2. digital
  3. 1327217166

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
jwm
918 posts
 
Hey Alex are you going to be at CES this year?
aplhifi
515 posts
 
Hey Alex are you going to be at CES this year?

Hi Jwm,

Unfortunately, I will not be attending the CES. Had a few expos in Europe recently, and planning on more exhibitions next year.

Maybe will be at the CES early 2015, will see.

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
Since all audio systems are colored (cost no object), I personally prefer coloration that is closest-to-real. :-)

Heard that one before. It looks like the way to go on the surface. Trouble is exactly what coloration is closer to real is a rather slippery beast. For example its well known by speaker designers that a transient perfect .5 alignment is the most accurate. Yet it sounds overly taught and anemic and a slightly less accurate .6 or .65 alignment sounds better subjectively. It just seems to be the way we are.

Then we have exactly what parameter makes the biggest subjective difference. One of the DAC's at the shootout will be a Killer. It has an obviously colored valve output stage - not dripping in honey etc etc but there is obviously a trace of coloration that makes it sound lovely. But it goes to enormous lengths that really lower jitter. What's better subjectively - lower jitter or a less colored output stage. Who knows.

Thanks
Bill
wisnon
700 posts
 
Bill, dont forget the other side of the equation. Jitter is NOT the be all and end all of good digital. There is also a matter of waveform distortion of the digital and resulting analog signal, which is more in the domain of power supply construction and RFI/EMI pollution. that carries equal weight in my mind. Of course the best Dacs deal with that well.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
hi bhobba:

thanks for making my case, that there is no perfect dac,. your logic also supports the premise that there is no perfect component or stereo system.

after all listening to music is a subjective experience.
More to discover