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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
aplhifi
515 posts
 
The Phasure eats it alive using PCM. Its closer via DSD but the Phasure is still clearly better.

I have the Phasure NOS1 DAC here, as well as many other DACs.

Prior to the Phasure the best sound I had heard was DSD using the Playback.

This just proves the fact that "best component" is only a synergy between all components in a given audio system. :-)

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev
4orreal
91 posts
 
Bhobba,
Is the new "Lampi Level 7" going to be part of the shootout?
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
there is no best anything. there are only priorities, which when satisfied, please the listener.

it is impossible to hear everything. one may prefer a dac among those which are auditioned, but that does not denote that it is the best.

audio is a very subjective medium. so find something that pleases you within your price range and be happy.

there is no product which is superior in every way to all other products. thus the question has no definitive answer.
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
The DAC shootout will only be the DAC's I mentioned.

If someone wants to send a Lampi Level 7 to the Gold Coast drop me a line and it can be included.

These are privately owned DAC's and represent the best 4 DAC's I have heard in my quite extensive DAC listening over the years.

Thanks
Bill
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
Alex Peychev wrote:

'This just proves the fact that "best component" is only a synergy between all components in a given audio system. :-)'

Oh boy is that true - but it goes way way beyond that.

Checkout the following review of a speaker that I lent to a guy in the US but thought, what the heck, while it was over there would get it reviewed prior to me selling it:
http://www.stereomojo.com/LENEHAN%20ML1%20REFERENCE%20SPEAKER%20REVIEW/LenehandML1ReferenceSpeaker.htm

You don't see reviews like that - but that's purely because most reviews in magazines etc are full of shite.

The truth, the utter truth, is there is no best, there is no better, all there is is what people like in their systems. Two people can listen to exactly the same system - one goes - WOW - the other BLAH. I have seen it, and even with gear that by any objective measure such as waterfall measurements is a lot better.

Thanks
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