[Sunya]

 
Are you aware of any TDA1541 DACs still in production? There are quite a few TDA1543, but now I'm getting more curious on the higher-end sibling...

 
The Prism DA-2 uses 4 TDA1547 chips, it's $9k though.
 
http://www.prismsound.com/music_recording/products_subs/da2/da2_home.php
 

 

[Torq]

 
Are you aware of any TDA1541 DACs still in production? There are quite a few TDA1543, but now I'm getting more curious on the higher-end sibling...

No, can't say that I am.
 
I was just thinking about tracking down an actual Marantz CD 65 II SE for fun.  It'd probably need re-capping at this point, but I'm game for that.  Mostly just to see how it measures up to things today rather than as a serious listening endeavor.

 

[Torq]

   

Aqua Audio La Scala II use Burr-Brown PCM -1704K.

 
Indeed, but a) I punted it pending an update and b) it looks like won't by the time I get to audition one! 

 
As per @sheldaze's post:
 

  I was able to hear Aqua La Voce at a recent convention, in one of the speaker rooms hosted by a local vendor. The vendor confirmed that both the Aqua La Scala and eventually the Aqua La Voce will have new custom DAC chips. Simply put, they cannot continue to sell the off-shelf chip once supplies run out. Looking to the future, Aqua Acoustic already planned this upgrade. And they have reported (the vendor, if you believe him, actually heard it himself) the new chip to be a considerable step up in performance.

 

[Torq]

  Interesting read, thank you!  But no Wadia?  I would imagine some of their models would fit the bill?

No, no Wadia.
 
Nothing in their lineup looked at all appealing, especially given my originally stated preferences and biases (so far entirely born-out in what's made it on to my shortlist) - just run of the mill ESS stuff with superfluous features I won't use and lacking my preferred input capability.  Nothing particularly wrong with that, but its not for me.
 
There was a time when I used to think of Wadia as being at the forefront of digital audio ... for me that changed back before I stopped using a CD player for anything more than ripping.

 

[Torq]

   
Would like to read what you think of the Primare DAC30 ($3k MSRP) if you could audition one; it uses the CS4398 for conversion.
 
https://vanaltd.com/collections/primare/products/dac30-high-resolution-dac
 
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/primare-dac30-digital-to-analogue-converter/
 
http://www.stereolife.eu/reviews/item/964-primare-dac30

While I appreciate the suggestion, I'm not adding any more DACs to my audition list.  I'm still thinking about taking a few more of them off, in fact!
 
But, if I were to add another DAC it wouldn't be one based on an IC that I've never had good luck with and that makes its first job to up-sample it's inputs to 24/192 (so, padding with zeros and then doing non-integer re-sampling on the format that 99% of my music is in) - only to then just hand it off the built-in filters on the CS chip.  There are good reasons to do up sampling - Linn do it, so does Yggdrasil, Chord and PS Audio - and they all do it to enable interesting/easier filter implementations (and/or to move noise further out of the audio band for D/S processing) - but I don't see any of that here.
 
So, a dubious, for me, converter chain, op-amp outputs (nothing discrete that I can see on the balanced side, which isn't bad per-se, but it does make me wonder about the price-tag) and nothing particularly special about the engineering ... and then priced so the TAS crowd will, perhaps, take it seriously - because I can't at $3,000. 

 

[Torq]

   
The Prism DA-2 uses 4 TDA1547 chips, it's $9k though.
 
http://www.prismsound.com/music_recording/products_subs/da2/da2_home.php
 

Holy-through-hole component manifest!
 
And $9,000?!
 
Seriously ... I see nothing about that that comes anywhere near justifying that price.  And I'm looking at that from a pro/studio use perspective not an audiophile one - doesn't seem that capable ... especially next to things like the Dangerous Music line (at 1/6th that price).
 
Interesting choice of converter IC though.

 

[senorx12562]

I predict a ds jr. and a 2nd attempt at the TOTALdac are in your future somewhere.

 

[Torq]

I predict a ds jr. and a 2nd attempt at the TOTALdac are in your future somewhere.

 
The DirectStream Junior is very tempting ... if I don't get to leave on my trip before the weekend I might just succumb to temptation to snag one, as an interim solution, that's different to what I have already.
 
Re-auditioning the TotalDAC is a trickier matter.  To hear it again I'm likely to have to take advantage of their demo program.  That means, essentially, buying one (or putting a full-price deposit on it) and returning it if I don't decide to keep it.  Doing that once is one thing, twice is another altogether.  My initial audition  was done on a friends unit - but he lives in the UK and I'm in Seattle, WA so it'll be a while before I am back there (months, probably).
 
That means that I'd have to slot it in along side the DACs finalists - without it having to make the bar for the shortlist.
 
I haven't gotten to connecting with Vincent to talk about it yet though, so we'll see.  

 

[Insidious Meme]

@Torq,

Thank you for taking us through your journey. It has been enlightening, and became cause for some great discussion. Even if you don't go through everyone's Xmas list of DAC's, at least there is a list in the first post so others can see what's out there at this time. I started and ended with the Schiit Multibit Gugnir, and haven't regretted it. I don't care to move up, but that's my choice. It'll be fun to see what you end up with.

 

[senorx12562]

The DirectStream Junior is very tempting ... if I don't get to leave on my trip before the weekend I might just succumb to temptation to snag one, as an interim solution, that's different to what I have already.

