[stryker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Shadow I was Thinking... Any Info/Comments/Opinions on the ack! Dack 2.0 (with Hi-Res) ? for a second hand price which is around 600$ ? Thanks. Earth to Earl (Sacd lover), can you hear me ?

I found the 1.0 lacking a bit but what do I know? I can tell you that I have a homemade DAC consisting of 16 Philips TDA-1543 dac chips stacked in parallel. Now that's a great use of a NOS dac! The Ack! has just one. The builder of my DAC (which was his own personal DAC for a while) made a good point in that there is still quite a bit of error and sonic loss using this one basic dac chip. The 16-way more than makes up for it, atlhough I'm sure good sound can be had for half of that. The DAC-AH uses four in a row which is better, but I really have to question the sonic quality of a dac using just one 1543. Of course, that's only after hearing what 16 in a row will do. Even if everything else around it including battery power and and analog stage that is top shelf, the DAC itself has its limitations.

 

[kmcdonou]

I have the Ack Dack 2.0 with hi-rez caps. It's an excellent dac: rich, full sound with great treble extension and defined bass. I let Sacd lover borrow mine for 6 weeks this winter and he liked it so much he bought one.

 

[mikechai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stryker The one thing I liked about the VDA-2 is no opamps in the output. Just 1 transistor in the signal path. When the signal comes basically straight off the DAC chip like that, there's nothing to color or smear the sound. I felt it gave a really pure and and detailed yet very smooth sound. What comes off of a DAC chip needs to be converted or boosted from current level to voltage level. Some methods use op amps, some use tubes, and some use a discrete output stage. I felt the sound was extremely pleasant in this dac. There's not much out there on it, but you can check out some opinions on Audiocircle or try Google. There's nothing Dusty makes that isn't extremely good for the money 'cause he makes some good stuff.

One more, JFET module for I/V conversion.

 

[dusty_v]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikechai One more, JFET module for I/V conversion.

Nope, our unique design uses only a transistor (2N3906, a resistor, and RIFA coupling cap).

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stryker You need to give the Channel Islands VDA-2 a serious look. When the reviews come out on this one, everyone will see what an incredible sound it can generate for $600. It would easily go for double or more if Dusty didn't sell direct and had to go through a distributor and then a seller. You'll need the VAC-1 PS for another $150 to get it to really sing, but it's still in your budget.

Another vote for the VDA-2, Dusty's stuff is top notch.

 

[Mr.Shadow]

Damn, its only getting harder and harder

I really think its one of those components that you really have to listen to them at your own setup, cuse as source, it has a lot influance on how the next components in the chain would sound.

 

[grawk]

I'm pretty happy with my CEC DA53. It's less analytical than the Lavry and Benchmark, etc, but for under $700, it's a real bargain. I'm more of a warm source kind person...

 

[stryker]

If you're really into this hobby, you'll always be looking for the next best thing. I can say I've heard some high-end sources but I can live with just a very good but modestly-priced source.

Eventually you get to the point of diminishing returns and there are small differences in sound that only the best speaker/amps, headphones/headamps can fully reveal. It's really up to you to take the plunge and just try something. There's definitely a flavor-of-the-month mentality around here, but I'm just as guilty of it as the next guy. It's because we're all into this hobby. Upgrade-itis is inevitable but I guess it's good for business. The good news is that with advances in technology in semiconductors, you can get great sound at pretty good prices. There's also more direct selling going on that reduce markups along the distribution chain. Just do lots of research then roll the dice.

 

[mikechai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stryker If you're really into this hobby, you'll always be looking for the next best thing. I can say I've heard some high-end sources but I can live with just a very good but modestly-priced source. Eventually you get to the point of diminishing returns and there are small differences in sound that only the best speaker/amps, headphones/headamps can fully reveal. It's really up to you to take the plunge and just try something. There's definitely a flavor-of-the-month mentality around here, but I'm just as guilty of it as the next guy. It's because we're all into this hobby. Upgrade-itis is inevitable but I guess it's good for business. The good news is that with advances in technology in semiconductors, you can get great sound at pretty good prices. There's also more direct selling going on that reduce markups along the distribution chain. Just do lots of research then roll the dice.

Very well said. I agree completely.