Mark Levinson 36 dac or Theta Gen V Best?

I know they might be older designs but an 8 pound $1,000 dac of today can't sound like one of these older better built monsters that weigh almost 40lbs from the 90's can they? Do you really think a benchmark dac one or something around that would sound better? The only dac that I have heard is a proceed that I bought off ebay a couple of months ago and hated it right out of the box.My CD player sounded better without it!But,it was a cheap dac and should have knowned better.Any advice,I'm all ears.

Herman,I just checked out your system,very,very nice!Neat set ups like that makes this hobby fun.You got more money than me though!I'm looking,just like everyone on this site,for a system that sounds great without breaking the bank.Also,the folks next door have a barking dog and well,such people need to be punished from time to time.

I still have a balanced Gen Va DAC that I compare from time to time to my modded Sony. The Gen Va is a pretty good DAC with a high-quality analog section. However performance depends very much on the quality of transport. With either of these units you are taking your chances on service. Theta no longer supports the older models, and Levinson will probably charge more than it's worth to repair the 36.

dgarretson,so,does your sony sound better than the theta? Don't think a pd-75 elite could transport decent?

Gen Va slightly surpasses the stock SCD-1's DAC section, but my modified Sony DAC section is far ahead. In the price range of a used Gen Va or ML 36, perhaps think about something like a battery-powered Altmann Attraction with dejitter option. Any good reclocking DAC will tend to be less sensitive to transport quality. If budget allows another $1K, probably at least worth auditioning a new Bryston BCD-1.