Thoughts on DAC option
Current DAC is the original Auralic Vega . This was a HUGE upgrade in sound quality from a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic.
And things are good right now. Well, mostly, it's not like we are generally blessed with freedom from the desire to upgrade!
And now I have an option of a Chord 2qute. My main issue with the current setup is the fatigue on some music. EDM is generally fantastic, however rock is often harsh. Voices are great.
So the question is whether the Chord could smooth off the sharper edges of things.
All feedback gratefully received.
System is:
Sources - PC and Auralic Aries Mini
Amp - Prima Luna Frank Hybrid Integrated
Speakers - Krix Harmonix 2
Interconnects and speaker cables are average but not the biggest factor here from what I can tell.
Huey said it best: I want a new drug You need a new DAC. |
Your experience with DACs is similar to mine. I originally purchased a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic and then upgraded to the Auralic Vega. HUGE improvement in sound quality! I then started reading about the Chord DACs and was able to demo a Chord Hugo TT2. WOW!!! The difference in sound quality to me was STUNNING! I would recommend you demo a Chord Hugo TT2 and skip the Chord 2QUTE. It may cost a little more, but the difference is amazing! I use an AudioQuest Carbon USB cable between my PC and DAC and the sound is incredible! |
Once you have bought your latest heart’s desire, you could have a bit of fun for next to no expense.. Find a second hand Japanese made HHB CDR 830 Stick it in ’monitor’ mode and use the DAC in that. It’s 24bits of top end, all your ears will need... lusciousness. You can even adjust digital gain and balance and the analog is pass through. It also has a darn good headphone amp section. |
Be careful with the router distance from your system. Both the wi-fi signal & the EMI from the cheap router wall wart can cause you problems. chatGPT recommends at least 10 feet. |
