Can you honestly remember the differences between them ? And especially if they have multiple filter options? I recently hauled a Denon SACD player out of storage that hadn’t been played for seven years and was surprised at how much better it sounded than I remembered, once it had warmed up. Otoh my amplification has changed . I’m guessing that the rest of your system has not been static during these years
dacs that I have had in my system - a listing
i comment quite a bit on threads about digital/analog converters, as i have tried many since the covid period in early 2020, when i recommitted to my hifi and getting streaming and a truly modern digital front end implemented in my main home system
i have had questions on what dacs i have actually tried -- so last week when i was sleepless on a long transcontinental flight home from a holiday, i made a listing, which i post below
almost all dacs below have been owned, and spent extensive time (at least 2-3 months) in my system, obviously there have been changes in my system over this time, and not all dacs were owned at the same time
i post this here so others can refer to this here - i looked, but i could not find a way to post this on my 'system' page
the asterisk-ed entries are still in hand, currently:
2020
topping d90 mqa
ayre codex
mhdt stockholm
mhdt orchid
mhdt istanbul
denafrips pontus original
musical paradise mpd1
ps audio d link iii modded cullen
bs node 2i
2021
denafrips ares 2
denafrips pontus 2
denafrips terminator
auris d1d vu
audio mirror tubador 3 se
van alstine fet topp*
van alstine fet hybrid
rme adi 2 (akm)
schiit modius
schiit gumby
schiit yggy*
sonnet morpheus
border patrol se i
metrum jade
metrum octave
metrum hex
metrum adagio
musical fidelity trivista 21 (modded)*
weiss 501* (now 4ch)
2022
chord 2qute
chord qutest
chord m scaler* hugo tt2*
mhdt orchid modded*
audio note kits dac4 pro
msb analog w powerbase*
denafrips venus 2*
denafrips pontus 12
audio gd master 7
musetec 005
bs node n130
bricasti m1se mdx
doge 7
hegel h90 190 390 590* (internal)
2023
gustard r26*
eversolo dmp a6 master*
mhdt toucan
orchard pecan pi*
cambridge audio cxn2 modwright modded tubed*
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- 113 posts total
A remarkable list, @jjss49, and thanks for your various, thoughtful impressions. On the other end of the spectrum, I have owned a grand total of two DACs, despite having been 'in the game' for 40 years! The first was a Denafrips Pontus II, and, interestingly, my current Aqua La Scala, is not on your list. Luckily I have no desire to change. |
Nice, very nice. Lots of time spent. I get why you tried a few from one single company. I always wanted to know if the same companies product were that much better as you went up the line. I did not really understand what sound you were looking for to select a DAC. Many DACs you tried were of the same design. My company makes a a 101D Direct Heated Tube R2R (not a chip) design. Very few people have heard a DHT product. We have a separate 25 pound power supply. This is where we feel we are close to vinyl reproduction. That is until you hear our phono stage. Tone arms, cartridges, TT all make nice differences but the phono stage is the real key to overall sound. Your desire and commitment are surely commendable. Happy Listening.
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- 113 posts total