2. digital
  3. 177818-97004

DAC recommendation in 5 to 10K range

I recently get to the point that I want to try a new DAC in $5 to $10K range and would like to know if there are recommendations I should try and audition.

 

My current DAC is a Denafrips Terminator, to me, Terminator is an overall fun DAC that provide good clarity, energy, and scale. It has strong macrodynamic focus with good impact and punch, as well as solid resolving power and texture, but I feel drawback is lacking micro dynamic capability, tonality is not organic, neither is presentation, treble is not that refined, and can sometimes get too hot and gritty. What I hope in my next DAC is a balanced DAC that lean a bit more toward the relaxed and slightly sweeter smoother side of things, great organicness, great placement accuracy and depth in overall stage, great coherency and liquidity, as well as having great impact and punch.

elan120
vthokie83
845 posts
 

Elan,

I don't have the resources for the Terminator, but I do have a Denafrips Pontus II DAC. When I intially hooked it up to my old system using unbalanced Coax (no need to get into that), I too found the impact (attack) to be too laid back, soundstage was great width wise but not deep, and the highs were too laid back, a little sibilant, and treble to be slightly "veiled". I am using Buchardt Audio S400 MkII bookshelf speakers.

Since I was upgrading all of my components, I added a Denafrips Hades Pre-Amp and Thallo amplifier.....all of which are true balanced components. I hooked up the Pontus II to Hades Pre-Amp, and Hades Pre-Amp to Thallo amplifier with XLR balanced cables from Morrow Audio MA4 XLR cables....with 20 day burn in. I also swapped in Supra ethernet cables for the input to my Bluesound Node (3rd generation), and Supra USB from the Node to the Pontus II DAC.

Now since I changed so many components there, I am unsure which componenst/cables made the  most difference......but that fixed most most of my issues. The attack was improved, highs were more detailed and I feel like the "veil" has been removed, and the soundstage was wider and now deeper than with my previous set up. Also separation were improved.

I am going to reverse engineer to find out which made the greatest difference, but I assume using the Morrow XLR cables, using a Denafrips balanced stack connected via XLR, and the addition of the Supra cables all had a combined effect in the sound improvement.

bigby
150 posts
 

Get a used PS audio DirectStream DAC and have the EDCOR XS4400 transformers installed by a local electronics shop.  It should be well under $5k.  Or, if you can wait, a new version of the DAC called the DriectStream MK II will soon be released by PS Audio.  Here is a link to some information on the transformer upgrade.

mark360
4 posts
 

Give Lector-Audio made in Italy a look. I have their CD transport Digidrive TL-3 and have been very happy with the build quality and sound. They have a couple of DACs in their product line up. I bought my Lector from Deja Vu Audio which I believe might be the only dealer in America.

dsper
663 posts
 

soix Given what you’re looking for I’d take a serious look at a Mojo Mystique DAC.

+1!

questforhifi
104 posts
 

if you can get a used lumin x1 i would highly recommend in that price range

If your only interested in buying new, the Holo Audio May KTE is excellent 

More to discover