[ppbb]

I have a TT2/Mscaler. I am curious to know what folks think is the next level up in performance (not including Dave). I’ve been looking at T+A DAC 200, WEISS D501, DCS LINA, et.al.

 

[Gazza]

Probably a very different sound but I own and adore the Aqua La Scala MkII Optologic DAC. Very organic and natural sounding. Really lets the music speak for itself.

 

[ppbb]

Thanks. Isit clinical and transparent? Not a fan of lush ir warm.

 

[Gazza]

Transparent? Yes, very much so. It does a remarkable job of showing the differences in recordings, even between different tracks on the same album. It's neither clinical, warm or overly coloured, but neither is it dry or antiseptic in its character. It's hard to describe but it manages to thread the needle between honesty and neutralness while not imparting an overt sound signature. There's always a sense of "rightness," a feeling of calm control no matter the situation. Now there are DACs out there with a stronger, more in-your-face character that emphasise detail or rhythm over everything else and while that can be exciting, at least at first blush, those DACs have tendency to impart that sound signature upon every recording, leading to an "editorialising" that breeds uniformity and takes away from the individual sound of the music played.

I found that with my Naim NDX that the La Scala replaced. It imposed its sonic character upon everything that I found robbed the music of personality over time, despite enjoying the sound in isolation.

The Aqua calls a spade a spade, and if the rest of your system isn't up to snuff or the recording poor, it'll tell you. But it never makes recordings unlistenable, even with many of my music being metal albums of questionable mixing, just tells you that there's good and bad out there.

Anyhoo, that's just my view. Give it a try if you can.

 

[ppbb]

Wow, great feedback

 

[pwanner]

Just to add to the above comment, the Aqua La Scala is an amazing DAC, and the ability to roll the tubes of the output stage brings it even futher.

 

[tdx]

Another option to consider is the Esoteric N-05XD DAC/preamp/streamer combo. I have one and I love it to bits. I moved on from a Holo May and have heard Chord DACs in the past and prefer it to both. For me it's just the right amount of natural, musical, impactful and refined. It's pricey, but it brings a lot to the table. It even has a very nice HP out for anything but TOTL cans. So if you add the cost of all the boxes it replaces it's actually a decent deal.