choose a DAC to complete my system



acoustic zen silver reference ii XLR interconnect
Cardas Clear speaker cable
wireworld platinum usb cable
Focal Electra 1038 be II
Pass labs X350.5
Pass labs Xp10 pre
Oppo BDP-105
PC computer

i'm not happy about the sound i'm getting
i'm not sure why.
maybe it's better to replace the PRE ?
maybe to get Apple computer to replace the PC?

for DAC i though about one of those:
Luxman DA-06 (Japan model cost $3000 but i don't know if it will work in the US? Japan using 100V
Meitner Audio MA-1 , found 6 month old.

or other models?

Thanks
pelo911
do you mean to replace the acoustic zen silver reference ii XLR interconnect with other cable?

it's hard for me to describe (bad English)

almost no Bass , no soundstage
sound not full, not extended at the ends, not warm

i listened at CES to Focal Diablo and 1038 like i have
and i love it so much.
Three things: 1) don't use the Oppo for a DAC, 2) eliminate, don't replace the active preamp. Active preamps like this are the bain of audio. If you are not willing to spend at least $10K on a really good tube pre, forget it. 3) make certain that your digital source has extremely low jitter. The computer alone will not do this. If you want the very best result, use an outboard USB converter with its own power supply, like the Off-Ramp 5.

There are a couple of ways to deal with the preamp:

1) use a DAC with a strong output driver (not an op-amp) and feed it to a passive transformer linestage, such as the Music First (I just happen to have a silver-wound one for sale). Output impedance of the DAC of <50 ohms is required. Avoid resistive passive stages as they create impedance problems downstream

2) select a DAC with a superior volume control technology, that beats all active and passive preamps like this one:
http://www.empiricalaudio.com/products/overdrive-dac. This one adds no components to the signal path, does not change the resistance or gain in the signal path and actually increases the S/N ratio and reduces the distortion as the volume is lowered. No other volume technology does this.

Do not use 100% software controlled volume.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
After you fix the jitter, the preamp and the DAC, then you should focus on the source.

There are three paths, all driving USB out to the USB converter:

1) PC using optimized hardware (SSD, memory, power supply). Playback using Jriver (and maybe Jplay). Rip CD's with dbpoweramp

2) Oct 2009 Mac mini with optimized hardware (SSD, memory, power supply). Playback using Amarra. Rip CD's using XLD. The Mini can be bought on ebay for less than $400.

3) Server such as the Antipodes, which will drive USB out. This one is particularly good because it sounds as good with FLAC as with wav files. We used one of these with great results at the last RMAF.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
"10-24-13: Pelo911
do you mean to replace the acoustic zen silver reference ii XLR interconnect with other cable?

it's hard for me to describe (bad English)

almost no Bass , no soundstage
sound not full, not extended at the ends, not warm

i listened at CES to Focal Diablo and 1038 like i have
and i love it so much."

The reason that I mentioned trying a different cable is that every time I put a silver cable between an amp and preamp, I don't like it. I've also come across a few people that have AZ cables and said the same thing. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to try a copper cable between your amp and preamp.

Given your last post, its probably not cables that are the cause of the problem. I agree with Audioengr in that it would probably be best to look at the source first. I know you are using the Oppo as a DAC. Do you have the same problem when you use your PC as a source and when you play disk's through the Oppo directly? Or does one sound OK and the other bad?
Thanks for the added info.

Looking at your photo it appears that you are not giving your speaker any room to breathe. With a few exceptions, most speaker sound best when symmetrically placed out into the room and away from any large objects. Your speaker placement looks as if it violates all three of these objectives. At a minimum you need to move your speakers away from the TV and further away from the back wall.

There are any number of articles and threads on speaker placement. I strongly suggest you research and read them.

Until you properly place your loudspeakers, any further expenditures on equipment are ill advised.