[purrin]

  Pardon me for butting in - but if the ESS chip is so deeply flawed (harsh treble, one note "thud" bass) as some appear to be saying what chip would you chose as the current best all rounder? TI(BB), Wolfson, AKM, AD, Cirrus, etc. Assuming, of course, that the chip is for the most part responsible for a DAC's sound characteristics. 

 
I haven't heard enough AD1955 DACs, but I think I would like that. I like the AKMs, even the older AKMs. They just have such a sweet sound to them; and it appears easy not to make them sound bad. Wolfson is OK, but tends to be all over the place depending upon implementation. Cirrus sounds boring. TI(BB) outside of their R2R stuff, I pretty much dislike. Also, just because a DAC may have a PCM1704 doesn't mean I will like it. I don't like over 50% of PCM1704 implementations I have heard.

 

[MayaTlab]

  a lack of coherency between the added body (not found in other SABRE implementations) which covered up the SABRE treble - the bass and the treble. It was like the Invicta didn't have a personality which was "whole".

 
I believe I'm with you on that one. Did you try several filter settings ? I found slight differences between them, certainly not enough to change its overall sound signature (or signatures), but enough IMHO to maybe alleviate to a point what you just said. Anyway I'll probably have to wait for quite a long while before somebody comes up with something in a similar form factor that I don't dislike more than I don't dislike the Invicta.

 

[purrin]

  Purrin!
 
Please take some time to think about this.
 
What is your ultimate system? (Ending with headphones or speakers).
 
Assuming digital input!
 
Source > DAC > AMP > Headphones/Speakers.
 
Speakers are a whole different world for me now (the last speakers I owned were Mission MX5's).
 
I saw your OB speakers at the last meet..(in my browser unfortunately) ...were they based on the Lampizator specs?
Look forward to hearing about your Ultimate system
 
Cheers,
Mike

 
Assuming digital input - where I could use digital PEQ:
 
DAC
An MSB DAC or the AG-D M7/OR5. I'm still due for a shootout to see how close it may be. The MSB Analog may not be resolving enough for me. Unfortunately, I don't want to spend $20K for a better MSB. Getting an MSB DAC is like buying a Porsche. By the time I get all the options I want, the Cayman (the real Porsche since the 911 is so bloated now) is $120K.
 
AMP
Eddie Current 445, otherwise known as the "God Amp". Only five made in the first run. Don't know if there will be any more. 4 x 45 tubes. Will be running EML Meshes. Only 3 watts per channel.
 
SPEAKERS
A new high-efficiency open baffle design. The OB speakers you saw in the Bay Area Meet thread were a proof of concept using Moth Cicada drivers I had on hand and cheap $70 15" stamped frame woofers from PartsExpress. I slapped the thing together the week before the meet (although I had already done some of the design work / simluations keeping the Cicada drivers in mind months ago.)
 
I'd probably go a three for maybe four way for the final design. Aura NS18 18"woofer, Fostex FE208EZ 8" for mids, and Fostex FE108 4" for the highs. The 4" is a strange choice, but there isn't 2" driver / tweeter with the range and efficiency I want, unless of course Donald North designs one, which would be cool. I still need to evaluate a few more drivers to make a final decision. The Acoustic Elegance Dipole15/18 seem interesting as well. Since I would have digital EQ at my disposal, I would just run single caps and coils for the crossover circuits to keep them as simple as possible. Crossover components are evil.
 
The system would be bi-amped with the 445 powering the mids and treble. Reasonable priced but powerful solid-state (such as the Crest CA2 power amp) would handle the woofer amping duties.

 

[Turn&cough]

   
I haven't heard enough AD1955 DACs, but I think I would like that. I like the AKMs, even the older AKMs. They just have such a sweet sound to them; and it appears easy not to make them sound bad. Wolfson is OK, but tends to be all over the place depending upon implementation. Cirrus sounds boring. TI(BB) outside of their R2R stuff, I pretty much dislike. Also, just because a DAC may have a PCM1704 doesn't mean I will like it. I don't like over 50% of PCM1704 implementations I have heard.

I built a few Cirrus based DACs and agree that they do lack musicality. The only Wolfson based DAC that I tried was the Rega DAC. It had good tonal richness but felt sluggish when compared to an ESS based DAC. Owned a few inexpensive PCMxxxx DACs (not ladder) that fell short in one area or another. Also owned a TDA1541a NOS DAC that was OK but too rolled off on top.
If you don't mind paying for a lot of features you may or may not need the Cambridge 851D sure looks good on paper. I'll look in to borrowing one from my local dealer.

