Least expensive discrete resistor ladder NOS DAC?


Are there any available for $2000, or less? I don't care about high-res, Just 16/44 Redbook from a CD Transport.
tommylion

Showing 2 responses by tommylion

I currently have an old Audio Note DAC Kit 1.1 that is NOS, and uses the AD1865 chip, with a tube output stage. I'm very happy with the sound I’m getting from it. Audio Note is working on their own discrete resistor DAC, which, hopefully, will be out later this year. Unfortunately, it is likely to be out of my price range.

I was wondering if there is anything else out there that is both NOS, and uses discrete resistors, which follows a design philosophy similar to Audio Note's? The BorderPatrol is intriguing, but it uses an old Phillips chip, and I'm not sure it would be much better than what I already have.
wharfy,

old as as in a chip that’s not being made anymore. Way back at the beginning of CD, before oversampling was a thing, I had a Meridian MCD. It was the first “audiophile” CD player, and used a Phillips DAC chip that, I believe, was only 14 bits. It sounded really good!