Audio Mirror vs Prima Luna tube DAC


Hi there,
Wondering if anyone out there has had the opportunity to A/B the Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE and the Prima Luna Evo 100 tube DACs.  I am looking to get as close to vinyl as possible while either streaming (Qobuz) or playing CD files from an Aurender N100H....nuts I know.

Currently using my Moon/SimAudio 260D CD player as DAC with Curios Evolved USB as interconnect from the Aurender.

Are there other tube DAC (or solid state) options I should consider at about the same price point?

Thanks all.
mahlijanian

Showing 3 responses by cal3713

Unfortunately there does not appear to be many internet savvy users of the PL. I also considered this comparison about a year ago, but could only find one or two user reports of the PL dac. Haven't really seen anything new pop up in the meantime either.  Obviously the AM is well reviewed here and regularly recommended for good reason.
Is there something wrong with the sound that you're getting now that's leading you to try all the different DACs?  

Seems like you've settled that there aren't differences in your system, so maybe the best route would be to keep buying cheaper and cheaper DACs until you find one that finally sounds worse.  Then keep the model right before that one, sell the others, and recoup your money.  

Or, if you really want to know what's possible in your system, just go ahead and get a new MSB Select.  If you can't hear that as different, then you can put the question to rest once and for all.  
@jerry2021  You're always evaluating a system... and how different components sound within it. 

I personally auditioned a number of different DACs at the same time within my system and did indeed hear differences, as did a blinded co-listener.  We both agreed on the winner, which wasn't the most expensive or the cheapest.  I did not level match though, so maybe we just both picked the loudest (or softest, or whatever).    

If you can't hear the differences, there's no reason to chase the dragon, but that also doesn't mean that others aren't hearing them.  

People on this site like to state that product X is better than Y and pretend that's always the case, when in fact X was better than Y "to their ears in their system (and in their room)."  

In your system and to your ears, X = Y.  There's nothing wrong with that at all.