Auditioned the MHDT Orchid and was not too impressed. Although it didn’t have any flaws either. Returned it and took the 10% penalty.
Right now I’m content with RME ADI2 followed by a tube buffer(Ifi itube2).
Equipment: AtmaM60, Zu DruidV
Different R2R DACs
Several months ago, I bought a used Hono Spring Level 2 DAC to see how R2R would compare against my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I like the Brooklyn+ a lot, but, given the other components in my system, I'm thinking about building in a bit more warmth (without losing significant detail). I'm not looking for sweetness or holography. Unfortunately, I was thoroughly unimpressed by the way the Holo Spring Level 2 smeared the music. I returned it within two weeks. Perhaps the unit I bought was defective (though I bought it from a highly reputable seller of used equipment), but it started me wondering how much of the hype surrounding the newer generation of R2R DACs was just that, hype. However, I keep seeing so many glowing reviews of reasonably priced R2R DACS from Denafrips, Aqua, Lampizator and others. So I'm wondering whether I should give them another try. Unfortunately, where I live the only real (suboptimal) option is to audition by purchasing one DAC at a time. Before I start down that road again, I thought I would ask the collective brain of Audiogon about how much of a difference I might expect, as against the Holo Spring level 2, from a new Denafrips Pontus II or used Terminator II, a used Aqua La Voce or Lampizator, or some other R2R DAC under $5K. I don't require require resolutions greater than 24/192 (beyond which I discern no difference). I do like the option of MQA decoding, but it's not a deal breaker.
The rest of my system (source components aside), at present, include a Parasound JC2 BP preamp, a pair of VTV Purifi mono amps, and Harbeth C7ES-3 speakers.
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@melm The right review -- to the right reader -- means something. A reviewer with gear and taste that overlap with mine...their take means something to me. The trick is finding the right reviewers for you. That Stereophile reviewer spent time with another piece of gear I own. We both loved it. Evidently that reviewer's take means more to me than it does to you. So be it. I chatted with the gentleman you mention below. He moved onto a more expensive DAC which personally isn't to my taste. But live and let live. This hobby is about musical enjoyment. System-matching and taste-matching is the entire game. Back to the topic at hand -- reasonably priced R2R dacs -- I've put the Sonnet through its paces and it's great. Accurate and nuanced timbre, balanced from top to bottom, no digital edge. Is it as good as my reference DAC that costs three times as much? It is not. I could go on at length as to why, but what's the point -- they're in very different price brackets. I have yet to find this mythical thing called a giant killer. If you think you've found one, you're looking at the wrong giant. But if I was searching for a DAC in the $3-4k range, it's a wonderful DAC I could happily settle down with.
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"there are r2r dacs that are forward, there are delta sigma dacs that are absolutely pure and musical sounding, there are dacs using both/either methods that sound dull and lifeless" Wise and truthful counsel from you and @bigkidz. In my opinion, power supply quality, analogue output stage and even I/V conversion are critical and essential factors that determine the overall sonic signature of a DAC. There’s overblown emphasis on the R2R versus delta sigma issue. Charles
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