Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Probably. I just started to ask questions when I read it. Sorry.

Does it have a digital output? Sounds like it just has rca's like every other CD player around (for the most part)

One of the best I've heard to date is the Ayre. I know it's not expensive, but it's musical and I've heard it in a few systems and it always sounds great.

Even though I'm redoing my system, I didn't spend that much on the DAC as there are so many advances right now and I want to see what happens with DSD. I think major changes are about to happen in digital.

I too find it interesting that when I listen to live music and then within a day to 'audiophile' components, there is a huge disconnect. I don't even want to sit and listen. Accurate isn't about lean and detailed. I'm going with Vandy's because of this reason. I get plenty of real detail, but even so many of the esoteric stuff I've heard recently is just so etched. It's subtle and most don't realize it, but I never see people putting on more than a few cuts to listen to.

Guys, this is the debate that we have always and will always have. I agree that the perfect tube isn't in place and never will be. I'm a tube guy. I'm selling off my Quicksilver stuff (I couldn't afford the AR or Jadis gear I wanted back in the day). I went with Ayre and and love it. I run an inexpensive Music Hall DAC as I didn't want to spend too much on a DAC with all the changes coming down the pike. I run it off the XLR outputs and it sounds fine for now. I've heard the Ayre DAC in a very high end system and it's sounded awesome. Just natural bloom where there is supposed be be bloom. I've heard a lot of the other higher priced DACs by now and honestly, the Ayre is as good as if not better. I still think it's impossibly to listen to components in different places on different days and compare them, but we all do it because it's our hobby, lol....or career for some of you.

Oh and that said, I have still yet to hear any DAC sound as properly done vinyl.

Rja, have you heard the Berkeley yet? I still find it difficult to spend more than the Ayre for what you get. It's only drawback is that it's only USB and for many they need more inputs, but the sound is freaking awesome. I've heard it on Vandy 5, Quattro, 3ASigs at Audio Connection and it just sounded right for digital. Gives you DSD too which is nice. For me, I just haven't heard any of the ultra expensive DAC's sound more musical than the Ayre stuff and if you ask anyone who has heard the Ayre, they'd probably tell you similar. JMHO

Guys, John at Audio Connection in Verona NJ has Aethetix and Ayre. He can surely help you out and let you audition in your home I bet. He's on this board and is friends with many of us.

Matt, I just spoke to John at Audio Connection for you and he would love to help. He has a few, but he will know what will sound best with what you are using in your system. he's great like that, just ask anyone who goes there. His number is (973) 239-1799. Just tell him Peter told you to call or that you are from the board. Great luck. I can't wait to hear what you two come up with.

Jonson, you really need to get in to listen to the Ayre and Aesthetix. I have listened to the Benchmark 2 vs these other two and there isn't a comparison. The A's are both musical, detailed not etched, non 'digital'. They sound like music. I have heard so many DAC's recently and I went with the Music Hall 25.3 as it has balanced outputs and I use Ayre electronics. I couldn't justify spending more as the MH was very musical with plenty of detail etc... vs most of the DAC's under 3k. I have heard some of the higher end DAC's now and I still love the Ayre, but it only has USB and I need more than just that. I'd die for the Aesthetix gear. Of all the electronics I've heard recently and that includes most top names as I am redoing my system, they are the top two. I like them better than the AR ref stuff too. There is just something about them both that say music and built like a nice looking tank all at the same time, lol. I told John that you would probably be in touch. He said he's excited to speak with you to see what you are looking to do. He knows what goes best together as anyone on here who has worked with him will tell you. Let us know what you get in touch with him. Great luck.

We are all older Matt, lol. John will be the first to tell you that, lol. I just recently met him and he blew me away with his knowledge. He's in sales, but he gets it. He wants everyone happy with what they buy. I've seen him go out of his way to help people who have never and will never spend a dime in his store. I've been fortunate to get to know him a bit out of work (he's never really stops working) and he's just a good human being. That's why I stump for him on the board I think. I've met so many dirt bags in audio that it gets old. More awesome people though. He will let you tell him what you want and then guide you. I'd laugh if you ended up with AR or some other brand instead, lol.

