Any better DAC then dCS Scarlatti?

We have chosen the Playback Designs MPS-5 as our Reference DAC. We also have on hand the EMM Labs and Digital Audio Denmark AX24. We spent over a year testing every DAC available.

Crna, what do you mean everyone?

Wflm, I vote for infinitesible differences, and the smaller the difference the stonger the opinions about those differences. If I had dcs, Emm, or Esoteric, I would be looking at speakers if I were interested in a major change.

Pubul57....I suspect you are right, but to quote the Troggs: "I wanna know for sure"...

Suffice I am auditioning the MPS5 next week.

Am definitely mid mulling when it comes to the next upgrade. It is an interesting problem to have...where should one focus about $30k...

1. Avalon TIME (currently have Indras)
2. DAC – as above.
3. Interconnects, Cables, Power Chords (e.g: MIT Oracle), FINITE stands
4. Mixture of 2 and 3 to budget

And it is far from easy to assemble the foregoing to audition in my system to validate the extent of difference....

Cheers!

I think there is no way you will be unhappy with any of the DACs or Players you are considering, I would expect all of them to provide you with the best the digital format has to offer. Doesn't seem you can wrong, but for $$$, but that is of relative importance. The only thing that would keep me from making a move just yet, is the future of hi-rez downloads and the connectivity requirments for future music servers - then again, things may not change as fast as one would think, and I do have 1000s of CDs.