Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD


Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
The problem with attenuator volume controls is that they add resistance to the signal path, which adds thermal noise. In the case of passive attenuators, these change the impedance of the signal path, which can cause low-pass filtering and/or loss of dynamics.

The Overdrive DAC has less than 50 ohms in the signal path. The volume technology on it is superior to any other technology available. I can say this with confidence because it adds nothing and changes nothing in the signal path. It only adjusts the D/A reference voltage, which scales the height of the stair-steps created by the D/A conversion. This is the perfect way to adjust volume. No loss in resolution, no added distortion or noise. The behavior actually reduces THD as the volume is decreased. All other volume technologies increase THD as the volume is decreased.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Congrats are in full order Melbguy1 on your Vitus singnature series SCD-025 you will be getting, I would like for you to do a review of the player on the Tara Labs Thread when you get your final impressions of the player after burn-in, cheers Melbguy1.
Steve Nugent, wow!, your volume control is quite impressive too!, see, this is what I'm talking about, closeing the gap with the volume controls today made on modern state of the art dacs and cd-players versus active pre-amps is a big learning exsperience for me here, I had no idea that volume controls these days were this profound!, cheers to you steve.
Thank you steve, could you please give more detail about the OV digital filter selections, and preemphasis settings.

B
BTW... I enjoy learning about OV from Steve... DSD-S from Alex... And K-01 from Esoteric... Please do continue to sing the refined virtues of your very own designs!

Yet, Call me oldfashioned, I am deeply uncomfortable reading engineers publicly and shamelessly peeking into each other's technical "private parts".

G.