How many here buy from John? I ran into Mark and Billy when I was there and I wonder if I have run into anyone else? Matt, you'll have to meet us there next time I come down.

Because the price was right. I sounds a bit better in the mids than my Krell. It works perfectly in my new Vandy Treo, Ayre system. I'd have to pay a ton more for Ayre, which would work great with my stuff, but it only has USB input and I use three digital inputs already. I LOVE the Ayre when I've heard it in a few different systems. If you heard what the Ayre gear sounded like on Vandy 3a's, you'd probably love what you heard. I think digital is changing rapidly, but I could live with what the Ayre does for years and years I'm sure. I have decided to take the money from selling off my gear and put it into vinyl I think. I have so much great music that needs to be cleaned and then played to be enjoyed.

Can't wait for you to speak with Johnny. Maybe you can take them into his shop and do a shoot out. That could be very cool.

Why balanced if they won't be a true balanced? Does a balanced/non balanced connection still keep unwanted noise out? Just curious. thanks.

Matt, what happened this weekend at Audio Connection? Why didn't you hear the Aesthetix? Will you be able to go back to listen as I'd love to hear how it sounds to you against all the other DAC's. Let us know. Thanks.

Matt it's all good man. I know that Johnny is interested and would love to help you out with the Aesthetix. He's always available, lol. I know that everyone is interested and like one poster said, what's good for you. isn't necessarily good for.....but that's the fun of the whole thing.

Obviously it's all subjective and some will take anyone's word on what THEY think is the best, but this is fun stuff. I'm interested in what Matt has to say. Sounds like all of the DAC's in this thread are getting a ton of good press and in the right system, room, folks wont' go wrong. It all depends on what you like etc... This is one of the best threads going on the board now. thanks to all of you who are helping out.

Matt, that's awesome. I'm going to be at Audio Connection Monday late morning I hope as I'm driving to Philly. If you are around, it would be awesome to meet and say hello. Great deal about John letting you play with the Aesthetix. It will be interesting to see if you like how it looks. John's ear leans towards musical and getting lost in the subtleties of the recordings. What a great group you have. Keep on trucking.

Matt, so bummed that you won't be doing the Ayre and the Aesthetix in this grouping. Fun keeping up though. Will you be taking pics and sharing those on Twitter? loll

Matt, I'm hoping to take the train down to the show this year. Not sure what days I'll be going though.

What is the record for most hits I wonder? I also wonder if this thread will have a shelf life (ie how many posts are allowed before it self locks). I'm on a sports board and have started a few threads that went 30 or so pages that was all that it could fit. Matt, thanks. It really is very interesting for those of us who won't ever be able to purchase any of these units, lol.

One of the best posts in this whole thread is Mrmb's. At this price point, most designs are or should be price no object in regards to tubes. If tubes aren't going to be available, then what will the owner do when their magic tube is done?

I can't wait for John to get the Aesthetix in and burned in (but not until after he delivers my new Vandy Treo's and Basis TT ;) ), lol.

It will be interesting to see how it stacks up in Matt's system/room vs the other DAC's. I've found that the Aesthetix gear is highly musical with one of the best midranges in the industry. They seem to understand live music and not just 'high end audio'.

Hi, Matt, no real update on the Aesthetix. Just saw Johnny (came to set up my new Vandy's and Basic/Heed/Benz system) and he said it's not in yet. He hopes it will be soon and once in, he'll just set it up to run in as quickly as possible.

Interesting spin on things. I think most folks following this thread realize it's what Matt likes in HIS system. As he said, he's just sharing what he hears and if anyone is spending this kind of money based on what Matt thinks, then you deserve what you get. This doesn't seem to me to be about what you should buy for yourself. I realize the manufactures want positive free press in the thread, but why shouldn't they.

