[Soundsgoodtome]

Dang, good to see this thread still kicking. Glad everyone seem to be enjoying these guys' dacs more, except for that humming issue. Hope it gets solved out, did tube rolling work or maybe separating the dac from amp -- try plugging one of the two in a different wall circuit via extension cable.

 

[bpiotrow13]

I have just bought MHDT Orchid. I must say i was blown away by hownit sounds. I was using DAC from my burson CV2+. MHDT is so lush in comparison. I am using Mullard E188CC. Will also chceck Siemensa CCa. Fortunately i expirience no hum. It is surprising there is no wide discussion on such superb dac as MHDT.

 

[warp2600]

Has anyone checked with MHDT about using the 6922 / CCA tubes in their DACs?

I haven't but others have. Search the thread.

 

[JohanE]

Been reading a lot about MHDT dacs the past two days. I have a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ today which I just put out on sale.
Lastly I've been more and more interested in R2R dacs and so far MHDT tempts me the most.
The question is, the Pagoda or the Orchid?
Been reading so many reviews and comparisons that I don't really know which I would try.
Both seem very very good and both get brilliant reviews and recomenndations.
Listen to mostly indie, pop and music like The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, The Paper Kites, Tow´rs just to name a few.
With the Mytek I get the feeling the highs are too sharp, at least in my system which besides the Mytek consists of an Audio Analogue AACento amplifier and a pair of Atohm GT2-HD speakers. Connected with Audience cables.
So the MHDT would go with a speakerbased setup.
What do you guys think?

 

[lordcloud]

Been reading a lot about MHDT dacs the past two days. I have a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ today which I just put out on sale.
Lastly I've been more and more interested in R2R dacs and so far MHDT tempts me the most.
The question is, the Pagoda or the Orchid?
Been reading so many reviews and comparisons that I don't really know which I would try.
Both seem very very good and both get brilliant reviews and recomenndations.
Listen to mostly indie, pop and music like The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, The Paper Kites, Tow´rs just to name a few.
With the Mytek I get the feeling the highs are too sharp, at least in my system which besides the Mytek consists of an Audio Analogue AACento amplifier and a pair of Atohm GT2-HD speakers. Connected with Audience cables.
So the MHDT would go with a speakerbased setup.
What do you guys think?

I am biased, as I own one. But I recommend the Pagoda. It has all of the attributes people love about R2R dacs, but it being possibly more transparent and extended than your typical R2R .

It's more neutral and transparent than not, and not slow sounding as some R2R face can be. Especially if you choose the right tubes. I use an adapter and I run 1975 Reflektor 6N23P SWGP silver shields. I HIGHLY recommend going this route.

I love my Pagoda.

 

[JohanE]

I am biased, as I own one. But I recommend the Pagoda. It has all of the attributes people love about R2R dacs, but it being possibly more transparent and extended than your typical R2R .

It's more neutral and transparent than not, and not slow sounding as some R2R face can be. Especially if you choose the right tubes. I use an adapter and I run 1975 Reflektor 6N23P SWGP silver shields. I HIGHLY recommend going this route.

I love my Pagoda.

Thanks! Most helpsome. You haven't had a listen to the Orchid? If I understand correctly the Pagoda is far more technical and more "hifi" but still organic in its sound signature.

 

[bpiotrow13]

It would be interesting to see orchid/pagoda comparison. I have orchid (listening just now) and it is so organic. I am using siemens ecc88 just now. Treble is very extended, at least for me. I am even considering switching to mullard, as i am very treble sensitive. However even with siemens it is very enjoyable. It is true that if you like natural sound and hear r2r dac once it is no way back

 

[JohanE]

It would be interesting to see orchid/pagoda comparison. I have orchid (listening just now) and it is so organic. I am using siemens ecc88 just now. Treble is very extended, at least for me. I am even considering switching to mullard, as i am very treble sensitive. However even with siemens it is very enjoyable. It is true that if you like natural sound and hear r2r dac once it is no way back

Ah I have made up my mind to try MHDT out once I sell my Mytek. The question remains though, Pagoda or Orchid. Before I began to read up on their products my focus was on the Denafrips Pontus. I've read more about the MHDT dacs now though and my focus shifted to them.
I feel the Mytek is giving me fatigue, but not all the time. I'm as you very treble sensitive.
Yeah R2R seems to be the route to go now.

