Six DAC Comparison
I am in the middle of comparing the sound of six different DACs in my system. I own them all (I know weird) but one of them is still within a trial/return timeframe.
Not to share specific comparisons today, but a couple of observations so far are that first, they all definitely sound different from each other. On one hand, they all sound pretty good and play what is fed to them without significant flaws but on the other hand there are definite sonic differences that make it easy to understand how a person might like the sound of some of them while not liking others.
Second, raises the observation that most of them must be doing something to shape the sound in the manner the designer intended since one of the DACs, a Benchmark DAC3 HGA, was described by John Atkinson of Stereophile as providing "state-of-the-art measured performance." In the review, JA closed the measurements section by writing, "All I can say is "Wow!" I have also owned the Tambaqui (not in my current comparison), which also measured well ("The Mola Mola Tambaqui offers state-of-the-digital-art measured performance." - JA). The Benchmark reminds me sonically of the Tambaqui, both of which are excellent sounding DACs.
My point is that if the Benchmark is providing "state-of-the-art measured performance," then one could reasonably presume that the other five DACs, which sound different from the Benchmark, do not share similar ’state-of-the-art" measurements and are doing something to subtly or not so subtly alter the sound. Whether a person likes what they hear is a different issue.
I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, there's a lot more to satisfying sonics than PRaT. For example, I've found DACs can vary significantly in terms of tonality, which is a very high priority in my case.
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@stuartk +1 I know some people who are big into PRaT and I confess I just don’t get it. Give me tonality and a good 3D soundstage and I’m a happy camper, so this toe-tapping PRaT thing is just totally lost on me if someone here can actually explain it. And here’s the thing — I’m a drummer so if anyone should be sensitive to PRaT I’d think it’d be me so I think it’s just something else maybe I’m just not sensitive to that others perceive. What gives??? |
@mitch2 , Thank you for your thorough and informative efforts. I also compared 6 dacs, but it was 5 years ago. The Benchmark DAC3 was a contender but I ended up choosing the Mojo Mystique v.3. I later traded it in for my current dac, the Mojo EVO B4B. I have been very pleased with the B4B, but your thread has given me a roadmap should I ever feel the urge to upgrade. Your description of the Benchmark DAC3 and the house sound of the Mojo dacs are similar to what I have experienced. Having owned 2 dacs that John Atkinson owns, and which he rates as class A+, and having also owned 2 Mojo dacs, all I can say is that my listening tastes are very different than his. It pays to listen for yourself to discover the type of sound you like best. |
I doubt that many folks go for PRaT only. Over my time pursuing the high end I ran into PRaT only systems, and was shockingly moved… but kept going because while they were incredibly emotionally involving… but they had wacko tonal balance and and or the absence of detail. But I also found details and slam are about the easiest thing to get in a system… then tonal balance and imaging. But if you get these without PRaT… you end up with a great sounding system without soul… one that will not emotional involve the listener. If I were to do it over again… I would follow PRaT as an absolute requirement and midrange bloom with good tonal balance and then look for better detail and more slam. I think I would have had more enjoyable systems along the way. But I had to learn and evolve and honestly PRaT was the last parameter I learned to hear / identify. Then it all fell into place. Now I have it all great PRaT, tonal balance, detail, imaging and nuanced bass. I am sure I would have got here one way or another… I guess I am just happy I did.
One of my friends that I helped assemble a great system over the last few years sent me a message last week. It said that he is not an outwardly emotional guy (I agree). But he was brought to tears several times listening to a song. That had never happened to him before. I am really happy to hear this, because it was the great PRaT in his system that did it. |
What gives, given that you’re a drummer? I dunno! I should clarify that while PRaT doesn’t trump tonality for me, it is crucial to my enjoyment. However, PRaT was never on my radar until I bought my Hegel H390. Reviewers had described how it "pushes the music along" (maybe not in those exact words, but something to that effect). I was intrigued but having never experienced this phenomenon, it remained purely conceptual. . . until I began listening with the Hegel in the system. I noticed I could not listen without drumming along on the arms of the big ol’ Mission rocker that serves as my listening chair. And that hasn’t stopped being the case. I don’t know whether PRaT enhances emotional engagement. It certainly enhances PHYSICAL engagement and I suppose it could be argued that if the body and emotions are simultaneously engaged, it makes for a more "global" sense of engagement. . . IF you are "wired" accordingly. Sounds like you are not, despite your chosen instrument. I guess this goes to show how different we can be and still be equally addicted to music. . . which is pretty cool. A common way to think about music as a universal language is its capacity to cross cultural boundaries. Another way to think about it might be its capacity to engage listeners who prioritize differing aspects. Finally, it strikes me as somewhat ironic that genres that lean very much on the rhythmic aspect, such Rap and Funk, don’t appeal to me. My only explanation is that it’s due to the relative absence of melodic and harmonic content. Yet, I’ve always loved Blues. Classical music, with its abundance of melodic and harmonic content, tends to bore me, due to the fact that its rhythms simply don’t bring my body on board. So, what do I make of these apparent contradictions? I don’t understand them any more than I understand why PRaT doesn’t factor as a high priority for you. I could say I find Jazz very appealing because it marries a strong and complex rhythmic aspect to sophisticated melodic and harmonic content. For me, it’s the best of both worlds. But I wouldn’t be content only listening to Jazz! Perhaps someday, there will be research into what makes any given individual respond more enthusiastically to one genre (or one aspect of sonics) than another. Until then, it appears to be fairly mysterious.
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