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Which DAC's do you guys recommend with the GS-X Mk2? I'll be using an HD800 and an LCD-3, both balanced.
I've got a pair of LCD-3's and have placed my order for the GS-X MK2, so I'm in a similar boat to you.
I've spent a fair amount of time researching DACs on this forum (need to look at other sources too but there's just too much info on head-fi alone to consume!).
At this stage I've narrowed DAC selection to the:
- Audio-gd Master 7. Seems to recieve universal praise, although there are concerns that it is "too neutral" (if there is such a thing) and not 'musical' enough in the bass area. This one seems to have very good value based on robust design and component selection - you can tell based on photos of the internals that there is a difference between this and lesser costing DACs. Also, the USB functionality is supposed to be very strong, and this is what I'm planning to use.
- Schitt statement DAC. I'm not planning, rephrase, I'm not allowed to buy a DAC
P) till next year, which coincides well with the release of this DAC. Given Schitt's design philosophy I'm expecting great value.
I was seriously considering the Mytek 192DSD, and it does have good reviews plus solid brand reputation, but you can tell you're getting less for your dollar based on photos of the internals - e.g. Single power supply as opposed to 3 separate supplies in the Audio-gd M7. Maybe this isn't an effective metric for quantitatively deciding on a DAC though....
I don't believe I'll be spending more than ~$2.5k on a DAC - there just doesn't seem to much justification for it based on other people's reviews.
I was fussed about DSD functionality, but not so much anymore, as you can always convert sources prior to playback if playing from a PC (like I'm planning to do).
