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How Many DACs Have You Owned? Your Journey


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Although I am a bit puzzled on your USB experience.

 

I truly wish USB would be the easy ticket! Tried the Mac mini, with/without USB2 hub, HPZ800 workstation, direct connection, connections with/without the Icron Ranger, with/without ifiUSB you name it. AC power is from a balanced transformer, connections are all OK & in good order, the software, well is software. The sound contains that background grit that obscures finer details, and once you detect that problem, the brain doesn't let go of that defect until its gone.

 

Now I know what tranz and others have heard, and it does take some extraordinary measures to at least put a dent into taming this 'digititis'.

AS Profile Equipment List        Say NO to MQA

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Four different DAC's in four years isn't that much for some, but that odyssey was enough for me for quite a while to come :) I'll be focusing on other parts of my system and not worrying about DACs, because the one I have now has all the features and controls I need, and looks good on the shelf. Sounds damn good too :)

 

 

M-Audio Audiophile 192 (pci) sound card *

Benchmark DAC1 **

Benchmark DAC1 HDR ***

Benchmark DAC2 HGC ****

 

 

* DAC and ADC, SP/DIF source. Not particularly good, or bad, sounding, but very flexible - for a while...

 

** The 1st DAC1 model (non-USB) was missing some upgrades that appeared in the DAC1-USB, and continued for the rest of the DAC1 line. And due to that, they didn't sound as good, but still better then a lot of the competition.

 

*** Great feature set for my system, SQ step up.

 

**** Significantly better feature set, better SQ too. My current DAC.

 

 

I still have all of the old DACs and pci card. Just haven't gotten around to selling them yet... (if you are interested...)

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DACS:

Emotiva XDA-1 Dac

Yulong D18 Dac

Anedio D2 Dac

Chord Hugo Dac

Resonessence Mirus Dac

Ps Audio Direct Stream Dac

 

 

Accessories:

Logitech Squeezebox touch

C.A.P.S v3 micro Zuma with A/O & Jplay ect ect

HDPLEX Linear Power Supply

V-link 192

Sotm mbps-d2s

SOtM tX-USB PCI-e

Sotm Dx-usb Hd Usb to S/pdif Converter

Legato USB-SPDIF Asynchronous Converter

PS Audio’s NuWave Phono Converter

Korg MR-2000s

Musiland Montor 03

Sony Walkman ZX2

Sony PHA 3

and various cables, cords....

 

This does not include my amps, preamp, speakers, phono preamps, turntable ect.

 

I'm going to stop for awhile and enjoy what I got, I don't have the best, but I like what I have.........for now.

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Let me count:

 

Both Buson DAC's

Both Tranquillity DAC's

Playback Designs MP10

Wyred For Sound

Metrum Accoustics

Chord with upgraded power supply

2 PDX

Klein DAC

Killer DAC

Upgraded Nad M51

Upgraded Oppo

 

Thanks

Bill

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Can you rate them in order of SQ - best to least?

 

Benchmark

Wyred4Sound DAC 2SE

Mytek DSD192DAC

Ayon Stealth

 

All previous are sold

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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Wow, I never counted them before.

 

E-Mu 0404 PCI

 

E-Mu 1820 PCI

 

Ack Dac

 

California Audio Labs Sigma

 

Enlightened Audio Design DSP-7000 III

 

Benchmark DAC1 (two of them)

 

Lavry DA-10

 

Blue Circle BC-509

 

Ross Martin PCM1794

 

Purepiper dac

 

HRT Headstreamer

 

HRT Microstreamer

 

Yulong D200

 

HRT Music Streamer HD

 

Matrix X-Sabre

 

HRT Music Streamer II+

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Wow, I never counted them before.

 

E-Mu 0404 PCI

 

E-Mu 1820 PCI

 

Ack Dac

 

California Audio Labs Sigma

 

Enlightened Audio Design DSP-7000 III

 

Benchmark DAC1 (two of them)

 

Lavry DA-10

 

Blue Circle BC-509

 

Ross Martin PCM1794

 

Purepiper dac

 

HRT Headstreamer

 

HRT Microstreamer

 

Yulong D200

 

HRT Music Streamer HD

 

Matrix X-Sabre

 

HRT Music Streamer II+

 

I think we may have a winner here. Anyone keeping count?

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I got my frist true dac after the Beresford 7250 is Medrian Dac 203. That showed that even the good old dac can out performs the new dac with better chipset spec.

My list continues in 4 years with:

- Music Fidelity X DAC

- PS audio Perfectwave

- Cambridge Audio 840

- Wadia 121

- Belcanto DAC and later upgrade with Bel Canto Ulink usb converter and iFi usb power and Dual usb cable.

- Currently is Lumin D1

....

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Lavry DA10

Valab NOS Dac X3

Matrix Mini-i

Wadia 121

Audio-gd Ref 5

Audio-gd Ref 7

Audio-gd NFB-1.32

Audio-gd NFB-28

Mhdt Havana x2

TC Electronics Konnekt 8

Yaqin Dac K9

L.K.S. Audio MH-DA003

Audioquest Dragon-fly

Maverick Audio D2

Maverick Audio D1

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Over the past 20 years I've owned these discrete DACs:

CAL Alpha (original)

CAL Alpha 24/96

Then I downgraded back to the Original Version (which I greatly prefer and still enjoy the sound of)

(For about 10 years in here I stopped using discrete DACs and ran some VSE modified SACD players)

The next one I tried was the: Teac UD-501 (A Good little DAC)

Then I ran the: DIY-Audio DAC END-R (a Very good sounding DAC)

And finally:

The PS Audio Direct Stream. This DAC is amazing, and is the first unit which I have ever heard which trounces my old VSE modfied SACD players. And I'm officially done searching now. This DAC is that good.

