Birthday DAC


Hi all,

I have been asked by a family member to help choose a new DAC as a birthday gift. ( wish my wife was as generous ).  My sister in law is looking for an R2R Dac; preferably tube based.  The only kicker is she wants a smaller size.  Her price range 3-5 thousand dollars. I haven't been down this rabbit hole for a while and wonder if there are any suggestions I could share with her.

Thanks !

mpomerantz

Do DAC’s make that much of a difference.  I wonder what you hear that is different?
 

There’s at least one in every crowd.

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+1 for the Border Patrol DAC. Small, sounds excellent in an all tube based system. 

Do DAC’s make that much of a difference.  I wonder what you hear that is different?

Lampizator DACs, amazing r2r tube Dacs. I compared mine with Aqua La Voce and holo sping May kte, there was no contest…

It may limit the selection if it has to be small and tube based. I guess the form factor is more important and will just give some ideas of smaller dac's.

M2Tech Young MkIV

Chird Hugo 2 or Qutest

Hugo TT2

IFi Pro DSD

Nuprime AMG

You just described, to a tee.......The Audio Mirror Tubadour SE....A FANTASTIC and Musical Tube based..R2R .zero feedback...$3500 smallish piece of Magic. I Love Mine !

Too bad size is a factor.  LAB 12 DAC 1 Reference is a great sounding DAC.   In June I can trade mine up for a DAC  twice the cost but it sounds so good I think I'm keeping it.     Great sounding DAC. 

+1 for the Audio Mirror Tubadour SE DAC.   Version III and IV are both outstanding.   Tube NOS R2R DAC.   I love mine.

+1 for Black Ice Audio Glass FX Tube.

2 weeks new to my system. Customer service is outstanding. It’s a big upgrade from the NODE’s DAC. The supplied tubes after 200 hrs is a tiny bit harsh on the high end, but I’ve got some 50’s era Mullard’s coming from Brent Jesse, and that’s the point; if you don’t care to roll tubes, buy solid-state. On sale for $900 right now with an in-home no risk trial.

 

+1 Denafrips Pontus 2.  Huge upgrade from previous Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M

No experience with them but definitely on my list to try out: Audio Note kits. How "tubey" do you want your R2R DAC? They have tube rectification and output. You can also get a prebuilt unit.

 

 

@malibu457 Ditto…this Pontus amazes me daily…and not fully broken in. Best $1800 audiobux I’ve ever spent.

For under $5k the New Denafrips Terminator -2. 12 anniversary 

is a class leading Great R2R dac by any standard at this price point and above.

Mpomerantz 

I have no personal experience with them, but Lampizator have quite a few highly thought of tube DACs. I’m sure someone will post more for you

Sony TA-ZH1ES / solid state

or

Black Ice Audio Glass FX Tube/ tube

Nice present. Yesterday was my birthday and my wife gave me $1000.00 in cash. After I blew out the two candles she took the money back and said that she would keep it because I lose everything. How can I rebut that one? No, honey.. I haven’t lost my 108 pound integrated amplifier… Nope can’t counter her logic.

Love my May Holo DAC KTE… very musical… Not tube based, but my integrated has a tube preamp and my sound is very much like my analog.