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Replacement for Esoteric D70?

I have had a number of DACs over the years and this is by far the best DAC I have ever had. I am not even really convinced I want to upgrade, but more so trying to understand if anyone who is familiar with this DAC has found anything better than it?

Any of these newer DACs with supposedly better DAC chips? I know the BB1704 is one of the best, but some may say it has certain drawbacks, which I have never heard.

I am doubtful I can find anything with the musicality, bass weight and slam that the D70 has, but I am curious if someone has. Thanks
acurus

Showing 2 responses by 2channelchicago

2channelchicago
10 posts
 
I have a modded D70, which I bought from a reviewer at a substantial discount from the MSRP.

I did an A/B comparison with the Weiss DAC202. The Weiss was very good, but the D70 was noticeably better. Note: To maximize the D70 it must be configured as the master clock using dual AES/EBU and word clock. Since I have a computer based system, I use a Weiss AFI1 interface as the slave instead of the P70 transport.

If I were to try a different DAC, and had the cash, I'd audition another multi-bit DAC, such as the MSB IV or the Pacific Microsonics II.
2channelchicago
10 posts
 
PS, I don't know what the rest of your system consists of ... but you might try replacing some component other than the D70, because your DAC is THAT GOOD. Alternatively, you might consider having your D70 modded by the Upgraded Company, which is where mine was upgraded (I have not interest in that company BTW). It improves the sound substantially.
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