DAC Favorites

[rollo]

  Exactly what it says. Your favorite DAC and why ? What DAC did it replace ? What did you compare it to.
  Did you hear in your system a DCS, AMR, Esoteric, EAR Acute or other rated class "A" DAC ?
   What was your reference to judge your purchase against ?

charles
 
 

[richidoo]

Great DACs I've heard and liked:
Antelope DAC with Volticus PS - powerful, aggressive, stimulating, ballsy
Twisted Pear Buffalo DAC with transformer output and Belleson regulators   - not there, cheap, musical, missing nothing, not stimulating
Oracle DAC 1000 - mildly stimulating, great detail, pushes music out but not as much as Antelope
Esoteric transport/clock/DAC stack - exciting without stimulating, no sound, just confident

DACs I would like to hear/own:
Audio Research DAC8 - CD players always very inspirational music listening experience
Ayre DX-5 - everyone says Ayre digital playback is the bomb
SimAudio Moon 750D - 1 dedicated Sabre 9018 per channel, big boy high end glitz, Sim is usually very musical if not too safe
Lampizator - just to make sure mine is better. 
DCs stack - supposed to be "the best" curiosity killed the cat

I am happy with my Buffalo. Great sound top to bottom, clean and clear, not etched, extreme detail that is gentle and not forced. Does not pressurize the music like SS active buffers usually do. Attention is free to graze on anything. Could use a few dB more gain for the softest classical CDs on the least sensitive speakers.  It is the best component in my system now so I need work in other areas first.

[topround]

I heard the MSb  stack a friends house,also the dcs stack,both great,but I really like the MSb. Very  musical,does not sound digital

[tmazz]

Rich,

Have you seen the Sept issue of TAS. They trashed the Audio Research DAC8 saying it was a step backwards from the DAC7.

I was shocked. This is the first time in quite a while that I saw TAS pan a piece of gear, let alone a piece from someone who buys as much ad space as ARC does.

[jimbones]

yea I read that article. I guess ARC pissed them off. Unusual that ARC gets a bad review. They will kiss and make up and next month they will be making the best equipment since sliced bread!

[Lizard_king]

I believe my custom Audio Note Dac with my computer will take out all these Dacs!

[topround]

of course you do

[richidoo]

Thanks Tom, I'll update my Christmas list right away....

Maybe DAC8 is the debut for a new designer, since the boss retired last year.

[StereoNut]

My favorite DAC is the Eastern Electric (Original) Minimax DAC because that's the best sounding one I've heard for the money and was what I could afford!

[bhobba]

My favorite DAC is the Playback Designs MPD-3 fed with DSD - but only DSD - its not as good as other DAC's via PCM IMHO.

Next is my Level 2 PDX - it has easily bested any other DAC I have put up against it - Burson, Tranquility (both models), JK Saber, JK 32, WFS Saber, Metrum, NAD M51.

The DAC I want to put up against it is the Killer DAC which I have not heard for a while but it bested a very early prototype of a PDX - in fact it blew away quite a few DAC's at a shootout I was at about two years ago.  Have one on order to see how it compares these days.

Thanks
Bill   

[polyglot]

$750- $1,500 category:
I use the Metrum Octave (unmodded) with an after market power cord in my main system, it won hands down vs a great sounding Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC (non plus version, stock version) and the Benchmark DAC (non-USB version).
Findings: the Metrum Octave is superb as it does not add any coloring but provides such a clarity and detailed presentation only found in the 3-4k range DACs.
Eager to hear comments about the new sibling of the Octave.
sub $500 category:
I use the Grant Fidelity TubeDAC-11 in my studio that feeds directly to the Eastern Electric MiniMax tube amp with very satisfying result, given the budget.

[machinehead]

Favorite DAC is the Eximus-DP1... which happens to be the most expensive Ive owned.  Great in so many ways... Tons of detail while remaining totally musical. Upsampling actually changes the sound. 192 has a tight & fast detailed sound. 16/44 is more organic, looser sounding. 96 is in between the 2.
Pop and rock is best on 192. Jazz, blues.. 96.

[etcarroll]

Same here, heard it at dac shootout over a year ago and while it was only my #2 fav out of 5 units, #1 was way out of my price range. And rolling a series of NOS tubes combined with one of Pete's PCs have really allowed the unit to shine. I still haven't gotten to rolling opamps yet as I hear no need to. Love those Triode Wire products!

My favorite DAC is the Eastern Electric (Original) Minimax DAC because that's the best sounding one I've heard for the money and was what I could afford!

[jimbones]

Has anyone here heard the Burson 160D? I have one but have not really compared it to anything so i was just wondering "in the world of DACs" where it stood. There are not too many around since it is from Austrailia and the marketing isn't so good. But I will say this, it is built like a brick shithouse. 

[Bill O'Connell]

etcarroll,
 You need to let me throw some Dexa discrete's in there. You really haven't heard it until those are in installed