DACs listed Best to Worst
Jan 17, 2006 at 8:44 AM Post #77 of 89
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jashugan
Top of your list without you havent heard it, how great...


Seems a little harsh. Have a bad day?

The thread starter didn't need to listen to everything to make a list. Why would I? I looked at a number of DACS including the ack dAck! and bel canto and read many reviews. From what I had read I was giving the Millenium DAC II serious consideration. I ended up buying my CDP instead of a DAC.

I didn't say it was the best DAC. I said it would be at the top of my list of ones to look at. I wouldn't rush off and buy an ack dack without checking out the Millenium II first though the point is moot as they were hard to get anyways and are no longer being made.


Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfromalbany
These are my preferences from all that I have read.

Top Tier
_______
1) Benchmark DAC1 ($975, external, small headphone amp included)
1b) Apogee Mini-DAC (w/o USB $1000, using USB $1200)
3) Bel Canto 2 (external) $1120
4) Grace 901 (external)
4a) dAck! 2.0


And now I feel I have wasted peoples time. Especially my own. Sorry for that.

Oh well perhaps resurrecting this thread will help find a happy home for some poor neglected DAC.
 
Jan 17, 2006 at 3:33 PM Post #78 of 89
Quote:

Originally Posted by omedon
Seems a little harsh. Have a bad day?


Nothing like complaining about a post made two months ago, eh?
wink.gif


/JF
 
Aug 31, 2007 at 2:26 AM Post #83 of 89
Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfromalbany /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Here is my list of DACs rated from best (1) to worst (11)

These are my preferences from all that I have read.


That's quite an extensive (and detailed) list you have there, considering that you rated these DACs based on what you have read. So let me get this straight, this is basically your opinion of other people's opinion?
 
Aug 31, 2007 at 3:19 AM Post #84 of 89
When using ERS Paper, Magix, Valhalla power cords and Premier Power Plant the scores are different.


Top tier

1) Benchmark DAC1

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




Bottom tier

8) EMU0404

10) Audigy 2
 
Aug 31, 2007 at 3:53 AM Post #86 of 89
Here's a list of the sources I've been able to listen to in my own environment:

1) DIYEDEN Great March (with mods) - Still my first day with this DAC, but it's already a league or two ahead of all my other sources

2) MicroDAC - Great little unit
2.5) Sony SCD-CE595 - Surprisingly close to the MicroDAC, but the MicroDAC extends higher and separates better.

3) X-Fi - Flat and cold sounding in comparison to the SCD-CE595

4) Sony DVP-NS90V - Terrible
 
Sep 16, 2007 at 5:03 PM Post #88 of 89
This thread is pretty old and was recently revived. If anyone cares to read about my personal impressions I'll throw down. I wanted to get a external for use with my PC and also that could be taken with me when traveling to feed a headphone system, and one for the 2ch portion of my HT.

1. MHDT Paradisea (WE396) (HT only)
2. Diy Paradise USB Monica w/ SMPS (PC only)
2. Peter Daniel’s Audio Sector
3. Ack! Dack 1.3e (HT only)
4. Diy Paradise Monica II
5. Lite Audio DAC-AH
6. Trends Audio UD-10

From bottom to top, I liked the Lite over the Trends because it had much more pronounced and tighter bass, more detailed highs, better soundstage width and depth, and sounded more natural.

I preferred the Monica II over the Lite because the bass was less but seemed more natural, mids were much better very fluid, and it was more laid back which worked better in both systems.

The Ack sounded similar to the Monica II, but the notes came out of a blacker background, and the bass seemed better. Punchier and more of it but not unnatural like the Lite.

The PD barely beat the Ack, they were different but one might not be better then the other. I liked the PD because it had very fast bass, quick attack and decay. The PD seemed better with low level details. The Ack won for highs, and was about even for mids. The Ack was better with poor recordings.

The PD and the USB Monica were very similar also. Bass highs and mids were about the same, soundstage slightly better with the USB Monica. The clincher was noise, the PD hummed and whenever it was plugged in my speakers would hiss a little, not with the USB Monica. The noise was noticeable on my PC rig, not in the HT.

The Paradisea over the PD was just more natural, it seemed to sound much closer to the Jolida I replaced. Voices were very transparent, sounded like Diana Krall was in the room, very spooky. The highs were slightly better with the Paradise, a little laid back which I prefer. Soundstage depth improved, echoes sounded amazing with the Paradisea.

Overall I would easily recommend any of the top 4, they are all very similar. The value nod goes to the Peter Daniels if you are into DIY, I bought mine 2nd hand for $160.

Jared
 
Sep 16, 2007 at 9:57 PM Post #89 of 89
Dacs I have owned for extended period ranked in order:

1)Bel Canto Dac 2 with RAM mods
2)Bel Canto Dac 1 with RAM mods
3)Bel Canto Dac 2
4)Dac AH with RAM mods
5)Bel Canto Dac 1
6)Dac AH

I am big fan of Bel Canto Dac 2, the slow roll off filtering sounds very natural and musical with full rich sound, don't like the dry sterile detailed sound of some high end Dacs.

Bel Canto performance scales up nicely with professional mods, the Dac 1 with RAM mods surpassed the stock Dac 2 and the Dac 2 with Ram mods sounds so good I really don't feel the need to try others, too busy listening to music.

Currently sold all dacs except the RAM Dac 2
 
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