SB Touch w/upgraded power supply: good next step?

Thanks folks for the good feedback, and sorry I wasn't replying - took 2 weeks off to the middle of nowhere, without wireless signal or electricity.

Like Kenneythekey, I have a dedicated power line where the SBT sits on its own, so maybe a linear power supply isn't going to help as much as in other people's cases. I'm hearing no clicks whatsoever now.

Rbautista, I like to buy gear and hold on to it for a good while, and I'm thinking about $1000 on a DAC. Right now the Metrum Octave looks most appealing. I wish it did 24/192 though (looking beyond SBT). Considering how much has happened in the last 12 months in terms of DAC advancement and prices dropping, who knows where will I sit in 9 months!
My router is a Linksys WRT-120N. Maybe I can add another one sitting by the Touch and set it to operate as a receiver? Sounds like my next step. Then the Soundcheck Toolbox 3.

Will get busy with this and report back. Keep the feedback coming!

Thanks all.

Lewinskih01 -

I too hold on to gear for a long time.

I own the latest Eastern Electric DAC Plus and love it. It's just around your price point. However, I'm not familiar with the Metrum. The DAC Plus can be push-button switched from Solid State to Tube and rolled for both (tube and op amps).

Kenny,

The MiniMax Plus has me interested as well. Some people love it. The fact that it doesn't have the volume control as its predecessor is a plus, as I intend to keep my pre.
Many consider it's tubed option as a plus. However I have a tube pre and a tube amp and wonder if a tubed DAC is really convenient for me. What's your experience with it? What was your reference for sound prior to the EE Plus?

Thanks!

All of my amplification is tube.

I switched the DAC to solid state and I also performed a recommended tweak of removing the tube when switching to solid state. In both cases, I preferred the tube option, but I replaced the stock tube with a Psvane 12AU7.

With the prices of American and European tubes escalating, I decided to give the Psvane a try at a more affordable price. The results were stunning, and I'm sure that other 12AU7 types will do very well. Many times, another tube will improve certain characteristics while giving up something else. I could not identify any particular loss with the Psvane. It does run a little hot, so I'm not sure of its life expectancy. I also have a variety of American 12AU7 tubes that I will try as well, but I don't hurry anything, so more fun later.

Here's what I reported back to Bill of Morningstar Audio, the distributor of the DAC Plus:

...With the tube (Psvane) notes are held longer, so there is more information in the air between the instruments/vocals. Without the tube notes are cut off shorter, so I find the overall sound less believable and more digital. The resulting illusion, to me, is less satisfying...

The DAC Plus is my first modern DAC, but I did a lot of listening at the shows in Denver and Montreal which I attended. I also own an old Theta DS Probasic III that was an excellent DAC of its time.

The way that the digital markets are constantly reinventing themselves, I did not want to make a huge investment in a DAC that would quickly turn into an outdated Theta, for example. I was blown-over by how good the DAC Plus sounded for $1,000.

I would suggest that you keep on asking your questions and get all the advice possible, as there is little hope for auditioning and comparing the tons of really fine boutique products that are out there.

Lewinskih01,

If you want to try a solid state DAC, I recommend the Northstar DAC. It came very close to my Lector DAC and was a step above my Bel Canto 2. I know the Lector is tubed base, but with the tubes I have now it just beat out the Northstar.

The Northstar also has USB async in case you want to go that direction down the road.

Without any doubts, I say apply Soundcheck's Mod first. It may hold you off on buying a DAC for a while to save up more pennies.