The Great Dac search

[granodemostasa]

hi

http://www.6moons.com/news/news.html

check out the Clarity media dac, it seems like an interesting product, but the website the link goes to has no information on it. Anyone know anything about this one?

[Jon L]

hi

http://www.6moons.com/news/news.html

check out the Clarity media dac, it seems like an interesting product, but the website the link goes to has no information on it. Anyone know anything about this one?

I can't tell what would make it "interesting" since there is close to zero information available

Gotta stop reading 6Moons, that's for shure...

[Upstateguy]

Interesting read... took me 3 days on and off... but no consensus?

It seems there are a few contenders but from what I read the race seems too close to call?

Benchmark

Lavry

Channel Islands

Stello

Apogee

At this level would it be safe to assume that synergy, rather than performance, makes the choice?

Thanks for going to all the trouble compiling this.

USG

[granodemostasa]

The pico might actually be a contender in this category, at least that's from what I heard from peter, whom i really trust. I'm gonna get a chance to hear it soon, so i'll post how that goes.

synergy does play a role, but even in any particular rig the basic performance patterns of each dac are clearly going to show. a bright dac (dac-1) isn't going to become warm or smooth, neither is something like the lavry suddenly going to become the fastest, swiftest, most airy dac out there with cables/power or what not.

thought: going in one sonic direction is not necessarily a bad idea. With the GS-X/Benchmark/all silver cables i got one of the best soundstage, speed, impact rigs i have ever heard. it was out right amazing, and i didn't feel it was seriously lacking in midrange (as i would have previously thought it would).

[Upstateguy]

The pico might actually be a contender in this category, at least that's from what I heard from peter, whom i really trust. I'm gonna get a chance to hear it soon, so i'll post how that goes.

synergy does play a role, but even in any particular rig the basic performance patterns of each dac are clearly going to show. a bright dac (dac-1) isn't going to become warm or smooth, neither is something like the lavry suddenly going to become the fastest, swiftest, most airy dac out there with cables/power or what not.

thought: going in one sonic direction is not necessarily a bad idea. With the GS-X/Benchmark/all silver cables i got one of the best soundstage, speed, impact rigs i have ever heard. it was out right amazing, and i didn't feel it was seriously lacking in midrange (as i would have previously thought it would).

That's very interesting.... bright, bright and bright.... you must have tried it with copper, or a hybrid? How did that affect the sound?

USG

[granodemostasa]

copper was okay, warmer and all, but at the time i was really addicted to what the silver system did so well. eventually i swtiched back to my opposite side rig: tube amp, single ended and copper.

[Upstateguy]

The pico might actually be a contender in this category, at least that's from what I heard from peter, whom i really trust. I'm gonna get a chance to hear it soon, so i'll post how that goes.

You mean this Pico?

I heard it at the NY meet, along with Nate and the others that were there, but I don't think it is in the same league as a Lavry or Benchmark or your CI.... it sounds really good, but it's very small.... there has to be a limit on the amount of electronics you can get in there...

here it is next to my wrist watch....

USG

[Upstateguy]

copper was okay, warmer and all, but at the time i was really addicted to what the silver system did so well. eventually i swtiched back to my opposite side rig: tube amp, single ended and copper.

was the bright rig balanced or single?

[granodemostasa]

was the bright rig balanced or single?

it was all balanced, Dac-1 to the GS-x.

[Upstateguy]

nice watch

It's my favorite. Gets more wrist time than any of the others. Feels like a smooth bar of soap. Not a rough edge on it.

Here's a catalog shot I did for Reto's forum.... this one is the Quartz version that belongs to a family member.

USG

[Upstateguy]

it was all balanced, Dac-1 to the GS-x.

why did you go back to single ended?

[hYdrociTy]

perpetual tech combo for 1600.

[granodemostasa]

why did you go back to single ended?

i like the Zana Duex.

[granodemostasa]

Well, all that may change soon. This is a question for Icarium: what do you think of the Monarchy M24? I have a chance to buy it and i'm more interested in trying it out these days. (if only they made a balanced tube dac, i'd have my plan set).

-david

[tom_hankins]

Well, all that may change soon. This is a question for Icarium: what do you think of the Monarchy M24? I have a chance to buy it and i'm more interested in trying it out these days. (if only they made a balanced tube dac, i'd have my plan set).

-david

Way off topic...Have you had a chance to listen to any of the balanced tube DACs out there? Any one heard the Audiomeca or Audio Logic?

[tom_hankins]

buy an Audio Aero Prima SE DAC.

Had one. Wish it was still here.

[granodemostasa]

the only balanced tube dac i've heard was that thing inside the modded UX-1, and that's not a normal dac.... Oh, and the crazy Empirical audio thing, which i didn't think too highly of. in any case, a 5000$ dac just isn't an option

now this is interesting: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1201405991

if it did sound as good as the 508....

[Upstateguy]

Do you know anything about the Lucid DACs?

[deepak]

the only balanced tube dac i've heard was that thing inside the modded UX-1, and that's not a normal dac.... Oh, and the crazy Empirical audio thing, which i didn't think too highly of. in any case, a 5000$ dac just isn't an option

now this is interesting: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1201405991

if it did sound as good as the 508....

If the Aero is way out of your price range I think Jacob would agree the M192 is very musical

[n_maher]

now this is interesting: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1201405991

if it did sound as good as the 508....

That's absurdly over-priced, I almost bought the same DAC last year for $650 (and yes it was the .24) and I've seen several others in the $800 range.

[n_maher]

with a USB input?

No, mea culpa, missed the USB input. Still, for $1100 I can think of a few other DAC's that I'd prefer to own although that comes with the qualifier that I don't need or want USB input on my DAC's.

[postjack]

No, mea culpa, missed the USB input. Still, for $1100 I can think of a few other DAC's that I'd prefer to own although that comes with the qualifier that I don't need or want USB input on my DAC's.

Yes, its easy enough to scrounge up a used HagUSB or similar. I don't think anyone should limit themselves to just USB DACs.

[grawk]

Yes, its easy enough to scrounge up a used HagUSB or similar. I don't think anyone should limit themselves to just USB DACs.

I bought my apogee for it's usb input . More specifically, I bought it because it would take a digital input, and send that signal to the computer via the usb. But I wouldn't have gotten it if it didn't sound good. I love multitasking boxes.

[luvdunhill]

need a top-flight DAC with USB input? I'd recommend either of these designs:

http://www.ecdesigns.nl/

NOS using direct interpolation ==

[deepak]

Yes, its easy enough to scrounge up a used HagUSB or similar. I don't think anyone should limit themselves to just USB DACs.

Yeah but the Hag is still doing USB/SPDIF conversion.

The top dollar you're paying with these USB integrated DACs is USB/I2S bypassing the SPDIF. Whether this makes a difference or not