Let's Talk DAC's
My current DAC, the Chord Chordette Qute HD is getting on with age and I am looking for a new one with superior performance. So far, I have narrowed down my search to five DACs. At the low end is the Denafrips Ares II and the Eversolo DAC Z8. Mid range the RME ADI-2 and at the top end the Chord Qutest and the Denafrips Pontus II.
This is for an all-digital setup in a 12x12 dedicated room. I have a much larger room with a much "bigger" set up, but for this room it is a simple PrimaLuna Prologue Classic integrated, Audiolab 6000 CD transport, ProAc Tablette 10’s, and a REL T/5i Subwoofer. I plan to add a streamer as well, but that is for another discussion.
I am conflicted with the choice between a delta-sigma modulated DAC and an R2R type Dac. I do like the FPGA technology in my current DAC. It has served me well.
I am certainly open to other ideas and welcome comments from those of you that have experience with this equipment.
I forgot to add; I like a wide and deep soundstage and good imaging. I also hate a rolled off high end.
I’d add the Musician Pegasus to your list as it does all the things you’re looking for very well. It comes from the same factory as the Pontus II and shares many of the same parts/technology, but the Pegasus seems to be a little more detailed up top than the Pontus (and probably a lot of other R2R DACs for that matter) that I thought might appeal to you given what you’re looking for. And at $1045 it’s considerably cheaper as well. Here’s a good review, and I own the Pegasus and think his assessment is spot on. https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/musician-audio-pegasus-r2r-dac-review/ I should also note you can get a significant performance boost by adding a DDC and utilizing the Pegasus’ i2S input. I bought a used Iris and was surprised and impressed with how much the sound improved (and this using a $6 HDMI cable from Monoprice). If it’s in the budget the benefits are such that I’d recommend getting the DDC right away, but if it’s not it’s definitely something to look forward to down the road. Musician offers the similar Pisces that is likewise cheaper than the Iris. Hope this helps, and best of luck. |
Not at all. A digital-to-digital converter, which initially sounds superfluous, but what it does is both re-clock the data and give you the option of using different inputs on your DAC. So if you feed the DDC a USB input from your streamer you now have the option of using superior AES/EBU or i2S outputs to your DAC. The benefit of this can vary depending on how the DAC’s inputs are designed, but in the case of my Pegasus the improvement of the DDC and going to i2S was substantial, and I’ve heard similar results from others who have the Pontus II. @vthokie83 can maybe attest to and expand on that. Incidentally the reviewer of the Pegasus also reviewed their Draco DAC and found very little difference sonically between it and the Pegasus and only costs $750 (but a current $38 coupon on Amazon knocks it down to only $712), so that and a DDC could be a relative bargain. https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/musician-audio-draco-r-2r-ladder-dac-review/
Something worth thinking about is you could have a Draco and either a Pisces or Iris DDC for not much more than a Pegasus alone. Definitely an attractive option. |
I'm hesitant to recommend any DAC. It is something I would recommend auditioning at home. I just sold my RME for $675, a great DAC for the price . Unlike other DACs it has a built in parametric EQ so it can sound how ever you like. Definitely listen to your current DAC and the one you are interested in side by side |
