W4S DAC

Have you looked at any R2R dacs? Best digital I’ve had was a Musician Aquarius. It was just different. Can’t explain it but it was plenty detailed and just made every damn thing sound awesome any very analog sounding. No idea how it measured.
 Listening to a Lyngdorf 3400 all in one now which if it was just a straight Dac would probably not be that amazing but the room correction for me way trumps the smaller differences in DACs. It again makes everything sound amazing. 

I had the upgraded w4s dsd dac over a decade ago. 6 years ago, I thought it was better than my friends $13k msb analog dac. I sold the w4s over 5 years ago and bought a much better dac for $4k and then moved up to a highly reviewed dac for $8k. 

@mofojo 

R2R ladders have the buzz in this forum.  With respect, it is not the D/A conversion format that matters but the execution of the design intent. Some of the best DACs use OEM chips or proprietary technologies.  For example, the Tambaqui and Wadex Reference (6 $ figures) use proprietary code and technology.  The Solution 760 (high 5 $ figures) uses chip technology (Burr Brown). The Bricasti M21 offers both chip and ladder for different playback formats.  So performance can not be connected just to conversion format but rather to the execution of the design intent at any price point. Decisions are personal preference.  Some feel chip DAC designs are too forward compared to Ladders.  I personally find ladders too laid back with less dense images.  Admittedly, I have not done enough  head to head evaluations to consider my observation an axiom, but of the evaluations I have conducted it seems to be the case.  Some love the laid back presentation.  To each their own. Choose based on audition, not on what is published.  

Fwiw, I was excited about W4S DAC sometime before the pandemic, bought and then returned one.  I thought it was kind of dry, like the original Class D Amps, and sterile/clinical to my ears.  I am not sure if they were using ESS chips back then.

Anywho, 6 years or so is an eternity in Digital.  I also remember having to hassle with W4S over the return , even though they are an Internet company that prominently discusses the return policy.  Ultimately it worked out

@mahler123 yes, W4S would have been using ESS chips at the time you purchased, it sounds though as you may have bought one of their entry level series and with the various series, they offer numerous upgrades. I'm sure a basic DAC-1v2 would sound nowhere as good as a loaded-up DAC-2v2 or 10th Anniversary Edition at 2.5 times the price of the 1v2. Do you know what model you had?

@jsalerno277 +1 (well said)

@p05129 What DAC did you purchase for $4K then $8K respectively?

@mofojo Yes, I currently am using a Gustard R26 which is an R2R DAC, but as @jsalerno277 suggests, it does sound a little laid back.