I wont' be of much help on the DAC, but I can comment on going from monitors to Martin Logans. I was convinced I couldn't get better imaging in my price range than with a monitor speaker. Very recently I had the Revel M20's that imaged very well. I sold them not two weeks ago and bought a pair of Martin Logan Aerius I. I am now convinced you don't need monitors to image well. My vote is to stick with the Martin Logans. I prefer them over the magnepan speakers I've heard. That may just be personal preference though.
newbie seeks direction
Hey all....
i'm building a hi-fi system, and would love some input on what directions I should be heading. Not looking for info on what to buy, just what to look for.
My goal:
stereo setup that can be expanded to 5.1 if need be.
my target$$: $5k and under
my likes: I like a big sound stage with pin-point accuracy in the stereo image. I do a lot of ambient recordings with a Soundfield microphone, so dimensional detail is of upmost importance to me.
my use:
I play either normal audio CD's, or 24bit 96kHz recordings off of my PC. This means I'll need an outboard DAC for those high-res recordings. I would love to find a single box that would do it all (a combo pre/amp/DAC). If there is something like this in the 2-3k range, please recomend brands/models so I can do the research.
So far, i've demoed a pair of Martin Logan Ascent speakers and they blew me away.
My buddy has a nice system consisting of a philips DVD 1000 (or something like that) > conrad johnoson pre > mccmormick DNA amp > vanderstein 2ce signiture series speakers. I like what I hear at his house, but I liked the Logans better. Those were coming off of B&K gear.
Next up is a pair of Sonus Faber Concherto home monitors w/a Rel sub. The retailer told me "I think you'll like this", but it's got a lot to go up against. I fell in love with that ML's right away. I'm told that monitors are better for imaging than towers...but i'm still buzzing from those Logans!
Any way, any insight or help would be appreciated. I know that within this price range things become much more of a prefference in sound. Some like chocolate vs. vanilla..etc.
i'm building a hi-fi system, and would love some input on what directions I should be heading. Not looking for info on what to buy, just what to look for.
My goal:
stereo setup that can be expanded to 5.1 if need be.
my target$$: $5k and under
my likes: I like a big sound stage with pin-point accuracy in the stereo image. I do a lot of ambient recordings with a Soundfield microphone, so dimensional detail is of upmost importance to me.
my use:
I play either normal audio CD's, or 24bit 96kHz recordings off of my PC. This means I'll need an outboard DAC for those high-res recordings. I would love to find a single box that would do it all (a combo pre/amp/DAC). If there is something like this in the 2-3k range, please recomend brands/models so I can do the research.
So far, i've demoed a pair of Martin Logan Ascent speakers and they blew me away.
My buddy has a nice system consisting of a philips DVD 1000 (or something like that) > conrad johnoson pre > mccmormick DNA amp > vanderstein 2ce signiture series speakers. I like what I hear at his house, but I liked the Logans better. Those were coming off of B&K gear.
Next up is a pair of Sonus Faber Concherto home monitors w/a Rel sub. The retailer told me "I think you'll like this", but it's got a lot to go up against. I fell in love with that ML's right away. I'm told that monitors are better for imaging than towers...but i'm still buzzing from those Logans!
Any way, any insight or help would be appreciated. I know that within this price range things become much more of a prefference in sound. Some like chocolate vs. vanilla..etc.