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Best DACs under $7,000.00

I'm tentatively beginning the search for a DAC upgrade.  Currently, I have Innuos Zen MK3 as a streamer connected via USB to a Denafrips Iris DDC that is connected via I2S to a Denafrips Pontus II DAC.  The Pontus II is excellent but I feel it's the one point where I could gain incremental improvement toward that illusive natural, layered, analog end-of-the-rainbow.  I simply can't / won't spend above $5,000.00 - $7,000.00 on the DAC. The rest of my system:  top-of-line Prima Luna Evo 400 Integrated Amp and a set of Harbeth speakers.  Right now, I'm looking at Denafrips Terminator II or Holo Audio May DAC.  I've never seen an a/b comparison of these two, but both stand out and have a following.  Of course, the unsettling thing is DACs have evolved so much and are still in a blooming state technologically, making it a given that whatever we have today will probably be surpassed by better for less later, like electric vehicles. But that's the nature of the beast.  Does anyone have alternative suggestions in this current climate?

gregjacob

Showing 1 response by mjw25a

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mjw25a
11 posts
 

I’ve been running a AudioGD R7HE Mk2 since late last year and it hands down beats my previous best, an Accurate Studio Audio DAC-1000 (Rockna Wavedream knockoff) which in turn bettered my prior Abbas Audio DAC 2.2SE in most areas. Definitely not a fan of the Musician Aquarius. That was just too polite Andrew digital sounding.

 

My streaming chain is Network Acoustics Muon Pro streaming system > Accurate Studio Audio MBS-S800 streamer > Gieseler Audio Reinigen > AudioGD DI20HE DDC > AudioGD R7HE Mk2 > Absolute Audio Labs ASL-1Z pre > Absolute Audio Labs SIT-A15 VFET power amp > Lii Song Platinum-10 based speakers in humongous custom “Emperor” bass reflex cabinets build by Andrew Tilsley of Creation Audio.

 

DDC and DAC are both clock synced from an Afterdark Emperor Double Crown OCXO clock.

Running Duelund tinned copper power cables, Duelund pure silver 50ohm clock cables, Gothic Audio Semperfi “The Outsider” USB cables, Tubulus Concentus I2S cable and FoilFlex RCA & speaker cables.

 

I won’t both going into network tweak’s prior to the streamer etc s just too much to list. My streaming setup surpassed what my CEC TL5 CD transport was capable of quite some time ago. I can confirm the Stereophile review is spot on if a bit flowery and long winded. Great recordings are as always singing though what is most impressive is how even poor recordings are lifted significantly releasing the natural tones and timbres in the recordings exposing a lot of instrumentation and background covers ruins  which were just never even hinted at before. The DAC doesn’t seem to have a colour of its own yet instruments are full bodied and impactful where called for or gentle and nuanced. Some recordings have a massive sense of scale while others are smaller, it’s just nuts. It has the qualities I love about analog playback with none of the shortcomings, just allowing me to get closer to the recording itself and damn but isn’t engaging. Anyway I could go on and on but better leave it at that other than to say the optical input is also amazingly good for TV. Once more I’ve never heard better.

 

 Cheers guys.

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