@decooney ..." Agree, and it (Benchmark) was also the only DAC I ever sent back, fast. Fast, kind of sterile, and mostly un-engaging for me. +1 @tomwipf ..."Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty beat my dCS Bartok Apex in every aspect. " +1 dCS is very "European" sounding... polite. Ayre is very detailed but a bit more realistic... less polite. |
@jayctoy Definitely take my advocacy for it with a grain of salt. If you are looking for a 'zippy' sounding DAC, it definitely fits the bill. It's an Amir favorite (Audio Science Review). I don't typically recommend it, but I do see how it is special in its own way. Personally, I prefer more harmonic, tonally rich DACs. And I do strongly advocate for the accessories I listed above to be used with the Topping, otherwise it can be suboptimal. At least with Amazon it is returnable.
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I'm in week two of a 30 day trial of the PS Audio Directstream Mk2 DAC. I would say that it is is "lively and energetic". It is worth a listen. PS Audio has them on sale now for $5599. I'm comparing the PS Audio to my Lumin T2 DAC/Streamer. The built in Lumin DAC is very good but I am leaning towards the PS Audio. Again, the PS Audio eeks out a little more detail and is more dramatic in it's presentation. This may be too much of a good thing until the unit begins to break in....which is in the process now. Sounding better every day. |
+Topping D90 variant, look at the new III Discrete 1 bit. I have an older D90LE, very clean, clear, transparent “present” sound signature. I swapped it out for a Pontus Ii 12th in my #1 rig, prefer the R2R NOS with 99dB sensitivity Klipsch horns. The D90 now sits in bedroom rig between WiiM Pro and a low watt KT-88 SEP amp with Vienna Acoustics Bach speakers. Amp and speakers very “warm” vs #1 rig. The Topping set at 5v output keeps the warm “slow” amp and speakers very tight, with good treble extension. And you’ll save a lot of $$ for other toys. Don’t know much about the accessories @blisshifi advocating, worth a try if they can be returned on an in-home trial. Cheers |
