Which DACs are known to be sweet/rich/relaxed?
Problem
System is nicely transparant and detailed, but tends to get bright and harsh with certain (rock) recordings and at higher volume levels.
Objective
Nudge the system towards a sweeter, richer, more relaxed presentation.
Proposed solution / first step
Upgrade to a (tube based) DAC, budget $25-40k.
Current chain
On my radar
Lampizator Pacific (or Golden Gate 2 since I heard it's more "tube-like")
Aries Cerat Kassandra 2 Ref or Sig
— What other DACs should I consider?
— Do you think upgrading to another (tube based) DAC will achieve that sweeter, richer, more relaxed presentation?
@deludedaudiophile I tried that and Roon’s equalizer distorts the sound to the point I can hear the difference. Piano sounds off, for example. Having a highly resolving system is a two edged sword. |
@xboom the occasional brightness is the result of the entire chain. I've considered VAC amplification. But my DAC is currently the cheapest component, hence my thought to upgrade to a better DAC. And not only better, but also a DAC known for a sweet and smooth presentation. |
@rsf507 good for you, the proof is in the pudding. In-home demo is the only way to really decide if a new component makes a difference. Saved yourself a good bag of money there. |
The Gryphon Essence is very neutral and revealing, as is the Focal's (maybe even a little bright to my ears!). As another post stated, I think your best bet is an Audio Note DAC. The Aries Cerat Kassandra is one of the best DAC's in the world, but the sound is not as "tubey" as an Audio Note. I too had a similar situation and had narrowed my choice between Audio Note and AC. I purchased the AC Helene which I should have in 6 weeks! I will utilize an Aurender N20 as a streamer. |
I too had been using my Roon Nucleus with Sbooster LPS as a server/streamer; in my case via Curious USB cable into a Chord Qutest. The sound was good, certainly on par if not a smidge better than my Node 2i. Then this past February picked up a Bricasti M5 which I am now utilizing as a Roon endpoint in the same system. No comparison, a big step up from the Nucleus functioning as its own endpoint. Quieter, wider sound stage, better dynamics. The Nucleus is functional as a server/streamer, but a quality endpoint such as the Bricasti or some such, especially in a system at your level, in my opinion will definitely reap sonic rewards. |
