@docroasty have not had the Benchmark in my own listening studio but have heard it several times. It's a fine DAC maybe a bit on the clinical side and not having the transparency of the Bricasti.. Again without having it in a known system it's hard for me to judge all parameters.
Bricasti Model 1 Series II DAC
This DAC seems pretty interesting from both an analogue as well as digital conversion point of view:
https://bricasti.com/en/consumer/m1s2.php
I currently own a highly modded DirectStream MKI DAC, but this DAC I really want.... MSRP is around $12K....
Any opinions on this DAC?
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@docroasty I went from Benchmark DAC 3 HGC to Bricasti M3. To my ears, in my system/ setup, the M3 is a superior DAC. It is more refined, has more natural tone and overall a better build quality. Its preamp section leaves the HGC in the dust as well. System consisted of Pass XP12 preamplifier and Pass XA30.8 amplifier at the time, driving the Wilson Audio Sabrina. Benchmark is a good DAC at its price point but it isn’t a competition for the M3. |
@docroasty I owned the Bricasti M3 a year or so ago. And I demoed the Meitner MA3 recently. The Meitner is a very fine DAC. It is very smooth and was to much of a good thing in my system, with my Harbeth 40.2. I needed something with a little more drive and touch less warmth.. Regardless of that, I could still hear the magic in this wonderful Meitner DAC. Very refined and natural. The MA3 is in another league over the M3 and surely more on par with the M1. The M1SE should have a little more in room presence over the MA3. But the MA3 should be the more delicate and organic one. So, smooth, delicate and organic with a great does of musicality, compared to the recording studio quality standards ya get with Bricasti, maybe a touch more accuracy over the personal definition sector of ‘musicality’. |
@joc3021 @audphile1 many thanks for the replies! really appreciate the comments/comparisons. had not considered ayre before but will look into it. I like Benchmark as a company but somehow just could not enjoy my dac3b, hpa4 and ahb2.. ended up selling all of them.
@jriggy i really enjoy my MA3. I think it is a great dac. the rockna wavelight is not as technically achieved but somehow find myself enjoying the music more with the rockna house sound. if I do change up my dacs, the MA3 may be the one to go. based on your comments, am now a bit more hesitant to try the Bricasti (mainly as it'd be a blind buy of significant cost).. may look in the opposite direction to totaldac (d1 unity) which seems to be in a similar price range. |
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