What is the deal with the ART DIO

Just curious Sean -- did you take any steps to optimize the sound of the DIO -- such as trying different digital cables or experimenting with chassis resonance issues on the DIO and its power supply? Or did you just pop it in a system that was already optimized for a different DAC?

I don't know if I have the latest chip set in my Bolder modified unit, but it does provide a very wide and layered soundstage... My unit has great dynamic capability and excellent articulation at low bass frequencies. The highs are as pleasant, natural, and extended as you will find in any DAC I have heard.

Before you buy a very expensive DAC I'd want to investigate the DIO a bit further.

Just bought an ART DI/O here on Audiogon for a headphone system. It's headphone nirvana! I'm using it with a CAL Delta transport, an ASL MG OTL tube headphone amp, and a pair of Senn HD545s (which I like better in this setup than the HD600).

The other responses motivated me to give the ART a try in my speaker system (modded CAL Delta, Tact RCS 2.0, AES AE-3, AES SE-1, Merlin VSM-M, and Janis W3 sub). I was able to A/B the Tact DAC with the Tact/ART DAC by switching between inputs on the AE-3 preamp. I listened to solo classical guitar, solo cell, and solo piano. In all three cases the Tact was more three dimensional, harmonic structure of notes was more perceptable, the sound of fingernails on nylon strings was more obvious, the percussive quality of a hammer on piano strings seemed more accurate, and the sound of the bow moving across cello strings was more immediate. The ART was very round sounding both with a warmer tonal quality and with a slower attack on notes (less PRAT). I was surprised, however, by the fact that I seemed to have a more difficult time leaving the ART than I did leaving the Tact when doing comparisons (I guess you might call the ART seductive).

The bottom line is that the Tact is the right DAC for the speaker system, but when I want to have a truely mellow warm headphone experience, the ART DI/O is just the ticket.

I think the problem with the DIO question is that none of us are comparing apples to apples. We have some folks with stock units and others with DIOs in varying stages of modification. Of those that are modified (mine included) probably no two have exactly the same mods or ancillary equipment. For example, I have one of the Bolder mods, a Harmonic Technology digital cable, Parasound CDB-2000 transport, Monolithic P3 power supply, and a Perpetual Technology P1 upsampler. With all this other gear, I can assure you that the sound of the modified DIO is quite good if not state-of-the-art. Possibly the new TacT 2.2X is a bit better, but it costs between 4 and 6 thousand dollars (depending on options).

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to put my setup head to head with a TacT 2.2X or the lower priced TacT RCS 2.0, or any other highly regarded DAC...

Quick follow-up: I should have mentioned that my ART DI/O is not a Bolder Cable mod but rather was done on the West Coast somewhere and I was using an inexpensive Atari power supply. (Using a Bolder Cable powersupply with a Bybee filter might be interesting.)

Can't confirm these glowing reviews. A friend had his DIO heavily modified by Bolder Cables complete with outboard power supply and it has some idiosyncracies. He had previously borrowed my Hermes and stated the Kora beat it hands down but that it sounded very good for the money.