Need some advise on DAC's please....


I'm just getting into the digital thing in a serious way. I have had many different one box players (Wadia, Shanling, Sony, Carey) etc. over the years, and Now, it looks like it's time for the separates? Advise please. The Transport will be the Oracle CD2000 for sure. The "DAC" on the other hand is the question? Need, to know what will be the most logical choice. Be it the Zanden, the Stax, the Jadis, The What? please comment.
As for the rest of the system? it's tubes, and Vinyl "TRL" and "Verdier" La Paltine, Along with the SME/Koetsu combo.
Thanks in advance,
mang53
mang53
I have not heard the DACs you have mentioned but good alternatives are the Audio Logic which uses tubes and the Chord 64 which is SS. I thought that both represent the best value in their price ranges.

Happy Listening.
You may want to look into non-up/oversampling DACS. Audio Note and Shigaraki (47 Labs) have good information on their sites about the concept. Both have good products as well which I looked at closely before deciding on an Audio Mirror DAC available here on Audiogon for $499. Plays like 3 - 4x the price. From a tube component builder but this is a solid state. Very analogue if that is what you are looking for.
Mang53, I had a Plantine Koetsu combination a few years back and know the sound your getting and don't think you will be satisfied with a lower cost Dac, as the Audio Mirror, Flatfish etc. I have heard both the Zanden and the Stax Dacs and found them both very anoloque sounding with out any loss of information. The Oracle transport is absolutely gorgous, however; at that price level there is major competition, as in; MBL Dac and transport, although the MBLs oversample, they are the most analoque sounding combo other than the Forsell. If your mind is made up on the Oracle, than I would get the Stax Dac, which edged out the Zanden in my system.
I have heard grat things about he Dodson 218 DAC. I do not have personal experience with it but it might be worth checking out.
Apart from the EMM (Meitner) DAC ($@10,000) and the new, one piece DCS DAC (@ $17,000), which sound superbly analogue, I would also recommend the Dodson DA-218 (@$7,000). These are the one's that I've actually heard, and not just read about.

Enjoy,
Bob
Thanks, to all that have responded. At this juncture? the leaders are the Zanden, and the Stax! More listening necessary before the final decision is made. But, my $, and ears sez...Listen to the DODSON, and end up more that likely with the STAX! VERY ANALOG, and it look's "bitchin"
Cheers, Mange
;^)
Haven't heard it but the Scott Nixon Tubedac has received alot of excellent user feedback and they're only about 500.
Dear Mang53: My advise is that you can go for a top CDP ( integrated ) like: Linn, dCS, Meridian, Simms Audio, Burmester, Classe, Mark Levinson, etc....

If you go for separates the signal has to pass through additional connectors and cables and this fact always do a heavy degradation on the signal. Maybe you think that the external DAC is a better choice and outperforms the internal DACs of a CDP, but is not. As a fact many manufacturers of CDP and DAC use the same DACS for both units. Here it is a marketing business.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Film @ 11

After, VERY careful listening, and budgetary concerns.(No BURMESTER, or MBL 1611's ) The winner is the "Zanden" MKIV. I ordered it on Sunday, May 30th. It should arrive by the this next weekend Friday, June 3rd. I will of course be unavailbale as I plan on going into a audio coma!
Again thanks to all.
Craig
Dodson 218, Stax X1T (really liked it) Levinson 35 w/HDCD, Wadia 27IX 3.0 and of course the Zanden MKIV. Again, the budget was a pivotal turning point for me. If I decide to get out of the digital thing? at least I can sell of the Zanden quickly, But if I really make a commitment to this media? then the Zanden Transport will be the next addition. As I understand it the Zanden/Zanden combo KILLS when placed together? ...SO to sum it up, I really don't have the time to sample all the stuff I want to (EMM Labs,MBL, etc)Nor the dealers. So, time is just as important in the final equation.