As for 50 years following audio, so what? I have been following it close since 69 myself. I get out and hear a ton of products and like to think I have an idea of what things sound life VS live (yes, I listen to live whenever I can). That makes me no expert. I once told a group of sales people I trained that you newebies should never be concerned with someone saying they have 20 years in the industry. To me, most of those folks have one year of experience 20 times. Not saying that TGB (of whatever the name is) doesn't have a ton of real experience, but some of your statements aren't those made by someone with an open mind. I understand what Matt was saying. JMHO though

I have been at so many stores over the last many months and have now heard nearly everything you can think of. I have found only a handful of stores that I even like and would do business in. I was shocked considering what a tough time it is. That's another subject for another thread though.

Matt, John was here setting up my new system last week and he too can't wait to get the unit in and burned in. You should give him a call on it to see if he has any time frame.

yes they do belong elsewhere, however you can't have it both ways. It's a forum on the internet and folks will post their feelings on things. If folks buy based on what they read.....sorry, that's just MY pet peeve I guess. I didn't love reading the debate either, but why can someone get hammered for posting what he did and then someone else can bash PS Audio by saying they got bashed, when in fact, that's not at all what Matt posted. They are all trying to make an honest living. Matt and others need to be free to post their thoughts, good or bad. Dealers who chose, should be able to defend themselves if they feel they want to, but on this thread or not, it's going to be out in the public and we should make our decisions based on what is best for us.

This thread has been and is awesome. I'm not playing in this league, but I've gotten to hear a few of these DAC;s in my travels. I've heard many others in these price ranges also. They all seem to have plusses and minus's to my ear. They all seem very system dependent. As much as any other product. One thing that has been brought up by all is a basic cable. Question for said designers, why don't you just get the best cable for your product and ship with it? I know a few speaker manufacturers who use a specific companies cable internally or in their crossovers (external). For a power cord, I would think that you could just build that into it. One reason I love Ayre products is that they build some sort of circuit to clean the AC. I have heard a few of their components with various cords and they just dont' make a huge difference to me nor have they to the people I've listened with.

Does the power cord make a big difference with the DAC's you like Matt or was it just the PS fans who said theirs needs a better power cord? Thanks.

Steve and Matt, thanks for the answers. That's what I thought. I feel that if a designer is designing cost no object products that they should put the best on or into them, however in cases like tubes or cords, maybe they should do what Steve just did and say in my system and to me, I used XYZ cord and only heard a small difference. You can try it, but if you use what I ship it with, then you will get well over 99% of what it's capable of. I get it that folks have to tinker, but I know a lot of guys who own very very high end systems, because they know how much they love music AND they know there are great stores out there to help them. They are not audiophiles and have no desire to roll tubes or play with cables or cords. I just bought a whole new system at Audio Connections. Johns on here and Matt goes there on occasion. I ended up going with him because I just wanted a system that sounded right together. He knew the cords, cables and limits of my speakers and we went from there.

The biggest take away from what I just posted is that in this thread so many of the posts are about changing what Matt is doing to 'get the most' out of something. What is the most? It's what Matt deems it to be since it's his deal. He has laid down the parameters and they seem fair considering what this is. You can chose to agree or disagree with his ear, however I find it interesting that folks keep telling him that he didn't use a product properly etc.... I know it never stops and I understand your posts and all, but at some point in time there comes a moment that you have to say I'll make my decisions based on what's sold and what I have. This thread says a lot more than just what high end DAC Matt likes. Some of you play in this league. Most of us on here probably don't. I personally would love to have any of the DAC's he's trying out. IF I were to spend that type of coin on any of these, I can promise you that I'd audition them all in my rig, like Matt is doing in his. I really hope that what he posts doesn't hurt any of the manufacturers as you are all small. There are no larger high end manufacturers anymore. You all need the business and I hope you all get it. EVen if I didn't like your products (I'm sure I'd love them), I'd still want you to be successful so the competition is still out there to keep this hobby/business strong. Thanks again to all of you and Steve, thanks for answering your questions. I know it won't happen, but it would be neat to see you use your expertise and make a more affordable DAC (I know the higher end the better the sales right now). Hope I haven't hijacked.

