Sweet Sounding DAC


Ok, here's another one of those threads seeking DAC guidance.  Certainly, I have started more than my share of such questions.

This search started as a need to find a smaller DAC and streamer due to overcrowding in my cabinet.  Current players Bricasti M3 and M5.  But as I started looking and listening, I realized there is a sonic search as well; just to complicate the process.  As much as I like the Bricasti gear, I have always yearned for a softer- perhaps more tube/ analogue sound.  So the search got  harder.  Here are some of the contestants with my questions/ comments or concerns.  I seek advice from those who actually own or know the gear to follow ,  I will try to be brief.  BTW my budget is essentially what I can recoup from selling the Bricasti gear.  So lets say 3500 to 5000 ( if I sell both pieces). The first 4 I have sampled, the rest I have read about

1.  Wattson Madison;  great size.  Found vocals a little off/ sounded better w external streamer - but then whats the point of the DAC / Streamer

2. Lab 12 DAC: loved the sound; too big a footprint.  Great vocal tone

3. Konus : real nice, still a strong contender

4. Merason Frerot with LPS: not for me ( suprisingly)

5.  Audio Note: would need to be entry level due to size.  Is it good enough?

6. Gold Note DS-10 + Evo.  Looks good on paper; has anyone heard it?  Some dealers are not so high on it

7.  Ferrum Wandla:  looks good on paper but would add a box ( LPS ) to my cabinet.  Anyone hear it?  Word is that is a rich - smooth tone

8.  Audio 11 Sagra:  not much to go on but supposed to be smooth and sweet sounding

9.  Border Patrol:  some love it and some don't.  Cannot fathom who is right.

10.  AudioMirrow Tubadour.  Seemed like a strong contender until a user told me its not that sweet sounding.  More neutral in tone.  I was bummed to hear that. Not sure it has the Lab 12 tone I seek.

I think thats enough to choose from.  

Any insights would be appreciated.  Please refrain from snarkiness....I much too tired for snark,  But I do appreciate the help.

mdrone

In this price range with this form factor, I second the recommendation of the Wyred 4 Sound 10th Anniversary, especially if you actually listen to your components instead of just measure their specs. (ASR has no love for W4S products.)  I now am using something else with a built-in streamer, but, if you don’t need the streamer, the 0th Anniversary is worth the admission price.  Of the large handful of DACs I have had in my system, none has sounded more “analogue “ to me.

I've never heard a DAC more pleasing than my Mark Levinson 360s with Burr Brown PCM 1704 chips.  Yeah, I'm old school~

Such powerful words of wisdom form @pennfootball71 After my experiences with Lampi I would not listen or read a word of advice from this guy. Grain of salt. 

 

The dacs you listed are all junk compared to your Bricasti. Pay up buy a Lampizator Baltic 4 for $6500 from the best company in audio.

If you are looking for something warmish, sweet even then Lampizator can produce excellent results. I had a play back designs MPS 5  sacd/dac which  was replaced with a Lampizator golden gate, much better. The GG was tunable with different valve combinations - wonderful dynamic analogue like sound. I had to down size due to moving house and replaced the Lampi with a Mola Mola pre amp with an integrated phono and  Tambaqui Dac modules. Different sound naturally but more detailed and tighter bass. (btw  I have found the the streaming source every bit as important as the DAC). The Tambaqui is a superb sounding DAC and easily equals my analogue set up. The free sanding unit is also very compact.

From my experiences with SPL and knowing their background in audio production studios I would give their DAC a listen. I have the SPL Phonitor 2 and Phonos in my system and they are spectacular. But as with everything YMMV and this is just my opinion based on firsthand experience with their products.

https://spl.audio/en/

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=SPL+Diamond+DAC