 

[music_man]

I think the problem some people are having is they take others opinions as an insult to their taste. I personally don't care. as long as I like something. that being said my two main systems now contain the modded teac and the diamond dac iv select. take that as you will but I think that states on my part I for one do not think the teac is a pos! now go tell me to go to the ent doc okay? furthermore, I feel what the teac brings to the table for $849 msrp is astounding. technology wise. regardless if any one individual prefers it's sound. if I am correct purrin states himself that this stuff is highly subjective. just because he thinks something is a pos does not mean that is gospel. however if 5 people say you are a horse you might consider a saddle. I will give you that. of course not including unmentioned headphone companies. for all I know one of them is dr. dre! oh heck, he is a doctor after all! then again I couldn't really say how the teac is stock. moded it first. put a hyabusa motor in a smart car and that sucker is fast!
 
 
just wanted to add. thahertz,now that you made up with purrin....could you please remove the "ah" reference you made? that can be very offensive to some people on a completely different level than the bickering going on here. I don't even know purrin and I will bet he has committed no such atrocities.

 

[purrin]

 
Anywaaaaaaaay, I feel I know Purrin much better now and I hope he will forgive my earlier aggressive posts. Purrin? 

 
I have a short memory and have a hard time keeping track of everyone. Every day is a new day for me. You also have to understand that I relish people saying stuff like "troll/shill of the highest order. I have no respect for that loser." It means I'm doing my job of trying to get people to differentiate sonic qualities of gear.
 
Not everything sounds the same, and not everything sounds grrrrreat as every piece of gear highlighted on the front page of this forum or reviewed in Audio360.org would have us believe. Lack of qualitative discernment is not a good thing. Discernment will of course lead to differing opinions, which will sometimes result in passionate disagreements.
 
It gets messy sometimes, but overall, I think it's a better thing than I pat your back and you pat my back convincing each other we all have the greatest stuff.
 
FWIW, I've recommended many times against my favored DACs (or headphones) in PMs after I've assessed a person's sonic preferences, favorite recordings, associated gear, etc.

 

[thathertz]

   
I have a short memory and have a hard time keeping track of everyone. Every day is a new day for me. You also have to understand that I relish people saying stuff like "troll/shill of the highest order. I have no respect for that loser." It means I'm doing my job of trying to get people to differentiate sonic qualities of gear.
 
Not everything sounds the same, and not everything sounds grrrrreat as every piece of gear highlighted on the front page of this forum or reviewed in Audio360.org would have us believe. Lack of qualitative discernment is not a good thing. Discernment will of course lead to differing opinions, which will sometimes result in passionate disagreements.
 
It gets messy sometimes, but overall, I think it's a better thing than I pat your back and you pat my back convincing each other we all have the greatest stuff.
 
FWIW, I've recommended many times against my favored DACs (or headphones) in PMs after I've assessed a person's sonic preferences, favorite recordings, associated gear, etc.

 
Short reply....it's 2.38am here.
 
I'm getting you now Purrrin and I like it.
 
Bed is calling ....see yah. More tomorrow.
Mike

 

[thathertz]

 
just wanted to add. thahertz,now that you made up with purrin....could you please remove the "ah" reference you made? that can be very offensive to some people on a completely different level than the bickering going on here. I don't even know purrin and I will bet he has committed no such atrocities.

 
I think Purrin understands me now and I understand him. I'm looking at this thread through a whole different window. I'm going to read it again.
 
Gotta go...it's now 2.58 am and as much as I love Scorpions - Lovedrive I have lots to do tomorrow.
 
See ya
Mike

 

[Glam Bash]

  I built a few Cirrus based DACs and agree that they do lack musicality. The only Wolfson based DAC that I tried was the Rega DAC. It had good tonal richness but felt sluggish when compared to an ESS based DAC. Owned a few inexpensive PCMxxxx DACs (not ladder) that fell short in one area or another. Also owned a TDA1541a NOS DAC that was OK but too rolled off on top.
If you don't mind paying for a lot of features you may or may not need the Cambridge 851D sure looks good on paper. I'll look in to borrowing one from my local dealer.

I borrowed and 851D from my local hifi shop. Resolution of detail was very good, but the lack of oomph in dynamics was a deal breaker. Can't believe that wasn't mentioned in any of the reviews I read about it.  I remember describing the bass as "dry"  to my sales guy.

 

[music_man]

the 851d is a nice digital preamp. if you just need a dac the money should go further. the 840av2 was classic. smoked the little krell at the time. this lower end gear is hit or miss. I wonder if the dacmagic plus or whatever is the same thing sans the preamp. does not look that way. I don't go by price I go by what I like to listen to. that does not mean anyone else does either. besides it's easier to hate anything that is one grand vs. multiples of that. plus most things are priced accordingly I will say the 851d is better at being a preamp than the bm dac2. the dac2 is a better dac. hence the dac2 d..

