New DACs High End Munich 2023

I am thinking up to $5k.

I agree @hgeifman 

And I am completely with you @lalitk. Tubes in preamp is fine with me. I don't want tubes in my DAC.

Great questions and suggestions. Thank You for that.

As far as improvements are concerned - Oppo is a jack of all. So I am expecting more resolution from a dedicated DAC.

FGPA DACs - I have been eyeing used Hugo TT2 for sometime now.

About the Bryston - heard mixed reviews - but intrigued by AKM chip, though I know that it is the implementation that matters.

Weiss converts everything to 195 PCM and that is not the path I want to go. Will kindly request posters to not bring up PCM Vs DSD discussion here.

Wandla - was not aware of this. So will surely look into this one.

One more DAC that I am eyeing is the Okto DAC. This is one that has high recommendation from both camps.

@jayctoy ,

You already own the excellent Marantz SA10. I am wondering what this player/DAC lacks? If I had that one, I would simply stop looking. But maybe you are searching for something different?

@arafiq ,

Believe me, the T+A DAC 200 is on the very top of the list. But unfortunately it is beyond the price range. This is the only DAC that consistently gets positive reviews.In fact some users feel that between this and the $10k+ DACs, the improvement might not be even worth the money the pricier DACs are commanding. I have not heard any of them, so I cannot come to any conclusion.

The Bricasti M3 also has great reviews. I will definitely check out the Waversa.

@jayctoy , I understand your requirement now. I did see that you have multiple systems. Yes, love the Rhumba, especially with the NOS Mazda tubes.

I really have no preference to tech when it comes to DACs. Chip, R2R, FPGA, does not matter. All that matters is, if will make a positive change in my listening experience.

One thing I did forget to mention, since folks discussed using the Oppo's HDMI. The CD playback from my current Oppo is "average". When you playback using USB, it is a vastly positive experience. The last time I used it as a CD player was in June-2021. So just for fun, I decided to try to play CD on it, just to see if USB or disc-drive makes a difference. I listened to the first 10 seconds and ejected the CD. I also then tried to play BluRay after connecting the HDMI on the TV. And for this needs, it is a stellar unit.

@pindac ,

Please feel free to add your friends impressions here on this thread. Goal is to understand the new stuff and what people felt about the product as such. Photos are not really needed, since Google is our friend 🙂

@old_ears , I am really not looking to utilize I2S for the DAC. But Thank You for the suggestion.

Buy a DAC that you won’t feel the need to upgrade in a year or two

So, if you notice my system, I am long time "keeper. I am not a person who sells within 4-5 years. Most of my components are long term and I try to derive maximum joy before moving on. I am sure that whether I get a Okto or T+A or Holo or Dana or whatever - I am not going to change because there is something new in the market.

But I do appreciate your advice and it is taken well. Playback is a great DAC. Will consider used ones.

@jayctoy , I will be looking for the following DACs, but will take my time - Chord Hugo TT2 , Terminator Plus, Okto Stereo and Bricasti. I want to visit some bigger cities before I am able to make a decision. My timeline is in the next 3-6 months.

BTW, even your Marantz SA10 is under consideration if I get a good deal. Not sure why @boostedis thinks it's not a good choice. Playback designs is way too much over what I have budgeted.

@ja_kub_sz , Thanks for the recommendation. Yes, I have seen it go both ways. But some do love it and are very happy with the Musetec.

@jayctoy , I have not read a single bad review about the Marantz. While it is not my top choice, it is a device that I could live with a very long time, since I used to own a Marantz a few years ago and I know the house sound.

Ok, let me check that out too. Thanks.

Was trying to find more information on new DACS and read about Henry Audio DAC. Of course not something that I am looking for; but had not heard of them before.

Looks like the world's supply chain issues are over - now that the Okto DAC is readily available to be purchased on their site for the past 2 weeks. While this is something that I can purchase right now, I am heavily leaning towards the T+A, especially as I have been reading glowing reviews.
Wonder if anyone has a direct comparison experience between the Okto and the T+A.

