What DAC upgrade made you say “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?
As the title suggests, what was your overall system and DAC at the point where you bought only a new DAC and said “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?
I’m a novice and so many people talk about improvements from new equipment as if they were only listening to varying degrees of static until they bought more and more new equipment which added up to them finally being presented with music. It’s like Salome and the seven veils. But when does the last veil get peeled away?
So what system did you have and what DAC did you swap in that made you say “DAMN!!!!”?
I guess I’m looking for night and day differences, not gradual progressions……
Can you please elaborate on ‘best DCS and MSB’ since they have different tiers of reference. I would like to know which models you’ve tried that were bested by K-01xd?
Depends also on what your playing, streamed DSD the DCS and your Esoteric would be the one to go for being bitstream (delta sigma) based dacs. But if you use PCM RedBook 16/44 24/96 or DXD then "bit perfect conversion" of R2R Multibit like the MSB would be the one to go for. As delta sigma dacs can only give a "facsimile conversion" of PCM RedBook 16/44 24/96 or DXD
The answers you get here will be - Wow here was my best DAC ever! With 30 different suggestions. Why? Because DACs have made some serious gains in performance. No one here mentioned Audio Note. Try an R2R DAC with a tube and no caps.
seems to me the flaw in the op’s question is as much about how bad the prior dac was, compared to the new one
you go from the dull lifeless onboard dac in a bluesound node or a yamaha streaming dac to a decent (but hardly outstanding) high end dac like a denafrips ares or a topping d90, you may go ’wow’ ... maybe
but if we are dealing with 2 legit competent high end hifi dacs, there will be no ’wow’ - differences will be nuanced and subtle, if heard on a well conceived, properly assembled, sufficiently high resolution system
Went from using an Audioquest Dragonfly black to a Chord Mojo to a Denefrips Pontus ll. The resolution and detail that the Pontus brings, definitely made me go “WOW”
Exactly! I’ve asked OP to reveal his system and budget for DAC. No answer yet! I am willing to bet majority of recommendations here are not even pertinent or far off from his consideration :-)
A short money upgrade can be buying a linear power supply for any of the less expensive 5V DACs that come with an inexpensive wall wart. I got a pretty good one on Amazon for about $85 that made a significant improvement over the stock supply that came with my Schiit Modius.
@chorus, well I'll mention Audio Note. I was happily using a Border Patrol DAC in an otherwise AN system, and was happy with the sound. Switched to an AN 2.1x Sig. and the difference was amazing. It will only do CD quality sample rates, but the improvement in layering, decay and dynamics are very obvious. Couldn't be happier! @Pengun, switch to the Denafrips Pontus or Venus, and use the Pi2AES I2S output for a real upgrade in sound. It certainly makes a difference going into my PS Audio DSJr as it has the I2S connection.
The PS Audio Direcstream DAC. I cant even remember what I was using before it. It even gets better every time they have released software upgrades, which , by the way, are free. I highly recommend this DAC.
I have been listening to a recent purchase of an Esoteric K-03XD for not quite two weeks and am (coming to grips?) with its sound. It doesn’t sound like a SACD/CD player in the sense that I’m familiar with and it doesn’t sound like a turntable. As a "died in the wool" analog person that listened to digital music as an afterthought (used to listen to digital as an afterthought), has in the last few years realized just how good digital sound can be and I’m now at a crossroads. Just one example of the kind of music making this player produces is a rip of a Patricia Barber recording of "Blackbird" that I can only describe as the wettest cover I have ever heard. When I mentioned this to the seller the other day , he laughed and told me a wetter sounding recording of new music by Barber is on its way. A pile of CD’s that I was going to dump for what I thought were bad sonics, I now have a renewed interest in. I will be buying more used discs at local second hand shops. More fifty cent discs and less $135.00 plus vinyl. I’m getting older and getting up every seven minutes to change an lp is not what I’m interested in doing much of anymore. In a way, like purchasing a Degritter, it makes my life better by making it easier to enjoy my music and simplifying the process of doing it.
I have a few DACs in my house and I've auditioned others. I first cut my teeth on an Audio Alchemy, now Elac DAC. Peter Madnick did a great job with this entry level DAC, then sold it off to Elac.
I then did a lot of research and wanted to hear what R2R was all about. I bought a Holo Spring KTE edition and was very impressed. It was a nice improvement in soundstage, and smoothness.
Around the same time I auditioned a Chord DAVE. I liked what I heard but the difference between it and the Holo Spring were not worth another $7500. About a year later I began working from home and wanted a DAC in my office. Knowing what the Chord sounded like I bought a Hugo TT2 and have been able to directly connect a pair of Omega CAM monitors and run the Hugo in amp mode. A great nearfield sound.
