[mauriceg]

  I didn't get on with the MDAC - too bright for me. Went to the Octave and haven't looked back!

Possibly the bright sound of the M-DAC wouldn't be so bad with the HD650s though?
Also may I ask what you paid for your octave? I see prices on them range from 300€ to 1000€

 

[mauriceg]

I recently tried a Linn Majik DS, does anyone know a dac that comes close in sound to the Linn Majik DS's?

 

[estreeter]

  I recently tried a Linn Majik DS, does anyone know a dac that comes close in sound to the Linn Majik DS's?

 
If you go back a year or so on the Linn forums, you'll find that many were very impressed with the Hugo - purrin and a few others here weren't, but the threads are there nonetheless. Given that the Hugo isn't a networked source and the DS relies heavily on a configuration that many consider superior to USB (again, a matter of conjecture), it's not really an apples-to-apples comparison. Theoretically a bridge like the Auralic Aries would allow you to compare other DACs with the DS but my experience with DLNA to date hasnt been a happy one - the control point software seems to lose the plot - so I'll leave you with the threads at CA.
 
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/auralic-aries-hardware-impressions-and-information-21261/
 
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/auralic-lightning-ds-app-software-impressions-and-information-21262/

 

[Articnoise]

IMO the Linn DC and DCM series sounds very good. All of them has a refined, nice and musical quality’s. I have mostly listening to the super expressive Klimax and the still expansive, but less so Akurate. As I haven’t used Majik in my setup I cannot say exactly how it sounds like or other DACs that sounds like it, but you need a good dac and sources to compete with it in my book.

I think that the overall SQ on Majik than playing from a NAS is at least on pair with AGD Master 7 using its SPDIF in + an audio grade computer/CAPS/server. The Akurate is more or less on pair with Master 7 using OR5 HDMI + an audio grade computer/CAPS/server and that the Klimax is superior.

 

[mauriceg]

Thanks for the two posts above! good options, still pretty costly though unfortunately though considering I can buy a used majik DS for 1500€ at this moment

 

[prot]

Hopefully this isn't too off topic in this thread, if it is please just ignore.
I am looking for a good dac around 700€(850$) used, somost products around 1200-1300€ new would qualify.
Can anyone give me some recommendations? For now I will be listening with headphones through a Lehmann Black cube linear. My headphones are sennheiser HD650's.

Minimax dac plus fits your reqs perfectly. Highly recommended, especially if you like modding (you can roll the tube & opamaps).

Or you can buy a new one for that money. The Gustard x12 seems to be pretty good and an upgraded x20 will come soon.

 

[conquerator2]

Minimax dac plus fits your reqs perfectly. Highly recommended, especially if you like modding (you can roll the tube & opamaps).

Or you can buy a new one for that money. The Gustard x12 seems to be pretty good and an upgraded x20 will come soon.

I read somewhere it wasn't to be sooner than June... So, 3 months at best it seems. Just FYI 

 

[purrin]

  Thanks for the two posts above! good options, still pretty costly though unfortunately though considering I can buy a used majik DS for 1500€ at this moment

 
You should grab it. I like what Linn's done with their digital stuff as of late, especially at used prices. The streamer functionality is icing on the cake and actually works, unlike the PWD2's Ethernet Bridge, cough, cough, cough.

 

[wahsmoh]

   
You should grab it. I like what Linn's done with their digital stuff as of late, especially at used prices. The streamer functionality is icing on the cake and actually works, unlike the PWD2's Ethernet Bridge, cough, cough, cough.

Hey Purrin I just won a Theta Digital DS Pro Progeny for $276 on Ebay. What are the basic aspects of this model and (in your opinion) how does it perform? I notice it has a single Burr Brown PCM-67 and isn't balanced like the Pro Prime counterpart but I am very anxious to hear this 18-bit chip
 

LOL I barely sniped this guy's bid.. almost lost it by $1 and I think I would have had a heart attack

 

[mauriceg]

You should grab it. I like what Linn's done with their digital stuff as of late, especially at used prices. The streamer functionality is icing on the cake and actually works, unlike the PWD2's Ethernet Bridge, cough, cough, cough.

I wish I could get the money together... I tried one last week and the sound was spectacular!
I was wondering though, is it possible to hook up a wifi to ethernet device to the linn ethernet input? I can't run an ethernet cable to where my hifi room is so i would have to use a wifi-> ethernet converter

 

[purrin]

 
Hey Purrin I just won a Theta Digital DS Pro Progeny for $276 on Ebay. What are the basic aspects of this model and (in your opinion) how does it perform? I notice it has a single Burr Brown PCM-67 and isn't balanced like the Pro Prime counterpart but I am very anxious to hear this 18-bit chip
 
LOL I barely sniped this guy's bid.. almost lost it by $1 and I think I would have had a heart attack

 
Nice! You got Theta's budget PCM67 one-bit based solution. I owned the Theta Cobalt back in the day which used the same chip and opamps, but the Cobalt lacked the custom Theta DSP and probably better power supplies of the Progeny. The Cobalt was a super-budget solution that was a little bit better than the mid-model Sony ES players. I'm betting what you got might be better sounding than the Gungnir.
 

I wish I could get the money together... I tried one last week and the sound was spectacular!
I was wondering though, is it possible to hook up a wifi to ethernet device to the linn ethernet input? I can't run an ethernet cable to where my hifi room is so i would have to use a wifi-> ethernet converter

 
A wifi/Ethernet endpoint should work with the Linn.

 

[mauriceg]

Thanks! I really hope I can get the momey together for a linn

 

[mauriceg]

By the way purrin, how do you think the gungnir compares to other dacs like chord, naim, ps audio, metrum, matrix etc... and maybe even the linn majik ds?

 

[purrin]

I've never liked any of the smaller Chords, and I've never heard the real big-boy stuff from them. I haven't heard Naim in years. I still feel the PSA PWD Mk1->2 running fw 2.02 is better than the Gungnir, although PWD1->2 still has that bit of treble rasp. Gungnir and Matrix X-Sabre are opposites: Smoothness/tone vs. detail. Metrum is interesting, a smooth laid-back sound with colored euphonic vocals, but doesn't resolve anything. Moving up the Metrum chain helps, but not much. I've heard the Majik, but only on setups that I was not super familiar with. Good space. A refined sound more in the direction of the Gamma 2 than the hyperdetailed PWD2. There tends to be a Linn house sound that I find agreeable, but definitely buy used or at a discount.

 

[mauriceg]

I've never liked any of the smaller Chords, and I've never heard the real big-boy stuff from them. I haven't heard Naim in years. I still feel the PSA PWD Mk1->2 running fw 2.02 is better than the Gungnir, although PWD1->2 still has that bit of treble rasp. Gungnir and Matrix X-Sabre are opposites: Smoothness/tone vs. detail. Metrum is interesting, a smooth laid-back sound with colored euphonic vocals, but doesn't resolve anything. Moving up the Metrum chain helps, but not much. I've heard the Majik, but only on setups that I was not super familiar with. Good space. A refined sound more in the direction of the Gamma 2 than the hyperdetailed PWD2. There tends to be a Linn house sound that I find agreeable, but definitely buy used or at a discount.

It sounds like you do find the gungnir to be one of the better dacs available.
Which would the detailed one be and which would the smooth one be between the gungnir and the x-sabre? I haven't tried either yet