Sure @mclinnguy . I took A LOT of notes when I auditioned but here's a very brief summery.
Please keep in mind, if anyone loves one of the DAC's below, that's cool. Below are MY OPINIONS. Not fact. We are all different and have different preferences. If you think DAC XYZ is the "best" then good for you, enjoy it! Don't like some jerks opinion (ie me) on the internet take anything away from that. We can all like different things, and that's just fine. You will never hear my system nor me yours, so it doesn't matter so long as you love yours!
Also keep in mind, I am mostly speaking about the negatives. The reason for that is that for the most part, all these DACs did most thing well. Assume if I didn't mention an aspect of the sound for that DAC, it means it probably did at least a passable job of that aspect.
Chord DAVE
I owned a DAVE years ago. According to the distributor, I had the first one in Canada, so I know this DAC pretty well. It was the last "good DAC" I owned back when I was a headphone guy, so I thought it was well worth a home audition. Immediately, I really liked it, and the M-Scaler improves everything by a noticeable amount. Honestly, it was the first DAC I brought home, and I was pretty sure I would end up with it in this case too.
Berkeley Alpha V3
I also used to own a V1 of this DAC, and I have very fond memories of it. Listening to it now, it's a very detailed DAC, but it lacks separation, which is odd. The presentation, as a result, feels very "out of sorts," and it has a good amount of digital glare: that is to say, it sounds distinctly digital. It isn't smooth or organic at all. If you wanted something for studio work, this would be a good choice.
MSB Premier
This is an interesting one. I actually preferred it to DAVE+M due to it presenting a more cohesive presentation. What I mean is that the DAVE+M and the MSB presented a lot of detail, but the DAVE+M images were smaller in space than the MSB. The MSB felt more like a performance in front of you. For example, a guitar is life-sized with the MSB, whereas with DAVE+M it is 50% smaller. This gives the DAVE+M better separation, but it loses in naturalness. This became my new 'to beat' DAC.
Bricasti M1
I LOVED this DAC... but only for a weekend. It's SUPER dynamic and punchy. It's the AC/DC of DACs: I don't care how much anyone loves AC/DC, sometimes you need a break from them. It's the DAC you buy if you want to wow your friends. It's lively and energetic but does have that same digital glare that the Berkeley had, but with more PRAT (dynamics and bass kick). For things like classical or jazz, it is fatiguing.
DCS Bartok APEX
Well, it's very detailed. And it's wonderfully made and looks great. Other than that, it didn't do anything for me. Years ago, I had a DCS Debussy that, to this day, is the WORST DAC I've heard. Seriously, the headphone jack on your phone is better than a Debussy. The Bartok is much better, but it's thin and mechanical sounding. I think this is the DAC to use at a Hi-Fi show (like the M1) because it will wow with its details. It's also a good DAC if you want bragging rights but don't really listen to much music. I'll let you guys know when DCS sues me for saying this.
Linn Klimax DSM
The Klimax... They misspelled Climax and missed the mark in my eyes. I think it's a high-margin product because the dealer practically made me take it home for a demo. It's thin and digital-sounding, similar to the DCS, but with a more compact soundstage, which in this case, helped. It's a GEOGIOUS looking unit and it's that's a priorty, it's had to beat. Please keep in mind that I am being harsh on this unit (it's better than I am making it sound) but not at anywhere near the MSRP. If you can get one at 70% off, it's a good choice.
AudioNote (ANK) Level 5
What can I say about this one... I built one years ago for a friend, and this one was loaned to me by a friend. It's like a slightly worse Premier (for less money, but adding tubes) in that it had a really wonderful presentation size but did a better job at layering. Where it lacked was detail retrieval, if that really matters to you. For the money, and if you are willing to build one and are okay with tubes, it's a lovely, musical DAC.
PS Audio DSD
I don't like this DAC. To me, it's sandy sounding. It is the least smooth of all the DACs, and the sound has a literal grainy quality. It is also one of only 2 DAC (the other being the ANK) that had an audible noise floor. Hard pass.
T+A DAC200
Okay, I will put on my flame suit now. This DAC is good, but it isn't a "giant killer." Now, in all fairness, I used it like a normal person (Lumin as a streamer), and I didn't use a custom-built PC with HQPlayer, etc. But adding the PC and HQPlayer (not to mention the hassle) bumps the price of this DAC well past $7k, and I would get a used DAVE every day of the week over this for about the same money.
Weiss DAC501
The midrange on this DAC is really special—some of the best and probably only really bested by the ANK of the above DACs. The bottom end doesn't have the control or kick of the M1, and it doesn't have the resolution of the DAC200. It's the opposite of the M1 in that if you NEVER listen to AC/DC and only listen to jazz, this might be a really good choice.
Meitner M3 (because it was brought up)
I didn't take this one home unlike the others, so take this (actually everything I say) with a BIG grain of salt. I heard it at the dealer, and it's a very warm DAC. It's perfect if you want lovely-sounding background music. There is nothing offensive about the sound of the DAC, but as a result, it's flat and dry sounding. Totally unengaging and dull, lacking the resolution of the better DACs on this list. Made in Canada or not, it wasn't for me.
Playback Designs MPD-8
I discovered this by chance. I was at a dealer looking at the Berkeley, and they had an MPD-8. When I saw the oddly shaped gray box, I thought it was an old, goofy-looking CD player they got in on trade or something. One of those pieces where the guy says something like, "Yeah, it's from 1992, but it has the special Sony laser that they only made on Wednesdays for 2 months that's the best ever built" or whatever. I passed when he first offered to audition it because I didn't want a CD player. He suggested I just give it a quick try anyway, as it was already hooked up. Immediately I was surprised—it was detailed with life-sized images. It has the depth of a good tube system and absolutely no digital grain. It offered all the dynamics and punch I could ever want with zero fatigue. This DAC was a total surprise and came out of nowhere for me. It sounds like hyperbole, but take the best elements of all the above DACs and combine them into one, and you have the MPD-8. To me, this was the choice, and the second best (MSB Premier) was lacking across the board (aside from looks) for substantially more money.
