R2R next? Don't like ESS

@martinman There is an alternative... If like me you understand that with music playback anything beyond 24bit 48Khz is not going to increase musicality, then you may be interested in the path I have taken with streaming. I use a Yamaha A3000 sampler from 1997 as a DAC. I bought it new as a musical instrument and in today’s money it would retail over $3500.... Now all I know technically is that the DAC chipset is Sanyo and the components used were of a high quality. Yamaha were attempting to break into the pro audio sampler market big time and blow the competition out of the water, so little expense was spared, and we all know how good Japanese high end gear is.

I stream lossless ALAC set to 48Khz max, from Apple Music via a Bluesound Node Nano into the Yamaha via coax and then the output analog goes to a 1960s Japanese tube integrated amp. a Trio W-41. The results are extremely close (almost indistinguishable) to my vinyl set up. (my first love) -- Thorens TD125mkII / Ortofon M2 bronze and EAR 834 phono stage. When I first compared them I couldn’t quite believe it. I am a critical listener by profession as an audio recording technician in Film and Television and I doubted my ears for the first time ever, so I blind tested it to younger ears in a HiFi shop listening room. We were in agreement.... it beggars belief that a piece of audio kit from 1997 was far more pleasing to listen to than a 2025 high end DAC with all the big numbers attached to it’s spec sheet.

If you can find one it needs to have the added digital I/O board which was an after sale option, and also do a resistor mod to the power supply cooling fan to make it ’near silent’ and if it has an internal hard drive like mine then that needs disconnecting also. I have experimented a lot mixing vintage with modern gear over the past 2 decades, and I honestly don’t feel I will ever need to try and better this combo.

Oh and it also has a level out pot and a pretty good headphone stage.

I just searched and watched some reviews on the Deshelli Dayzee with stock, Burson and then top model Sparkos op amps which cost approx $2k with those installed.  One review compared it to three more expensive DACs from around $2.8 to $4k, Gustard R26 and LAiV Harmony. "Passion for Sound" is the YT channel, very interesting. The DAC has a lot of inputs and outputs for those needing them as well.

If not for needing smaller gear and many other interests I might of bought one, glad I can be happy with less expensive but well sorted out gear, install, etc. To those that want to go higher, by all means do so, great for you if you can and prefer to:)

Rick

"I was the proud and very happy owner of a MSB Platinum Signature DAC (based on a proprietary R2R topology) for many years. I was lucky enough to find it in 2021 for $7,000...  I am back to MSB, this time with their "entry" offering, the "Discrete" [Discrete pricing starts at $12,500.]

Interesting forum -- a fellow posts a question about an "entry level" DAC on a "budget?  as little as possible..." and gets a response that basically says he needs to spend at least $7,000.  I understand budgets are relative to the person, but nothing like bragging about how well off one is to someone who is obviously not as favorably positioned.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650186437-gustard-r26-r2r-dac/

Gustard R26 dac for $825.  It's an r2r dac. 

I had the Gustard R26 Ladder DAC . I replaced my streamer with the Eversolo A8 which has the AK 4499 Velvet chipset. I ended up selling the Gustard because I like the sound of the Ak 4499 better. Maybe just the implementation with the streamer, preamp, DAC combo in this unit

If I was buyng a stand alone DAC, I would seriously consider the Gishelli models which come with the AK Velvet 4499 chipset and XLR outputs. Another option is the SMSL E70 (I think) with the AK4499 chipset and XLR outputs to your amp