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Worlds best DAC

Went to CES this year to work on my transition to high Rez digital. I've heard many of the highly regarded players in my room or in others systems in the past. I'm actually very happy with my current cd based sound. As I listened to various DACS playing CD then high Rez, I was not bowled over. High rez was better, but only slightly so. The best (and most different) sound I heard happened to have one similarity. They were 2 non oversampling DACS with tube analog stages(Zanden and Ypsilon). These were without question the most natural sounding digital systems I heard at the show. They made CDsound miles ahead of high Rez. What gives?

PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
bflowers

Showing 2 responses by rja

rja's avatar
rja
2,356 posts
 
I don't know how the original question could be answered.
1. No one has heard all the DACs available.
2. Even if someone had heard all DACs that are available, the "best" would be an opinion which could very easily differ from listener to listener.
3. All DACs would have to be heard through the same system in the same room with as few variables as possible.
4. Just as an opinion was being formulated a new DAC would appear that could possibly throw the whole deal out the window, a moving target so to speak.
I'm always leery of "the best" threads.
rja's avatar
rja
2,356 posts
 
Fascinated by the new Berkeley Reference DAC. If anyone gets the opportunity to hear one please post!
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