Opinions on Audio Logic tube Dacs


Hi, I think they made 2 tube dacs, the Audio Logic 34 and the 2400 Dac
twilo
Yes, they still make the 2400. This is Jerry Ozment's company. The 34 (which is quite similar to the Jadis DAC but uses a solid state power supply and better quality caps, among other things) was the model before the 2400, which can decode 24 bit/96khz signal. The 34 can be brought up to current specs, which includes the new chips, a little different tube biasing and other goodies. I had that done to my Model 34.

As has been apparent from my posts in the past, I'm a big fan of this DAC, I've owned one of the prototypes I got used when I got my Forsell transport and my current upgraded 34 for over 8 years, I guess. It has an aliveness to it and dimensionality that makes most other DACs I've heard sound sterile and two-dimensional to me in contrast. Also highly musical; one of the only DACs I can listen to in the same session with vinyl and not have a big letdown. There are DACs which may get a little more detail or slightly deeper, tighter bass (in this latter regard the 2400 is a big step up from the 34), but I really haven't heard anything out there from dCS, Levinson, Krell, ARC or others that has made me want to sell my unit.
I have a 34 which was upgraded to 2400. I think the main difference between mine and a new 2400 has to do with front displays and automatic signal selection.

I think the main difference between the 34 and the 2400 is that the 2400 is full 24/96, with upsampling. I'm not really sure what the original 34 was.

I have not compared the 2400 to other top DACs. All I know is that it stands up well against my Basis 2500/Graham Nightingale/Rowland Cadence front end, and leaves me no desire to upgrade to SACD while the format's future is so uncertain.

I kink of laugh ever time I hear someone say that redbook CD is not a good high end medium. They cannot possibly have ever heard an Audiologic 2400, because the music it can produce from a well recorded CD is stunning.
My main digital rig is the Burmester 979/980 I also own the 2400 and when I take out the 980 and put in the 2400 there isn't a big difference. I consider this high praise for the 2400 which is one of the very best dacs I have heard or used.