another thread on DACS/players...thoughts please


Looking to upgrade my digital front end...now PS Audio Perfect wave d/t...it sounds pretty good on the transport mode using I2S; but the DAC alone on my Qsonix server falls a bit short.
Units I'd like to consider:
Ayon CD-5S; tubed dac integrated preamp and transport
Accoustic Arts DAC mark IV
Weiss DAC 202; but none of my connections are Firewire; which is how many feels it sounds best
dCs Puccinni
Playback Design
Berkeley alpha
I'd like to try to eliminate my preamp; if the dac can run directly into amp with volume control. Only sources are transport; Qsonix digital music server; and Directv and Oppo 95 for combined home theater...no analog...amps are Bryston 28sst's...so this list is a mix of tubed dacs and ss...
Looking for something close to SOTA while keeping budget more upper real world of around $10-12k...presently using Purist audio aes digital cable
Thanks for chiming in; and enjoy the holiday weekend..

I'd like to hear from folks who have gone through this exercise before me; to learn from their evaluation process. I do have the Ayon piece being shipped for their two week in home audition; not arrived yet..
mribob

Showing 3 responses by edorr

Reviving this thread. I also currently use a perfectwave dac + bridge. Quite happy with the sonics but always on the lookout for improvement. I am particularly intruiged by the Antilope Gold + Voltikus, not least because it would allow me to take out my preamp (which will pay for the DAC), and run my multi channel system throught the analog input on the DAC in bypass mode (by setting to unity gain level). Any updates on the quest for a better DAC than the perfectwave?
I will soon be able to add an additional datapoint to this discussion. Zodiac Gold + Voltikus will be arriving this week (on trial), Mac Mini is in the house. Only difference is I my shootout is against perfectwave DAC + Bridge, which also buffers data in memory.
I have it on 3 week trial so I will burn in for about 300 hours before serious listening. While on the subject, do I need to connect the DAC/Pre to a poweramp and if so does it need to be turned on? I would think without a downstream load there is no current - just voltage, so I do need to play music for burn in. Am i wrong?