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High End DAC's compared


Since last contributing to Audiogon discussions I have owned a Bryston BDA-3, Luxman DA-06, and the Oppo 105d. Each, as you know, uses a different DAC chip: respectively AKM, Sabre Burr- Brown.
I now use exclusively the Bryston, sourced via USB by a Bryston BDP-3 streamer, or via HDMI by the Oppo disc player.
The characteristics of these DAC's has been described by others, and there may be general agreement that the Luxman is 'very smooth', the Oppo (sabre) harsh, the Bryston in-between.
My personal impressions:
1. The Luxman employed for chamber music...string quartets, piano trios and quartets, as well as for solo piano...
is 'muddy'....the lack of detail can be annoying. 
Try as I might to persuade myself that the 'more expensive sound'...ie, the Luxman's...should be better than the Oppo's, I had to throw in the towel and avoid the Luxman for strings and piano.
2. The Luxman employed for vocals (cantatas, oratorios, operas, folk music) is a delight. I've read that 'smoother' high frequency response decreases listener fatigue. Such applies to the Luxman, without noticeable decrease in clarity.
3. That virtue is such that even 'downrated' DVD/blu-rayDVD audio sourced to the Luxman via the Oppo's coaxial audio output was superior to the Oppo's decoding.
4. The Bryston BDA-3 is a good compromise...'
Chamber music and piano have the detail lacking with the Luxman.  Vocals may be very slightly harsh, but are thoroughly enjoyable.
I struggled to parse the foregoing impressions in respect of digital source...standard CD, SACD, hi res PCM, double speed SACD.  The sound quality seems to improve as one progresses from the beginning to the end of that list, but the DAC comparisons...at least my ear...are the same.
The bottom line for me is that the Oppo is an amazing value, the Luxman nirvana to the vocal lover but
not entirely acceptable to the chamber music/piano lover, the Bryston a good compromise at reasonable price, particularly if bought discounted as 'a demo', in partial respect of its HDMI (and DSD via HDMI and USB) capability.  
seventies
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

In my mind, high-end is dCS, Emm labs, Empirical Audio, Light Harmonic DaVinci, Aqui HiFi, Resonessence, TotalDAC, Chord etc., but your Bryston is a solid affordable choice.  They are good people.

If you want good SQ from your Oppo as a transport, avoid HDMI. Use S/PDIF, AES/EBU or I2S. Get a good cable.

And reduce the jitter of that Oppo first:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154408.0

This will make CD playback a LOT better.

Here different coax cables are compared:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154425.0

Jitter is ALL that matters with an external digital interface.  More important than DSD.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

seventies OP
31 posts
 
Steve N
I am grateful for your response.
The Oppo 105d has what that manual calls a S/PDIF coaxial digital
audio output, and the Bryston has a S/PDIF coaxial RCA digital input.
I can compare the sound of a CD output to the Bryston by both methods, and of course decoded by the Oppo itself. 
Insofar as I use the Oppo extensively for blu-ray DVD's, and insofar as the Oppo will output un-decoded blu-ray audio only via HDMI, could you comment on the effect jitter reduction might have on the sound.
Would you recommend a particular jitter reduction device, and
let me know where one might obtain this and at what cost.
Again thanks, 'Seventies'  
yyzsantabarbara
647 posts
 
I own Benchmark DAC3 but the best sounding DAC I have heard is the Resonessence  MIrrus. There are new variants of the MIrrus that I have not heard yet. Supposed to sound even better.
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