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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!
128x128emerald
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,469 posts
 
MSB - I have spent time with the reference and it is insanely good.  I have never heard the select, but I can imagine how incredible it is. 
Playback Design DreamDAC - everything is upscale to to 512k DSD. Not only is it smooth and detailed, it is not bright.
jbrrp1
423 posts
 
Lampizator Pacific is their top offering now.  I've owned it for the last 1½ years and it is quite competitive with vinyl in my system, with an appropriate sense of liquidity and coherence, while dishing up a lot of musical information.  It really feels like you are at the event.  I really hardly spin LP's now, because the digital avenue is so good and easy, too.

I just bought a used original Denafrips Terminator for a second system, and I have to say, it is quite good for the money.  I absolutely could live with it long term.  Yes, the Pacific bests it, but there ain't no "wiping of the floor" going on. You get more harmonic completeness and a slightly more coherent sense of space and performance, which is a bit more satisfying musically, but the Terminator is no slouch in these areas, either.

Important to note, my impressions of both DAC's are based upon them being fed by the outstanding Taiko Audio Extreme server.  This device has me believing that the server could be more important than the DAC for ultimate sound quality.
dsper
658 posts
 
Mojo Audio should be on the list I think.
jperry
2,433 posts
 
I haven’t heard any of those so I don’t have any real input.

I did hear the Nagra HD DAC which I thought was very musical paired with an Innuos Statement music server.

I think the Nagra should be added to your list
redwoodaudio
413 posts
 
I now own a Lampizator Atlantic TRP which I love (tonally right, spatially excellent, detail just right).  I've recently heard the full dCS Vivaldi stack (CD/DAC/Clock) in a friend's system (with top-line CJ and VAC tube gear) and the contrast was shocking.  Two completely different sonic styles.  I personally found the level of microscopic detail in the dCS artificial, edgy, and lacking in spatial realness, although the right speaker cables helped balance it out.  Went home to my Lampizator and could relax again.  After hearing my mid-level Lampizator, the same friend has a Lampizator Pacific on order now...
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