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Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp

Showing 8 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
Thing is climate has always changed drastically throughout geologic

The other thing is we know things we do today can impact climate.

The other thing is we can control the second but not the first.

If you choose to do nothing about something that you do have control over that is known to be desctructive, you are either a fool or making money off it somehow.

If you choose to do what you can well, then you might still be a fool in the end but at least you tried.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
"...throughout geologic time" that is.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
"If you are not a climatologist or scientist at NOAA or NASA, then you only know a tiny bit about the subject."

That's true thanks to our modern media which seems no longer capable of reporting the news in an unbiased and purely factual manner. For every part of real information there are thousand parts of noise. Wikipedia is often the best source for news. Not perfect, but the best system for getting to the facts fastest over time.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
Mhdt non over sampling dacs check all those boxes and could save you thousands. I use SS Constantine and tube paradisea. I've heard and coveted dcs and others for reference and these keep me satisfied.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
Isn't $15-$20K still DCS money these days?

If so, DCS is the only thing I have heard that I thought maybe dropping that much on if I could. And even that is a big "might". I've heard a lot of good digital on very good systems since I last sampled DCS a few years back.

I've been quite happy since for several years with mhdt DACs. I suggest anyone looking to drop big bucks on a DAC try those first. I've never a/b compared the two but both are top notch in regards to musical satisfaction based on what I have heard to-date.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
If you will be using CD resolution SPDIF and can find an mhdt Constantine non -oversampling DAC used, jump on it and give it a shot. Should not cost more than $400 used. Then see if you can find something better for a bit more and and sell it if needed. Compare to a big bucks DAC before buying if you can. But personally, having heard and coveted DCS, there are so many good ones it seems for so much less these days, I would drop not that money on a DAC without trying the alternatives first. I’ve had my Constantine for several years and it still charms the pants off me every time. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
These days its much harder to find a bad DAC than a good one.   Very good DACs are pretty much commodity items these days.   Not to say they all sound the same.

I got to listen to very highly regarded Chord Mojo portable DAC yesterday running the $3000 Focal headphones.  Source was Tidal via a Bluesound streamer.

I was comparing to various more modest headphones I run off various DACs at home all of which I find quite "musical" and fairly detailed.

Needless to say it sounded very good.    How much better/different?   Hard to say without extended compares.  So it was not a total blowout as one might expect.

FWIW.


mapman's avatar
mapman
22,815 posts
 
DACs in newer better smart phones are not bad. As is the case with many good quality products at various price points these days. Need not cost much. You might need a good outboard amp to drive many good quality headphones well. At that point an external DAC may often come into play as well. I very much like the Chord Mojo. Its just very cool looking and different in addition to sounding good and not expensive by high end audio standards.
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