What's the best Tube DAC you have heard?

if you listen to say 100 stereo syetms, each containing a particular component, one may induce, if one observes a consistent sonic characteristic, that the compoent may have a certain quality. such a conclusion is based upon induction.

let's consider an example of a person, whom you observe in many different situations. suppose that person, a stranger, exhaibits a consistent characteristic. one could say, granted, with some probability, that the person has a a particular personality trait.

so to, my comment about the zanden, is a probabilistic statement.

i certain;y have a reason to consider the zanden dac as my favorite dac, even though i have not compared it to other dacs or heard it in my own syst3em.

i would go so far as to bet that in a blind test or other type of comparison with another dac, that i would prefer the zanden over another dac. i am confident of my preference for the original zanden dac, in absence of direct comparisons, because of my vast experience of listening to thousands of stereo systems.

since all answers to the posted question are opinions, i am answering honestly, based upon the information available to me.

i don't have to hear a direct comparison to form an opinion about a product.

hi jax2:

i forgot to respond to your question regarding the context of the phrase "regardless of sound".

what i meant implies that audiophiles have favorite components which sound different. the criteria that audiophiles use to judge the merits of components can vary among audiophiles. its use probably was superfluous and did not add anything useful in my previous post. thus, i apologize for stating that which is redundant or irrelevant.

Thank you all for your contributions here. Definitely gave me something to investigate and that minimax is a interesting piece.

I appreciate everyone's!

Gerald

if you listen to say 100 stereo syetms, each containing a particular component, one may induce, if one observes a consistent sonic characteristic, that the compoent may have a certain quality. such a conclusion is based upon induction.

let's consider an example of a person, whom you observe in many different situations. suppose that person, a stranger, exhaibits a consistent characteristic. one could say, granted, with some probability, that the person has a a particular personality trait.

so to, my comment about the zanden, is a probabilistic statement.

Mr. Tennis - Thank you for clarifying your parameters for judgment.

There are so many variables present in listening to 100 different stereo systems, not the least of which are synergy and the profound effects of the listening rooms they're in, not to mention time between listening and dubious aural memory, that I cannot begin to fathom your confidence in making such a judgment based upon probability. I'm glad you can sort out exactly and consistently which characteristics are being rendered by which component, in each and every case, and keep track of all of it, throughout so much vast experience and exposure. Alas, I am confident that I am not at all capable of such discernment.

i don't have to hear a direct comparison to form an opinion about a product.

If you state, "...it smokes them all," I would certainly expect that you'd made direct comparisons to make such a bold statement, which is quite obviously your opinion (that goes without saying). I think that's not an unreasonable expectation, but I suppose others have become more numb to such rhetoric here.

When I got a Zanden DAC, I stopped thinking about it.

Before owning the Zanden, I had a 47 labs Flatfish/Progression with various tweaks. Before owning the 47 Labs, I owned a Audio Research CD-3.

Before purchasing the CD-3, I had listened to the Mark Levinson CDP, Cary 303 and others (can't think of them all).

The Zanden was in a league of it's own compared to all the ones I listed, not even a close race.

I have since sold the Zanden and I'm looking for a hi rez capable DAC.