab Balanced Pagoda DAC

In the last couple of months I have received numerous Emails from readers regarding could I fine a truly balanced R2R DAC that would sell for less then $2,500 to review. Since, I am a fan of the very reasonably priced, but very well built and terrific sounding DACs from Mhdt Lab I requested from the them the Balanced Pagoda model that retails for less then $2,000. In the past I have reviewed the Orchid DAC and found it to be a superlative music maker, raved about it and thought it was a great bargain at it’s price point of $1,200. Take a look at the threads here on AudioGon, where the DIY/modders have shared how they improved the performance of the standard Orchid to a higher level.

The Balanced Pagoda uses four, two per channel, highly regarded NOS Burr Brown PCM 1704-J grade chips. Of course all circuity is doubled and it uses a pair of NOS WE 396 tubes in the analog conversation section, compared to the Orchid’s single tube.

If you run a balanced system and are looking for a "honey" of a DAC, the Balanced Pagoda might be the DAC you are looking for because of its performance vs cost ratio. It takes the beautiful tonality, 3D imaging, wonderful air around instruments of the Orchid to a higher level and adds more transparency/micro-details, with dramatically more powerful overall dynamics/ bass extension. Yet it never becomes analytical in its presentation and draws you into the music.

There are two caveats to be mindful of to get the magic out of the Balanced Pagoda: 1) Drive it with an AES/EBU balanced cable. 2) Only use the XLR outputs. Otherwise you will lose the ultimate performance of this DAC in your system.

I’ll be writing for the Stereo Times website the full review with all the details about the Balanced Pagoda in the next couple of months. For now, this "heads up" hopefully provides to the individuals that were seeking a balanced DAC in this price range enough details to seek out an audition of this excellent performer.

teajay
teajay OP
1,691 posts
 
Hey denism,

I don't represent anybody else but me.  If you want to trash the whole profession of individuals doing reviewing, because of the misbehavior of a few that's your right to over generalize in a bigoted fashion.  

I never post to hi-jack any thread to promote gear I like, unless the author asks for direct information regarding that piece.  Unlike a few dealers who are always pushing their wares on threads that don't ask about product lines that they carry.

Well, my desire that this thread would go back to its original purpose was very shorted lived, indeed!   
ronrags's avatar
ronrags
281 posts
 
@teajay +1
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,127 posts
 
Well I can’t speak to teajay’s reviews, I don’t read anything on sixmoons. I know that from reading his posts here that Srajan must be quite a busy bee with the editor’s pencil. But that’s neither here nor there.

However, I do have a Pagoda in the non balanced version. It was modified by the previous owner with better caps and resistors so I can’t speak to what a stock one sounds like. But if a balanced Pagoda sounds anything like what I hear, then Terry definitely has a good point about this DAC. It certainly brings out the best digital sound I have ever heard in my system. I thought long and hard about bringing in a Toubedour for an audition, but I’m afraid that might be a lateral move at best.

Oz



ghasley
2,487 posts
 
@ozzy62 

I believe @teajay writes for stereo times. I agree with you that 6moons has a different idea of journalism than I prefer. The MHDT dacs have been a terrific value proposition for years. The bashers out there seemingly have nothing better to do. Why do they even read the posts by @teajay ?
teajay OP
1,691 posts
 
Hey ghasley,

You are correct. I used to write for Six Moons, but chose to leave and now have a great home writing for Stereo Times. You raise a very interesting question. If certain individuals find what I post extremely annoying why do they even bother to read them and waste their time?
Well, some people thrive off of misery.

Wow, Ozzy62 you must be a stickler for proper grammar and sentence structure. Maybe we can talk off line about hiring you to edit my writing here on the GON for a reasonable sum of payment! Let me know.

Of course since I have never heard your upgraded Pagoda I can’t say how close its performance would come to compared with the Tubadour III SE. However, if you run the Balanced Pagoda, balanced both in/out you get an overall performance that exceeds the Audio Mirror DAC. The caveat is you run it balanced, not single-ended.
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