Any better DAC then dCS Scarlatti?

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.

Hi Wflm,

Would you need to change amps if you change speakers, even if they are still Avalon models? I have found that a change in speakers usually caused me to first embark on finding appropriate amplification, if the amplifiers I own at the time of change do not mate properly. I would also add that in my setups, the change of preamp has returned the most dramatic difference, following the speaker/amp combo. Digital setups have varied but the differences are not normally that dramatic or drastic. I currently own the dCS Paganini synchronized with an Esoteric rubidium clock and the MPS5, among others. Differences are material, significant and I have more than one on hand for preference and choice, keeping my other gear constant.

Classicjazz - I am using Spectral monoblocks (DMA360v2) and preamp (DMC30SS); they should be able to step up to the challenge of driving the TIME.

Appreciate your perspectives on the DAC choices - intriguing to see the state of the art approached from rather different (as you describe orthogonal) vantages.

Thanks again.