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Rank the top reference DACs you've heard

Usually the battle goes between DCS Vivaldi set and MSB Select II.

However, since Swiss/Japanese (boutique level) DACs are usually out of reach, we rarely read about ultra high end DACs and where they fit with the rest of the league ($5000-$100,000) price range. 

There are other topologies and SOTA designs floating around, what comes to mind:
- new DCS (above Vivaldi) flagship to be announced
- Wadax Atlantis Reference
- Esoteric Grandioso D1X (Dual Mono)
- TotalDAC Twelve Mk2
- Lampizator Golden Gate 2
- Chord Dave+mscaler
- CH Precision C1+X1 (Dual Mono) 
- Soulution 760
- Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref
- Aqua La Scala mkII Optologic
- EMM Labs DV2/DA2

I mentioned flagship DACs only since the list will be bigger and we will lose focus of the subject. It is interesting to know some of us "lurkers" or who has reached audio nirvana with his choice of DAC and what did he it compare with. The more input we get, the clearer the big picture will be. 

Let's go!
emerald

Showing 1 response by donnedonne

donnedonne
19 posts
 
I haven’t heard the entire totaldac range, but I can confirm that the entry-level model (the "core" model) is excellent...you may not need to go "higher" (the more expensive models should give more resolution, but the same flavor of sound).

Enough (non-fatiguing) resolution for my taste and a certain analogue flavor -- not that it sounds like vinyl, but in the sense of musical engagement and connection. I can listen will full attention for an entire afternoon...which I could never do before.

Adding a Roon-ready streamer board, it’s $6500 -- so it’s in the same price range (perhaps even cheaper, since it can include a streamer) as the higher level Chinese DACs (Denafrips, Holo) that have recently received much attention.
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