DAC Choices - $5,000 to $7,000

I'm also a big fan of the Mojo Mystique!   I recently sold my Bricasti M3 and have replaced it with a Mojo Mystique v3 Balanced.

grannyring's statement of "natural and right sounding" is right on the mark from my perspective; I find it extremely musical, and also offers great dynamics and punch.   The Evo is a step up from what I have...

I have just ordered a Bricasti M5 to pair with the Mojo.

@grannyring I may have purchased his v3, as the seller was from MN :)

We've discussed the DAC recently and he was telling me how it has been tough for him to find a replacement for it...   I'm certainly very happy with it!

I found the M3 to sound very nice in my system (Sim740P+Pass250.8+SpendorD9) but if the preferred sound is ' like the more natural sound (to my ears) of NOS R2R DACs' I personally didn't find the M3 to offer that compared to the Mystique v3; assuming the Evo is another step up from the v3 then I would question the need to upgrade the Evo to start; at least if comparing it to the M3.

Of the DACs I've tried at home I found the M3 to offer a similar sound if not more modern to the Berkeley Alpha DAC Series 2 which I tried years ago when it was the hot DAC to have.  I ended up selling it for the slightly less resolving Sim380DSD, but one I thought offered a more analog like 'meat on the bones' style of sound.   I thought the M3 took dynamics and detail to another level over the 380DSD but I personally found it offered a slightly lean presentation.

I also tried the latest version of the RME ADI and found that sound signature more inline with the M3 than the M3 is with the Mystique.

The M3's analogue out is excellent though, and when fed direct into my Pass amp came very close to with my pre (which is ~2x the M3's price) so from that perspective it is a bargain.   Add $1K at initial purchase time for the streamer and that also is a bargain, as I just paid way more than that for the M5 to mate with the v3.   So for the M3's price I think it certainly offers all around good value, I personally think it is just a question of the type of sound one is looking for...

@mitch2, congrats on the Mystique V3 balanced!   That is exactly what I purchased a few months ago; it will be interesting to hear your thoughts on it.   I'm using a Bricasti M5 with Roon to feed it's SPDIF input.  I found its sound quality jumped significantly after upgrading my SPDIF streamer to the Bricasti.  I've just ordered a Luna Orange USB cable to try with it, so I'm not sure which of those two inputs I'll ultimately prefer.

With my Pi (running Roon) based SPDIF streamer, I definitely preferred the Mystique over the M3 in my system.    Adding the M5 to the Mystique using the same SPDIF cable (Shunyata Anaconda ZTRON) brought it to a whole another level; I'm now kicking myself for not upgrading streamers years ago. The V3/M5 combo (assuming you can find a used Mystique V3) actually cost me less than the M3 with the integrated streamer would have.

That being said, I was told by Bricasti and forum members that the M3 sounds its best with the integrated streamer, so assuming the M5 bump is the same for both DACs, plus add in the extra for the integrated solution, and yea I would now like to have that M3 in my system to compare.  If it is simply a case of magnifying the strengths of each DAC, I likely would still prefer the V3, but I can't say for sure without hearing both combos.

I'm truly shocked by the difference adding the M5 made.  Being able to try the USB input on the V3 vs SPDIF is a nice bonus too.   I also have an Anaconda AES cable and actually went to hook it up when I got the M5 and realized the V3 doesn't have an AES input :)   Maybe someday I'll get an EVO which looks to have AES...    I have an etherREGEN coming tomorrow to feed the M5, and am able to try it both with fiber and copper so that should be an interesting test.   I'm now a strong believer of handling your digital signal with the utmost care :)
  

@mitch2, can you explain the differences you hear between the V3's SPDIF and USB interface?   I've been using SPDIF (with a Shunyata Anaconda ZTRON cable) for years, and the Mystique V3 is the first DAC I've tried with USB.    I actually prefer the SPDIF (fed from a Bricasti M5).   I find the SPDIF to offer more detail and excitement while the USB to be more recessed and mellow.  If my system was more forward or bright, I maybe would prefer the USB.   To be fair I have no idea how my Luna Orange USB cable compares with my Shunyata cable as I've not compared it with any other USB cables.   The M5 might just sound better with SPDIF too.   It's nice having a streamer with multiple outputs but it is extra work to find the best match with your current DAC, not counting cable differences...

Cheers

@dsper, I did exactly as you suggested last year; sold my Bricasti M3 and tried the ASR darlings RME ADI2 FS and Topping D90.  I don't have anything bad to say about either of them; for the money I would recommend either.  The RME was my favorite of the two and I almost decided to keep it longer term until I was lucky enough to stumble on a Mystique V3 Balanced.   

In my system the D90 offered great dynamics, a black background, and amazing resolution.    As a device to simply analyze every last bit of detail on my favorite recordings it was great.  That being said, for my musical tastes and system preference (Pass Amp, Spendor Speakers) I found the D90 to be too forward and fatiguing for my tastes; I had to lower my listening levels and ultimately my listening time when using it.   I had problems enjoying the music through all of the analytical detail on the majority of the recordings I listen to.  Other folks who prefer that type of sound get a killer deal for its MSRP.

In comparison, I find the Mystique V3 simply plays music in my system and that is what it's all about for me and am happy to pay the difference.   Yes, I A/Bed the Mystique and RME in my system (I returned the D90) and preferred the Mystique enough to pony up the $$.  Again these are my tastes and experiences in my system...    If I need a reasonably priced musical sounding DAC again in the future between upgrades or for a different system, I would be very happy to bring the RME back into my house.