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Is my DAC my weakest link?

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this sort of thing. I recently bought the following system used:

Thiel CS2
Rotel RC-1070
Audionics BK-ST 140 (BT-2)
NAD 5000
Music Player II DAC

It sounds great and I am very happy with it. I am wondering, though, whether the Music Player II might be outdated. I know everything is old (hopefully some of it in a classic sense), but I have been wondering whether more recent technology might have greatly improved DACs. Would it be worth it to invest in a more recent DAC, and if so, what price point would be roughly commensurate with the system? (i.e. no need to improve the DAC beyond the capability of everything else).

I stream Tidal HiFi through Audirvarna Plus to the DAC.

Thank you for your insights!
ryunosuke13

Showing 1 response by towertone

towertone's avatar
towertone
82 posts
 
Since you are streaming Tidal Hi-FI through Audirvana I would recommend a DAC that can handle MQA. The Mytek Brooklyn is probably the best overall (for the price) but if you just want to get your feet wet you could try an Audioquest Dragonfly Red or Meridian Explorer2 DAC and either return them or keep one for travel or a smaller system (I have the Explorer2 hooked to a MacBook Air and powered speakers in a secondary office). 

If you like the sound but want to move up you could try the Project Pre Box S2 Digital or the new NAD C658. 
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