Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Matt, the best experimental design would be to blind a non-audiophile listener(s) (preferably your 6 yr old) and cycle through the dacs. You may be surprised by the outcome. For good measure, throw in a cheap chinese variant (Weiliang for example) just to see where things land...:) A few trust friends (one a manufacture and one an end user) have it and the < $200 Weiliang is the equivalent of a few well reviewed, sacred digital cows.

Mattnshilp, Thank you for your excellent honest opinions and observations. I appreciate them, for they are stated clearly, unbiased and without regard to advertising revenue.

Mattnshilp, I admire your effort, but so much is very fragile with everything these days. Or you comparing the units all in exactly the sale location, with the same wiring and ac plugs, and on the same isolation.

I have found the location of feet under a unit make a big difference, that some units work well with cables that another hates, that some cables, most obviously the High Fidelity cables hate to be moved at all and take a long time to recover.

Long ago, I participated in a great double blind testing of many preamps with many of their designers present and voting. This was well before cables were much in fancy as well as before much was done about isolation. We rated each and went on to the next. At the end the Bozak was the winner??? I borrowed one and took it to my home. It was awful! I lost confidence in even well done double blinds, much less the worthless 30 second, same or different crap.

All in my house with same gear, same cables, same rack, whatever feet are provided and placed by the manufacturer, same power, same ears...

My intention is to help define the differences between DAC's (in an identical environment)more then to say one is better or worse for you then another. We all value different sonic attributes and like different gear.

Thanks, TBG, for your input. That anecdote about the double blind study you reported proves that at the end of the day, there is no better way to determine if a unit is best for you then to take it home and use it in your system.

Ozzy - Advertising revenue?? You mean I can make money doing this????? LOL!!!!

Agear - The only double blind study my 6 year old would happily participate in would be to determine if, in fact, different color gummy bears actually taste differently. But, seriously, your point is well taken. I'm not a professional reviewer nor do I claim to be. I'm just having fun both listening and reporting my findings. A few well placed acoustic treatments in my WAF restricted listening room/shared office would unquestionably make way more difference then putting another few grand into a better DAC; but that's not going to happen in a room that she's in more then I am...