Emm Labs DV2 versus Tambaqui

In the $15k plus category, keep an eye on Nagra. Their successor to the Nagra Classic DAC will include streaming capability. Koch of Playback is on their digital design team. The analog stage is designed by the Nagra brain trust. Beautiful form factor if that matters to you and it will have that slightly warm and musical DSD sound if that appeals to you. I use their tube DAC which doesn’t have streaming and is quite a bit more expensive.

If the insightful and meaty analog quality of an MSB is also of interest, consider totaldac as well. It’s sold direct without dealer markup. If you configure it properly (PM me if you’re interested - the website is confusing to say the least), it’s killer and quite a bit cheaper than MSB even at the highest levels. Built in Roon endpoint is an option. But even their entry model is quite good. I have one.

Thanks. When the nonsense from the fanbois is removed from Audiogon there is a lot of valuable information. That is why I joined.

@ja_kub_sz How about starting a new thread to compare the Musetec 005 to the DACs you plan to audition?

The 4 DACs you have listed were all in my list of DACs to consider, along with the 005. I am thinking of getting a second 005 for the Livingroom but variety never hurt.

I have not heard the Sonnet.  

With Playback - There has always been the option of the MPS-8 which is the Dream DAC plus player/streamer at $30K.  This is a full dream DAC with SACD Player and Stream X module.  

The MPD-6 is a lower end model called the Edelweiss.  It is not a Dream DAC and is spec'd differently but at $15K for the DAC and $18K with the streamer module, it will bring an elite level of performance down a price notch.  

You will see this updated on their website.