 

[music_man]

I wholeheartedly disagree with the following statement. you said yourself a number of times this is subjective. nothing actually discussed here is a clear cut pos. I know what you say about the magazines. all of them have given mostly positive reviews to all of this. of course I never heard them say something sucked either. I will just use my own ears. on that note I still maintain the ud-501 sounds great right next to the diamond dac iv select. albeit, modded quite a bit. even stock it was no slouch when used properly. you also did admit you did not put it through it's paces. I am sorry this just irks me. it is not about patting each other on the back. you should not exclude anyone from owning anything because you personally feel it is a pos. or a handful of others you leave nameless. this subjective as you have said multiple times here. so now it seems you are contradicting yourself. you are doing the exact opposite of patting people on the back. in essence saying their taste sucks. sort of being a bully. I cant change this. all I can say is each individual should use their own ears. I have to say for my total investment in the ud-501 it is off the chain. I personally recommend everyone go out and get one. even if they leave it stock. I have nothing to do with teac. I just know good sound when I hear it. hence having the msb as well. the magazines certainly agree. interestingly they did nitpick the m51 for instance. I would be the first to say don't read the magazines though. now I am not contradicting my self either. I used my ears. call my ears broken if you so wish. I recorded a bunch of your music on a bm dac1. so that was the foundation. which you also seem to dislike. luckily you can change the sound upon playback. heck we probably don't agree on whiskey either. that is if you drink it. I am just making  a point. there is no right and wrong here as you state below. please, don't anyone think that. that is my opinion. other than that I do commend you for the effort you put forth here. so long as it is noted this is solely your own opinion. if only it were that clear cut. then there would be only dac on the market. that is obviously not the case. they are all selling or we would see these companies disappear. in regard to the teac keep in mind they also produce esoteric. which if I were to guess you feel is pos as well. that being because I actually feel the ud-501 is better than the d1 which I also own. even stock as well as certainly modded. okay, I got my monies worth. that's how I feel. as do a score of others that have pm'd me. being to embarrassed to voice their opinions here due to the stigma you have created. shame,shame. yes, another long winded paragraph of mine. call me miffed. 
 
Quote:

   
I have a short memory and have a hard time keeping track of everyone. Every day is a new day for me. You also have to understand that I relish people saying stuff like "troll/shill of the highest order. I have no respect for that loser." It means I'm doing my job of trying to get people to differentiate sonic qualities of gear.
 
Not everything sounds the same, and not everything sounds grrrrreat as every piece of gear highlighted on the front page of this forum or reviewed in Audio360.org would have us believe. Lack of qualitative discernment is not a good thing. Discernment will of course lead to differing opinions, which will sometimes result in passionate disagreements.
 
It gets messy sometimes, but overall, I think it's a better thing than I pat your back and you pat my back convincing each other we all have the greatest stuff.
 
FWIW, I've recommended many times against my favored DACs (or headphones) in PMs after I've assessed a person's sonic preferences, favorite recordings, associated gear, etc.

 

[BournePerfect]

Break that **ish down man.
 
-Daniel

 

[Maxvla]

as do a score of others that have pm'd me. being to embarrassed to voice their opinions here due to the stigma you have created.

20 separate people have pm'd you?

They should feel free to post whatever they want. I, and many others who consider Purrin a friend, disagree with his evaluations of gear sometimes. He's human, too. It shouldn't be adversarial as long as you keep an open dialogue. If you speak only to prove your point and are closed minded you will have wasted your time, and ours.

 

[Argo Duck]

music_man, so you are miffed. Great! We get that. Other than the single difference that you like the UD-501 and purrin doesn't, it seems you agree with his post you quote, together with other points he makes elsewhere.

What's the problem? You hear great; purrin hears great, and so - as purrin suggests - "Discernment...will sometimes result in passionate disagreements".

QED. Can we move on now?

 

[music_man]

okay I didn't mean to be a jerk I got carried away. we mostly do agree. i just got the idea he was saying his opinion is the only one that counts. i guess that is not what he said. i just hope anyone would get whatever they want and not feel pressure by others. this is probably unfounded on my part and i apologize. honestly this is like ford vs. chevy. me personally i always told people which ever you prefer and don't be ashamed with that choice. i probably took purrin the wrong way. of course you know the truth is i have a personal agenda here. i do feel insulted myself but that is my own problem. i mean, how i am i so much enjoying a pos? i have to question myself there. of course mine is not exactly what he had heard either. i have my own pos list but in fear of being ousted i keep it to myself. interestingly my pos list is many times revered here. so i guess we just all hear differently. that is fine. anyways i apologize for thinking out loud.