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Best used or new DAC under $3500

What would be the best DAC for under $3500, new or used? I currently use the Chord Dave and I LOVE it. However, I'm looking to downgrade to save some dough. Some reference points:

1) Yggdrasil:  Sold it as the staging was too narrow/flat and it seemed a little lifeless
2) Ayre QB-9 DSD: Feel its a bit too bright/tizzy - at this point I'm done trying Sabre DACs.

Can anyone recommend a DAC that is not a mainstream sabre chip based DAC? I dont mind it if its an older generation or vintage DAC either - Just something I can get for under $3500. I don't want a discussion to defend Sabre DACs please.

Thanks!

jozurr
skanda
60 posts
 
Hello, I have a chord qbd76hdsd that I purchased earlier this year because I didn't want to point up for a Dave. It's a great unit. PM if you're interested as I was looking to sell and possibly move up to a Dave. Says nothing negative about the qbd, I just love trying new gear
deepee99's avatar
deepee99
86 posts
 
If you can snag an Aqua La Scala with the Optologic upgrade you'll be in tall cotton.
atxkyle's avatar
atxkyle
2 posts
 
If you know you like Chord, why not the new Quetest?
rbodner
52 posts
 
Metrum pavane
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
Curious on which of the three Dacs listed below are better since Benchmark utilizing something no other Dac use, inter-sampling

Supposedly the Yggdrasil also uses something no other DAC uses: 

Yggdrasil is the *world’s only closed-form multibit DAC*, delivering 21 bits of resolution with no guessing anywhere in the digital or analog path. We’ve thrown out delta-sigma D/As and traditional digital filters to preserve the original samples all the way through from input to output

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