 

[bpiotrow13]

Ah I have made up my mind to try MHDT out once I sell my Mytek. The question remains though, Pagoda or Orchid. Before I began to read up on their products my focus was on the Denafrips Pontus. I've read more about the MHDT dacs now though and my focus shifted to them.
I feel the Mytek is giving me fatigue, but not all the time. I'm as you very treble sensitive.
Yeah R2R seems to be the route to go now.

There is also a neko audio d100 option, i had been cosidering it but got a nice option to buy orchid. Neko seems to be a dark sounding dac. I am also curious to compare it to mhdt as well.

 

[213Cobra]

Ah I have made up my mind to try MHDT out once I sell my Mytek. The question remains though, Pagoda or Orchid. Before I began to read up on their products my focus was on the Denafrips Pontus. I've read more about the MHDT dacs now though and my focus shifted to them.
I feel the Mytek is giving me fatigue, but not all the time. I'm as you very treble sensitive.
Yeah R2R seems to be the route to go now.

Either Orchid or Pagoda will give you a essential mhdt R2R family sound but I recommend Pagoda as yielding the most resolution with tone in the family, and its neutrality makes it highly tunable via changes in the output buffer tube(s). The Orchid also limits you to 16 bits internal processing, though it can intake up to 24 bits. The 1541 (and the Canary's 1545) DAC chips are IMO admittedly organic sounding but also the least objective chips mhdt uses in their array of DACs. You can still tune the sound via tube selection, but that chip imposes its voice.

I think a better alternative to Pagoda for someone who wants to mitigate its truth-telling nature, is to go with the 20-bits Atlantis. Its AD1862 provides a tonally neutral foundation with a more forgiving presentation for mediocre recordings. However Pagoda's brilliant resolution can be perceptually softened via tubes. Within the 5670 compatibles, the 6CC42 does a fine job to that objective. Using socket converters to get into the 6922 family opens up broad range of tunings. And then using a socket converter for 6SN7 offers still more, and it is in this latter family where you can most readily dial in more or less organicness, spotlight Pagoda's resolution more or less; illuminate things just the way you want.

I have a Pagoda single-ended on one system and a Pagoda Balanced on another. I generally use Siemens CCa in the BAL DAC and Telefunken CCa in the SE. This yields arich, dynamic, spatially expansive result, with the Telefunken CCa tilting slightly toward seduction and the Siemens CCa emphasizing harmonic completeness on the top end. I've tried several 6SN7 options and find the differences greater than between various 6922. Ironically, the big 6SN7 generally yields a slightly smaller soundstage than my CCa tubes, but you can get a more ethereally smooth top end with the right tube. For the past week I have been running my Pagoda BAL with a pair of vintage Sylvania 6SN7a 1944 production metal base chrome domes. These are scarce and expensive now. This 6SN7 tube dials back some of the vividness and shove I get (and appreciate) from the CCa tubes. In exchange it tilts the DAC toward more elasticity and beauty. On the other hand, the RCA 5692 red base is more aligned with the sound of the CCa.

My view is to start with the most neutral and resolving foundation (Pagoda) and shape your sound through tube selection, if the higher price of Pagoda doesn't put it out of reach. The step down in price while keeping to the same idea is then Atlantis. But, you know, I have a couple of Havana Balanced from a decade ago and whenever I pull them off the shelf, they still sound great too.

Phil

 

[Mike C]

Ah I have made up my mind to try MHDT out once I sell my Mytek. The question remains though, Pagoda or Orchid. Before I began to read up on their products my focus was on the Denafrips Pontus. I've read more about the MHDT dacs now though and my focus shifted to them.
I feel the Mytek is giving me fatigue, but not all the time. I'm as you very treble sensitive.
Yeah R2R seems to be the route to go now.

