DAC with wide soundstage, v. good depth and holography - Page 3  

Thank you all for the recommendations and helpful tips! You gave me a whole lot of work as I will have to research them now!;)

I've done most of these tweaks to SB (including switching to ethernet connection) sometime ago, however to be honest, I haven't noticed differences in sound quality. Maybe because I haven't used a digital out/external DAC, but only the built-in DAC...I don't know..

An experienced audio/DAC reviewer suggested me Havana tube DAC for its wide soundstage and great depth. These qualities have been indeed confirmed by individual reviews on head-fi and other forums. I've been also told that tube rolling is essential for this DAC. This will require additional research from my side (again more reading!:))

I hope this DAC with the right tube will also provide dense enough sound as adding some weight/body to the sound is the second most important thing I am looking for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregorio 

Quote:

Originally Posted by korzena 

Please recommend a DAC with wide soundstage, very good depth and holography (price up to $1200).

That depends on what you mean by a wide soundstage and very good depth. If you are looking to get the full soundstage and depth which exists on the recording, as created by the producer, then what Willakan and Head Injury have said is absolutely accurate and you should look at the Benchmark and the Lavry. If however, you want to change the soundstage and depth which exists on the recording and experience something different to the intentions of the producer, they you may want to look at a less accurate type of DAC like a NOS DAC. NOS DACs create quite a lot of distortion and it's possible that you may perceive this as a wider soundstage or as having more depth. Be warned though, it's just as likely that this additional distortion will be perceived as something other than wider soundstage or depth.

G

Gregorio,

Thanks for your words of caution.

For me the most important is enjoyment from listening the music, and I like the "deep", "wide" and "rich" sound. If it is possible to have both - accuracy and the qualities I look for in the sound, that would be perfect! However at my price point (up to $1200), I am afraid that accuracy may mean more sterile and analytical sound which I am not the fan of.

Also from descriptions people give, I feel Havana would be more to my taste than Benchmark or Lavry, even if it is less accurate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregorio 

Quote:

Originally Posted by korzena 

Gregorio,

Thanks for your words of caution.

For me the most important is enjoyment from listening the music, and I like the "deep", "wide" and "rich" sound. If it is possible to have both - accuracy and the qualities I look for in the sound, that would be perfect! However at my price point (up to $1200), I am afraid that accuracy may mean more sterile and analytical sound which I am not the fan of.

$1,200 is plenty enough to expect a DAC to perform perfectly accurately within the limits of human hearing. At this point, any sterility or analytical sound you hear is down to what the producer/mastering engineer have done or intended with the recording. Although of course your cans/speakers will play a part in this too.

I personally look for transparency (linearity) from the digital chain, so I can hear the music as intended by the artists who created it. But I'm aware there are some who seem to believe the intentions of the artists and therefore the music itself are irrelevant, while the sound of their electronic components is the only (or main) consideration.

G

I look for something that sounds more natural and life-like to me. My goal is not to change the sound that was intended by the artist. I just want to enjoy the music. People have different perception and they so interpret the music in different ways. I think this is my way it should be. Everyone picks something that is good for them:)