Looking for a new DAC


 

Looking for dac recommendations

I have been slowly doing major upgrades to my system and now it’s time for a better dac.

Current system

Modwright KWH 225i integrated

Magnepan 3.7i speakers

Rotel RCD-1572 cd player

Will not be upgrading these anytime soon

 

Need upgrading

Schiit Modius dac

WiiM Ultra streamer (considering the Aurender N200)

Looking for a dac that will complement the Modwright and Magnepans.

 

Below is a few suggestions I have received but not sure how they will sound with my system.

T+A DAC 200

Gold Note DS-10 EVO

Laiv Harmony

Weiss DAC 204

 

ice812

Bricasti equipment is top notch & they sound great at all their price points. They’re all tight, clean & highly detailed w/ enormous sound stage without being harsh or bright. These qualities just become more so as you move up the line. They started out making pro studio equipment & still do so as well. 

 Their equipment is all designed & built in MA & they manufacture and on site much of hardware they use including cabinets, feet, knobs etc & wind their own transformers. The circuit boards are built to their specs w/ top quality parts they provide in a specialty company next door & thus the quality control is outstanding. You can call them anytime & talk w/ the folks that run the whole thing anytime. 


 

 

I have Pass Labs amps into MG3.7i’s. I use a Mola Mola Tambaqui, which is excellent

I have the Holo May KTE.

 

It is a fantastic DAC. Upgrading from it will be a pretty expensive proposition.

 

A big word of caution about the May and many other modern DACs: The May has a 5v output, much higher than the input range of many preamps. It will probably not be a problem with any solid state amp or preamp, but it has caused me issues finding any thing Class A, let alone anything tube based.

 

Before you make your choice, pay attention to the output voltage of the DAC, and the rated input of any future gear you might want.

Much as I love the May, I have had regrets because of this. Finding a preamp of matching quality that worked well with my Manley Snappers took me several years. I ended up with a used Levinson 503, that is an $18K pre new...

 

So on your Modwright, what you have to pay attention to is this section

SPECIFICATIONS
Gain: 30dB.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-100Khz (+/-0dB).
Input Impedance: 20K.
Input Sensitivity: 2V rms.
Max input level: 6 Vrms (18V pk-pk).

The amp will be driven to max volume at 2v RMS, but it can handle up to 6V RMS before you start either over driving parts, or run into cross talk. Since this voltage is close to the May's output, you might hear some cross talk with sensitive speakers - not an issue with Maggies.

 

All the DAC's you listed in your OP should play well with your amp.

I did not see a budget, but another plug for Merason. They offer a very balanced, musical sound. I have their mid-tier model, the Reuss, which replaced a Gungnir MB. Other DAC’s I have had in my system include the Yggy MIB and Rockna Wavedream, I still like the Merason.

Since you mentioned that you may upgrade your streamer I should share this.  I was auditioning streamers to put upstream of my Holo May DAC.  I narrowed the search to Aurender and Innuos.  They were both excellent in their own ways but what came out of the May DAC was a VERY different sound signature between the two streamers.  My experience was that the streamer will affect the sound signature of the DAC much more than one might think!  Good luck and cheers.