If you go by the consensus of guys that have rotated the usual suspects of high end dacs through their system, I would say the top dog is the MSB Diamond. This consensus is not unanimous of course, but most folks with no budget constaint hearing it will say it bests all else they have heard and end up buying it.
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.
PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
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I wonder how the MSb compares to DCS? Each is based on some unique proprietary design elements. The focus on magnetic and other forms of noise reduction strikes me as a good and somewhat unique concept with MSB in particular. The concept is not particularly innovative but the application within the unit itself is somewhat unique and once designed and fabricated, would not sem to be a particularly expensive feature to implement. |
Hmm, I could probably make some of the same statements about the $350 used mhdt Constantine DAC I use currently as is made about the Trinity DAC at that link. Funny how the one guy condemns the craziness of high end audio then claims to have found the holy grail of DACs himself in the next sentence. The DCS/VTL/VAC/Nordost/Magico system I heard the DCS on surely cost 6 digits, many times more than mine. And in fact it sounded excellent in most all regards in a smaller to moderate sized listening room, one of the best I have heard. The DCS certainly held up its end of the deal. There are some things my setup does better, and almost surely vice versa. I'd need an extended comparative listening session between the two in the same room to know the differences for sure. As long as that is the case, I am happy with what I have without having to break the bank too badly. If there is a gap to close between my DAC and the DCS, I think the ticket would be to add a certified high quality clock device that would help assure minimal jitter. There are some of those out there I believe for reasonable cost. |
At the moment, probably this, read Piano Tuner's description. |
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