Options for $1k or less DAC?

op

Anyway, I’m not sure how this translates to the HiFi world knowing that we all want clean / clear power for our listening. But when I see tube dacs for $500-$800 I’m skeptical.

don’t be - they are for real... i have tried many if not all of the contenders in the $500 to $2000 range... mhdt makes several models based on r2r nos chips, all w tube output, even their more expensive models can be found used for under $1000 - but when they appear on audiogon or us audiomart, and are snapped up pretty much straight away

jolida/black ice, as mesch mentioned, also makes a tube output dac... also very good (but not quite as good as the mhdt’s)

frank van alstine/ava also has made excellent dacs less than a grand in cost, with tubed output stages that sound very natural

if you do research you will also see mention of a border patrol tube dac around $1000 used... i would suggest you pass on that one... the tube is used in the power supply section... not in the output stage, and its sound quality, while good, does not represent as good a value as others mentioned

there is also a chi-fi dac by musical paradise that is tubed output -- it has seen some good reviews but i have not tried it in my own system (i personally lean against direct marketed chi fi stuff as there is questionable support if anything goes awry...)

bear in mind also that to get a full, natural ’more musical presentation’ than the more common treble-centric robotic-sounding dacs, using tubed output is not the only solution -- ayre codex and metrums octave/amethyst are two others that provide an ’analog-like’ sweet and dimensional sound profile under $1000 used...

good luck have fun happy holidays

Just signed up w Tidal. Next will be getting a Bluesound Node 2i to test the streaming world. Will possibly add a Schiit DAC later if I'm not thrilled with the Node's sound.

@bajaed ,
The Node's internal DAC isn't bad for the money, but if you do go the Schiit route- buy the Gungnir or Yggy. Anything lower and you'll be spinning your wheels- IMHO.
Probably better to find a used Codex.
Bob

See some NAD M51s around for well under 1k. I'm kinda eying them myself.

+1 on the Denafrips Ares II. The one caveat is that to my ears there might be some harshness, but less harshness than many other DACs under $1k from reviews I've read (i.e., Topping D90 as a prime example of a DAC with the opposite type of sound from the Denafrips DACs).

Also, my impressions are that the Ares can sound better with certain USB cables & power cords. I’ll start off by saying that I was skeptical of the sonic benefits of USB cables and especially of the effect of a power cord on a DAC, but listened with an open mind. I was loaned several USB cables (and bought some decent but inexpensive USB cables) and several power cords. The USB cable that sounded best was a Phasure Lush (https://stordiau.com/products/lush-usb-audio-cable-70cm) that seems to reduce the Ares’ tendency toward some sibiliance. The power cord that sounded best was a Synergistic UEF Black (https://www.synergisticresearch.com/cables/coreuef/uef-black/)Again, this power cord also seemed to reduce any perceived harshness from the Ares perhaps by either adding less electrical noise or perhaps by better channeling of electrical noise away from the DAC. I’m impressed by the Ares II, but am considering getting a Denafrips Pontus for slightly more refinement than the Ares II (and so I might be able to avoid spending $400-500 on cables to get something that sounds as good as the Ares II / Phasure Lush USB cable / Synergistic Research UEF Black power cord combination is currently sounding).