I have not heard the DACs you have mentioned but good alternatives are the Audio Logic which uses tubes and the Chord 64 which is SS. I thought that both represent the best value in their price ranges.
Happy Listening. |
You may want to look into non-up/oversampling DACS. Audio Note and Shigaraki (47 Labs) have good information on their sites about the concept. Both have good products as well which I looked at closely before deciding on an Audio Mirror DAC available here on Audiogon for $499. Plays like 3 - 4x the price. From a tube component builder but this is a solid state. Very analogue if that is what you are looking for. |
Mang53, I had a Plantine Koetsu combination a few years back and know the sound your getting and don't think you will be satisfied with a lower cost Dac, as the Audio Mirror, Flatfish etc. I have heard both the Zanden and the Stax Dacs and found them both very anoloque sounding with out any loss of information. The Oracle transport is absolutely gorgous, however; at that price level there is major competition, as in; MBL Dac and transport, although the MBLs oversample, they are the most analoque sounding combo other than the Forsell. If your mind is made up on the Oracle, than I would get the Stax Dac, which edged out the Zanden in my system. |
I have heard grat things about he Dodson 218 DAC. I do not have personal experience with it but it might be worth checking out. |
Apart from the EMM (Meitner) DAC ($@10,000) and the new, one piece DCS DAC (@ $17,000), which sound superbly analogue, I would also recommend the Dodson DA-218 (@$7,000). These are the one's that I've actually heard, and not just read about.
Enjoy,
Bob |
Reimyo DAP-777 could be the best DAC under 15K and a "bargain" at 5.5K. |
Thanks, to all that have responded. At this juncture? the leaders are the Zanden, and the Stax! More listening necessary before the final decision is made. But, my $, and ears sez...Listen to the DODSON, and end up more that likely with the STAX! VERY ANALOG, and it look's "bitchin"
Cheers, Mange
;^) |
OOPS, did I say Analog, I meant to say Analogue...LOL |
Haven't heard it but the Scott Nixon Tubedac has received alot of excellent user feedback and they're only about 500. |
Dear Mang53: My advise is that you can go for a top CDP ( integrated ) like: Linn, dCS, Meridian, Simms Audio, Burmester, Classe, Mark Levinson, etc....
If you go for separates the signal has to pass through additional connectors and cables and this fact always do a heavy degradation on the signal. Maybe you think that the external DAC is a better choice and outperforms the internal DACs of a CDP, but is not. As a fact many manufacturers of CDP and DAC use the same DACS for both units. Here it is a marketing business.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Film @ 11
After, VERY careful listening, and budgetary concerns.(No BURMESTER, or MBL 1611's ) The winner is the "Zanden" MKIV. I ordered it on Sunday, May 30th. It should arrive by the this next weekend Friday, June 3rd. I will of course be unavailbale as I plan on going into a audio coma!
Again thanks to all.
Craig |
What did you compare it to? |
Dodson 218, Stax X1T (really liked it) Levinson 35 w/HDCD, Wadia 27IX 3.0 and of course the Zanden MKIV. Again, the budget was a pivotal turning point for me. If I decide to get out of the digital thing? at least I can sell of the Zanden quickly, But if I really make a commitment to this media? then the Zanden Transport will be the next addition. As I understand it the Zanden/Zanden combo KILLS when placed together? ...SO to sum it up, I really don't have the time to sample all the stuff I want to (EMM Labs,MBL, etc)Nor the dealers. So, time is just as important in the final equation.
|
There Here...
Let, the COMA begin!
Again, thanks to all that pinged in.
Craig |
