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Thinking about getting a R2R DAC

Dear community,

I currently have a chord qutest DAC. I like it a lot, very full sound, accurate detailed and exciting.  However, whenever I go back to vinyl (with a well-recorded nice pressing) I find the sound so much more satisfying.  There is a warmth, yes, but there is a presence, a 'there-ness' that I just don't get with the digital.  I'm wondering if an R2R DAC would get me closer to that?  my budget would be around the same as the qutest.  I was looking at the MHDT Orchid or the Border Patrol.  Don't get me wrong, I really like the Qutest.  I am thinking of putting it in the upstairs system to pair with the Node2i I have up there.  Any thoughts?  Will analog always just be a different animal than digital?

Currently in the main system I have a Sonore uRendu feeding the Qutest which is going to a LTA MZ2 going to a Pass XA 30.5

thanks!
adam8179
thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 
Great analogy @georgehifi!!

Well said @teoaudio! But in all honesty, replying to Dow Jones is useless. We all know what his opinion is. In ALL things audio.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
I agree @zm the border patrol would probably come close to giving you a more vinyl sound. 
djones51
4,947 posts
 
If you can use EQ in order to mimic vinyl remember this is not going to sound  like a good analog system you're just trying to soften the digital. Cut at 47hz and 12khz do a sharp rolloff -24dB at both ends this is a classical RIAA AES rule, put a little notch exactly at 4.5khz and if you want a little softer attenuate slightly maybe -1.5dB curve between 3khz and 7khz. You can also do a boost around 200-300hz. It's easier to attenuate than boost though. 
cat_doorman
236 posts
 
OP, what is your vinyl setup - cartridge through phono stage? I’m curious what the digital side is up against budget wise.

Just in case anyone was interested, the 4 Qutest filter settings are incisive neutral, incisive neutral w/HF roll-off, warm, and warm w/HF roll-off. The HF roll-off is “a high frequency filter past 20kHz to remove HF distortion and noise from [high sample rate PCM recordings] recordings.”
decooney
1,908 posts
 
@adam8179 "I was looking at the MHDT Orchid or the Border Patrol."

It’s worth reading more on BP’s tube rectified power supply approach vs. MHDT Labs tube implementation for the Orchid DAC. The first time I heard my own R2R Ladder tube DAC, it quickly pulled me in to want to just sit and listen to music again.
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