I agree that separate streamer and dac would do you a lot of good. However I would put the brakes on the r2r recommendations for a dac. I had an Ares II and then bought a delta sigma Gustard X26 PRO and ended up selling the Ares II. No doubts that the Gustard offered a much better sound in my specific system. A Bluesound Node 130 connected to the Gustard would be a great start for about $2k. Then the upgrades start... Made quite a few myself but stuck with the Node and Gustard. Enjoy the trip.
How much should I spend on a new DAC
Hello Gents. What would be reasonable sum to spend on a new DAC relative to my current audio rig.
Speakers: Sonus Faber Olympica II
Integrated Amp: Pass Labs INT-25
DAC: Pro-Ject Dac Box S2+
Speaker Cables: Kimber 8VS Bi-Wire
Power cable: Kimber PK10 Base
Interconnects: Audioquest Tower
I must say I'm very happy with the music coming out of my speakers but It's obvious that the DAC is not the same league as the rest of the equipment.
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I’m not up on Roon, but pretty sure the Innuos can be used as a Roon endpoint so there may still be a benefit. Maybe someone else can chime in here? @baylinor I know you like your X26, but with the Ares you’re comparing a lesser R2R DAC so not surprised you preferred your Gustard. Here’s a review that directly compares the X26 to the Gustard R26 R2R DAC, which is a more fair comparison, and the reviewer has a clear preference for the latter and puts it in the top 5 of all DACs he’s heard regardless of price. |
I just bought a Black Ice tube DAC on sale (direct from Black Ice) for $899. They offer a 45 day no risk trial. My initial impression of the DAC and the company is very good. As others have said, you need a streamer and the Node has been suggested which is what I have. I have no clue about the ROON side of the equation. Someone suggested ditching Tidal - I'm a Tidal user (basic service I do not have MQA) and have been a/b testing Qobuz over the last 2 months to see what the fuss was all about - and so far I have zero reason to switch purely based on sound quality. Today Qobuz started playing songs from a few seconds into the track and then skipping to the next song. Happened multiple times with different albums. Never happened with Tidal. But why not get a free month and see for yourself?
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