Best DAC’S $5k to $15k


I have Chord Mscaler and TT2 and it’s very good. I’ve been considering the DAVE. Any recommendations? 

axeis1

Showing 1 response by technomagus

My final shortlist last year included the Dave, the Bartok and the Tambaqui. All are great DACS and, frankly, the decision comes down to your system and environment, your musical tastes and the state of your ears! (as for any of us). 

For my tastes, system and room (YMMV!), the Tambaqui came out ahead of the others: the Dave (without the MScaler) had fantastic detail and clarity but lacked impact, imaging and staging compared to the others, the Bartok was very close, but benefited surprisingly more from an external streamer and the Tambaqui just did it all, with that near-indefinable dose of musicality and engagement.