Exlibris, I give you much credit for your tenacity regarding home auditions of different gear in order to get the overall sonic signature and synergy you want in your system.
I also believe this ongoing thread regarding reference DACS proves the following:
1) That by setting up a common language or categories like type 1 or type 2 "flavors" it allows use to share information in an useful and productive way.
2) That personnal taste, along with system synergy, is really the final determinate about why we finally settle on the pieces of gear in our systems.
When I auditioned a very high level non-upsampling Audio Note DAC and the Zanden DAC I too heard a wonderful warm and liquid midrange, very much like a SET tube amp, but neither DAC had the extension on the top and bottom that I would want in my system. I also found that they were not as detailed as other DACS that I auditioned. I almost totally listen to acoustic jazz, recorded in the 50's and early 60's on analog tape, so timbres are very important to me, therefore I can understand why voices sound great to you on the Zanden DAC. It's pretty clear that you are very much a type 2 "flavor" in your digital front end. In my system I want the warmth and liquidity of a type 2 "flavor" along with more slam/dynamics and extension of type 1 "flavor" DACS. I found that in the Accustic Arts DAC 1 MK3 at first, and now at even a higher level with the combination of the new Accustic Arts Drive 1 MK2 along with the Accustic Arts Dac 1 MK4.
No right or wrong, personnal taste, system matching leads us to what gives each of us the greatest personnal pleasure in our music listening experience. I really have enjoyed this thread, we all share, we don't fight or argue, or get our audiophile egos in the way of an ongoing friendly conversation.
I also believe this ongoing thread regarding reference DACS proves the following:
1) That by setting up a common language or categories like type 1 or type 2 "flavors" it allows use to share information in an useful and productive way.
2) That personnal taste, along with system synergy, is really the final determinate about why we finally settle on the pieces of gear in our systems.
When I auditioned a very high level non-upsampling Audio Note DAC and the Zanden DAC I too heard a wonderful warm and liquid midrange, very much like a SET tube amp, but neither DAC had the extension on the top and bottom that I would want in my system. I also found that they were not as detailed as other DACS that I auditioned. I almost totally listen to acoustic jazz, recorded in the 50's and early 60's on analog tape, so timbres are very important to me, therefore I can understand why voices sound great to you on the Zanden DAC. It's pretty clear that you are very much a type 2 "flavor" in your digital front end. In my system I want the warmth and liquidity of a type 2 "flavor" along with more slam/dynamics and extension of type 1 "flavor" DACS. I found that in the Accustic Arts DAC 1 MK3 at first, and now at even a higher level with the combination of the new Accustic Arts Drive 1 MK2 along with the Accustic Arts Dac 1 MK4.
No right or wrong, personnal taste, system matching leads us to what gives each of us the greatest personnal pleasure in our music listening experience. I really have enjoyed this thread, we all share, we don't fight or argue, or get our audiophile egos in the way of an ongoing friendly conversation.