[Dubstep Girl]

Ok guys, so I finally saved up enough money (worked this month) and I'm ready to upgrade my system.
 
 
My current setup consists of PC lossless >> project dac + headphone amp connected via Audioquest diamondback RCA cables >> Sennheiser HD 650s with Blue dragon cable, Grado SR325is, Akg K701
 
 
I plan on buying the Woo Audio WA6SE with upgraded tubes (sofia princess 274B i believe) (i have researched long and hard into this and have totally made up my mind on all this)
 
 
the biggest trouble i have with is the DAC.
 
I have narrowed it down to 3 options.
 
Rega DAC (have heard great things about it, seems to be a warmer sounding DAC with great quality)
 
PS Audio - Digital Link III (heard its good, but someone told me its outdated and beaten by newer DACs)
 
Musical Fidelity M1 DAC - don't know much about this but i could try it out and would be easy-to-get, dont know how it compares to the others.
 
 
 
I have also considered the Benchmark Dac1 but due to it having a very analytical sound i don't think its right for me.
 
I want something thats decently balanced and has good highs/mids while still making good lows (in other words, something that does not ruin the bass)
 
 
oh yeah, my music is all 44.1 with very few 24/96 stuff i don't care too much about. the DACs can upsample, i don't care too much, but i prefer if the DAC plays the music at its native sample rate.
 
[size=xx-small]EDIT: Ended up buying the PS Audio III DAC - pics at the end! THANKS!!! <3[/size]

 

[Head Injury]

CEntrance DACport or DACmini
Cambridge Audio DacMagic
Yulong D100
Matrix Quattro
ASUS Xonar Essence ST or STX

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

CEntrance DACport or DACmini
Cambridge Audio DacMagic
Yulong D100
Matrix Quattro
ASUS Xonar Essence ST or STX

thanks.
 
umm i have already ruled out the DacMagic as i didn't think it was all that great. i'm looking for DAC's in the 700$ - $1200 price range.
 

 

[Head Injury]

So you want to shop by price or performance?
 
If you didn't like the DacMagic, you want a colored DAC. I don't keep track of those, so I can't help you 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

performance around the price range i'm looking for, i'm really starting to narrow it down to the M1 or the Rega.
 
i guess maybe i didn't like the Dacmagic because it is kinda neutral sounding, so yes i would like a colored dac (not too colored, just musical and fun to listen to)

 

[all300b]

I love my Burson Audio HA-160D if you can swing $1100.  It matches very well with my Grado 225is- PLENTY of power and drive.
LOTS of detail in the midrange and midbass- you can hear the full decay of the instruments.
And there is serious IMPACT and dynamics that you can feel.  A very live sound- like the Grados.
 
It does give up just a little to the Benchmark (my previous DAC) in terms of air and space in the highs- a little bit "closed in."
But, in total I found it more enjoyable than Benchmark for a live, high-impact sound so I kept it.
 
The DACport is a different animal altogether (I have this one too).  It also merges nicely with the Grados and my Shure 940s.
The character (to me) is SMOOTH.  Not at all in your face. Dynamics are more muted than Benchmark and (especially) Burson.
But it's tiny, highly portable, quite detailed in its own laid back way, and so smooth you can listen for LONG sessions.  Kept this one too.
 
My one regret was not trying out the Wavelength Proton- that one looks fantastic.
 
My 2 cents.
 
 
 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

how much less detailed and closed in is it?

 

[anetode]

The "warm" or "analytical" analyses are full of it, at the price range you're looking for all DACs should sound roughly the same (unless they use tubes). You're going to color the sound with the Woo amp anyway, might as well save some money and get something reasonably priced, like a Schiit Bifrost.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

im considering either musical fidelity m1 or the rega dac as my top 2 choices as of now, the rega supposably sounds better but definitely has a warm sound to it, maybe a little too warm for the wa6se i worry?

 

[qusp]

anedio D1, unmatched in this price range imo and yeah i'm with the above poster, if you are using a single ended tube amp, dont add even more colour with the dac, the dac should be as transparent as possible to show off the tubes, otherwise it can get awful muddled
 
having built a number of high end dacs including a few sabres that do edge out the d1, i recognise good design for this chip and theyve covered the bases very nicely, in fact i really like the idea of using a discrete stepped attenuator to control the sabre's internal digital volume, i like it so much i'm going to steal the idea for my ackodac. it also has a very nice headamp that will give you some contrast to the fluffy SE triode goodness. that might suit some of your headphones better; who knows you might find you can sell the woo

 

[anetode]

edit: nm

 

[fra107]

take a look here too:
http://www.wyred4sound.com/webapps/category/74030/117839/18157
 
i own the dac 2 and it's very good to me.
 
this is the thread about it:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/508721/does-anyone-own-the-wyred4sound-dac-2

 

[Dubstep Girl]

how does the dac-1 compare? the dac-2 is 1499...???

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

anedio D1, unmatched in this price range imo and yeah i'm with the above poster, if you are using a single ended tube amp, dont add even more colour with the dac, the dac should be as transparent as possible to show off the tubes, otherwise it can get awful muddled
 
having built a number of high end dacs including a few sabres that do edge out the d1, i recognise good design for this chip and theyve covered the bases very nicely, in fact i really like the idea of using a discrete stepped attenuator to control the sabre's internal digital volume, i like it so much i'm going to steal the idea for my ackodac. it also has a very nice headamp that will give you some contrast to the fluffy SE triode goodness. that might suit some of your headphones better; who knows you might find you can sell the woo

 
hmmm good point, and that dac looks beautiful, i dunno if i can spend 1270 tho.

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

anedio D1, unmatched in this price range imo and yeah i'm with the above poster, if you are using a single ended tube amp, dont add even more colour with the dac, the dac should be as transparent as possible to show off the tubes, otherwise it can get awful muddled
 
having built a number of high end dacs including a few sabres that do edge out the d1, i recognise good design for this chip and theyve covered the bases very nicely, in fact i really like the idea of using a discrete stepped attenuator to control the sabre's internal digital volume, i like it so much i'm going to steal the idea for my ackodac. it also has a very nice headamp that will give you some contrast to the fluffy SE triode goodness. that might suit some of your headphones better; who knows you might find you can sell the woo

Have to step in here - recently owned both the Anedio D1 and the EE Minimax and have a maxxed WA6SE and a DNA Sonett.  I sold both Saber DACs, really did not jive with what I was looking for, which for the most part seems similar to the OP, r2r or r2r type sound.  I posted a few impressions going into further detail in the Anedio thread while I still had the Anedio.
 
Out of the choices above, I'd say go for the Rega.  You can easily find lightly used ones on Audiogon for ~$800.  It's pretty much a known entity and can be easily flipped if it's not to your liking.  I just picked up a Metrum Octave and like it quite a bit w/ my Woo.