Any better DAC then dCS Scarlatti?

Hi Murataltuev,
Filter 1 is what I use. Some people like Filter 2. Obviously I need to try the GTE. I must 1st decide on an amp!

All I can add is the Scarlatti is one of the finest DACs I have ever heard. All the thoughts on harsh or soft or whatever are about your system or whichever system you are used too.

My time with it has only made me respect it more. At these lofty heights of audio playback, attention to detail in the rest of your system is extremely important and may make or break your experience of it.

The DAC itself is extraordinary. All I feel you could ask for as an audiophile is can it be cheaper with the same performance?

In my system it is sweet, warm and ultra pure. Every aspect of the information put in comes out.

Hi murataltuev,
I am very interested in you finding your vinyl set up to be more dynamic than your digital rig.

I too have scarlatti and other DCS digital. It has been a longtime since I have had my own TT (I got lazy), although some of my audiophile close friends have super TT rigs. I could not say they are more dynamic, although the sense of flow etc is hard to beat but not impossible. In fact a friend of mine recorded a CDR direct from his TT. When I played this back on my digital, it killed many of my original disks!

I wonder what you are using with your DCS for it to have dynamic issues? Or maybe I need to understand better your meaning of dynamics?

DCS does have the ability to be restrained or slightly removed, but with the right tweaking and set up it is sublime. Maybe try some VD cables to bring it to life? Or is it a preamp issue? The drawback of these discussions is you can say so much and so little at the same time!

I dont know the GTE, but I have had many of the usual suspects in the digital world.

Hi murataluev,

I am only confused because the noise floor is so much higher with your TT when compared even to modest digital sources. Of course I know the pain in making it musical.

My understanding of dynamics is volume contrast and tracking this through time or the envelope, both in the individual instrument within the band or orchestra, as well as the orchestras or band as a wholes volume.

I guess resolution is very close in the equation. Helped by ultra low noise floors and the usual low distortion and linear signal path and vibration control which enables the freedom of the above. Not sure if frequency response or character is included in this?

The funny thing is that recently I have been let loose with some cabling which has made me rethink these issues with digital playback, even with the very nice cabling I own (Analysis plus golden oval and VD). I have been humbled by the degree of loss within some of these fine cables when compared to some experimental stuff I have on loan.

I wont go into it here and hijack this thread, but be warned. You may not be listening to your DAC at all. As the inventor of this cable system told me before I plugged it in, "you are hearing about 60% of your system at the moment".

I thought it was unlikely as I have gone to a reasonable extreme with vibration control/clean electricity and good cabling. All I can say is I plugged the damned stuff in. It is frightening... Much much more information. Timing naturalness and so on. Just real. It was very good before, but oh dear.

BTW the cables cost more than my whole system, DCS included! But then it would do wouldnt it?

Hi murataltuev,

I approached these things too although with different products to you. I use the PS audio PPP regenerator which is powered from its own circuit and wired with VD power cables (I hear the Purepower is very good).

I have a few different isolation devices. but all the equipment is suspended by SSC pucks and sit on various platforms. I found these helped the DCS DAC. Maybe not night and day but worth having. I have my system in a tight space these days which makes some platforms unusable for me.

In the end I got rid of my DCS Transport. I found the computer (Mac with Amarra) to give better sound and flexibility. Although sometimes I miss the odd SACD. (I never had the Scarlatti transport BTW). CD is dead.

Personally I found the fuses in the DCS to be unlistenable. More so than the isolation. I changed these to gold fuses which really made the presentation sweeter and organic sounding. Especially in the highs. The firewire cable is another one too.

I would be very surprised if you had the same noise floor in your DCS as your TT. I dont know which speakers you use, but quite low sensitivity? 86-90db/watt? Try the same equipment of high sensitivity and you will have a shock! Just the difference in noise between the Elgar plus DAC output to the Scarlatti DAC output was unmistakable.

I am not sure that by just changing one DAC for another leaving the chain as was means that the other DAC is better or worse. Maybe it just means it compliments that way of being isolated better? Who knows? This is where things get very difficult, with taste and music choices also impacting on opinions.

I would like to hear the GTE. My complaint is how much value it is, regardless of how good it is. To me none of the internal parts can add up to that kind of money. Even if the boards and casing were solid gold... The Scarlatti is bad enough! Remember they will all be door stops in 5 years unlike your TT probably! Digital is moving very quickly.

Hi murataltuev,

I mainly use Hifi tuning fuses. Although I do have some furutech.

I am amazed you find the highs in the DCS are soft. Of all the digital I have heard DCS has always had great impact in the highs Not hard or bright but vivid.

Did you say which speakers you use?

Do you use any of the filters in the DCS DAC?

I look forward to hearing the GTE some time. Although I have enough on my plate sorting out new amps.. But that is another story!

Yes the Weiss Medea plus. Fabulous especially if you use a computer as a "transport".