@jk_richards so the dac you sell upgrades for beat out the dac you compared it to, imagine that.
DAC shopping - Trying to sift through the Hype. Can I trust the reviews these days ??
Hi All,
Well I've been reading a ton of threads about DACs. This is a very complicated endeavor, trying to find a new DAC. My 1st question is: Can I trust all the Youtube reviews these days ?
Seems like everyone is promoting the same DACs. I'm looking into a R2R Dac. Tons of hype for Holo May,Cyan,Laiv Harmony,Denafrips. Are these truly great Dacs or are they just the flavour of the month ?. There is almost zero negativity towards these Dacs. It's kind of like when the Eversolo streamers came out. Seemed like every reviewer was pushing the Eversolo. So searching for a new DAC online almost seems like sponsored ADs everywhere, am I wrong in feeling this way ?
That all being said here is my criteria for a new DAC (Probably searching the used market to get best value)
I believe I want to go with a R2R Dac, but it's not a dealbreaker.
My budget: $1000-$3000
My system: Bryston 3B Cubed, VTL(tube pre),Bel Canto 3.7 Dac(with upgrades), Antipodes Ds-3(player/server).
I really enjoy my Bel Canto 3.7, but it doesn't have USB input and I'm curious how much better a DAC sounds in 2024, compared to an older Bel Canto,. My BC has an upgraded linear supply. Once again this DAC sounds beautiful, but when its not compared to anything......Maybe I'm depriving myself of a better DAC. This is the only DAC I've had with existing equipment.
I know plenty of you will say go audition as many DACs as you can, but that is difficult unless it's hooked up to my gear. Won't help going to a store with a DAC being hooked up to different gear.Plus I want to buy used. I can buy higher end with a bit of a discount.
From my research these are the DACs I'm thinking of pursuing:
Laiv Harmony
Denafrips Pontas ii
Holo Cyan
You can tell from my choices that I've been buying into the hype.
Please add to my list of DACs and please dispel any extra hype over the most talked about models.
Cheers.
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@bunkertoy DSD is a clear improvement with the proper DAC. We have over 800 iso files so it’s a must in our setup.
@invalid Yes. It took us almost 2 years to prefect our DAC. During the ride we and other audiophiles compared it to many high end DAC’s and even a duplicate of ours in order to make it even better. We purchased and sold many DAC’s in the process. Started with the Denifrips Pontus (sold), Terminator Plus 12th (sold) and many others. Just finished with the dCS Bartok Apex ring DAC (sold).
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Update on the Terminator 15th. Now after 500 hours on this thing it just keeps getting better, must be all those resisters, caps etc burning in. It has opened up a great deal, I can just listen to this DAC for hours on end easily. All solid state system too. I have about 200 hours to go before it is fully cooked. I am so happy with it. |
- 128 posts total