Re-auditioning the TotalDAC is a trickier matter.  To hear it again I'm likely to have to take advantage of their demo program.  That means, essentially, buying one (or putting a full-price deposit on it) and returning it if I don't decide to keep it.  Doing that once is one thing, twice is another altogether.  My initial audition  was done on a friends unit - but he lives in the UK and I'm in Seattle, WA so it'll be a while before I am back there (months, probably).

That means that I'd have to slot it in along side the DACs finalists - without it having to make the bar for the shortlist.

I haven't gotten to connecting with Vincent to talk about it yet though, so we'll see.  

The reason I made the prediction is, well you said as much re the junior, but your write up of the TOTALdac left me with such a feeling of unfinished business and unrealized potential that I could understand you wanting to examine it further. Maybe a little projection on my part too, as I can see myself buying something like that just because it is so different, especially as you already have the yggy and others including theoretically the jr. Also see the difficulty with putting much more effort into something that couldn't make the cut. You just seemed to hear so much in it that sounded positive to me. I don't have any rooting interest other than you finding something you like enough to own, but we already know that is gonna happen regardless.

 

[Torq]

The reason I made the prediction is, well you said as much re the junior, but your write up of the TOTALdac left me with such a feeling of unfinished business and unrealized potential that I could understand you wanting to examine it further. Maybe a little projection on my part too, as I can see myself buying something like that just because it is so different, especially as you already have the yggy and others including theoretically the jr. Also see the difficulty with putting much more effort into something that couldn't make the cut. You just seemed to hear so much in it that sounded positive to me. I don't have any rooting interest other than you finding something you like enough to own, but we already know that is gonna happen regardless.

They're good predictions.
 
I just wanted to update my position on the TotalDAC, in terms of it being impractical to listen to more than once more - and your post was a good prompt to do so.
 
I'd agree things there feel a bit unfinished ... and I was somewhat disappointed that it didn't completely captivate me, at least based on everything I'd heard about it.  If it was as simple as stopping back by my friends place (without having to fly to England first), or paying a local dealer a visit, it'd be easy and I'd just take another listen as part of the next round of DACs.  A lot of the niche/exotic products are like that though (by no means limited to the audio world).
 
It may be that connecting with Vincent opens up some other possibilities - I'll provide an update on what transpires there and what I plan to do once I get to chat with him (and to be clear, any hold up there is down to me - I haven't even had a chance to try and follow up on it yet).

 

[Articnoise]

  I was able to hear Aqua La Voce at a recent convention, in one of the speaker rooms hosted by a local vendor. The vendor confirmed that both the Aqua La Scala and eventually the Aqua La Voce will have new custom DAC chips. Simply put, they cannot continue to sell the off-shelf chip once supplies run out. Looking to the future, Aqua Acoustic already planned this upgrade. And they have reported (the vendor, if you believe him, actually heard it himself) the new chip to be a considerable step up in performance.

 

I think Aqua has a new DAC coming, Formula. 

 

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/06/next-level-aqua-hifi-formula-la-scala-mkii-w-telefunken/

 

http://www.aquahifi.com/

 

[smial1966]

As a minor aside, I'm surprised that the Exogal Comet DAC hasn't been mentioned yet, as it garners very favourable reviews, isn't prohibitively expensive and should be easily obtainable to demo stateside.
 
http://www.exogal.com/index.php/products
 
Perhaps it's because ex Wadia guys designed it? Or that it uses an out of favour chipset?  

 

[sheldaze]

   

I think Aqua has a new DAC coming, Formula. 

 

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/06/next-level-aqua-hifi-formula-la-scala-mkii-w-telefunken/

 

http://www.aquahifi.com/

Thanks!
And BTW, your link is the one I was seeking - it specifically references the store and the vendor, Mark.

 

[Superdad]

 

Metrum

[size=17.03px]Pavane [/size][size=17.03px](+)[/size]

As clichéd as it will no doubt sound, the first impression I got of Metrum’s Pavane was of a highly musical, and very analog reproduction.  It plays music, and it plays it well.  Not many components “just get out of the way” and let the music flow; in my experience with this process it’s been the rare exception rather than the rule.
 
The Pavane is definitely one of those exceptions.
 
Instrumental timbre was extremely natural, separation clear and well defined, tonality was very pure with no emphasis anywhere that I could hear.  Detail extraction was remarkable, among the best I’ve heard in fact, but was not accompanied by any sense of brightness or shift of balance which has not been the case elsewhere (most of the other DACs that seemed highly detailed were really just “bright”).
 
Attack and dynamics are startling.  Notes start and stop instantly when they’re supposed to, yet the slower more organic decay of physical instruments is preserved in an entirely natural way.  Backgrounds were black, and the music emerged from a seemingly untainted backdrop which has the effect of making everything seem more vivid.  Rendering is incredibly delicate when it’s supposed to be, and can still slam you hard when called for.
 
snip… snip..
 
Definitely, and enthusiastically makes the shortlist.

 
Hi Torq:
 
Seeing how much you enjoyed the Pavane, it sure would be nice to know how Metrum's other two new, but less expensive DACs fare in comparison.  Both the 

Menuet and Musette use Metrums Transient R2R ladder modules as used in the Pavane--just fewer of them.  At their much lower prices, those might be giant killers.
 

I know you are not inclined to add more DACs to your auction list, but assessing either the Menuet or Musette would be of great service to those of us for whom the Pavane is out of reach.
 

Thanks.