2. digital
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Some DACs I am Considering-Any thoughts?

Soekris 2541                $1.1

Doge 7                         $1.2

Mhdt Pagoda               $1.4

Denafrips Pontus         $1.8

Audio Mirror SE           $2.5

Holo Audio Spring 2    $2.7

Audio Note 4.1 Kit       $3.6

Lampizator Amber 3    $3.8

Anyone who can speak from experience  about comparisons
between any two these?

I like the use of a tube and I like the R2R style of build.

Prefer to stay under $2.5 but might be swayed.

Thanks in advance for sharing.

(Some of these prices are certainly not correct)
chorus
yyzsantabarbara
4,909 posts
 
I owned 1 of the DACs on the list and sold it to keep the cheaper Gustard X26 Pro at $1500.
gaelic
1 posts
 
I had go with the Audio Note Kit DAC, had the 2.2, it was amazing, would have the 4.1 if I had the coin.
find a word
cetla416
23 posts
 
I had a Pontus II in my system for about six months and it obviously blows away the DAC in the Node 2i that I use as a streamer now only.  I don’t post much but I do research quite a bit in these forums. The responses about MDHT Orchid were always positive so I bought a second-hand one with the WE tube that was modified by a member here. Well I packed up the Pontus II sold after listening to the Orchid. I recently purchased the tube adapter so I could roll 6DJ8’s in it and it really takes it to another level. In my system the Orchid beat out the Pontus II/NOS head to head handedly. I was never going to use the other modes in the Pontus II and I liked what I read about R2R/NOS DAC’s. 
macdude
187 posts
 

Cetla416 - what a great story. Now what would happen if you upgraded the fuse and power cord on the Orchid? You could probably be happy with the DAC for a long time.

decooney
2,089 posts
 

[@cetla416] I had a Pontus II in my system for about six months and it obviously blows away the DAC in the Node 2i that I use as a streamer now only. I don’t post much but I do research quite a bit in these forums. The responses about MDHT Orchid were always positive so I bought a second-hand one with the WE tube that was modified by a member here. Well I packed up the Pontus II sold after listening to the Orchid. I recently purchased the tube adapter so I could roll 6DJ8’s in it and it really takes it to another level. In my system the Orchid beat out the Pontus II/NOS head to head handedly. I was never going to use the other modes in the Pontus II and I liked what I read about R2R/NOS DAC’s.

 

Nice! Its a neat DAC R2R ladder design in its own right. Along with trying other GE 5-star triple mica tubes, Tesla, WE369A tubes, just for grins I upgraded the (very good) stock caps to some silver-gold-oil Mundorts. Both were small incremental improvements. +really a good OCC digi coax input and OCC output interconnects, the MHDT Orchid holds its own with higher $ DACS.

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