Shopping for a DAC at AXPONA


I finally retired yesterday (at 77). Since I didn't receive a gold watch, or actually anything at all, from my employer, as a celebratory gift to myself I decided that I would buy a new DAC to replace my Lumin T2.

I intend to listen to several higher-end DACs at AXPONA, but it is unlikely that I shall be able to get more than a cursory sense of their qualities -- particularly given all the other equipment, and the room environment itself, will be far different from what I have at home. Here are the DACs I especially wish to hear:

     Bricasti (M1 Series II and/or M21); dCS Bartok APEX; Lumin X1; MSB Discrete; Playback Designs MPD-6 w/Stream X-2; and Weiss Engineering (DAC502 MkII -4ch and/or Helios).

I would be grateful to receive the thoughts of others about these DACs and, particularly, your thinking regarding any contrasts between two or more of them.

Thanks!

 

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xjmeyers

Aries Cerat Helene (or any of their DACs). A totally different animal from what you plan to audition. 

A couple of people I really respect have opined that the Grimm Audio MU2 is the one streamer/DAC to rule them all. Are they right? (Its price is at the midpoint of the other candidates.)

One other not on your list is the T+A DAC200. It might be on the lower end of your budget, but don't miss out on considering it.

We sell the MSB, as well as the Mola Tambaqui, the Meitner as mentioned, and a few others. Feel free to reach out for opinions, but I think you are spot on, nothing like hearing it, and best on your own system & home. Axpona will be a lot of fun! 

I see a lot of recommendations for streamers, is that something you need too? Aurender and Antipodes are very popular right now, and they both sound excellent.