Definitely go for MHDT.
The Atlantis was my introduction to the R2R / NOS / valve combination and I loved it, ended up going further in the same direction. Great sound.
I now have a ANK Dac 4.1x which is related to Audionote, pretty high end, with similar AD chip to the Atlantis.
But I tend to have a slight preference for the Lector Digicode dac, PCM1704 and a good full valve output stage (not NOS though), I love it, playing now.
Next week I could change my mind.
You can't go wrong with the 1704 based Pagoda, the 1704 is a great dac; but I have no idea how the Orchid compares.

I got best results with the Atlantis using a top 6922 via adaptor; Mullard CV2493, the best 6922 of the many I've tried, expensive and hard to find but worth it. But 6SN7 via an adaptor looks very interesting indeed if you are prepared to spend big on good NOS valves.

 

[MarkusTubesNow]

Reflections on the MHDT Orchid - 15 months on...

Here's what's different for me nowadays -

• With the shutdown, I spend a lot more time at home and many more hours than I used to listening to music. My system sounds better than ever before and I enjoy it very much
• Nowadays I spend a lot of time streaming Spotify (yes I know it is not as good as Tidal or Qobuz) and their algorithm provides worthwhile discoveries and recommendations day after day, week after week. You know the algorithm is pretty spot-on when it starts recommending tunes you already own, on vinyl, but that you don't stream because you can play the record any time you want.
• When I listen to CDs through the Orchid they sound glorious.
• Constantly switching from album to album or CD to CD is a thing of the past. I'm much more likely to just let the music play than I used to.
• I didn't know I was "sensitive to treble", but I guess I was because one of the things I appreciate the most about the Orchid is it's ability to get the treble "right". Not bright, not "extended" (which to me seems to be associated with an unnaturally "steely" quality, though that might be subtle. It simply sounds balanced and realistic. And beautiful.

 

[JohanE]

Still have a problem to deciode which one to buy! Ah well, have to sell the Mytek first to finance the MHDT so I have some time to decide! Will let you know how it goes!

 

[bpiotrow13]

got best results with the Atlantis using a top 6922 via adaptor; Mullard CV2493, the best 6922 of the many I've tried

I got best results with Orchid using mullard CV4108

 

[fcdvpds]

Been reading a lot about MHDT dacs the past two days. I have a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ today which I just put out on sale.
Lastly I've been more and more interested in R2R dacs and so far MHDT tempts me the most.
The question is, the Pagoda or the Orchid?
Been reading so many reviews and comparisons that I don't really know which I would try.
Both seem very very good and both get brilliant reviews and recomenndations.
Listen to mostly indie, pop and music like The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, The Paper Kites, Tow´rs just to name a few.
With the Mytek I get the feeling the highs are too sharp, at least in my system which besides the Mytek consists of an Audio Analogue AACento amplifier and a pair of Atohm GT2-HD speakers. Connected with Audience cables.
So the MHDT would go with a speakerbased setup.
What do you guys think?

I have the Atlantis, a Belcanto DAC1 (dual BB1704) and an Audio Note 1.1x Signature. I find all of them amazing and all of them give a huge improvement in sound quality comparatively to my A&K 300 DAP player and my Audio Note CD Zero.
The DAC1 has the warmest sound, is slightly rolled off and has the smallest soundstage. It's 22 years old now.
The Atlantis has a much stronger bottom end, has a fuller sound and much larger sound stage. I like it a lot. The frequency range is not very linear though. It works beautifully with my vista audio spark 2 and directly connected to my Luxman mq-uc88.
The Audio note has even larger soundstage, fells slightly more refined and the frequency seems a little more uniform.
Anyway, I find all of them absolutely amazing. If I had to choose between Orchid and and Pagoda, I would pick the Orchid but that's just because I am very curious about the TDA chip.
Cheers