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Worlds best DAC

Went to CES this year to work on my transition to high Rez digital. I've heard many of the highly regarded players in my room or in others systems in the past. I'm actually very happy with my current cd based sound. As I listened to various DACS playing CD then high Rez, I was not bowled over. High rez was better, but only slightly so. The best (and most different) sound I heard happened to have one similarity. They were 2 non oversampling DACS with tube analog stages(Zanden and Ypsilon). These were without question the most natural sounding digital systems I heard at the show. They made CDsound miles ahead of high Rez. What gives?

PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
bflowers
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Thanks, Dover! Very helpful. Since i bought my Zanden 2nd hand 5 yrs ago...seems like perhaps i will keep it and maybe go for the 'relatively' affordable upgrade which apparently helps lower the noise floor, improve detail/decay mainly thru shielding and better wiring. Thanks again!
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Hi ARnie,

Thanks for that...yes, i have just picked up the Hifi Critic review of your digital system. I will re-read it now, knowing that is what you've got. thanks!
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
DAC's have improved greatly over the last few years, it's most noticeable from the highest end of the industry. Although the differences may at first seem small, the removal of many digital artifacts makes the overall event much more relaxing and musical, not to mention the extra openness and air that accompanies it.
Of coarse all the best gear in the world won't sound right without proper system synergy, including cabling. It's taken me years and more money than I care to think about to create digital thats comparable to my analog rig. I hope this won't influence an analog verses digital debate, the mood I'm in usually determines which I prefer.
audiofreak32's avatar
audiofreak32
281 posts
 
Everything else in the system being the same... same room, same calble, same power supply, same ambinet temperature, etc., I am not sure how anyone can play a CD on a std. CD player and not hear a pretty decent difference between that and a nice DAC.

Once you take away the spinning disc itself, motor, laser pickup, power supply noise, jitter, etc. and just send data to a DAC and let the DAC do its thing, you will have a big difference ion sound. Not with all DACs... if you are still connecting to a DAC with USB, toslink, etc., you are missing out still. The LINN DS units connect to your network via CAT5 and just send "data" to the DAC for it do "go to work". If you are using a PC, laptop, etc. and a connection like USB or wireless to some other device, then through a cable, you are missing out.

My LINN Akurate DS will compete and usually sound better than CD players in excess of $10k. Not to mention that my entire library of music is at my fingertips via and iPad.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i agree with bflowers assessment of the zanden, but in its original version, rather than the current version.

the original had more of a classic tube sound. another dac worthy of consideration is an early version of the wavelength cosecant.
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