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DAC recommendations under 10,000 bucks
Oct 16, 2014 at 6:50 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 46
deuter

deuter

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Hi all.

I have Grado PS1000 running through Leben CS300X

Iam looking for a new DAC, have previously tried the Hugo,audio gd pcm1704 DAC chip based.

Please key in what you have tried and would recommend as the most revealing and detailed DAC, without sounding too digital.

Also doing DSD would be nice.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 7:25 PM Post #2 of 46
I've listened to the Meitner MA-1 (http://www.meitner.com/ma-1.html) at a Head-Fi meet. It's a nice piece of kit that upsamples everything to 2xDSD rate. Natural sounding fatigue-free digital.
 
You can also find its more 'extreme' sibling the EMM Labs DAC2X (http://www.emmlabs.com/html/audio/dac2x/dac2x.html) on the used market for less than $10k. In fact, here's one on Agon:
 
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-emm-labs-dac2x-stereo-d-a-converter-state-of-the-art-d-a-converter-2014-09-28-digital-85714-tucson-az
 
Both do DSD over PCM (USB interface), I believe.
 
I've also heard a Bricasti M1 at a show - very nice, but I can't make any comparisons to the above.
 
Hope this helps.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 7:41 PM Post #3 of 46
I had the chance to listen to the Ayre Acoustics QB-9, and long story short it was as transparent as anything I've heard.  Well under $10K too.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 7:58 PM Post #4 of 46
I have this little fella here :
http://www.exasound.com/e20/Overview.aspx
 
Well under 10k
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and for my ears it sounds absolutely ... live.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 8:09 PM Post #6 of 46
yage said:
I've listened to the Meitner MA-1 (http://www.meitner.com/ma-1.html) at a Head-Fi meet. It's a nice piece of kit that upsamples everything to 2xDSD rate. Natural sounding fatigue-free digital.

You can also find its more 'extreme' sibling the EMM Labs DAC2X (http://www.emmlabs.com/html/audio/dac2x/dac2x.html) on the used market for less than $10k. In fact, here's one on Agon:

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-emm-labs-dac2x-stereo-d-a-converter-state-of-the-art-d-a-converter-2014-09-28-digital-85714-tucson-az

Both do DSD over PCM (USB interface), I believe.

I've also heard a Bricasti M1 at a show - very nice, but I can't make any comparisons to the above.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...


I did a home audition of the MA-1 and have been offered it for about half the rrp. But not sure :frowning2:
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 8:52 PM Post #7 of 46
deuter said:
I did a home audition of the MA-1 and have been offered it for about half the rrp. But not sure
frown.gif
Click to expand...

 
If you're not sure, I'd take a pass. At the prices you're willing to pay, the performance should be very convincing.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 10:26 PM Post #8 of 46
yage said:
If you're not sure, I'd take a pass. At the prices you're willing to pay, the performance should be very convincing.
Click to expand...



Cool, I will go with that.

Although the dealer is allowing me to take the antipodes unit for an extended period of time because he strongly believes my source - squeezebox touch is the weak link.
 
Oct 17, 2014 at 1:28 AM Post #9 of 46
Oct 17, 2014 at 8:26 AM Post #12 of 46
I had a similar dilemma a while back.
I ended up buying a Resonessence  Labs, Mirus. They cost £4500 GBP here, so around $7500 maybe in the US? 
It bettered anything I heard at any price point.
 
Oct 18, 2014 at 8:18 AM Post #14 of 46
This is an interesting thread.  
 
Waiting to see what the OP goes with.  At the 10K mark I would be looking at Total DAC, MSB DACs, Chord QBD76HD or QBD76HSD, The new Berkeley is over 10K new, don't know how much a used one would cost (no DSD though), Hell, how about the Lampi Big 7..  
 
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