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DAC recommendation in 5 to 10K range

I recently get to the point that I want to try a new DAC in $5 to $10K range and would like to know if there are recommendations I should try and audition.

 

My current DAC is a Denafrips Terminator, to me, Terminator is an overall fun DAC that provide good clarity, energy, and scale. It has strong macrodynamic focus with good impact and punch, as well as solid resolving power and texture, but I feel drawback is lacking micro dynamic capability, tonality is not organic, neither is presentation, treble is not that refined, and can sometimes get too hot and gritty. What I hope in my next DAC is a balanced DAC that lean a bit more toward the relaxed and slightly sweeter smoother side of things, great organicness, great placement accuracy and depth in overall stage, great coherency and liquidity, as well as having great impact and punch.

elan120
havocman
350 posts
 

don't listen to audio Troy they're just a bunch of product pushers of their own.

Try the Wyred4sound 10th anniversary dac, one of the most analog sounding dacs on the market at any price. one of the reviewers put it up against his VPI turntable with a $5,000 Japanese cartridge and he said it was every bit as analog sounding it's not cheap though it's $4,500 US and I bought one and I can totally agree with the reviewer it's the most analog sounding dac that I've heard in my system, I put it up against the $15,000 Sim audio DAC and the 10th anniversary dac was far superior, I have no doubt that this will be as good or better than the DCS as well.

elan120 OP
35 posts
 

MSB Discrete.

Try the Wyred4sound 10th anniversary dac, one of the most analog sounding dacs on the market at any price.

I have very good inputs from people regarding the higher price MSB DACs, but will look into MSB Discrete DAC as an option.  Thank you for the suggestion.

 

Not having too much inputs about Wyred4sound 10th anniversary DAC, certainly is an option.  Thank you.

 

jaybarnett
25 posts
 

I picked up a used MSB Analog DAC a year ago for under $5k and have not given DACs another thought. The first thing I played through it was Solitude by Francien Van Tuinen. My wife actually cried. That was a first.

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,211 posts
 

Terminator 2 or Terminator Plus??

Just a thought.

barts's avatar
barts
687 posts
 

OP,

I can understand wanting to go to a balanced output DAC,  but I have to ask what the DAC is plugged into?  Maybe your upgrade lies in the pre-amp? 

Regards,

barts

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