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DAC RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE

Hello,

Presently my system is: Qobuz > Lumin U1 Mini Streamer > Electrocompaniet ECD-1 Dac > Herron VTSP-3A (R03) Pre > Odyssey Khartago Extreme Amp > KEF r11 Speakers.

The ECD-1 dac is 20 years old. I've had issues with this dac at times not playing 24/192 music at all even though its rated to handle it. Recently I've had to adjust settings in the Lumin to play 24/192 music at 24/96 in order for it to play. So, I want to replace it with something using a bit more current technology. My budget is 1800.00 for something used.

To my ears, the KEF r11 is a very detailed and revealing speaker. Well recorded music sounds great. Poorly recorded music sounds very poor and again to me, that means edgy and fatiguing highs. I'm looking for a warm and musical presentation. Things I've done to lean in that direction are getting the Herron pre and adjusting the bias of the Khartago towards a warmer sound also.

Dacs I've been studying have been R2R NOS dacs like Border Patrol, Denefrips Pontus II, and others. I also have looked at the Schiit Yggy LIM.  So I'd love to hear from anyone who perhaps has had a similar quest and what was found to fit the warm and musical goal. Thanks for any comments!

JM

jfmerk
yyzsantabarbara
4,880 posts
 

@jfmerk Almost any new DAC is going to do a decent job. It will come down to your personal preference in the sound you like best. Another huge factor is the sound of your system minus the DAC. Is it warm, bright, neutral, etc. When you see comments like DAC xyz blew away DAC abc my takeaway is better system matching.

I have 2 2-channel systems, one is a bit warm, and the other is a bit brighter. Every DAC I have tried on each system has worked but some are bit better due to better sonic matching.

The 2 DACs at the $2k-ish price point I like and own are the Benchmark DAC3b (a bit bright) and the Yggi+ Less Is More. I think the Yggi+ is a neutral to slightly mellow DAC.

BTW - I just noticed that you also were looking for something with a warm tone. The Gustard X26 Pro would be a good choice for that. I owned it for a while, and it worked great with a bright set of phones. It is around $1200-$1500 and goes on sale every few months.

mtthwklly
1 posts
 

To second @dickieboy and ​​​​@krelldog PS Audio's DirectStream is a great value currently. I have a DirectStream Jr. for sale on USAM and no one is biting so I keep lowering the price. It retailed for $4K and currently have it at $1400. In combo with the built-in streamer this DAC sounds smoother than anything I've owned. I always seek warmth and realism in vocals and acoustic instruments. I'm currently running a Chord Qutest and Denafrips Ares II off of Bluesound Nodes in two separate systems, and neither are quite as good to my ear. I'm prioritizing convenience of the Bluesound interface thus the reason I've decided to sell. My speaker setups are Harbeth M30.2 XD and Graham Chartwell LS6. 

sp73
3 posts
 

RE the DirectStream… isn’t it dated tech by today’s standards? Perhaps my question smacks of ignorance; it looks fantastic and I’m in the market but just being cautious.

ghdprentice
7,038 posts
 

There has been a lot of discussion about the DiectStream DACs on the forum and a friend of mine got one, and that sent it back. There have been lots of questions about a high noise floor and some questions on design and construction. Many folks really like them… you might want to dig into the details on this one.

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