@soix - I know you are a respected poster. And I appreciate your knowledge…
I feel you’ve made your point.
DAC and Amplifier Synergy?
Hi All -
In rebuilding my office system, I've been reflecting on my audio journey over the last few years. To put it simply, I've come to understand everything mattters. The room. Your ears. And all the synergies between pieces of equipment and cables.
There are a ton of ways to achieve audio bliss.
That said, I wanted to hear people's thoughts on DAC and Amp matching. Are some dacs just a better fit with specific amps and speakers?
Are there specific matches between dacs and amps that worked especially well? Likewise, have you tried partnering a prized dac with a respected amp that, at least on paper are standout equipment, just to realize they have no synergy in your room? Alternatively, what are the examples of dacs and amps truly singing together?
I'd welcome hearing examples of dac/amp synergy (or lack of it) from folks experiences.
Specifically, I'm seriously considering partnering a T+A Dac 200 with a Luxman 590 axii with Graham or Falcons LS3/5a speakers. On paper it seems like it would be a great match. But who knows?
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I rebuilt my office system since I recently lost a bigger room to a much smaller space. I had Magnepan LRS+ in the bigger space. I sold them and bought some used Magnepan Mini. I am in near field listening with this setup, almost like headphones. The best sound I got from this setup was with a CODA #16 amp and the Schitt Yggi+ OG DAC. Now this is a crazy price difference between the electronics and the speakers so that was not going to last. I also needed the amp and DAC for my big system. After a lot of permutations with gear, speaker cables, sub, and placement. I came to a realization. The Schitt stack that I am using now has some great synergy and is almost as good as the CODA #16 and the Yggi+ system. The speakers are not that great to really get much of a delta in improvement with the more expensive gear. Really good speakers, but not great, the soundstage is great. Schitt has a stack, Giga Stack, they are calling their answer to an integrated amp with DAC. I am now using the same thing; except I am using the Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC. The LIM DAC is likely not as good overall as the DAC in the Giga Stack package they are selling. There is some great synergy with this setup. The Wotan F amp is as good as 2 $8k amps I have owned. The Kara F preamp is rather good and has 3 outputs for speaker, sub, and my headphone amp. For an office this is an amazing set of gear. Schiit Audio: Audio Products Made in USA Is it better than the Luxman, I would say yes. I like Luxman but the Wotan is a powerful beast and clean sounding. The Yggi+ DACs, even the worst one, the LIM, is coming from a DAC designer with a very impressive pedigree. I plan on upgrading the LIM DAC in the summer when the next iteration of the Yggi+ come out. The Gungnir 2 DAC in the Giga Stack is a step towards the next iteration of the Yggi+. BTW - I got the Forkbeard option on the Kara F and Wotam F. I find it very useful to be able to control each unit with my iPhone, especially the amp.
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I find that you really need to experiment for yourself. Unfortunately you can read all you want from reviews and forum posts, what you hear in your own room with your own ears won’t always agree. I tried the easy route and used Luxman for my DAC, preamp, and amplifier. I thought they should play well together since they are from the same designer. Ended up not quite loving it. After a lot of swapping and experimenting I discovered I love the Luxman pre and amp combo, but didn’t love their DAC as much. Switched that out for a Modwright DAC and achieved the bliss I had been chasing. So to me it seems like even matching the brand isn’t always a sure thing. |
With DACs commonlly featuring 32 bits, and having very capable volume controls can for those with digital only sources offer direct DAC to amp connection. In such a system compatability of impedance considerations and output voltage of the DAC and input sensitivity of the amp can be crucial for optimal system matching. |
FYI, in my experience, the Hegel H390 is definitely neutral (albeit with a slightly rolled off top end) and "propulsive". Check the Listen Up! website. They often have open box units for sale and accept returns. One way to audition one at home. https://listenup.com/collections/vendors?q=Hegel I expect Listen Up! carries Hegel’s new standalone DAC as well, in case you want to try out the pair. |
- 13 posts total