What the Best Dac have you heard or owned. How could you tell it was that good.

to properly judge a dac, you need to also consider the server feeding it. and the quality of the A/C power grid, and even the power supplies of the dac and the server. it all matters when you are chasing ultimate performance.

the best dac i have heard is my Wadax Reference dac. that includes the Wadax Reference server. 30 months ago they arrived and i compared it directly in my system to my 4 year reference, the MSB Select II + the Taiko Extreme server. here.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/wadax-reference-dac-and-server-arrive.34173/

2 months ago i added the Wadax Reference server power supply which boosted the performance further.

and a month ago i auditioned 3 Wadax Akasa DC power supply cables (1 between the server and separate power supply, and 2 between the two dac power supplies and the dac) which took things to another level beyond. very spendy. i very reluctantly returned the demo Akasa cables to my dealer, and i ordered the cables two weeks ago and should recieve them mid May. Wadax calls adding these cables "Level 4".

here is an interview with Javier from Wadax about ’Level 4’ and other Wadax details. comments on the Akasa DC cables and "Level 4" starts at 11:39 time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Q0Z1aamWaQE

the performance of the Wadax is remarkable, and the only thing i can compare it to is my vinyl and tape performance which is at a high level.....not any other dac or server.

i do listen to 70% digital and look forward to "Level 3 Wadax.......soon to be level 4" every day.

@mikelavigne im actually feeding mines for a stripped down mini cpu that took all non audio functions out streaming from audiarvana. Just want the server to get out of the way. I use our Infigo power cords that just get out of the way and let the music flow.  I tried top of line Melco.  Tried a couple other things. This sounds best. 

@calvinj

today a friend asked me for a dac recommendation below the Wadax and below the MSB Select II, and i did mention that i’ve really enjoyed the Infigo digital at the Seattle Show last June, and also at Axpona 24’ too. i cited that Axpona room as better than good in my Axpona report. it’s a below the radar dac that deserves some serious attention. a balanced involving sound that is less digital sounding than most.

@mikelavigne my method 4 dac replaced my soulutions 540 cd/dac player. I haven’t looked back since.  It’s open airy and spacious without sounding thin and retains musicality.  Has a great soundstage. It allows me to have detail but not in a clinical way.  Thanks for the compliment. 

I’ve heard three DACs considered to be superior: the T+A SDV 3100 HV, the Ideon Absolute and the Linn Klimax DSM/3. However, only one of those I heard in my system - the T+A unit. They were all liquid and smooth, but none convinced me (as of yet) to purchase though i now recognize that i was feeding the T+A less optimally. That particular unit (like the one I have - the T+A DAC 200) is much better on native DSD than PCM.

I use a processor to convert everything to DSD 512 in front of the DAC200. It has me wondering about auditioning the SD 3100 again sourced this way.

In any case, the Linn and Ideon DACs were clearly very good, but I heard them in million dollar systems (literally - Wilson Chronosonics and Burmester reference gear for the Linn and MBL Extremes and reference MBL electronics for the Ideon) in huge, well set up rooms. So, while great, what else was I hearing? I came away thinking my system at home is actually pretty good in my limited space. Were the other systems better? Sure, but that much better considering the spend? I don’t have the discretionary income to answer that without bias.

What I expect from a DAC: smoothness, resolution, authentic tonality on piano and voice - the two hardest instruments to get right in my view. The best DACs I’ve heard were just a little bit better than the one I own - I think, but haven’t compared directly. But as has been mentioned elsewhere, you can get pretty great performance if you optimize all elements of your digital system: network, cables, and source. I’ve done so and the performance I’m getting out of my DAC is really close to the best I’ve heard.