I’m going to zero in on something else in your system. The cabling —which is actually the cheapest component in your system, not the DAC. Your brand is a great bargain for SQ, even for systems costing much much less than yours. Their power cords and speaker cables are nice for the money and I use both. But the interconnects do not seem to perform the same…but are certainly ok for their price. Some cables can perform differently system to system, but in my system, these ICs produced unclean/noisy high frequencies and I can see how this might contribute to your issue… A high end, high resolution system deserves very clean and clear signal cables. Not to mention some absorption somewhere! Even if just at first reflection, you may see a drop in glare that you don’t even know is there.
Which DACs are known to be sweet/rich/relaxed?
Problem
System is nicely transparant and detailed, but tends to get bright and harsh with certain (rock) recordings and at higher volume levels.
Objective
Nudge the system towards a sweeter, richer, more relaxed presentation.
Proposed solution / first step
Upgrade to a (tube based) DAC, budget $25-40k.
Current chain
- ROON Nucleus
- Mola Mola Tambaqui
- Gryphon Essence pre amp
- Gryphon Essence monoblocks
- Focal Stella Utopia EVO
- Full loom of Triode Wire Labs cables
- Dedicated power line straight into Puritan PSM156 mains filter
- System resides in the living room with some diffusors but no absorption other than sofas, chairs, and some rugs.
On my radar
Lampizator Pacific (or Golden Gate 2 since I heard it's more "tube-like")
Aries Cerat Kassandra 2 Ref or Sig
— What other DACs should I consider?
— Do you think upgrading to another (tube based) DAC will achieve that sweeter, richer, more relaxed presentation?