@jayctoy , I have been reading glowing reviews about this DAC for some time now. When this DAC was introduced, there was 1 user who had mentioned that they prefered the DAC 8 DSD over the DAC 200. But 99% of the users who own this DAC have nothing but praises for it. Also there are some reviewers here that I trust have nothing but praises for this DAC.
I am not sure how I am going to convince my better half, but that is what is going on in my mind, besides keeping my eyes open to other DACs. In case you decide to go with a DAC, do let us know what you ended up with. I will be very curious -  especially seeing that you have already very good components in multiple systems.

@pindac , I am not sure if I would prefer valve in my DAC. Valve in preamp is the best I can do. I do not want valves in my amp or DAC. And the Merason does not do DSD and hence is a non-starter for me. But Thank You for the suggestion.

Hi @badgerdms , I use the Mazda greyplates from 1960s. I got them from Jesse Brent with extended warranty. Andy at Backert is a genuine and very helpful guy. I have talked to hm at length. Did you get the HP tubes from him? If yes, how do you like them over the stock new Mullards? I suggest that you write to Jesse about the sound you are prefer and he can help you decide.

Thank You for the recommendation on the Merason DAC recommendation. TBH, it does not do DSD and hence is a non-starter for me. I have about 150+ SACDs and I also up-sample PCM to DSD 512 in Foobar and like what I hear. I know we can go into a completely different direction with DSD Vs PCM - but I would not like to go there.

I was surprised why this DAC did not take the audiophile world by storm. Maybe it was a bit too early in the digital world and we were not ready for it then? While some folks were enamored with it, but not a huge following like rest of the Playback design products.

Good to know @jayctoy . Thanks!

@anzaanimalclinic , Thank You for the feedback on the Terminator Plus and the configs that you use. Very interesting, that the I2S now sounds flat compared to the USB. I have generally heard that I2S sounds better. Anyway, in my case, it would be USB.

@stuartk,

Are you talking about the video review he did? Where does he mention that? People have asked him about it in the comments section. But he has not responded.

@stuartk , no worries at all. Like @jjss49 mentioned, every reviewer has an opinion. For me, Steve us a influencer. So, while he does not get paid by the DAC manufacturer, the more hits/views he gets on Youtube, you know the rest. Recommendations by longtime posters or posters who have listed their systems here get my most attention. This is because these posters have genuinely owned and experienced the component. For example, there is a brand new poster on the Teac 701 DAC thread who joined yesterday and is claiming that the Mola Mola or the T+A DAC200 were not noticeably better. This is a complete red flag for me, based on the many posts from many long time posters here as well as on sites like AudioAsylum, AudiophileStyle, etc.

@lalitk , Thanks for the recommendation. This DAC reminds me of so many DACs in similar price range that measure very good, but many users complain of being sterile.

@ghasley , I will take that with a pinch of salt. That is because he has not responded to the very specific question posted for T+A DAC200 by 3 posters. Strange that he has done a pick-n-choose reply 😉 on his Youtube Channel.

But I will also mention that there is a genuine poster on this site who has his own Youtube channel and loved the T+A DAC200. But he has sold that off and went with a Ayre DAC which he says makes poor recordings listenable. While he did not respond to my query directly, I know he is genuine because the DACs that he mentioned he owned, were sold on this Site and on US Audiomart. So, for me, while home auditioning might not be possible, I do a lot of background research before I finalize a component and go for an audition. I might get a chance to visit some dealers next month.

@orchardaudio ,

I had a question- you are using the latest AKM chips. So why no DSD?

But on your site it says "DSD is converter to PCM before playback".

@orchardaudio , yes, that is what I meant. Why not allow native DSD playback?

@jjss49 ,

I always ignore posters who create new logins to offer advice to others. 

With due respect to those who love tubes, I don’t want tubes in my DAC or amp. I am fine with them in my preamp.

@rubicon15,

Good to know that you recommended a DAC since you probably heard good things about it. But there are some red flags, at least for me, and that is what even @jjss49 feels. You say you are an “old tube guy” and “been around the block”. From experiences on this and other forums, old time have hard time with internet. Strange that you registered brand new to make a recommendation, in the very first post. Old guys generally register when they desperately need help, and Internet forums is probably the last thing on their minds. 
Maybe you are different than other old timers we have seen here before. Cheers to you for the recommendation. Unfortunately, I do not look forwards to tubes in my DAC.