Then the Holo May was released. All reviews were glowing. Already liking the Holo R2R sound I took a chance on the May. This was the most significant DAC upgrade I have experienced. The soundstage, image depth and tonality are deep and true. Something you need to hear.
People have been responding to this post with improvements other than the DAC. I have made improvements all along the chain, from the server hardware and software, power supplies, circuits, wiring, cabling, shielding, room treatments, really everything. The biggest impact component will always be the speakers. Preamp and DAC are probably the next impactful.
Really love my PS Audio DSD. The fact that it uses FPGA and can be updated is a real plus. As digital technology progresses, it is nice to have a product that can be upgraded with a change in software and doesn't have to be replaced. Also, Ted Smith is a brilliant engineer and really had a good grasp on what makes digital sound good.
I love reading everyones takes on DAC's and window shop after each response. I'm eyeing an upgrade probably next year ($1,000-$2,000 price range). Leaning towards the Gustard X26 Pro at the moment.
My beginners "ah ha" moment was when I ditched my integrated 2 channel Cambridge Audio AXR100 receiver DAC and got a standalone DACMagic 200m.
$500 USD and I'm still smiling each time I listen to it. Also enjoy MQA off my laptop, but hoping to get a Room Nucleus+ soon.
Current set up Laptop/Tablet DACMagic 200m Azur 851a Azur 851w KEF LS50 Meta KEF Kube 12b
I've also read so much great stuff about the Holo May that I've got one of those on order; I'll have a shootout between that and the DAVE/M Scaler combo...
Holo Audio May KTE dac with 432 Evo Aeon server have lit up my listening experience.. Recent dacs , PS Audio senior, Denafrips Terminator , Rockna Wave Dream including AudioByte Hydra Vox dac and headphone combination the Holo Audio dac did it for me ,..
My DAC experience thus far is always with combinations of BluRay, Pre, and streamer. DAC implementations vary quite a bit. As many did, I started streaming with a Bluesound Node, then streamed with it to a DAC in my preamp - a noticeable improvement. I then tried a Cambridge Audio 851N and Ir was really quite good. A wow step. I t has poor use of streaming from my NAS, so that went away. Currently using a Cocktail Audio which integrates well, and is quite decent - on a par with the DAC in my preamp. Just using the analog outs. I tossed around the Lumin idea, but the price range is outside my priority levels.
I didn’t see your request for what my system is amongst all the replies. For digital, I’m doing a Decware Torii Mk4 amp, Schiit Saga preamp for volume control and multiple inputs, Omega 6.5 XRS floor standing speakers, a Node2i for streaming, and a Topping E30 DAC. When a recording doesn’t sound great, I use my Schiit Loki+ to EQ it. I don’t own any cables more expensive than those from Blue Jeans.
I asked my question because I’m actually quite content with how my set up sounds, yet I’ve read in some places that my DAC is “insufficient”. This got me wondering about all the claims I read about how great some DACs are vs others and whether or not there were night and day or merely incremental differences between DACs. It seems like people have had experiences of massive changes, so I’m eagerly reading and researching!
Very interested to know which R2R dac has a tube output stage with no coupling cap in the signal path?? Unless it uses a transformer, then I’d op for a good quality cap, to sound better, least colored, more dynamic and more transparent.
I had a Calyx Femto DAC. It was excellent but I sold it and
bought my current DAC, T + A DAC 8 DSD. It has many options for PCM or
DSD with multiple filters and settings. I bought it because it was
capable of converting everything to DSD @ 48/512. To me that is its best feature and that's how I listen to
all my music with Signalyst HQ Player.
Some downsides, your computer has to be powerful enough for DSD 48/512 and lots of people no longer use computers to listen to music.
Up until recently my DAC was the least costly component in all my systems. In quick succession I made several DAC upgrades each costing approximately 2x the previous. Unfortunately, in my specific example the differences were minimal if any. IT wasn't that I had issues with the existing sound, but upgraditis..... Anyway I'm backing out of that rabbit hole and filling it with concrete. No more DACs for me.
Moving from a Mytek Liberty to a Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE I saw a very clear and substantial improvement, all other things in my system being equal. Later I bought a PS Audio DirectStream Sr. DAC, it wasn’t as bright an improvement but it is clearly a better sounding DAC - in my system.
When I bought my Linn Selekt DSM with the "Katalyst DAC". All digital sources are fed thru the SDSM and make their way back to analogue via the Katalyst DAC and ultimately the analogue output stage. It really has been a voyage of rediscovery. Worth every penny to me.
The new Linn KDSM is very impressive and very expensive. The concept will eventually trickle down in the way of upgrades to other systems since they are modular to some degree.
