What is the best DAC ever made?

I cannot speak for the EMM Labs DAC as I now own the CDSA, I also have not owned the AA Tube DAC, but the DAC IV, but after listening to more and more music with the EMM in MY system, I have to agree that the EMM offers much more information, specifically as it relates to the intonation of instruments and voice that communincates more of the performance to me than the AA MKIV did. Maybe this is all hairsplitting since all of this gear provides execellent perfromance, but the EMM is the best I have heard after having previoulsy owned NAIM, ARC and AA. So much of this is personal taste and system context, but the EMM gear is providing performance that I would choose over my previous gear. I hate be too enthusiatic over this stuff, but I think EMM is doing something right that really appeals to me in my system with jazz recordings. I have not even ventured down the road of SACD performance on this machine; which is almsot universally seen as far superior to what Redbook can provide.

Hi Murataltuev, Thx for the response. My system consist of different pces than Teajays, firstly he has MAG 20 panels and I use MBL 101E speakers and at no time have I ever heard my AA Tube Dac sound as you put it "very bright", "soundstage desintegrated" and lastly "highs irritated"

I'm at lost for words!

This is totally off the wall, something most defiantly was wrong going on in your set-up but most defiantly not the characteristics nor fault of the AA Tube Dac.

Now I can understand your remarks in your prior posting but something else was going on, too bad you did not get to hear the real characteristics.

There is NO such a thing as the best DAC ever made. And there won't be one!!!!

Hi Dev,

When I say "bright" or "desintegrated", I mean in compare with...
Guy who bring Tube DAC said that this DAC is best he ever heard.
But after comparision in my system and than in his own, he agreed with me. So, this is just good expirience for you to think to try to compare.
As for me, after Emm and Berkeley I'm moving to Scarlatti.
All the rest sound poor in compare!
For my taste.

Dev, did you have the ARC CD7 prior to the TubeDAC? Did you have a chance to audition the latest versions of the EMM and or Berkeley? I'm sure the Scarlatti is good (I would hope so), but really viable for me. I think all of these are likely to be excellent, none is poor - but I will say that the EMM (CDSA, upgraded version) is very impressive to me.