Just about to pull the trigger on Pontus 15th ...

@lanx0003 believe it or not my unit still suffers from being inconsistent with its performance. I feel like it has really smoothed out though. It's the weight & texture of notes that still varies a little bit from day to day. It hasn't been a full 2 months yet but it does have some hours on it. Once I started putting it in stand-by at night I felt like improvements really started happening. 

I don't know why my 15th has taken so long to get to the quality it is at now..but it's come a long way. I thought it was pretty awful for awhile. It really has a nice clarity, texture, reverb, & weight to the notes lately. When the dac is hitting on all cylinders it's very 3 dimensional, just very good. But for whatever reason some days I'll kick it on & that extra weight to male voices & notes is a little flat. Few hours later & you will feel that fullness again. For awhile it could go days before that extra warmth would return. So I feel like it's all coming together..at its own pace lol. 

But like I said, when it's sounding good, & you play a good hi-res recording you are treated to a very nice performance between & beyond the speakers. This dac has been one of the most rollercoaster experiences I've ever had with a piece of hifi equipment. 

@lanx0003 Have you had any luck selecting a new dac? 

@sls883 During this time while I were torn among Harmony uDAC, Gustard X26 iii and DF 15th, I acquired Topping D90 iii Discrete to try and I like it.  It has very good separation, good layering, 3D palpability I am craving for.  The high notes notes are so intricated that I heard something that I never heard before.  The SS is not wider than the cheaper dac I had and that is not bad thing, because the notes are outlined and positioned much better yielding more defined sense of stage.  The bass notes are more weighty and nimble.  I actually turn off the PEQ and found the tonal balance from low ends are still kept.  I may keep it in the 2nd system.

I also tried smsl po100 pro ddc bet. the Ultra and D90 using I2s and got better result as expected.  I also tried CA Mxn10 feeding rca to D90 and the combo sounds the best to my ears.

The review from one of the trustworthy reviewers was finally released and gave uDAC very high remark.  He specifically compared the uDAC with D90 discrete and conclude they perform equally well in many technical aspects but are distinct in terms of sound color (warmth) and choice will be users’ preference dependent. (uDAC is warmer).  I may retain D90 since the violin / piano sounds more natural / accurate to my ears.  I do not wish the violin sound to be tamed down by a warmer DAC.

If the Gustard X26 iii is elected and auditioned in the near future for my 1st system, the stuffs we were talking about will follow through, i.e., DDC w/ clock in (uDDC / U18 / SU2) and the 10mhz master (Lhy ock2) plus Smsl pl200T (w/ a clock in).  I will need 3 clock in and Lhy is the only choice.  A lot of gears to be acquired for a slow thinker. 

@mattw73 The seemingly random, non-time-of-day pattern you've described is indeed puzzling. Given that your equipment has already exhibited qualities like a three-dimensional soundstage and full-bodied tonality, it's likely that the gear has undergone sufficient break-in. This leads me to consider whether the issue might be related to power supply fluctuations. Do you currently use a power conditioner?

@lanx0003 Glad that you found something that you like. I haven't heard the Topping D90, but I frequently read good things about it.