DAC for all tube 2 channel set up?


I have a McIntosh tube amp and pre-amp. I usually play vinyl on my system, but I have decided to load my CD collection into lossless format on my Mac computer along with countless live shows I have stored as flac files. I am looking for a DAC around $500 new or used that will allow me to play my digital files stored on the computer through my analog setup. The Mac has a toslink output, therefore I dont need USB support. I have looked at MHDT Paradisea, Cambridge Audio Dac Magic, and PS Audio DL3. MHDT sounds interesting, but I wonder with my tube set up, if it will be too slow. Anyone A/B with the PS Audio? Let me know what you think.
abruceaudino

Showing 2 responses by abruceaudino

Thanks for the good notes. My system comprises of a McIntosh C2300 tube pre amp and a MC275 tube amp. I love my vinyl and I also love some of my CDs that are being played through an Arcam DV79. I wouldn't say Mc gear is as "tubey" sounding as most out there. Sound is very clean and distortion free. If there is one area that it may underperform it is in tight fast bass response. I love collecting old Grateful Dead bootlegs and other live shows and as it is now I have to download, convert, then burn to disc to play them. Btw, I hate burned CDs. I want to centralize my music and since the C2300 is pure analog, I cannot connect the digital toslink from the Computer to it. Therefore I have to get a DAC. I don't want to spend a fortune though on it. At least for now.

I have heard that the MHDT is "analog sounding" but not te last word in detail. Can someone explain to me what detail is? My tube system with a properly pressed record reveals details in music you would never believe. I am wondering how this applies between DACs. Is it something regarding a "digital" sound? Others say the PS Audio DL3 is warm and musical like analog. With my CDs I crrently have, I find that some music is very fatiguing on the Arcam and wouldn't mine improving on that as well.

Basically I'm after faithful reproduction of recorded material without any harsh or grainy attributes that can be found on digital players. My system will calm the material down a bit, but not overly. I am not saying NOS or upsampling is better because I just don't know.