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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
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,778 posts
 

I hope the take away here is auditioning a DAC is a wise move, there are so many to choose from in the OP’s bracket 

Some companies will be here five years from now, some won’t. No one knows and it’s a chance you have to take.  
 

I buy a new DAC every 5 years or so ….  I’m going to enjoy that LAB 12 for the remainder of it’s warranty and revisit whether I even need to replace it four years from now.   
 

Digital gets obsolete fast , so given that and factoring in my other components the LAB 12 fit my plans perfect.  I wanted a great sounding DAC with no frills. That also wasn’t out of line with the rest of my system.   

adewolf1
3 posts
 

Hello

First posting for me.

I have the Bricasti M3 and I fell that it is a bit too

analytical and dry. I ended up with a Sonnet Digital Audio Pasithea

which I love. It has a sweet r2r sound.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
mflichten
8 posts
 

Apologies in advance because this DAC is huge and heavy but reference level none-the-less. In my 10 years of borderline frantic searching - now completely over. I no longer thing about DACs at all. Every song plays like a PERFORMANCE in my room. 

The Heléne is a bit-perfect ladder DAC and uses NO data processing, upsampling or oversampling – all data is converted at their native sample rate and bit rate.

Taking technology from the Kassandra Series, the converter banks are implemented around a matrix of eight R2R converters per channel, running in parallel. The two independent banks use EIGHT (8) R2R matrixes from the 8 Analog Devices AD1865N-K in current mode. Most reference DACs use one of these chips. The Kassandra uses 16 chips per channel.

https://aries-cerat.com/helene-product-page/

I read these forums a lot but rarely post. This is definitely a worthy mention!

 

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,778 posts
 

That's great, but the OP is looking to spend $3500  to $5k.....  I would expect anything  from Aries Cerat to sound great...  

dandaroy's avatar
dandaroy
20 posts
 

I liked the Lab12 DAC1, but on the digital inputs connected to a streamer it would create a noise every time the bit rate changed. Manufacturer said it is normal. For $3200, I was not willing to live with noise/clicks/pops, so back it went.

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