[oldson]

so far i have a shortlist of dacs that interest me.(budget up to £1k, just)
all get good reviews on here/elsewhere.
i cannot demo any, so am looking for guidence or further suggestions?

my headphone collection will soon see the addition of ah-d7000.

shortlist:
1) meier stagedac, lower end of budget,flexible, but not much info/ comparisons available.
2)MHDT havana, lower end of budget, not sure if i want to catch the "tube rolling" bug.
3) bechmark dac1-pre, higher end of buget, integrated HP amp not needed.
4) PS audio link 111, higher end of budget.

which of these, in your opinion, would best suit my Solo/ah-d2000s?
or any other suggestions?

thanks

 

[gochuckster]

How about a budget version of the Buffalo Sabre 32s? If you don't go dual mono, limit the extras, and pick an affordable case you'll be able to hit really close to your target budget and get a lot more performance.

 

[krmathis]

How about a Red Wine Audio Isabellina?
Really nice SLA battery operated DAC, well worth a try. I absolutely love mine.

You find some impressions in the forum (search), or drop by the vendors forum here: Red Wine Audio

 

[oldson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif How about a Red Wine Audio Isabellina? Really nice SLA battery operated DAC, well worth a try. I absolutely love mine. You find some impressions in the forum (search), or drop by the vendors forum here: Red Wine Audio

that is right on max budget. £1k delivered to uk.
i will read up on it, cheers.

 

[scootermafia]

How about one of the Audio-GD top DACs, they're on sale now and they really rock. They'd fit your budget, fully balanced and all. They're in a performance class above the 4 you listed at the outset, having upgraded from a Havana to a DAC8/Ref1 I can speak for how big of a jump it is. It's about $1700USD shipped for the top Reference One which is probably a little over 1000 british pounds, yes? But as they're on 5% off sale, that might just about do it. You'd probably not need a new DAC for a long, long time.

 

[jpelg]

Pretty varied list you've compiled there. Can't get much more diametrically opposed sound signatures than the Benchmark & the Havana!

What exactly (or not exactly) are you looking for in the new DAC? Do you like the MF V-dac? What do you like about it that you'd like to retain? What things would you like to get rid of/improve upon/change?

Having at least somewhat of an idea where you want to go would be helpful to those recommending a new DAC.

 

[argentum]

Well oldson with Isabellina and Reference One you can add hefty VAT + customs fee to this equation, because both are outside of Europe. And if UK customs officials are as anal as in Estonia, then Audio GD stuff doesn't have CE mark so you at the mercy of customs official, whether they will let it to the country or not. Also there is a nice post by dukja - http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/loo...0/#post5998221

 

[oldson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pretty varied list you've compiled there. Can't get much more diametrically opposed sound signatures than the Benchmark & the Havana! What exactly (or not exactly) are you looking for in the new DAC? Do you like the MF V-dac? What do you like about it that you'd like to retain? What things would you like to get rid of/improve upon/change? Having at least somewhat of an idea where you want to go would be helpful to those recommending a new DAC.

i have this feeling that i am missing out on something, and i consider the v-dac to be my weakest link.
i am not in a position to audition any of the dacs, that i am currently considering.
i have bought some ah-d7000(currently in customs), to replace my ATs. this was for two main reasons: isolation and a warmer sound.
i was hoping there would also be much more detail to be gained from a dac upgrade. a general allround improvement, i guess.

i am now concerned about customs, as the next poster has pointed out.
so my shortlist may have to be resticted to units that i can source in the uk.
(or eu)
that would rule out the havana and red wine.
i will know more when/if the denon's turn up.

 

[erikzen]

I'm considering the PS Audio Digital Link III myself. At $699 for the stock unit, it's well below your budget. It has USB, Coaxial and Toslink inputs. There are manufacturer sactioned mods available so there is a built in upgrade path or you can go with some of the mods, straight away. The sound is supposed to be more towards the "musical" side as opposed to the "analytical" side, which to me is a plus.

Customs and 110V vs. 220V may be issues though.

 

[oldson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm considering the PS Audio Digital Link III myself. At $699 for the stock unit, it's well below your budget. It has USB, Coaxial and Toslink inputs. There are manufacturer sactioned mods available so there is a built in upgrade path or you can go with some of the mods, straight away. The sound is supposed to be more towards the "musical" side as opposed to the "analytical" side, which to me is a plus. Customs and 110V vs. 220V may be issues though.

one of these is high up in my thoughts.
i can buy direct over here from UK retailer, but the cost is much higher at £899.
that brings it close to a dac-1 in price. i can get a dac-1S for £950.
although i gather the "pre" model is better (£1500

)

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scootermafia /img/forum/go_quote.gif How about one of the Audio-GD top DACs,

Rather overkill for just a Solo IMO, unless the OP plans a serious HP and amp upgrade in the future.

 

[johnwmclean]

Buffalo Sabre32 DAC. Simple build, the chassis being the only challenge. Contact a builder for a price, as said before not going dual mono and a simple enclosure will keep the price down. Higher end of your budget, it’s a very respected piece of kit, analog outputs are balanced it will support up to 24-bit/192kHz.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldson /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have bought some ah-d7000(currently in customs), to replace my ATs. this was for two main reasons: isolation and a warmer sound.

I find the AD2000's pretty warm in the midrange. The Denons will be even moreso, with slightly less sparkle in the highs. The Denons will not provide much, if any, isolation however, despite being a closed design. I also consider the GS Solo on the warm side of neutral.

You seem to be trying to balance out euphony and detail in your system (as many of us are). I'd suggest changing only one component at a time so that you can isolate where the changes are coming from better. Listen to the Denons for a while before making a decision on the new DAC. Then you can determine if they are the component you want to build your system's sound around.

In general though, I think the Benchmark will provide the push in detail your system would benefit from.

 

[oldson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find the AD2000's pretty warm in the midrange. The Denons will be even moreso, with slightly less sparkle in the highs. The Denons will not provide much, if any, isolation however, despite being a closed design. I also consider the GS Solo on the warm side of neutral. You seem to be trying to balance out euphony and detail in your system (as many of us are). I'd suggest changing only one component at a time so that you can isolate where the changes are coming from better. Listen to the Denons for a while before making a decision on the new DAC. Then you can determine if they are the component you want to build your system's sound around. In general though, I think the Benchmark will provide the push in detail your system would benefit from.

thanks for the advice!
what you say makes sense. too many changes at once will almost certainly confuse the issue.
will probably wait until new year for a new dac.
the trouble i have is , i do alot of reading on here usually late at night while having a drink

, and i tend to get too trigger happy!
regarding isolation, they gotta beat the AT's (surely?). i do plan on trying the jmoney pad mod too!
cheers

 

[oldson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif Rather overkill for just a Solo IMO, unless the OP plans a serious HP and amp upgrade in the future.

never considered the solo as being a weak point in my system!
you obviously disagree with that.
i do intend to try a tube amp in the future, but i dont see a need to replace the solo anytime soon.
cheers