DACs listed Best to Worst

[omedon]

Where is Electronic Visionary Systems: Millenium II DAC?

Highly regarded from what I have read and would be at the top of my list if my CDP needed a DAC which according to Ric it don't

omedon out

 

[elmoe]

Top of your list without you havent heard it, how great...

 

[Comm.a]

Transparency

1. LavryBlue
2. DAC1 　　 　　　
3. SA-15S1
4. m902
5. Lynx L22 　　　　
6. iPod

Muddy　　 　

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comm.a Transparency 1. LavryBlue 2. DAC1 　　 　　　 3. SA-15S1 4. m902 5. Lynx L22 　　　　 6. iPod Muddy

Are you using the stock Lynx breakout cable? I would definitely place Lynx above DAC1 myself, but only after the breakout cable issue is solved, which is plain POS and degrades sound by, oh..30% let's say.

 

[insomniac]

Not sure if someone's already mentioned it, but I think most would agree there is at least one tier above your current Top Tier, if not more.

 

[3lusiv3]

Thanks for the lists. I find these types of lists very handy as a starting point for doing more research.

 

[mikechai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L Are you using the stock Lynx breakout cable? I would definitely place Lynx above DAC1 myself, but only after the breakout cable issue is solved, which is plain POS and degrades sound by, oh..30% let's say.

Hi Jon L,

Did you get your Lynx modded by Jim Williams from http://audioupgrades.com ?
That will bring the Lynx to another level...

Check here --> http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?t=14177
Apparently, he changed the CS4396 to the CS43122. Output opamp changed from OP275 to LT1358....

 

[Jap]

Quote:

Originally Posted by insomniac Not sure if someone's already mentioned it, but I think most would agree there is at least one tier above your current Top Tier, if not more.

[size=small]Isn't the Ack! dAck! 2.0 with the high resolution option higher than the original poster's top tier?[/size]

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jap [size=small]Isn't the Ack! dAck! 2.0 with the high resolution option higher than the original poster's top tier?[/size]

Yeah, sure why not

I dunno, seems to be in the same echelon. I love my Ack!, but really, it doesn't exactly blow my under $200 Dialogue II away. I almost think the advantages come down to the power supply (battery) to achieve an extremely low noise floor... with the heaps of praise people lobbed at the Benchmark I imagine it does the ultra-detailed thing better.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikechai Hi Jon L, Did you get your Lynx modded by Jim Williams from http://audioupgrades.com ? That will bring the Lynx to another level... Check here --> http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?t=14177 Apparently, he changed the CS4396 to the CS43122. Output opamp changed from OP275 to LT1358....

Hmm. Have you done this mod? I'm not too crazy about CS43122 or LT1358. If he can put in some CS4398 DAC or the new AKM AK4396 DAC chip in there, THAT would be very interesting indeed. Let me give him a call on Monday; his office is in SoCal just like me

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobeau I love my Ack!, but really, it doesn't exactly blow my under $200 Dialogue II away.

Now that I like to hear.

Any comments on the actual differences?

 

[BOERteun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ The DACs heard in my system: 1. Meier-Audio DAC prototype (over-all on par with my reference, McCormack UDP-1) Extremely high resolution, wide extension to both directions, sparkling highs, astonishingly sharp imaging for the redbook CD format, expressive and musical presentation

Sorry to dig up this thread, but can and are you allowed to disclose any more information about this DAC, when it (or more information) will be available, specs, price range?

 

[halcyon]

I'm also interested in Jan's DAC design. If somebody knows more and can discuss it in public, please post.

 

[cotdt]

how would the benchmark dac1 24/192 compare in here, compared to the older benchmark dac1 24/96?

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox Go and listen to the DAC's... For what it is worth, the DAC1 that you have listed as #1 is one of my least favourite as it sounds quite sterile and lifeless.

If it sounds sterile and lifeless you know it's working correctly.

I have noticed that the brightness isn't what makes it fatiguing, it's the harshness that's the problem. Most of the harshness can be solved with power conditioning, but the problem with 44.1 kHz remains and it still sounds a little harsh and lifeless. HD590 and K501 now sound equally bright/harsh but K501 is less fatiguing because it has a more balanced and transparent sound, but without power conditioning it was the opposite.
Comparing the DAC1 to Cary 303/300 (with K1000) at 44.1 kHz I find no difference in harshness at all, it's just supposed to sound like that. But increasing upsampling to 768 kHz makes it sound super smooth like with tubes.

A DAC that doesn't have enough speed to show 44.1 kHz correctly (or has a better power supply) will sound smoother, and in most cases, better.

If I would buy a DAC now I would choose one with upsampling, but the first time I tried upsampling in my system it sounded brighter, thinner, colder, lifeless and more fatiguing when power conditioning wasn't used (the same symptoms as with DAC1). But not anymore! Power conditioning added lots of body and warmth.
K1000 used to be my brightest headphone (horrible), but now it's my warmest and least fatiguing headphone. Power conditioning does weird stuff...

DAC1 with a tube amp would be the cheapest way to smoothen it out and make it sound more like real life. For 44.1 kHz I need tubes, but for 768 kHz I don't.

Conclusion: A component can be worst in one system, and best in another.

______________________

Top tier

1) Burr Brown PCM1792u 24 bit DAC (Cary 303/300)

4) Benchmark DAC1


Bottom tier

10) Audigy 2