[WarriorAnt]

Thanks,  I guess my Wyred 4 sound DAC-2 can still be my legitimate link to the forum since I'll still be using it in my system.  In fact the W4S DAC-2 will now become the workhorse center of my speaker rig handling the digital side of things as well as the volume control to the speaker amp through the XLR connections and the line out to the subwoofer amp via the RCA outs.    Lets see if I can find a W4S ST 500 used...

 

[Icenine2]

Jerico here has the W4S DAC2 and the benchmark.  I believe he prefers the DAC2 by a big margin.  I know he also owns a Wavelength Crimson and Brick.
 
Quote:

Been looking at the Wyred 4 Sounds Dac2 and was wondering how you guys would compare it to the Benchmark Dac1? Do you guys know of any cheaper dacs, say in the 800.00 and under price range that would give as good or better performance as either the Benchmark Dac1 or the Wyred 4 Sound Dac2? I have been looking into the Audio-gd dac19 and also the cheaper Nfd-3.1, anyone know how they compare?

 

 

[choptalk]

I have a pair of LCD'3 and love it.
 
I ordered a LF. Have not heard it yet.
I am using an LYR right now.
 
 
 
My question is this?
 
My ultimate rig one day will be LCD'3 and HD800
 
2 headphones and 2 amps.
 
LF and DS(in the future)
 
Im trying to get by with only having one DAC and need the most diverse DAC I can find that will work great with both LCD's and HD800's.
LF and DS.
 
Is this DAC a good bet to do that?

I have read this whole thread and several people in this thread has vouched for the LCD's, but I have not heard much on the HD800 end.
 
 
 
Also way down the road. And I mean way several years down the road I may be looking into getting into the stax game.
 
Would the DAC2 do a stax justice?
 
 

 

[AppleheadMay]

I opted for the W4S Mint to drive my desktop speakers and Yamamoto HA-02. It doe have a Dac built in but it's not the same as the Dac-2, it's async 96KHz.
For a Dac to drive my other headphone amps I chose for the Eximus DP-1. There is a thread on that Dac and there are people there who tested the headphone out of the Dac with the HD800 and LCD2. It costs about double though.

 

[WNBC]

Justice will be served.  I've had many components pass through my rig such as the LCD-2, HE-500, Lyr, and V200, but the DAC-2 will be the only component that will not leave any time soon.
With the LF, HD800, and LCD-3 I think the DAC-2 will fit nicely in your rig, it will not be weak link.  Let us know how it sounds if you do get the DAC-2.  The DAC-2 does benefit from burn-in.
 
Quote:

I have a pair of LCD'3 and love it.
 
I ordered a LF. Have not heard it yet.
I am using an LYR right now.
 
My question is this?
 
My ultimate rig one day will be LCD'3 and HD800
 
2 headphones and 2 amps.
 
LF and DS(in the future)
 
Im trying to get by with only having one DAC and need the most diverse DAC I can find that will work great with both LCD's and HD800's.
LF and DS.
 
Is this DAC a good bet to do that?

I have read this whole thread and several people in this thread has vouched for the LCD's, but I have not heard much on the HD800 end.
 
Also way down the road. And I mean way several years down the road I may be looking into getting into the stax game.
 
Would the DAC2 do a stax justice?

 

 

[Nyvar]

 
 
 
 

but I have not heard much on the HD800 end.

 
I find it great with the HD800.  It increased detail, separation, sound stage, all the things you probably love about the HD800 go up a noticeable notch.  (And I freely admit I'm and HD800 fan boy.)  
 

Im trying to get by with only having one DAC and need the most diverse DAC I can find that will work great with both LCD's and HD800's.

 
Diverse-2 would work as well as Dac-2, aside from the quality, it's quickly become the command center for my system.  I have balanced out to the Master 6 for the HE-6, and the RCA out to the CSP2+ feed the Taboo for the HD800s.   If I want to compare the headphones, I just set one pair down and put on the other.  Out to both amps, no sweat.  What I really appreciate is all the inputs, which are easily controlled by the remote.  I have analog out from the Marantz for SACDs to the HT bypass and dig out into coax 1.  USB to Audiophilleo 2 to coax 2 from my mac-mini, and USB to MF Vlink to TOS 1, and optical out from my desk top to TOS 2.  Even though 90% of my listening is through either the Marantz or the mac-mini, I can toggle between any of the inputs using the remote, and then over to both amps.  
 
