Anyone know how good MHDT Labs Paradisea DAC is?

True

I would like to get feedback from those who have direct "hands-on" with the Paradisea. I think it is a mistake to buy gear on the basis of a single review; reviewers get it wrong like everyone else.
Raymondr (Threads)

I owned one and loved it. If I hadn't also purchased a $2500 digital front end that's better than the $500 Paradisea, then I'd still own the Paradisea. In fact, I might buy another one just for the hell of it.

However, I have not been able to raise the smallest response; a veritable "black hole" of silence presents. Presumably Mr. MHDT spends his days building DACs and licking stamps and nothing else. One imagines, therefore, how a customer with a faulty product might be supported.
Raymondr

You sound like a bitter, spurned lover who'd be much happier moving on with his DAC search for a more attentive suitor. If you're concerned with a faulty product, then perhaps a DAC sourced from a one-man operation in Taiwan isn't for you. There's certainly value in peace of mind.

Here’s news garnered from threads written by MHDT Labs customers. Very few who write emails to MHDT Labs ever get replies. It’s a common theme. Nonetheless, lots of audiophiles buy the MHDT Labs DACs and love them anyway.

Four out of the five people in your thread who own or have owned the Paradisea DAC have stated they like or love it. 80% positive. Pretty good in the world of hifi audio.

You’ve been an Audiogon member for 30 days, and you’ve authored five posts. From those five posts, we learn that you are underwhelmed by the sound of the Raysonic CD player, disappointed by the Altman Attraction DAC, distrustful of reviewers, and are offended by the lack of response from the owner of MHDT Labs. Is there a pattern here?

If you tell the community what kind of sound you like, and what gear you currently own, then you’ll start to get some more germane replies.

02-17-07: Raymondr
Tvad, the presumption about my love life is none of your business. Might I similarly speculate about yours? Let me know and I'll give it a try.

It was an analogy.

I assume the MHDT Lab owner's lack of response is due to his lack of confidence in his English language abilities. However, a look inside one of his DACs shows the traits of a thoroughly professional, careful and proud builder.

02-17-07: Raymondr
Tvad, is there anything you do not know? My love life and the language skills of a Taiwanese DAC builder who is "careful and proud" are things you seem to know with apparent authority. How do you know?

It was an analogy. I wasn't commenting on your love life. Look up the word analogy for an explanation.

I owned the Paradisea. I looked inside the case when changing tubes. The DAC was shipped prompty, and I received it within four days of the E-Bay purchase. It was packed meticulously in three layers of bubble wrap.

I can tell when someone takes great care and pride in what they do. He has 422 transactions on E-Bay and 100% positive feedback.

It's not rocket science.

Nothing positive will change your tune, eh?

So much hand wringing over a $500 DAC. Too bad.

03-03-07: Gmood1
The feet are level on my unit..haven't noticed any rocking.Nor have I noticed the sag.

Neither did I.

I really liked a GE 5 Star 5670 black plate in the Paradisea. It added a bit of extension while maintaining the smoothness that is so great in the DAC. However, the DAC sounds really nice with the stock tube, too.

Samzx12, what is the input impedance of the preamp or integrated amp you
were using with the Paradisea?

An impedance mismatch between a high output impedance device and a low
input impedance device can result in weak bass, and roll-off at the
extremities, which produces a smallish image lacking weight and extension.

Does this sound familiar?

The missing spec required to know is the Rogue preamp's input impedance. If
it's lower than 47kOhm, then it could be a problem with the high output
impedance of the MHDT Labs DAC.

Yes, input impedance of the preamp matters as it mates with the output impedance of the source (MHDT Labs DAC).

For more information read the info on the Burson Audio Buffer, which is a device designed to correct impedance mismatch.

Stereophile's test measuremets for the BAT VK-3iX state:

"The unbalanced source impedance varied from 7k ohms at 20Hz to 1460 ohms at 1kHz and 2650 ohms at 20kHz, while the balanced figures ranged from a very high 14k ohms at 20Hz to 1850 ohms in the midband and above."

7k ohms would be too low for the MHDT Labs 800 ohms output impedance, and would likely result in weak bass performance.

Of course, the test measurements may or may not correspond to your BAT preamp, but this gives you an idea.

The Burson Buffer would correct the mismatch.

Another option would be to try the MHDT Labs DAC into the BAT's balanced inputs using adapters.

Gotta love Google and Stereophile...

From the Stereophile Test Measurements of their review of the

SP-16L preamp and VS110 amplifier:

...the input impedance [of the SP-16L] was a moderately high 43k ohms over most of the band, this dropping to a still high 38k ohms at
20kHz.

.

43k ohms is an input impedance spec that would indicate a good match with a component that has a high output impedance. Therefore, bass response (and treble response) would be extended and sound very good when mating the MHDT Labs DAC with the ARC SP-16L preamp.