Matt, was at Audio Connections yesterday and got to hear the Romulus with the Vandy 7's in the big room. HOLY CRAP. If any of these other DAC;s sound better, then any of them are keepers. I was blown away by how right the sound was and it was just with ripped CD's. I'm a vinyl guy right now and I could EASILY live/love the Romulus. I have heard a lot of expensive DACS and none have made me think 'why vinyl'. The Romulus is a full CD player and DAC, but man it just sounded right. Glad you are doing this shootout.

Guys, sorry about that post. I have MS and often have some congnitive stuff when I post. Hard to explain it, but thanks for understanding.

I heard it on the Vandy 5's too and it was still HOLY CRAP. Heck it should be for the price. All of your DAC's should sound pretty awesome for the price point. Like anything else, there are some differences that each person likes or doesn't like. That's what makes this thread so much fun.

Matt, if you are going to head over there to check it out in the store, let me know and maybe we can coordinate it so I can come down too. that could be fun. Just love listening to good music.

and US Audiomart. Is that yours Matt?

Matt just for fun, we should figure out a time/day to meet at John's to listen. I personally don't care about who wins what or what some folks think is best. I wish them all the luck in the world. I also thinks it's silly for folks to read what others think about a product, especially in this realm and make their purchase based off of it. I never understood that. I get it that some can't get out to hear everything, but why throw money at something if you or someone you really trust hasn't listened to it extensively?
It's sad to think that any company will/has be/been hurt in any way by anything posted here.

I'm not sure if everyone realizes that Aesthetix's has the Romulus/Pandora Signature (CD/DAC or DAC) coming out. You can get your old units upgraded. Tons of changes. John doesn't have it in yet as it's so recent. That's the one that Matt is waiting on.

The bottom like is that this is no different than any other shoot out. Different flavors for everyone. We all hear and like different things, but so many don't realize that. I notice that some posters here seem to have such strong opinions, but may not even play in this league and may not have even heard any or all of these DAC's. It's a very interesting read when you go back and check it out. I"m impressed that this hasn't become a pissing contest and I"m extremely impressed by Steve and his posts. I didn't know about your products until this thread, so that's great marketing. I hope that if Matt doesn't 'chose' your products that it won't hurt your business in any way. That would be a darn shame. In listening last week to vinyl vs digital, there is still a huge difference in sound to my ears. If you have a true hirez recording, then digital does things that vinyl never could, but vinyl still is so easy to listen to. If the sound of todays' high end digital comes down in price to the 3k range, I'm all in now that I've upgraded my vinyl to where I'm happy. That's just me thought and I fully respect those of you who are able to spend what it takes to get the sound that you want.

matt, I'll let you know when I'm down there next. That would be fun. Maybe we can get John over there with one of his toys. lol.

Question for we lay people....why would breakin of any DAc be more than 200 hours? I've spoken to many manufacturers as well as engineers and have been told that the biggest thing to break in are the capacitors and that even with the amount of silver used etc...they shouldn't need more than 200 hours to break in.

Are these folks mislead? Thanks.

Like so many others I am enjoying this thread for the entertainment value. I won't be purchasing any of these DACS as I recently redid my whole system and decided to go analog again. I'm waiting digital out for a few years while it figures out what the standards will be and how much will be available via high rez. That takes nothing away from what this thread is all about and it's just fun to read.

I think going into this most felt that there would be no one DAC that stands out head over heels over any of them. Most realize it's about room, gear and set up as much as the DAC (again, it's gear, lol). Some of the claims of folks make most laugh or are amusing. This thread has been very civilized which to me is the amazing part. Most of us have no idea about WHY the tech stuff is doing what it's doing. We have some knowledge, but the majority here aren't engineers (yes I'm sure there are many of you who do understand every last tech detail).

