[monadnock]

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing, end them.

As Will explains above, I'm looking to replace my current DAC with an Audio Magic Tubadour III >> I'm just not sure between the base model for $1500 and maxed out SE model, with a $1000 higher price tag.

I can't find much info on the differences between the base and SE model. Most of the reviews focus on one side of the pillow or the other.

The base model uses nice caps and kit.. I'm wondering what % of the 'magic' it delivers, compared to the SE.

Has anyone had the base model then upgraded, heard either or both?

 

[LadderB]

I can't comment on an A-B comparison of the SE to the regular. However, like you, I was making that choice earlier this year. I bought the SE version. The upgrades are certainly cost-competitive if you think about the price of the various components. I can say it is an excellent DAC - among the best I've heard. It is in one of my systems where it is not expensive compared to the other components. I've fed it coax from my (upgraded) Bluesound Node 2i and USB from my Auralic Aries G2. Excellent sound from both streamers. Manages to be detailed without fatigue which is the case with many DACs. In my systems, I've compared it to a Bricasti M3 and a Schiit Bifrost 2. It is roughly the equal of the Bricasti and better than the Schiit (as it should be, given the price difference). If the Bifrost (an excellent DAC, BTW) has the Schiit multibit house sound, both the Bricasti and the AudioMirror have a bit cleaner bass than Schiit multibit. That is the main reason why I didn't just upgrade to a Yggy from Schiit. There is also a bit more detail on both DACs compared to the Bifrost. Overall, it is a neutral presentation, so I don't think you can go wrong unless you are looking for a specific sound.

You can always upgrade later if need be, but I'd just buy the SE version and be done with it. It is a DAC that can scale to very high-end systems, so you can just buy and put your money into other upgrades.

 

[monadnock]

makes sense and agreed. been watching for a used SE but I'll probably pull on the $1500 'entry-level' DAC. Can't peel off the extra grand right now.. I'm about to sell a pile of gear though so depending on how that goes.. we shall see,