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A Newcomer to Digital Looking to Upgrade My Dac, Tubes? Ideas?

Being a relative newcomer to digital downloads and playback, I love the convenience when I am looking for a short music session and don't feel like going through my vinyl. I find the digital quality pretty good, but looking to upgrade my dac to get some additional warmth into my playback, I'm thinking maybe a tube dac, not sure what I should spend but cost wise was thinking of $ 2,000.00 as a budget. Not sure if such a dac exists, or if you have suggestions. I have built up a pretty good collection of both PCM and DSD HD music, mostly copies of what I have on vinyl but the vinyl has seen better days. Currently I am using a TEAC UD-501, tube preamp- (Schiit Mjolnir 2), Amp.- (Adcom 555se), Balanced throughout usually through my PC but I also use my portable through the coax to the dac. Speakers are Wilson Benesch Square 2. Unfortunately I have an L shaped listening room, which seconds as our living room, typical of what you find in a condo, volume levels are generally low to medium, to spare the neighbours, and I split my time between the speakers and headphones.
pooch2

Showing 2 responses by jjss49

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
op

that is correct... all dacs handle pcm but only some can do dsd, and then, some will do dsd but only via usb input -- so you need to be careful to doublecheck what dac does what and how...

i noted that your initial post stated you have a collection of dsd encoded music, thus my reply pointing you to a denafrips pontus or soekris r2r dac, or a doge 7 tube dac

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
op

your compromised room notwithstanding, your wilson benesch speakers are quite resolving and you already have a tube pre feeding a solid state power amp, so you have a reasonable system tonal balance i would guess (although my experience with adcom amps is they do tend to sound quite typically solid state)

i would suggest you try a denafrips pontus, which is quite middle of the road tonally (not too sharp/lean or too overtly tubey), a better soekris r2r dac, or if you can spend a bit more, a doge 7, which has a tubed output stage, but is also very middle of road in tonal balance

all are excellent at their respective price points, and iirc they all can handle dsd
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