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Which dac or other suggestions

First time poster here. I am looking for advice to increase the sound quality of my existing system. I have a Marantz SR7009 being used as a pre-amp powered by Emotiva's XPA-5, 2 revel m22 bookshelf speakers serving as my L & R, revel c52 center speakers and 2 revel timber matched C563 in ceiling rear surrounds. I mainly listen to music and switch between L &R stereo only and sometimes "all stereo" or matrix through all speakers. We do watch movies but seem happy with our home theater experience thus far although always open to suggestions. We mostly listen to music through a Sonos connect but we also do have an Orbit turntable. I know that the turntable will one day need to be upgraded to maybe a Rega RP3 or similar. I am in the process of adding two SVS SB12-nsd subs to the mix. Our room is large at 20x30x10 and I hope these subs will make some sort of impact. We also use an Apple TV. Now for my question.

I am looking to increase the sound quality of my Sonos driven music. I spoke to an audiophile (owner of Echo audio in Seattle) and he suggested a dac. In particular, because he knows I'm cheap haha!, he suggested the California Labs Sigma ii, Enlightened Audio Designs DSP-7000 mkiii, and some Krell dacs (stealth and ??) that I have never seen listed for sale. I missed an opportunity on both the Cal Labs and the EAD and I'm kicking myself. With ALL this being said, what other dacs should I consider? My budget is $750 or less and I would prefer $400 or less. Old vs new? Tube? NOS? DSD? Yadda yadda. I am looking for an increased sound stage and dynamic range. If I get more clarity and warmth then yee haw!

I appreciate all of your input in advance. Thanks for letting this first timer ramble.

Btw, I listen to mostly indie rock but I seriously dive into ALL types of music and yes I like it loud.
troydunnagan

Showing 3 responses by gdhal

gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
@williewonka

Great to read your favorable comments about the Node 2, because I too (no pun intended) am interested in it.

Question for you (or others on thread).... I have an Oppo UDP-205. I’m very happy with the sound. So too are many others. That said, have you or anyone else on the thread had a chance to hear the Oppo and if so, how would you compare the sound to the Node 2? I’m only interested in sound comparison. Features are besides the point. They likely sound different because Oppo uses Sabre ESS DAC and I believe Node 2 uses Burr Brown.

Thanks.
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
@randy-11

Do you have a suggestion/recommendation for a (best) music server that can play from a USB A flash memory stick? 

For some reason I can't stand the fact that all the high-end (>3K) DACs must have some kind of transport to deliver the music to it.

This is yet another reason I love the OPPO (UDP-205). Besides that it is great sounding with an excellent DAC, I can just "plug and play" so to speak. I'm merely looking for alternatives and an upgrade path. And yes, I realize the UDP-205 can be modified, but given the cost (2K+) I'd prefer not to go that route and just buy a different component new.

As I mentioned to williewonka previously in this thread, I am considering a Blue Sound Node 2, however, that too does not play directly from flash memory without first having to select the files in their app via computer or smartphone.
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
@kalali 

I'm reading favorable things regarding the Blue Sound Node 2. In fact, even my dealer recommends it. Claims he sells it to folks buying 20K+ systems. He didn't say, however, whether or not those folks are using it as transport or the total source (i.e. it's own DAC and analog out right to the amp). I'm on the fence with it but will probably pull the trigger at some point given its relatively low cost. If the USB were plug-and-play it would be a no brainer and I'd jump on it immediately. I don't like the fact that I'd need software on my computer to deal with selecting the playlist, but I may have to swallow that pill. 

Are you using the Node 2 as transport or using its internal DAC?
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