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Best DAC / Budget

I think this is a gain issue between my analog and digital sides - but I just don't know enough
I hit a wall with the digital side yesterday
I generally listen on the lower side of listening levels
Yesterday I came home and decided to see what this rig could do and put it through it's paces on both the analog and digital side.
I'm playing vinyl on a Nottingham 294 space deck with a 12" tone arm and a Lyra Delos cart - through a EAR 843 tube phono stage - line input on a Rogue Cronus Mark I - KT120 tubes - bypassing the Rogue phono stage.  It sounds just completely glorious. I'm very happy with it.
Digital is a different problem. I've always understood this gear was meant as place holders - they got the ball rolling.
I'm streaming from Tidal, through a Pro-Ject Stream Box Ultra 2 (ethernet cat 6 hard wired to a router), through  a gifted Schitt Mano 2 DAC.

The Problem:
Analog completely surpasses the digital in every way
Digital - turning up the volume (to very high levels) only seems to result in filling in the low register and not actually increasing the volume.
I'm fully aware I am comparing a DAC to a Deck which costs many times more.

Looking for recommendations for a separate stand alone DAC which complements the analog side and for an idea of budget.
Thanks everyone







smaarch1
furiouslyadrift
42 posts
 
It’s entirely possible the digital music is not  mastered very well. Try an SACD or DSD file and compare. Better yet, something you have from the 70-80’s that’s well done on both vinyl and digital (Love over Gold or Aja?). 
A lot of early CD were terribly mastered and a lot of newer pop is heavily compressed due to the “loudness wars”. 
Vinyl has worse SNR and headroom than digital... it’s not even close. Thing is, is that restriction in the medium forces the recording engineer and master to be really really good... 
parker65310
209 posts
 
I’ve got an MHDT Orchid tube DAC and absolutely love it. I’ve got it coupled with a BAT VK-6i tube preamp and VK-600 solid state beast of an amp. The Orchid only costs $1,200. 6Moons has an excellent review that holds true to my experience. I would also talk to Linear Tube Audio. They are a reseller of MHDT and Nicholas is very helpful in answering any questions you might have. For me, it came down to the Orchid or the Pagoda balanced (~$2,600). If you’re willing to spend the extra coin Pagoda balanced is a great choice.
dseltz
150 posts
 
A little above your budget ($3500 with PSU) but I feel a VERY analog sound
Exogal Comet.  I searched for a DAC with more analog sound and found this very satisfying.  Well built.

My two cents
mazian's avatar
mazian
355 posts
 
As you have all tube amplification you might find R2R  doesn't do it for you. I tried MHDT, Denafrips Pontus and couldn't hear any difference between those DACs and the DAC in my CD player. Even the Denafrips distributor indicated that I would need the Terminator to hear any difference and even then the difference would not be great. I ended up with a Pure Audio Lotus 5 DAC which uses the latest ESS chip and yes there was a difference, a little more dynamic and transparent, but again the improvement was not huge.  
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,505 posts
 
I have a Modi multibit. Passable. Go with a Soekris or the RME. Almost identical SQ, different features. Both blow out the Schitt AND play DSD.
I also enjoy a P-J S Ultra Stream Box and it benefits of from a Teddy Pardo PSU.
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