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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?

gregjacob
ricevs
1,543 posts
 

STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You no longer need a DAC....the best DAC is NO DAC. Please read the Peachtree Gan 1 beta thread on the amplifier board. A guy had a Holo May KTE and a Holo Serene preamp and the Kinki labs B7 monos with great cables in between ($15K system) and the $1400 Peachtree GaN1 sounds way better......no DAC, no Preamp, no normal amp, no analog interconnects, no transistors, no tubes, no resistors, no capacitors, no feedback, no opamps....no nothing....just great sound.......the amp is the DAC. Very similar to what Technics and Lyngdorf are doing.....but cheaper and probably way better using GaNs on the output.....available now. I will be writing a webpage about this whole revolution and will have a link to it by the end of the week......Do not buy a DAC....simply a waste of money. The revolution has started....you can bi and tri amp with these amps and use a digital xover and drive your speaker drivers directly from the amp.......this is mind blowing.

tweak1
3,736 posts
 

@ricevs

This very exciting, but doesn’t this require replacing transports with ripping/streaming devices, which then requires a laptop/tablet...?

It seems this old dog needs to learn some new tricks

agisthos
523 posts
 

@verdantaudio If someone needs a preamp/dac in one box at this price bracket (but does not require analog inputs) what do you suggest? The Weiss 501/502 was the one I was aiming for, and there is a new version out now apparently.

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,533 posts
 

@agisthos The Weiss is a bit more expensive than $7K.  You can find a used 501/502 comfortably in this range.  It is a great unit and the preamp stage is very good. 

You have the secondary concern about system matching though.  The Weiss is superb but a hair forward of neutral.  I would never say that that is the right unit for you without knowing more about your system  The new MK2/4Ch version is about $2K more.  There will be an upgrade available to the new board sometime in the new year.  

The best preamp stage in the price class (or very close) IMO would be the Rockna Wavedream Edition SE at $7200 and that unit is dead neutral and the preamp stage is better than most.  If you don't need XLR connections, the SE versions of these DACs are jaw droppingly good for the money.

In the similar price class to the Weiss MK2 4Ch, the AGD Adante which is a full preamp with R2R DAC inside and is Roon ready.  This has a distinct advantage over many of these units as it is a true preamp that has a DAC module in it. 

milpai's avatar
milpai
2,499 posts
 

@ricevs

You need to take it easy man. I am now starting to suspect if you have an agenda. Maybe not. But same thing again and again over an amp sounds suspicious. At the same time, I wonder if you are even take a breath while creating a post!

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