The S3 is much better than the S2 actually. It is still very musical, and while maintaining the wonderful mids and body the S3 is far more open and nuanced. The S2 sounds dark and murky in comparison. My 2 cents. |
Have an S2 here, as you know, and will compare to the $1100 MHDT Orchid. That will be interesting. If the S2 is warmer and more tolerant of poor recordings vs the S3, then it might be the better dac to some. I like resolution to a point. I think too much detail kills enjoyment and musicality in many pieces of high end gear today.
I also see the $2 caps on the output of the S2 and am confident replacing these with some Duelund or Miflex copper foil caps for $100-$400 will get you more of everything including resolution and inner detail.....without becoming too detailed. These caps pass the full signal to the outputs and play a huge role sonically. This is NOT a place to skimp. No, this is a place to be extravagant! This may well be the best upgrade one could do for the money on this unit.
$1700 is a lot of money to upgrade to the S3. Yes it’s great you can do it, but it comes at a pretty high cost.
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I will compare before cap upgrade and report back! |
It is not silly to compare the MHDT Orchid to the S2. Not sure why you would say that as it is simply not true. We will see which dac is best in my system. I am sure you know the Orchid has many professional and user reviews stating it bested other dacs costing more than the La Voce S2. It would be nice and very professional of you to try and open your mind beyond the small boundary lines of the products you sell. It would bolster your credibility even more, I think you are credible, as a dealer posting here on the Gon. Just a suggestion. It’s a great big audio world out there with many wonderful options beyond what you sell. It is even possible some of these options cost far less and sound as good in many ways. Right? Yes, this is possible. This is not only possible, but very likely. I like the Aqua line and they certainly are among the group of great sounding dacs to consider.
I did not say that Aqua should use Duelund output caps because I understand the realities of manufacturing costs as I am also a builder and seller in this industry. I did say the position of this part is very important and a key place to be extravagant. I do think they could have used a nicer cap costing some $20 like MHDT did. Plenty of good choices here. I will be extravagant and use the Duelund cap on the output of the winning dac.
Yes using the Duelund tinned copper CAST cap is guaranteed to lift the sonic performance of this dac tremendously. No doubt in this particular position and with the nature of the Duelund cap. I have executed too many upgrades on gear over the years to think this one is a guessing game. This one is not.
Anyway, I will honestly report back with a detailed comparison of the S2 vs the Orchid. The sound quality is all that matters here, not just the internal layout and design of the unit. Plenty of well laid out, modular constructed HiFi pieces have been bested sonically by more simplified and well executed alternatives. No single build style always yields better sonic results. |
@facten
I did an initial comparison between a fully broken in Aqua La Voce S2 with upgraded current usb input board and the MHDT Orchid with 2 hours of playing time. Both dacs are fantastic. I will give a more complete comparison this weekend after the Orchid breaks in more fully. Very close call as to which one is a keeper after the first listen. Very close. The La Voce throws a bigger stage with the Orchid better than the La Voce in most other areas at this point. The Orchid sounds more nuanced with better focus and inner detail resolution. The Orchid has faster and more articulate bass. The La Voce is warmer while the Orchid is smoother especially on hot female voices. The La Voce midrange is a tad more full at this point.
I am a sucker for a large stage and thus far the La Voce has that in spades! If the Orchid opens up more during break in, then it will be the easy choice as it excels in many sonic areas.
My system...
Dali Epicon 6 speakers with greatly upgraded crossover
Clayton Audio Class A amplifier
Innuos Zen lll
sotm switch and their top of the line Ethernet cabling
BPT power conditioner |
I agree with you on these points and do fully understand. |
Yes the S3 sounds better and we agree. I will post my results regardless of your agenda. The upgrade to the S3 costs hundreds more than the cost of a new Orchid. Then there are the shipping costs and not having your dac for a couple of weeks. We Agoners often buy used gear so the comparison is just dandy!
I may well end up liking the S2 more than the Orchid. The S2 is not old enough to be considered obsolete if the owner can’t or won’t afford” the S3. I sure hope not. Reviewers were singing its praise just 3 years ago. |
One final post on my work today. I installed some very nice flat stacked 2.2uf Jupiter copper foil in wax caps on the outputs of the Orchid that were already broken in. Oh my, another nice jump in performance across the board. Keeping this baby! |
Well after full break in and an upgraded Western Electric Tube the MHDT Orchid bests the Aqua La Voce S2 in my system. The Orchid offers improved bass, pace, dynamics, intimacy, resolution and also has all the warmth and midrange bloom of the S2. The stage size is now on par with the S2 also.
Now I am left with the decision to jump to the S3 or stay with the Orchid. The S3 is said to be better in the same ways the Orchid is better. Is the S3 better sounding than the Orchid? Don’t know and have to spend lots more money to find out.
The Orchid can be upgraded by good DIY folks with better output caps etc...
We will see. |
The S2 has a cap on the output. The S3 should also based on what I have read. The Orchid, as you know, also has an output cap, but it is a better sounding unit than the S2. With a few upgrades I am confident you would love the Orchid. |
All great points! Well said. |
@kzs70. I just saw your post. I find the Orchid every bit as good as the Romulus. Not quite as detailed and resolved, but the Orchid offers better tone, dimension and naturalness. |
Neither of the versions sound clinical etc…. both are superbly musical and never even verge on the side of analytical, thin and hyper detailed. The newer version is just more real sounding and not as murky. |