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I got my frist true dac after the Beresford 7250 is Medrian Dac 203. That showed that even the good old dac can out performs the new dac with better chipset spec.

My list continues in 4 years with:

- Music Fidelity X DAC

- PS audio Perfectwave

- Cambridge Audio 840

- Wadia 121

- Belcanto DAC and later upgrade with Bel Canto Ulink usb converter and iFi usb power and Dual usb cable.

- Currently is Lumin D1

....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hod do you like the D1? I have seen and heard the more expensive Lumin models. However they are out of my budget. The D1 might be in it.

 

Lavry DA10

Valab NOS Dac X3

Matrix Mini-i

Wadia 121

Audio-gd Ref 5

Audio-gd Ref 7

Audio-gd NFB-1.32

Audio-gd NFB-28

Mhdt Havana x2

TC Electronics Konnekt 8

Yaqin Dac K9

L.K.S. Audio MH-DA003

Audioquest Dragon-fly

Maverick Audio D2

Maverick Audio D1

 

How does the Wadia compare to the audio GD DACs? I heard since Wadia has been taken over it's not the Wadia it used to be, less cutting edge more commercial.

[br]

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Mdac (gotta start somewhere)

TEAC UD 501 (still analogue -ly memorable)

Auralic Vega (great, one of the best)

Chord Hugo (still have this; superb)

Pro ject DAC Box RS (great, flexible and super sound, selling it though)

Bricasti M1 (I feel lucky to have been born while this exists)

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  • 1 year later...

This is going to be embarrassing:

Audio Research DAC 1-20

Audio Research DAC 2

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 21

Mark Levinson 360S

HRT Music Streamer II

Mytek Stereo 192 DSD

Berkeley Audio DAC Series 1 and 2

Audio Research DAC 8

Ayre QB9

Moon 100D

Moon 300D

Schiit Bifrost Multibit USB2

Theta Gen Va

Wadia PowerDAC Mini

Musical Fidelity V DAC, V90

Musical Fidelity M1

Audioquest Firefly V1.2

Wyred 4 Sound DAC 2 DSD SE

Schiit Modi 2

Yep, that was embarrassing and I probably forgot a couple of them.

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Yikes! How time flies...

 

Audio Alchemy DAC

Scott Nixon USB DAC

PS Audio DAC1

Audio Note DAC1

MHDT Paradisea

Bel Canto Dac mk1

Twisted Pear Buffalo I

Twisted Pear OPUS

Twisted Pear USB to SPDIF(used as DAC)

TEAC UD 501

Wyred 4 Sound DAC 2 DSD SE

Auralic Vega (very nice for Saber)

Schiit Yggdrasil x2 (Current. Best so far by far)


"Don't Believe Everything You Think"

System

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Squeezebox Classics

Weiss DAC2

Lite DAC83 & Audiophilleo

exaSound e20 MkIII

Triangle Magellan Concerto 2 < AQ Everest < Vitus Audio SS-010 Mk2 < AQ Dragon High Current < AQ WEL XLR < Chord Qutest DAC w UpTone JS-2 & AQ Dragon Source < AQ Diamond USB < Innuos Phoenix USB w AQ Dragon Source < Aurender N100H & AQ Dragon Source < NetGear GS105GE Switch w UpTone LPS1.2 < Supra CAT8 Ethernet < Gryphon PowerZone w AQ NRG-Wild < Stillpoints UltraSS, Ansuz Darkz D-TC & D2, Omicron Harmonic Stabilizer, Gold Evolution SE & Classic < Furutech FT-SWS (R) < Synergistic Research Orange Quantum Fuse < Solid Tech Hybrid < GigaWatt G-16A 2P Circuit Breaker

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Been 25 years or so here and I won't try to enumerate them all.

Here's what the last 5 years looks like:

1. PS Audio DLiii - Cullen mod

2. TEAC UD501

3. Schiit Gungnir

4. Lampizator Amber

5. Lampizator L4G5 - new one year ago.

 

Each has been a distinct improvement over its predecessor with the exception of the Gungnir which I didn't like as much as the TEAC.

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NuForce DAC about 1 year

ODAC 1 year

Benchmark DAC1 30 days

Benchmark DAC2 HGC 3 years 4 months

 

The DAC2 HGC balanced out to the Mjolnir 2 sonic bliss w/tubes for my HD800's and has enough power to drive my HE:6's I'm hard pressed to find a better DAC at the moment in my price range that can beat this.

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Used w/ CD transport only:

1991/07 - Audio Alchemy DDE 1.0 (w/ Audio Alchemy DTI 1.0 jitter reducer)

2007/09 - 47 Labs 4715 Shigaraki DAC

2009/10 - Parasound D/AC-1000

 

Used w/ PC transport only:

2010 - M-Audio FireWire Audiophile

2010 - KRK Ergo

2014/16 - TEAC UD-H01

2016 - HifiBerry DAC Pro+

 

R

"Science draws the wave, poetry fills it with water" Teixeira de Pascoaes

 

HQPlayer Desktop / Mac mini → Intona 7054 → RME ADI-2 DAC FS (DSD256)

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