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Need DAC help

I posted here a while ago wanting to get suggestions for replacing my California Icon Mkii. The suggestions appeared to be to keep it and get a DAC. Since that post (which appears to have vanished from Audiogon) I have tried to educate myself about DAC's which I was totally ignorant about at the time. Have a simple system with Totem Forests and a Plinius integrated amplifier. I am a soundstage junkie and may also want to tame to high frequencies a bit. Would like to get a tube Dac Considering the TDAC, maybe Havanna but would really like suggestions, Thanks
rspark

Showing 3 responses by metman

metman
233 posts
 
Looks like alot of solid recommendations here and it appears all could be had new for under a $1000.00 I would also like to throw in the Eastern Electric dac which has been garnering some good reviews as well. If you can stretch your budget a little the Tranquility dac is supposed to sound great with a few people saying it sounds better than the Berkely. It is a NOS non tubed dac but is supposed to have a very organic and analog sound quality to it. One caveat is that it only has a USB connection
metman
233 posts
 
For some user reviews and comments from the local distributor as well, go over to audiocircle.com and just do a query. There may be a professional review out there as well, (Six Moons?)but I'm not quite sure. If you live in the N.J NYC area I'd be more than happy to loan you my Tdac, I know how difficult it can be to demo different components
metman
233 posts
 
The offer holds if you're willing to pick it up and drop it off, I really don't want to get involved with shipping. I have only had the opportunity to hear one other dac - The Maverick, which happens to be a great value for approx $200.00 but I think it's appeal is more for it's versaitility than solely as a dac. the Tdac is in an altogether other league as far as dacs are concerned. I'm extermely satisfied with mine, the stock tubes sounded good but I replaced them with some Siemens silver plates and it made a big difference.

There is a fairly long thread at the AVS forum regarding the Tadac from a year or so ago which you may want to check out but from what I understand the TDAC is better.

So many dacs so little time!
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