Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Having recently compared the Aesthetix Pandora Signature, PSA DS and Berkeley Alpha Series II, I agree with Randy that the Aesthetix DAC is sublime and a hand picked set of of Gold Lion tubes adds to the enjoyment.

I was told the Romulus transport is a TEAC but not one of the best as installed in the top Esoterics.
IMO: It would be tough to beat the interface between transport and DAC in the Romulus with a separate transport and cable. I'll give it a try with my Wadia 270SE.
BTW: I had Aethetix replace the RCA digital-in with a bnc which they gladly did.

Reading this thread has been very interesting, but I do wonder whether a Mac Mini, even if upgraded for audio, is an optimal digital source. Also, I have found that there is often an interaction between source and DAC that can makes the combo either much better or much worse than the sum of the parts. For example, the PW Transport sounds great with the PW DAC, but lousy when used with my Behold Gentle G192 DAC/integrated. The Bel Canto CD3t sounds phenomenal with the Behold, but mediocre with the PW DAC. The best digital source I have had in my system, a demo of the LauferTeknik Memory Player, trumped everything else I have tried. In my experience the digital source can matter as much and sometimes more than the DAC. So, this thread may be quite useful for Mac Mini users, but may not be universally applicable. Of course, Matt has made it clear that his views are one man's opinion. But I guess I would be hesitant to conclude that the ODSE is the best DAC...it may just sound best with Matt's particular source.

Matt,

Alex, you definitely lost me on your last post, but I am truly enjoying the back and forth between you and Steve (as long as it stays civil and collegial). I am learning a ton!!!

I know it was a bit more technical. What I tried explaining to Steve is that the DAC chip from Analog Devices he is using still oversample CD data by a factor of 2, even with he 192 option selected. His claim that with 192 option selected there is no oversampling is not exactly correct, at least to my knowledge.

Further more, oversampled in the PCM domain or not, the PCM data from your CD-qulaity source is still converted to something very similar to DSD inside the DAC chip. The Analog Devices converters used in the Aeris and ODSE use the so called Delta-Sigma modulators that convert PCM to a signal similar to DSD but with higher order, so the noise is kept way out the hearing range. With Steve's 192 option selected for CD, the combined digital filer and modulator speed is reduced with a factor of 4, resulting in a noise figure that is a lot closer to the hearing spectrum. This is the reason why I said that it emphasizes the midrange more than the usual. Of course, this is to my knowledge and experience that I believe to be the truth.

If someone here with a better technical expertise can prove me wrong, I will be happy to learn something new.

I would ask all involved to make an effort to highlight their own gear's strength's and not point out any other DAC's weaknesses. Specific descriptions of what tech is used and why you think its best are fine. Let's avoid mud slinging though…

Here is a summary of the DSD-S features that highlights its strengths, as requested:

1. Proprietary XMOS based USB input module accepting up to 384/32 PCM as well as DSD64 and double DSD128.

2. Femto jitter master clocks.

3. Proprietary PCM to DSD encoder with DSD64 and double DSD128, user selectable.

4. Proprietary paralleled DAC module working in a special mode that achieves a better overall sound quality without sacrificing anything.

5. Completely lossless hybrid attenuator working in pure DSD and analog domains, without conversion to any sort of PCM.

6. Pure Class-A output stage with MOSFET devices with no negative feedback and no OpAmps.

As pointed out so many times already, at the end of the day, it all comes to a certain synergy in a certain audio system. So specifications are not always a ticket for the best sound in a given audio system.

YMMV!

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev
APL Hi-Fi

Matt, yes, The Aesthetix digital products use the X-Mos chip and the Burr-Brown 1792A chips, I am very familiar with all vesions of the 1792 Dac chips, owned a few, hope this helps.