Emm Labs DV2 versus Tambaqui

@metaldetektor, Finkteam Kim and Aesthetix Mimas.

@laoman Your amp has some similar design principles as mine, but I'm not familiar with the speakers. Hopefully you can home audition from a dealer. If that's not a possibility, if you can buy these on the used market, you can effectively do an extended home audition without incurring too much expense.

If you can get a Chinese DAC that works or meets specs. 

Sigh! If you had read this thread, you would know that I am not interested in a Chinese Dac. I am interested in the 2 that I asked about, or perhaps the new Sonnet.Playback Designs is also worth an audition.  I dislike the sound of Ess Dac chips for starters and no Chinese Dac is in the league of the ones I have mentioned.

Very interesting takes... @metaldetektor your posts have been very helpful in particular, but I do appreciate reading almost all posts on this matter.

I was looking for a new reference DAC and wanted something non-ESS based since I presently have the Musetec 005. My short list was as follows

Holo May KTE (R2R)

Denefrips Terminator+ (R2R)

Chord Dave (FPGA)

Mola Mola Tambaqui (FPGA)

I'm awaiting a call about my Tambaqui audition, and went the FPGA route out of both reviews comparing these item's in some context of A vs B, then ultimately choose to go with the Tambaqui do to some reviewer's putting the May = 005 >/= Terminator+.

My thoughts again are that since I have the Musetec 005, the Tambaqui could be the standout given these other DAC's being so close in overall performance.

Could be wrong in my thinking, but the Tambaqui I know needs to run hot and does take some break in, but for the massive jump in cost compared to the competition, I need it to be fairly substantial (like when I got the 005) to my ears given it's price in order to confidently keep it.

Otherwise I might just get the May KTE and spend/save the rest of my money.

I'll post more later, but I plan to A/B the 005 against the Tambaqui, but haven't personally heard the May or Terminator+.