There have only been a couple of Trolls (IMHO). I'm heavily involved with an Oklahoma Univ sports board on Yahoo. Been a member since way before Yahoo purchased it over 13 years ago. I share 'inside' info at times and I'm often 'sources told ESPN or FOX....I get hammered by fans and most threads I post on become polarizing because fans don't want to believe things or they are jealous.

In this thread there could be so much snipping because of petty jealousies between posters who can't afford these products or designers who compete for dollars and pride or store owners who sell other products and don't' want THEIR income to suffer.

I just had to put this out there and if anything, it would make me look at a couple of these boutique DACS in the future when I'm ready to take this plunge.

Matt (and the other designers) I loved how you handled the Troll post about 'my DAC is bigger than yours'....Seriously, we will have to get together on my next trip down to Verona. Thanks again for an entertaining thread.

I think for me, this thread has shown me that digital is the most difficult part of my system to understand and then to get right. Like other components, I'll just figure out what I really want to spend and then make decisions based on what the dealers have and plug them into the systems and see what I like best and why. I just redid everything. It's not cheap for me, but it sounds great. Do I want it to sound better? Of course I do. I ended up getting a Music Hall DAC and a balance set of AQ Niagara cables to hook it up. Cabling made the world of difference and I figured that when I upgrade digital, I will keep the cables. I went with a Basis TT with MB Glider cart and a special Cloud 11 platform. It still sounds better to me than any of the top digital I've heard at the stores or in friends systems. I guess in time, I'll spend another 3k to upgrade storage, DAC or media server to make my life easier. I guess I'm still waiting for all this stuff to sort out and finally make it over the top to sound as good as the analog does. JMHO...I'm learning a lot here and thanks.

I've now hear only one good thing about Ayon and that's the one in this thread. I have been emailed based off my post I assume that others have had the same problems with the Ayon units and that includes and amp. Similar stuf like blown boards. Their QC in Asia seems to lack...if someone is having lettering on a remote or box coming off quickly, that's a problem...If you have constant numbers of boards blowing up in the field, that's serious. I could sound like magic and cost peanuts, but personally, it doesn't matter as I'd be concerned daily. I've been listening to my systems for over 14 hours today alone and I've had no thermal problems or anything else... Matt, thanks again. I'm heading to OK for a couple of football games and hope to get to the Brooklyn show that next week when I'm back. I'm thinking I may go to the show Friday or possibly Sunday. When are others going?

Electronic components should never need more than 200 hours or so. The capacitors are the most difficult to burn in aren't they? I've never heard my gear need more than 300 hours but maybe my stuff sucks. Personally I'd never buy anything that needed that much burn in as I like to listen to music more than gear anyways but that's me. Companies should put their gear on a bench and burn them in before shipping if they really need more than a couple of hundred hours. Jmho

Matt I'm totally with you on that. On that speaker thread I brought up the 'system' deal. Everything interacts differently with each other. That's why a thread like this is interesting, but if folks buy what YOU like then they are wasting money. You've been the first to state this. We could put everyone in this thread in your room under the same conditions and there will be a lot of agreement. Some things like decay, attack, coherency etc... will be heard by all (if they are shown what to listen for), however timbre and other traits will be heard differently by everyone. This is why I finally went back to purchasing a total system together and selling off everything else I've purchased over the years. I just realized again, that it's all about matching everything from components, to cables to room to ....you all get the point. Too many folks, spend too much money and are disappointed. I get that many on this board just love the components, but I have always loved the music even more. How many of you guys/gals will play only audiophile tracks on your system? I was never a tube roller, but I've been a tube guy most of my life. I've seen guys spend as much as the amp itself on tubes, when they would have been happier listening wise to just buy the better amp. I guess that would take away from their hobby and search for nirvana though.

