In response to 4est's impressions; I auditioned a Paradisea + against the latest Benchmark DAC1 USB pretty extensively in my system. I ended up keeping the Paradisea+ because it sounded more natural and I could listen at length with no fatigue. I found the Benchmark to be strident in the highs. Where I would agree with 4est is that it did seem to have greater resolving abilities and tighter bass, but I did find it "sterile" to use the term 4est sites. I just couldn't bear the highs...they grated on me. I was not using the balanced outputs as 4est, and I was using an active (tubed) preamp (not a TVC). Obviously systems, rooms and tastes are also different. Point is, YMMV.
Paradisea Dac
Anyone out there who can comment on the usb version . I 'am considering putting a Mac based system together and ran across this Dac in another thread .I would ONLY use the USB input and would like to hear any comments on how this input sounds compared to other USB DACS in the $1500 range. on
Showing 3 responses by jax2
On the Paradisea - I agree it is very responsive to tube changes. I like the WE 396 as it rounds out the sound in a nice way. I think I prefer the Bendix tube (can't recall the number) for a bit more resolution and detail though. Thanks for the added input, 4est. Yes, were I able to tame the high end I think I would have liked the Benchmark far more than I did. Glad to hear it can be done - obviously many folks like that DAC including many industry reviewers who are highly respected. So I'm just adding my experience as one more bit of info in your search. If you are a detail freak it may be worth getting the Benchmark and tweaking it to your liking. I think Steve at Empirical is doing mods to that DAC and is a fan of the stock DAC. Different strokes for different folks. I really do like the Paradisea and agree that it is a great bargain. A friend and fellow A'gon member who I respect recently has strongly recommended to me I check out the April Music DAC too. Many good things about the TADAC here as well. Plenty to choose from in that price range. Marco |
You can buy his stuff directly from eBay where is rating is 100% positive after 666 feedbacks. I don't think you can go wrong. I've never heard of anyone having a problem with them, which is not to say it is unheard of. He has a new DAC called the Havana that he's pushing to Audiophiles at a significantly higher price. It uses a different DAC chipset (Burr Brown PCM56P (16 bits) DAC chip). Has anyone tried this DAC? Marco |