Worlds best DAC

I was asked about the zanden dac. in my opinion having heard all of the versions, I prefer the original. it had the classic tube sound and one could listen to any recording , regardless of quality, and still have a smile on your face.

Charles, my digital rig is very good but I will most likely be getting a L7 Lampizator. The issue with digital for me is by and large recording quality. You can listen to VanHalen on vinyl (which I did as a 12 yr old) while the digital version is garbage. Digital tends to pigeonhole the listener a little more and thus the existence of "audiophile" recordings, hi rez, DSD, etc.

I am also to some degree the prisoner of my OCD quest for that "live" sound. Pretty or pleasant sounding hifi puts me to sleep. My room or system delivers the closest I have heard to that sound in a home setting, and in that regard, it is a stunning achievement for Starsound. On the flip side, EVERY change is audible for better or for worse. I will get there though. What you will hear at CES will hopefully be a taste of the sort of "digital" that will inhabit my room in the not too distant future.

Bill, the ML3 Reference speakers sound very interesting and evokes thoughts of Dale Pitcher's speakers. Once you hear a probably grounded box (aka no box), there is no going back....

'Charles, most people who own SOTA vinyl and digital concurrently favor vinyl (Mike L. for example). Beyond that, people I trust who have nothing to sell still feel master tape is king. If digital works for you, great. Its a matter of goals and expectations. Its getting closer though as this and other threads indicate which is exciting.'

I sort of agree.

I was privy to the results of a little experiment where a rather good USB DAC was compared to a good vinyl system. The person doing it, and this is my view as well, thought the digital MURDERED the vinyl - much more life, detail and 'rightness' to my ears. The vinyl sounded dull and muffled. Guess what - to the total shock of the person doing the comparison about 50% preferred the vinyl, and 50% the digital. The exact areas the digital guys thought was way ahead - detail, and life was described by the vinyl brigade as a digital edge - what they called resolution and organic flow digital guys described as dull and lack of life.

The truth is not that digital or vinyl is better - it's rather we all lock onto different things.

I hasten to add this was not a uber expensive vinyl system - I have been assured by people whose ears I trust they can, and do, exceed the best digital.

But exactly how many have systems in that league?

Thanks
Bill

'Can you do an experiment? Convert some of your favorite PCM files to DSD64 or DSD128 using JRiver 19 Media Center, as I feel their PCM to DSD modulator is superb. Once done, feed the resulting DSD files through your MPD-3 and see what happens against your PCM DAC playing the same PCM files?'

I haven't got time for that right now - next few weeks here in Australia is Cricket and Tennis season and my time will be taken up with that.

But from my experience I think you are correct - it would likely improve things quite a bit.

What I do know of is experiments done with a Killer DAC where the output of a master tape was converted to DSD, then downsampled to 44.1 using some special software. There was a difference when played back via the Killer - but it was thought many wouldn't worry about it - it was that slight.

Thanks
Bill