Best DAC recommendation to pair with Warwick Aperio?

[TDHEAD]

Aperio has a great DAC particularly as Aperio's entire premise much like Apple in computers is the total engineering control of the unit components designed to match into the all in one system.

That said, I am assuming you still can improve on the DAC with something even more TOTL. Anyone have a paring suggestion?
I thinking of Rockne Wave Signature to start my research from. Any other thoughts?
THX

 

[smallcaps]

Maybe an LTA Aero? Haven't heard it myself, but I suspect they would be a great TOTL DAC for the Aperio.

 

[tjkohli]

My two cents (from perspective of Bravura — I understand it's not Aperio but also Bravura/Aperio share a lot of foundational principles)

I believe, the way these headphones are engineered, any external DAC is going to be a downgrade. I tried Bravura with a Qutest and it sounded terrible. The internal DAC is tuned to accommodate for the inherent shortcomings of Bravura/Aperio and thus that's why they sound best with the internal DAC.

Your Apple analogy is absolutely correct. Apple often uses inferior hardware components (i.e. less RAM in a TOTL iPhone) but makes up for it with software (excellent memory management in iOS). Warwick seems to be doing the same.

 

[Mystel]

Cant speak for the Aperio but i went though this exact journey for the HE1.
Wadax, MSB , Lampizator comes to mind if you want the absolute totl. They all have different tonalities but its worth giving them a shot.

 

[TDHEAD]

My two cents (from perspective of Bravura — I understand it's not Aperio but also Bravura/Aperio share a lot of foundational principles)

I believe, the way these headphones are engineered, any external DAC is going to be a downgrade. I tried Bravura with a Qutest and it sounded terrible. The internal DAC is tuned to accommodate for the inherent shortcomings of Bravura/Aperio and thus that's why they sound best with the internal DAC.

Your Apple analogy is absolutely correct. Apple often uses inferior hardware components (i.e. less RAM in a TOTL iPhone) but makes up for it with software (excellent memory management in iOS). Warwick seems to be doing the same.

Thx, makes sense

 

[judomaniak57]

in a built in system how do you know its the dac holding sound back and not the headphones or the amp