Best DACs under $7,000.00
I'm tentatively beginning the search for a DAC upgrade. Currently, I have Innuos Zen MK3 as a streamer connected via USB to a Denafrips Iris DDC that is connected via I2S to a Denafrips Pontus II DAC. The Pontus II is excellent but I feel it's the one point where I could gain incremental improvement toward that illusive natural, layered, analog end-of-the-rainbow. I simply can't / won't spend above $5,000.00 - $7,000.00 on the DAC. The rest of my system: top-of-line Prima Luna Evo 400 Integrated Amp and a set of Harbeth speakers. Right now, I'm looking at Denafrips Terminator II or Holo Audio May DAC. I've never seen an a/b comparison of these two, but both stand out and have a following. Of course, the unsettling thing is DACs have evolved so much and are still in a blooming state technologically, making it a given that whatever we have today will probably be surpassed by better for less later, like electric vehicles. But that's the nature of the beast. Does anyone have alternative suggestions in this current climate?
Before upgrading your DAC perhaps you should check out the suggestion from by @maurice89 by trying the Elite Plixir Conditioner first! I would have the conditioner connected to your source (streamer) and current DAC if you go for the smallest one. This may inadvertently improve you current system immeasurably. Or at least put in a solid footing for further upgrade paths later.
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With a pass 350.8 vac sig mk2 pre, lumin t2 and martin logan clx art speakers and a few other pieces, my wife and I were pretty thrilled with our system and weren't sure how much of a difference to expect with the holo may kte. The seller (an electrical engineer with decades of DIY high End audio experience) even said to expect somewhere in between a subtle and an "in your face" dif, thus our expectations were low and figured we would just sell it for what we paid for it if there was really no significant discernible difference. Iactually felt a bit silly or guilty spending that much on a dac, but Holy cow were we wrong. The difference was *remarkable and extraordinary.* In short: we thought vocals sounded outstanding and accurate and beautiful and full and Rich before so how could they sound any better? The answer is that they now sound *human* in a way that I/we didn't know they could. For the first time it sounds like sting or Adele or whoever is actually in the room... it feels like you can sense the shape of their head and which direction they're standing. My wife is a medical expert with a couple of degrees in speech therapy and pathology, and is a doctor of anatomy, plus has a degree in vocal performance and music and she sings opera. Did I mention she knows a bit about the human voice? :) Her mouth dropped and she started laughing and then began crying when she heard the system with the May. cried when she heard the deck. I had the same reason and even the outstanding and Science- focused Goldensound reviewer on YouTube mentioned literally getting weepy listening to it. The placement of instruments is remarkable in ways I didn't know to expect. I can't speak highly enough about it and when they come out with a higher end dac I’ll absolutely consider upgrading to that one. |
