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@lalitk @audphile1 & others very helpful, many thanks. I always prefer the warm side for extended listening, whatever the genre. This tends to mean Class A amplification and/or tubes somewhere along the way.
@fthompson251 Does one pre-order the Terminator 15th direct from Denafrips since the Vinshine demise? How much VAT/other taxes?
Owing to uncorrectable hearing loss, the very top end is wasted on me. Which means audio budget is limited not only by finance, but by inability to hear the higher levels of refinement. Ear fungus, alas, is a real thing. Ate a hole in right eardrum 20 years ago, and now left as well. "Healing" means permanent scar tissue. But that's for another thread.
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I’m on the other end of this inquiry. I have a Bricasti M1SE and have been tire kicking for a streamer… pretty close to pulling trigger on an N200 but I swear somewhere I read the Bricasti is better with Ethernet rather than USB? Would love for someone to tell me that’s not true lol.
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I’m really happy with using a good USB from my N200 to the Pontus ll. Though I must admit that I haven’t tried ABS/EBU.
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The following DACs are highly compatible with the Aurender N200’s capabilities in delivering high-resolution files and managing noise effectively.
R2R
- Denafrips Pontus 15th / Venus 15th – Highly regarded for natural, analog-like sound.
- Holo Audio Spring 3 (Level 2 or KTE) – Exceptional detail and tonal richness, suitable for audiophiles.
- MSB Discrete DAC – Modular design, excellent for upgrades; very high-end performance.
- Rockna Wavelight DAC – Smooth, organic, and precise sound reproduction.
Delta-Sigma chip based
- Chord Qutest / Hugo TT2 – Known for transparency and detail retrieval.
- Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ – Offers a neutral and detailed sound signature with a robust feature set.
- Benchmark DAC3 – Clean, accurate, and neutral presentation, ideal for reference listening.
- T+A DAC 200 – A hybrid approach delivering both precision and warmth.
Hybrid or Tube-based
- LampizatOr Amber 4 – Tube-based design for warm, lush sound.
- Audio Note DAC 2.1x – Purely musical with a minimalist approach.
- PS Audio DirectStream DAC MKii – FPGA-based, highly resolving and smooth sound.
- Weiss DAC502 – High-end DAC with precision and great functionality.
- LTA Aero DAC – Tube output stage with low output impedance
High-End (these might be over your budget but worth consideration one day you become rich
- dCS Bartók – Renowned for advanced technology and unparalleled soundstage.
- dCS Vivaldi APEX DAC – dCS flagship DAC
- Mola Mola Tambaqui – Compact, highly resolving, and extremely dynamic.
- Esoteric N-05XD – Matches the refinement of the Aurender N200 perfectly.
- Luxman DA-06 – Offers a smooth, musical presentation with excellent build quality
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