I'm a Birdland dealer so my comments may not be totally unbiased, but let's just say I do think it's something pretty special, especially in its price range.
I was introduced to Birdland by a customer who flew here (to New Orleans) to listen to Sound Lab speakers, and he brought along this little dinky DAC that he kept wanting me to try. Since the guy was purchasing a pair of fifteen grand speakers, I decided to humor him. We hooked up the Birdland (it was the now-discontinued Odeon Lite), and I literally didn't want him to take it home. I couldn't believe it. So I called up Gilles Gamiero and while he had all the business he could handle and didn't need any more dealers, he was kind enough to let me take on the line.
Now, there are digital front ends that surpass the Birdland, but in my experience they're quite a bit more expensive. I'm not claiming to have heard 'em all, but in my experience the Odeon AG is quite competitive with some well-respected units in the 2.5 to 4 grand price range.
Duke
I was introduced to Birdland by a customer who flew here (to New Orleans) to listen to Sound Lab speakers, and he brought along this little dinky DAC that he kept wanting me to try. Since the guy was purchasing a pair of fifteen grand speakers, I decided to humor him. We hooked up the Birdland (it was the now-discontinued Odeon Lite), and I literally didn't want him to take it home. I couldn't believe it. So I called up Gilles Gamiero and while he had all the business he could handle and didn't need any more dealers, he was kind enough to let me take on the line.
Now, there are digital front ends that surpass the Birdland, but in my experience they're quite a bit more expensive. I'm not claiming to have heard 'em all, but in my experience the Odeon AG is quite competitive with some well-respected units in the 2.5 to 4 grand price range.
Duke