Love my new Gustard X26Pro dac, beats my D90, RME ADI2 and previous Audio-GD DAC19 & Master/NOS11Extraordinary naturalness, both in timbre and detail on my main speaker system (Marantz PM11S2/Harbeth SHL5+40th), also the added stage depth is quite wonderful.
Apologies if this was already mentioned, but it's important to consider DAC type. Depending on implementation, there can be "night and day" differences between a tube-based DAC, a delta-sigma style DAC, an R2R NOS DAC, etc.
Especially if it's your FIRST time hearing a DAC in a new style, it may hit you like a ton of bricks. In a good or bad way.
Once you've listened to a lot of DACs and learn what you like, listening to DACs in the same/similar build approach and within the same price point will be a more subtle experience. No "night and day", need a more extended listening process to determine what it is you want to live with long-term.
Go Streamer first. I'm analog-first but have been futzing with non-CD digital for a decade, having spent over two years bit-perfect-ripping 6000 CDs. DACs on two systems are currently mhdt Pagoda and Pagoda Balanced, and M2tech Young 3. R2R with tube buffer outputs and discrete i2V stages in the former; delta-sigma in the latter.
Have tried direct wire to DACs, and for several years used AppleTV Gen2 via Toslink for 16/44 as a decent convenience while I ripped discs.
Auralic Aries G2.1 on main system and G1 on secondary are revelatory. Better over their optimized wifi than (of course) AppleTV and direct copper. Now have 4TB of ripped CDs + Tidal HiFi + Quobuz streaming to the two mhdts via Auralic's excellent Lightning DS management app. Considering serious expense upgrades to DACs (Bricasti M1 Gold, M21, M3) for two systems. But while I sort that, the streamers seriously elevate the existing mhdt R2R DACs. Auralic does MQA emulation (which I think is better than real MQA) and their streamers include a 1gB playback cache with deep dejittering. I'll venture to say, the streamer is the key component before you sort the DAC.
Currently, I have 2 separate systems and each one has a DAC. My basement system has a Holo May KTE and my great room has a Bricasti M1SE. I upgraded to the May from a Bryston BDA-3 and it was a very significant improvement. The Bryston was good, the May is way, way better.
I own an Oppo Udp205 which uses two ESS Pro Sabre chips. To me, it sounds great. I just listened to the dCS Bartok DAC which used proprietary ring technology - not chip based.
I was blown away at the difference. Yes, both units are in different price points, but I’m distinguishing, many times, you get what you pay for…I would recommend to audition DACs at different price points. Select maybe a few suggestions from this thread.
Before I knew what I absolutely wanted when I was rebuilding my system about 10 years ago, I ordered a Schiit Bifrost and a subsequent multi-bit upgrade. I liked it and got comfortable with it as components changed, but when I really started to fine tune it I thought it would be time to lose the budget DAC. After some reading, the Auralic Vega was where I settled in and it was indeed WTF change with my CJ ET3SE & 2550SE. Palpability just jumped to a different level, as you'd expect and it was a very satisfying change. Now, I have the itch and I think I wanted to jump back into the world of Schiit, from whence I came and step into R2R via the Iggy.
Apologies if this was already mentioned, but it’s important to consider DAC type. Depending on implementation, there can be "night and day" differences between a tube-based DAC, a delta-sigma style DAC, an R2R NOS DAC, etc.
dac architecture matters, but no more than other implementation items, most specifically power management, form and quality of output stage, dsp (if any), jitter management/reclocking
schiit makes r2r units that can sound too tizzy and shrill, ej at w4s can take an ess sabre application in his dacs and make them uber smooth and warm... the converse of the conventional wisdom...
so dac ’type’, meaning its architecture is NOT a reliable descriptor of the sound of a given dac
Just acquired the 'old school' Zanden Reference 4-box setup (model 2000 transport; 5000 Sig. tube dac- $44k combo when launched). Best solution after 25+ years digital only, but as a 'dac only' limited in resolution to the newer stuff- but oh so relaxing and plain musical for the redbook cd fans out there...
As a 'dac only' in my second system, the Jeff Rowland Aeris with supercap PSU has upped the ante vs all my previous solutions- will add that it sounds amazing driving amps direct...
I didn’t realize that any of the Schitt DACs sound tizzy or shrill. But I have never heard one.
maybe tizzy and shrill are too negatively connotated words to describe what i hear in the schiit r2r dacs sound (gumby and yggy)... lets say they have ample treble energy (as do schiit’s amps), more than most r2r dacs, certainly r2r dacs with tube output stages like mhdt and audio mirror - schiit gear, certainly their more expensive stuff, have a certain house sound, which to my ears, is on the bright side of neutral
obviously many people do enjoy the sonic character of their gear
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