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Rank the top reference DACs you've heard

Usually the battle goes between DCS Vivaldi set and MSB Select II.

However, since Swiss/Japanese (boutique level) DACs are usually out of reach, we rarely read about ultra high end DACs and where they fit with the rest of the league ($5000-$100,000) price range. 

There are other topologies and SOTA designs floating around, what comes to mind:
- new DCS (above Vivaldi) flagship to be announced
- Wadax Atlantis Reference
- Esoteric Grandioso D1X (Dual Mono)
- TotalDAC Twelve Mk2
- Lampizator Golden Gate 2
- Chord Dave+mscaler
- CH Precision C1+X1 (Dual Mono) 
- Soulution 760
- Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref
- Aqua La Scala mkII Optologic
- EMM Labs DV2/DA2

I mentioned flagship DACs only since the list will be bigger and we will lose focus of the subject. It is interesting to know some of us "lurkers" or who has reached audio nirvana with his choice of DAC and what did he it compare with. The more input we get, the clearer the big picture will be. 

Let's go!
emerald
mahughes
171 posts
 
I would disregard probably 50% or more of the DACs listed as completely unengaging. I would then add in the Denafrips Terminator Plus.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

 I would then add in the Denafrips Terminator Plus.
+1
Also Holo Spring and May as well as MSB all disctrete R2R dacs

Cheers George
facten
2,969 posts
 
@mahughes

I haven’t heard any of the DACs that the Op listed, please advise which of those fall into your delete list and what you found lacking in them while directly listening to them. Txs

mahughes
171 posts
 
@facten as per my previous post what I found lacking about them was a lack of musical engagement i.e. each had some good stuff going on but it left me cold. It left me disengaging from the music and flicking my eyes out of the window or starting a conversation or otherwise distracted. 
Naming names? One mans meat etc. but, for example, the dCS stuff does an awful lot absolutely right but manages to sound clinical and not like music in the room with you. I understand why it’s on the list and understand why people might enjoy it but, for me, it errs more on the side of mechanical and analytic. I also don’t believe the last 4 on the list belong on the list for similar reasons. 
This is all subjective but ultimately it’s about what they do for you and if you don’t find yourself musically entranced then that’s fine.

ghasley
2,544 posts
 
@mahughes 


You are correct that one man’s meat is another…..

I have heard the Terminator Plus and found it….mechanical. LOL. I guess that just goes to show us that it is pretty subjective, especially on internet forums. I thought the regular Terminator a better dac than the plus. I have owned neither.

I certainly haven’t heard all of the dacs on the list, few have. With that said, of the ones I have heard or owned I find it odd that you believe the EMMLabs or the AQUA “mechanical”. I do not presently own either but both are exceptional and hardly mechanical the extended periods I have listened in diverse systems. Please describe the setup you heard them in. Maybe there was a mismatch somewhere in the chain. Peace.
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