Will you be using double rock? Make sure the seems don't line up...I have done the first layer of rock vertically and the second horizontally. The Wadis engineer I spoke with years ago (when we did this at my buddys store) told us to do this..Ceiling too. We used cement rock too ;)...I don't remember the dimensions that we used, but Richard Vandersteen wrote about this years ago and my buddy consulted with him also (he was a dealer for Richard too). we set it all up using his rules of thirds. We used berber carpet and that was perfect. He didn't use much room treatment as he didn't need it. Lost of plants behind the speakers and quilts on the walls...He had a huge wall full of albums on the walls in front of the speakers...it was alike a baffle....there was no slap echo and the bass had plenty of room to breath without loading the room. Please share more about your set up either here or on another thread. thanks.

I went down to the box yesterday and it does have ONE earth ground for the box. There are two boxes, but it's the same box. He put the smaller one in so that I can easily find the 20amp circuits for the whole loft (where the audio system resides). I will say that the breakers are different from the ones in the big box (rest of the house). Like I said he's an audiophile and knows what he's doing, so maybe he installed 'audiophile breakers' (j/k).......it is all copper wire though.

Matt, he'll be there with his new amp for the 7's. it's an all day deal. my email is [email protected] if you want to get in touch. Like I said, I'll be there all day. I'm hoping to listen to the Ayre phono pre as well as the Romulus as I think that's what he'll be using on the 7's.......would be fun to meet. Thanks to you all for the info on the electrical. I love learning.

Steve, great advise. Matt, the question I have is where in the house are you located and how high is the ceiling? The dimensions can be just as important as the floor. Are you on cement or studs? now that you bring up the studs, yes, we made staggered studded walls for the rock. I just realized that. 2x6 construction too if I recall correctly.. It's been a long time though, but I remember staggering everything we did. We too glued everything. I remember when we set the room up for the first time, we realized how little treatment we needed. He had the Michael Green ceiling deals in the corners and that was it for the ceiling. He used a swirled ceiling to break things up. Sound stupid, but I actually think it may have helped as I've been in rooms with smooth ceilings and they were a bit too live for the systems that I've heard. Nothing wrong with a popcorn ceiling either. As we all know you can go into a room and set up your system and hear where you need some help. Sometimes you can over damp things and one problem cleared up can create another. that's why I like quilts, large plants in corners and racks of records or a diffusor type of deal in the rear. Everyone has preferences, but all too often the 'professional' rooms are way too damped and lose some timing and pace for me. I hear it often in stores too. one other things I'd recommend for your electrical is to have totally separate and grounded (to earth) circuits for EACH outlet. I did that and it makes a huge difference. I don't use a lot of special stuff for my electrical as the Ayre components have their own built in and that's how they want it to sound. I haven't even found power cables that I love yet. We've AB'd many of them and most have cut the leading edge or messed things up rather than help things. JMHO

Matt (or anyone else) will you be at Audio Connection on Sat the 22nd for Richard Vandersteens visit? I'm going to head down, weather permitting. I should be there from start to finish as I have some auditioning to do in addition to the event. I'm in FULL code as to how my electrical system is set up. None of my 6 pack of wall outlets connect in anyway, so I don't get cross talk. I'm not sure what he did, but there is a separate breaker for each one in the box. The electrician is also an audiophile and I don't think he used Romex either. It may be all copper. I honestly don't remember it all, but he had fun installing it all. Said it wasn't complicated or anything. I know I have a huge main box and an aux box too for extra circuits for my wood working shop in the basement.

Matt, I just spent the day listening to the Romulus at Audio Connection. He had Richard Vandersteen in for the day, so it was on his 7's with his own amp. The pre was the AR ref with phono...It was in the back room.. Best sound I've EVER heard. I was there very early and late and got the sweet spot seat. It was a ton of records as that's what Nick loves, but I threw a couple of my songs on the Rom from a CD I brought with me and it was amazing.. Still didn't do somethings a record will do, but it did a lot of stuff better. I was in shock as I've heard it a few times and this time it was really special. If the products you are listening to are better, then we are the winners. I think Digital is starting to really come of age. I'm still hoping that all in one solutions start to come out. Maybe units that you can control from a wifi app where you can hook up your own hard drive/NAS..that way you can better control your storage etc... I wish I knew more about digital, but I do know sound. If you are around the store, just stop by and check it out...It is worth the trip I promise. Wish I could hear some of the boutique products too as I'm sure they are awesome. I think this is why I'm always going to be a Brick and Mortar guy. Glad we have both options still.