BTW, I thought the HD800 were great with the Lyr, but I so underestimated how well they scale up.  

 

[Icenine2]

Choptalk,
 
I wouldn't hesitate at all getting the W4S DAC2.

 

[obzilla]

Quote:

Justice will be served.  I've had many components pass through my rig such as the LCD-2, HE-500, Lyr, and V200, but the DAC-2 will be the only component that will not leave any time soon.
With the LF, HD800, and LCD-3 I think the DAC-2 will fit nicely in your rig, it will not be weak link.  Let us know how it sounds if you do get the DAC-2.  The DAC-2 does benefit from burn-in.
 

 

Likewise.
Other components have come and gone since my acquisition of the DAC2, but it is not going *anywhere*.
 
I'm building a second setup, and keep looking at my options in the DAC2's price range, and keep coming back and thinking that there is nothing wrong with just having 2 of them .
 
Other contenders are the NAD M51, and the Calyx 24/192. Tough choice.
 

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

The DAC 2 is a great entry point for a reference level DAC (IMHO), and I love mine. I haven't felt a need to change it since its introduction over a year ago.   
 
Quote:

I have a pair of LCD'3 and love it.
 
I ordered a LF. Have not heard it yet.
I am using an LYR right now.
 
 
 
My question is this?
 
My ultimate rig one day will be LCD'3 and HD800
 
2 headphones and 2 amps.
 
LF and DS(in the future)
 
Im trying to get by with only having one DAC and need the most diverse DAC I can find that will work great with both LCD's and HD800's.
LF and DS.
 
Is this DAC a good bet to do that?

I have read this whole thread and several people in this thread has vouched for the LCD's, but I have not heard much on the HD800 end.
 
 
 
Also way down the road. And I mean way several years down the road I may be looking into getting into the stax game.
 
Would the DAC2 do a stax justice?
 
 

 

 

[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

Likewise.
Other components have come and gone since my acquisition of the DAC2, but it is not going *anywhere*.
 
I'm building a second setup, and keep looking at my options in the DAC2's price range, and keep coming back and thinking that there is nothing wrong with just having 2 of them .
 
Other contenders are the NAD M51, and the Calyx 24/192. Tough choice.
 

I'm building my speaker rig around the W4S DAC-2.  I think it's going to be a quite a while before technology will get to the point where the DAC-2 is no longer relevant. 
 
Maybe when these chips come into play 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-57392524-52/holy-holey-optochip-ibm-hits-a-terabit-of-info-per-second/
 
 

 

[Audiowood]

 
Here's the fun deal with DAC-2, I have bought a cheap $39.99 walmart CD player connected to DAC-2 and it sound better than my IMOD 5g 240gb, IPOD 7G, Iriver CD player, Oppo DVD player, Cambridge Audio Sonata Cd player, Sony Discman D350. I had a lot of good time testing...  
 
DAC-2 is the heart of my headphone system - I have connect everything via DAC -2. from HD800 to LCD 2/3 and it did good justice with it...go for it.
 
Quote:

 
 
Im trying to get by with only having one DAC and need the most diverse DAC I can find that will work great with both LCD's and HD800's.
LF and DS.
 
Is this DAC a good bet to do that?

I have read this whole thread and several people in this thread has vouched for the LCD's, but I have not heard much on the HD800 end.
 
 
 
 

 

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

Another vote for the DAC-2.  Even if you have a serious case of upgrade-itis, the W4S DAC-2 will probably be the piece of gear you keep the longest.  

 

[adamlau]

Very clean sounding DAC. Though if the upgrade-itis is serious enough, bye-bye DAC-2! 

 

[starfish]

Also, something to keep in mind...  The DAC-2 is upgradable (digital, analog output, & USB boards) and when a compelling chipset comes along and the timing is right, I'm sure W4S will offer it.

 

[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

Also, something to keep in mind...  The DAC-2 is upgradable (digital, analog output, & USB boards) and when a compelling chipset comes along and the timing is right, I'm sure W4S will offer it.

I did not know it was upgradable!  That's good to know.