Audio Research Dacs 7, 8, 9

I replaced my Sim Audio 650D DAC (with the separate $8K 820 power supply … so $17K together) with a Audio Research Reference CD9SE DAC.

The difference was absolutely breathtaking. The noise floor just disappeared! The detail remained but all instruments and voices went from thinnish images and became fully fleshed out, sound stage got wider and deeper_ cymbals started sounding like brass instead of csheee… undifferentiated high frequency noise. Rhythm and pace went up enormously so every thing sounded musical and engaging from just well defined sounds.

’I was not in the market for a new DAC. But my dealer brought it over and said I should try it. I had put it in my storage are for a couple weeks. Out of respect for him I pulled it out and stuck it in my system. Within 30 seconds I had decided regardless of the cost I had to buy it. Within two minutes I had contacted him and ordered one for me.

A year later my dealer brought over a Berkeley Alpha Reference 3 DAC ($22K). I spent a couple weeks with it. Given it’s reviews I had resigned myself to the idea that I would probably have to shell out the additional $5K to buy it. So, to my surprise they were very very similar! But I preferred the ARC. The ARC is a touch more musical with images a bit more fully fleshed out and natural although the Berkeley has ever so slightly… and I mean very very slightly greater detail.

I have the most engaging, natural, musical system I have ever owned by no small margin. I listen over three hours a day or more in two sessions and find it really difficult to pull myself away… every time.

I so can’t really recommend the 8, which I owned. It did OK with Redbook but really only shined with high rez music, so an external upsampler was a must. Also, I put a scope on the outputs and there was some really funky output going on there, as one reviewer found.

Unfortunately the 8 and maybe the 9 were right at that cut-over when DAC’s started sounding really great even with Redbook.

I did end up selling it and using that money to pay for a Mytek Brooklyn.  Sound was always better, but Redbook shined. 

Otherwise, on high res music the sound was rather on par with modern AR sounding.  Extremely neutral but also perhaps too laid back. Not as cool as prior gen AR

I had the DAC 7 and I thought it was very musical and super smooth with a nice analog-ish tonality across the spectrum. If you don’t give a crap about having all the latest features, the DAC7 is a home run. It took me awhile to find another Dac that impressed me enough to let it go. In comparison, I found the majority of newer Dacs either too detailed/fatiguing or at a price vs performance that I couldn’t justify. Ultimately I chose the Denafrips Terminator I and I’m quite pleased with it although I’d love to get my hands on the tubed Dac9! 

thanks for the help. I would love to try a 9 also.