Super Dac under $20K?


Looking for some feedback on a GREAT (jaw-dropping)Dac that will take my evolving system to yet another level of performance. So far, the sound is great, but there is always room for improvement..............

Main Components:

Esoteric UX-1 upgraded to UX-1P1 by Esoteric
Esoteric G-0s Rubidium clock
Vac 300.1 Amp & Phi 2.0 Preamp
VSA VR-7SE speakers
Synergistic Tesla cabling

I don't think a D-03 is much of an upgrade, if any at all and D-01s are too expensive, plus you need 2!! Waiting to see what APL comes out with, but in the meantime, I REALLY need some ideas, especially with RMAF just around the corner. Thanks in advance for your help.
fplanner2000
Check out the "Chord QBD76". As stated in of the audio sites -

"Chord Electronics has once again produced the world's most technologically advanced DAC. Building on the success of the DAC64, the QBD76 now takes D/A conversion to a new level of performance not available in any other product. In addition a unique Bluetooth digital audio receiver allows users to stream high quality music wirelessly from a Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA or PC. Instead of simply using the best off the shelf DAC chip, Chord designed their own using the newest Xilinx field programmable gate arrays. This state-of-the-art development platform provides Chord engineers with a staggering 1,250,000 logic gates with which to design their DAC. The best DAC chips available today use only 30,000 logic gates. Thus, with over 40 times the development power, Chord engineers were able to control every aspect of their DAC's design and performance. As a result, the QBD76 is capable of resolving 40dB more data. With its new design and updated WTA algorithm, the QBD76 achieves a signal to noise ratio greater than 120dB, a dynamic range of 122dB, and, remarkably, less than 3pS clock jitter cycle to cycle. The QBD76 has astounding resolving power and is better able to reconstruct transient edges. This results in substantial improvements in: timing, imaging, soundstage depth, pitch reproduction and bass definition.

Theoretically it seems perfect, but I've not heard it ... so if you are willing of taking the plunge .... this DAC would make "bit perfect" sense.
Dodson Palladium is worth a listen. I have not compared it directly to other high end DAC's in my system but the level of resolution I am getting compares well with what I have heard from weiss, zanden etc. in showrooms.

Cheers,
Weiss Minerva ($5k) is liked by Jeff Fritz at UltraAudio, better than Arc CD7 he says. Computeraudiohile prefers the Berkeley Alpha Dac($5k) to the Minerva and some guy here on Audiogon with MBL101s prefers the MSB Platinum($15k) to the Berkeley, if that helps?
FWIW - Talked to the AA distributor in Ct - they will not be at the show. Might be worth a follow-up depending on what happens at RMAF and with APLHiFi.
Teajay - read your excellent review - AA looks pretty impressive. Any idea if they will be at RMAF?
I'm pretty sure I knew that...serious senior moment there...in public...okay I'll try again...Harve, I'll ping you via e-mail and let's figure out how to meet up at the show once I am in Denver! :-)
Harve, we'll have to meet up and spend some time listening to DAC's, I am planning a similar agenda to yours for RMAF. I'll shoot you a note with my cell and we can try to connect once you get to Denver.

Art
Starcon,

Can you say more about the new Reimyo. Do you know if it sounds like the CDP-777? What else have you compared it to?

Thanks,
andy
Thanks very much for the responses so far.
Yes Art, I will be at RMAF. I'll probably be lurking around the big room VAC and VSA are using off and on, as I look at the various DACs at the show.
09-17-08: Coolhand
Dude, you gotta put me on your payroll if you think $115,000.00 is reasonable, it sure ain't lunch money on my side of town !!!!!
I think Teejay meant $11,500.

Nonetheless, that is a lot of scratch for this kid. If I sold every piece of audio equipment I own, I think I could pull it off. Wouldn't be able to listen to it, but it sure would make a statement in my empty room.
reimyo 999, just came out, and it will blow you away, under 10K. Or, a bargin, giant killer. Heard it. bought it.
Dude, you gotta put me on your payroll if you think $115,000.00 is reasonable, it sure ain't lunch money on my side of town !!!!!
If only those extra zeros could appear on my paycheck as easily :-P

Seriously though, Fplanner2000, around $20K you might find an Audionote DAC 5 Special on the used market.....jaw dropping would be a quite an understatement
Fplanner2000, take a look at my review here on the GON on the Accustic Arts Tube Hybrid Reference DAC that ranks among one of the finest musical sounding redbook DACS on the market, built with beautiful German craftsmenship, at half the cost of DACS it competes with sonicly. It's not inexpensive at $115000.00, but is still very reasonably priced compared to what the other highly regarded DACS cost.
Vekian DAC is the best i have heard SS DAC so far.

My previous SS DAC's: 30.6, D70, D-03, and DC-801.
Check out Playback Designs MPS-5 Many feel it is the best one box CDP in audio today. I am sure you can here it at RMAF.