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Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
kyomi_audio's avatar
kyomi_audio
59 posts
 
Dave retail price is $13300. $16000 is with the matching stand. 
jwm
908 posts
 
I use to own the Chord Dac that retailed for 6,000.00. I wasn't crazy about it. The modded Modright Oppo I had at the time was better.
paul79
163 posts
 
Yep. It is double the price now, so it must be better! ;)

All crap aside, the DAVE has many fans already, and I am very curious what this advanced FPGA approach to DAC’s has to offer.

All of the Chord DAC’s I have heard are pretty good, but they sacrifice in room presence for soundstage accuracy. They are nice, laid back (everything goes on behind the speakers), and polite for the most part. They also don’t have the best slam, dynamics, and clarity. A sonic fingerprint they all seem to have.

From what I have read about the DAVE, this is all taken care of with it, so interesting indeed.
kyomi_audio's avatar
kyomi_audio
59 posts
 
paul79,

Yes, the shortcoming you are stating were there and yes, there are taken care of. It sounds nothing like the QBD76 sounded.

jwm,


I like what Dan Wright does and his modified Oppo is very good. However, when you compare Oppo as a stand alone unit vs using it as a transport for another DAC, the second scenario always has big disadvantage due to the crappy SPDIF output of Oppo. If you look inside the unit, the coaxial output is directly coming out of the board. I have spoken to lots of digital engineers and even though they claim that their DACs are immune to transport output quality, they all eventually admit that it is not entirely true. 

paul79
163 posts
 
I am familiar with one single product that is completely immune to the source, and that is the Empirical Audio Synchro Mesh. I have put countless digital sources in front of this product, and they all sound equally good using the Synchro Mesh after each and every one of them.

I am not saying it is the absolute best digital source I have heard, but it gets pretty damn close using anything you want in front of it. That is a stunning achievement in my book.
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