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Does a Tube Dac make sense?


I’m  in the market for a dac since I bought a Musical Paradise MP701MKII Tube Preamp few months back, does it make sense to buy a tube dac? The seller Garry is suggesting to get the Musical Paradise MP D2 MKIII which is a tube dac with a AK4490 but can be upgraded to AK4499 but I’m leaning towards the RME ADI2 which is almost the same price as the MP tube dac. I’m finding it hard to justify a $1k dac but I have read a lot of forums that suggests the RME or the SMSL M400 and Denafrips Ares II but I’m a sucker for vu meters and spectrum analyzers but if the MP tube dac is a good match for my MP tube preamp I’m willing to give it a go.
stibin
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
NO.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
1,970 posts
 
Why not? I have tube amp & preamp. Sounds great.
jmolsberg's avatar
jmolsberg
467 posts
 
makes sense to me. i love tubes in sources
nekoaudio's avatar
nekoaudio
489 posts
 
It makes sense if you like the way it sounds. You should really be asking (yourself) which of the different DACs you are considering will sound best to you.
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
garry has a very good ear and his dacs sound very ’analog’ with their tube output stages - excellent performance for $ and like mhdt and a few others, ideal for those seeking a dose of warmth, body, dimensionality and fullness to the typically ’clean-n-lean’ sound of digital

however, i think garry, like many other small makers, are out of stock presently due to supply chain issues

but if you like a leaner sound, and like lots of features, buttons, menus, filters, sexy displays (not to mention an owner’s manual the size of a small phone book) the rme will certainly please!
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