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DAC recommendation in 5 to 10K range

I recently get to the point that I want to try a new DAC in $5 to $10K range and would like to know if there are recommendations I should try and audition.

 

My current DAC is a Denafrips Terminator, to me, Terminator is an overall fun DAC that provide good clarity, energy, and scale. It has strong macrodynamic focus with good impact and punch, as well as solid resolving power and texture, but I feel drawback is lacking micro dynamic capability, tonality is not organic, neither is presentation, treble is not that refined, and can sometimes get too hot and gritty. What I hope in my next DAC is a balanced DAC that lean a bit more toward the relaxed and slightly sweeter smoother side of things, great organicness, great placement accuracy and depth in overall stage, great coherency and liquidity, as well as having great impact and punch.

elan120

Showing 2 responses by jgoldrick

jgoldrick's avatar
jgoldrick
138 posts
 

Have you tried changing filters or convolution with hqPlayer?  I have a Totaldac d1core that I love.  hqPlayer with convolution help to make up for room issues.  I used REW and rePhase with a umik mic.  Definitely not easy, there is a learning curve, but worth the effort.

 

 

jgoldrick's avatar
jgoldrick
138 posts
 

@elan120 

https://rephase.org/tutorials/REW%20average%20measurements%20and%20impulse%20correction%20rePhase.pdf

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/a-guide-to-advanced-room-correction-with-rew-and-rephase-using-convolution-filters/90990

There's a ton on stuff on google.  I have found for me not to mess too much with th e results the software comes up with.  I do the measurements, set the parameters in REW, set the low and high freq rolloff.  Then export to rePhase.  In rePhase, I check the phase, which is usually fine if I don't mess around in REW and don't change the amplitudes in rePhase..  Then I create the filters.  Import to hqPlayer.  

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