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Thinking about getting a R2R DAC

Dear community,

I currently have a chord qutest DAC. I like it a lot, very full sound, accurate detailed and exciting.  However, whenever I go back to vinyl (with a well-recorded nice pressing) I find the sound so much more satisfying.  There is a warmth, yes, but there is a presence, a 'there-ness' that I just don't get with the digital.  I'm wondering if an R2R DAC would get me closer to that?  my budget would be around the same as the qutest.  I was looking at the MHDT Orchid or the Border Patrol.  Don't get me wrong, I really like the Qutest.  I am thinking of putting it in the upstairs system to pair with the Node2i I have up there.  Any thoughts?  Will analog always just be a different animal than digital?

Currently in the main system I have a Sonore uRendu feeding the Qutest which is going to a LTA MZ2 going to a Pass XA 30.5

thanks!
adam8179

Showing 5 responses by georgehifi

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
The Chip based are less expensive.
Indeed - its possible to get the flavour of R2R at a very low price

Yes Yes Yes!!!
Just look for the higher end used players that use the PCM1702 or even better the PCM1704 Burr Brown dac chips here,
http://vasiltech.narod.ru/CD-Player-DAC-Transport.htm
and even better if they are used with together with DF1704 or better PMD100 and better again PMD200 filter chips

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Yeah same, I borrowed an early Holo Spring L2 discrete R2R dac and was blown away at how good everything sounded from my CD collection, real "meat" on the notes, especially on the midrange, very dynamic and transparent, then I switched it to NOS mode and things got even better. It better my Linn CD12 R2R and that was very good.

After I sent it back to the the owner, I got myself a MSB discrete R2R and same thing again and have never wanted to upgrade the front end again.
Note: these discrete R2R dacs show up CD transports, you need to have a good one.

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Delta sigma is definitely not the only reference game in town anymore.

It never was in my opinion.
Just had to be use because of sacd/dsd.
It was second rate for doing red book PCM 16/44, 24/96 or DXD conversion.

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
EQ would work as well as an R2R DAC

Every good R2R dac that I've listened to and measured is flat, and not "like" it's been EQ'd.
Good ones have more body to the mids, slam to the dynamics and impact to the bass. They don't EQ for this, it's how good ones sound compared to DS dacs

Cheers George
 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
The R-2-R Dac type has enough of it that it seems more believable and real to the ear.
As they say, R2R Multibit is "bit perfect", where DS (Delta Sigma) can only give a facsimile.

Cheers George   
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