From my listening experience and for my taste, MSB Select II >>>>> everything else, which include DCs Vivaldi stack, Lampizator Pacific, Emm Labs DA2, Wadax Reference DAC, Berkeley Alpha Dac Reference 3, Chord Dave + M Scaler
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!
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!
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- 75 posts total
I’ve heard a number on units on the OP’s list and other recommendations in this thread, but, not having heard them in my system, or a system whose sound I “know,” I cannot say any should be deleted or added to this list. It is also hard to discern what kind of sound the OP is going for absent some idea of what the OP has heard and liked or disliked. |
Detail can contain so many aspects and dimensions, at least binary micro details as image and Macro details as sound stage. Some dacs have good or even amazing image as T Plus but has either no width (Schitt Y OG) and normally no depth/ height (Rockna, Matrix X, Sonnet) Metrum). Some dacs manifested amazing stage but suck at image and resolution ( May KTE, Burson)
If detail here equals to macro plus micro, in my system to my ears 1, Mojo Mystique 2, Playback design
Add-ons 1, I could rate Rockna as best image and width but then it is lacking depth and height. 2, I have heard the whole line up of dcs in my system except the new Lina but haven't tried MSB in my setup yet and I don't count show demoing.
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@hifixman I reached a point some years ago when I no longer heard added resolution as hearing new details such as something low level in mix being suddenly heard. Since then, I've heard it mostly as sound stage and imaging differences, in the sense of greater expansion and dimensionality. I know Ed Meitner equates lower jitter very much with sound stage expansion, not just with digititus. Based on much research, the Playback Design and Mojo consistently rise to top of my list for possible dac auditions.
While I've heard nice dacs over the years, if not auditioned in my present system hard for me to make informed decision. I seek changing out only one variable at a time for this. |
- 75 posts total