I assume the Rom was the Sig version, but I honestly didn't even look. Since falling in love with the Ayre components in the last year, I've gotten away from tubes as I don't like rolling them. I spend way too much time listening to music, both recorded and live. I can't just get to my components anymore as I have MS and it isn't fun gettign on the floor anymore....This is what makes audio so much fun...there is something for all of us. I love the sound of the AR gear as well as the Aesthetix gear. I'm still liking an all Ayre system for what it does in the midbass and bass. Again, that's just me, but they are all awesome components.

I'll ask Johnny about the Rom sig when I speak with him this week. As for the Ayre, I'm not sure if my integrated has that. I have the 7 not the 5...The 5 has the diamond stage. They are now making their top amps with double diamond stages...their USB only DAC (now with DSD) is as good as any of the DAC's I've heard. For many of us, we can't afford the awesome DAC's you are listening to here in this thread. I'm still waiting on the right music server I think.

Not sure where to even post this, but this seemed like a good place. Thoughts on the Lumin T1 server/DAC??? I want a server based system. Should I be waiting? That DAC doesn't have a hookup for my Sat/TV box, but it looks good. Never heard it. What other servers out there that don't cost an arm and leg, lol...I'm thinking I may want to keep my DAC and server separate as I can upgrade as new stuff comes up. Thoughts?

Ok, so now I have done some research into a server/DAC/ NAS system. I'm totally confused. I spoke with someone from Baetis about their servers. their lowest price one is around 5k and it rips which I have to have. He was telling me that USB sucks as a connection and that AES is the best if you find a DAC that has it and that their 5k unit uses a BNC s/p diff connection. He said that any DAC is DSD capable with some program from JRiver and that it's marketing BS saying a dad is DSD capable ( believe that's how he put it).
I have heard some of the DACs in this thread and I haven't liked some of them. I have never heard Steve's DAC. I was told that Bel Canto 1.7 is a good inexpensive one and that the Berkley Alpha 2 is the best under 5k. This seems to fly in the face of what many in this thread have said.
I also liked a few other servers like Antipode and the Aries streamer looks like a good value, but I don't know how it really sounds as I don't know anyone who has heard it.

I don't want to go back and reread this whole thread so my question is where do we stand on DACS under 5k? What about what the Baetis guy told me? He also said that digital cables make a HUGE difference compared to analog and I fully believe cables are huge and always have heard a big difference.
Matt, are any of the DACS you heard in the 5k range? Maybe I would even be able to find a used model so that I can afford that and a server. I only have maybe 1k CD's and I still use phono or else I could go directly into an amp and sell my integrated. Wish I knew more about digital. Glad you have this thread...thanks all

Wow, thanks to you all.. Steve, thanks for the response, but I have to share that I really thank you for taking my call. It has helped clear up a TON! I really want to hear your DAC. The only problem I ever have with mail order is that I need to hear things first for obvious reasons. As I told Steve yesterday, I need to have a balanced analog out (true balanced) as it's the only way the Ayre will sound special. I have my phono going now too, so I can't use the digital volume controls in any of the DAC's...too bad as that would be simple to just get a nice amp and use the DAC for both jobs.

I just pulled the trigger on a used Overdrive with all the updates. I can't wait to get it up and running. Still trying to figure out what I'll use to stream things. I am still leaning towards a server as it's easier for me. I lost out on a couple of the mac mini's from 2009.

I know Steve says Mac mini with new power supply and a NAS. Do any of you use a server and if so, which one. I assume you will also use the USB connection. I'll get the Synchro Mesh so I can use my Apple TV and Uverse box (both toslink).