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Sweet Sounding DAC

Ok, here's another one of those threads seeking DAC guidance.  Certainly, I have started more than my share of such questions.

This search started as a need to find a smaller DAC and streamer due to overcrowding in my cabinet.  Current players Bricasti M3 and M5.  But as I started looking and listening, I realized there is a sonic search as well; just to complicate the process.  As much as I like the Bricasti gear, I have always yearned for a softer- perhaps more tube/ analogue sound.  So the search got  harder.  Here are some of the contestants with my questions/ comments or concerns.  I seek advice from those who actually own or know the gear to follow ,  I will try to be brief.  BTW my budget is essentially what I can recoup from selling the Bricasti gear.  So lets say 3500 to 5000 ( if I sell both pieces). The first 4 I have sampled, the rest I have read about

1.  Wattson Madison;  great size.  Found vocals a little off/ sounded better w external streamer - but then whats the point of the DAC / Streamer

2. Lab 12 DAC: loved the sound; too big a footprint.  Great vocal tone

3. Konus : real nice, still a strong contender

4. Merason Frerot with LPS: not for me ( suprisingly)

5.  Audio Note: would need to be entry level due to size.  Is it good enough?

6. Gold Note DS-10 + Evo.  Looks good on paper; has anyone heard it?  Some dealers are not so high on it

7.  Ferrum Wandla:  looks good on paper but would add a box ( LPS ) to my cabinet.  Anyone hear it?  Word is that is a rich - smooth tone

8.  Audio 11 Sagra:  not much to go on but supposed to be smooth and sweet sounding

9.  Border Patrol:  some love it and some don't.  Cannot fathom who is right.

10.  AudioMirrow Tubadour.  Seemed like a strong contender until a user told me its not that sweet sounding.  More neutral in tone.  I was bummed to hear that. Not sure it has the Lab 12 tone I seek.

I think thats enough to choose from.  

Any insights would be appreciated.  Please refrain from snarkiness....I much too tired for snark,  But I do appreciate the help.

mdrone

Showing 3 responses by mahgister

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,844 posts
 

You say it way better than me... I said it in my own not so clear way...  if someone already own a dac which is good , the wise way to go is not upgrade the dac...Especially throwing money at a vay costlier one...

Anyway here no one even name or paid attention to the main revolutionary design in dac nowadays which is here for a long time now and which i name ... And it is not the product of an electronical engineer but from a physicist and acoustician ... It seems they dont read enough audio review or too much... 😊

 

I thought the best suggestion was to choose the one you already heard and love, the lab12. Then, spend $50 for a a wall mounted shelf from Ikea or elsewhere, depending on WAF, and enjoy. Stop driving yourself nuts with the plethora of contradictory claims on this forum.

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,844 posts
 

There is so much dac to choose...

And only one is revolutionary  acoustic completely new design ...Designed by a physicist and acoustician, not an electrical or an audio engineer...

The Choueri BACCH dac dont differ from other dac by a "flavor" or "a color" or more details ...

It is a complete revolution in virtual speakers room acoustic or for headphone .. Why buying a new colored dac or more detailed dac? especially if you own an already good one ?

Anyway... Inform yourself before throwing money...

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,844 posts
 
Dac are source information then they are very important...
 
But dac technology is a mature technology now.... Correct me if i am wrong...
 
If your new dac can give a MINIMAL S.Q. information flow , and even a better one than another dac
which you had owned then for sure it is a positive upgrade...
 
But no dac will upgrade your audio system itself, what you hear through your amplifier and speakers or headphone FROM THE DAC
depend of the gear downstream...
 
Now suppose a person exist like me very satisfied and in ectasy each evening because his system give him complete satisfaction with no fault or identifiable defect...
And all this occur with a low cost basic dac...
 
This means for me that dac technology is indeed a so mature designed technology nowadays that even if there is better dac , a basic one can do the job...It did for me...
 
Conclusion : for me the last thing to upgrade is the dac especially aimimg at costly one on par in price or near the price of your other component ...
 
Because if i pay 5 thousand dollars for a better dac than the one i already own , these 5 thousand dollars could have been perhaps be better spent on new headphone, new amplifier or new speakers...
 
Upgrading a dac make sense only if your gear price is already high and your dac is a very low cost one compared to them...
 
But there is always exception to any astute observation and no generalization are possible anyway... 😁
 
i will now contradict myself and i will say that i will invest in a Dr. Choueri Dac BACCH filters which cost more than 5 thousands bucks , then way more than my 600 bucks audio system...If i want to upgrade my already perfect for me system to begin with for sure...
 
I will made this exception from my above rule because i think it offer way more than just any dac on the market... No i never listen to it...😁
 
Then why am i so sure?
 
Read about Dr. Choueri BACCH filters to understand why... Just in case...
 
 
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