The newest Musical Paradise unit is a giant killer. I have it with some NOS tubes and the Crystek clocks. Fabulous lush sound and it has user changeable caps and will accept 12 and 6 volt signal tubes.
Non Analytical Sounding DAC Upgrade- Budget $1,500 or less
After upgrading my speakers and turntable over the last 3 years it's time to get rid of my nearly 7-year old Beresford DAC. I originally started with a budget of $750 or less, but after researching possible options it seems like $1,500 might be more realistic. This will be in my dedicated 2 channel system. 80% listening through speakers and the rest through headphones. Analog is about 50% of listening, the 50% that is digital is mostly standard res streaming (via Roon/Tidal) or physical CD (using Oppo player as transport) with some higher res stuff tossed in. Music is mostly classic rock, prog, jazz, classical.
Downstream is NAD326 Integrated and Tekton Enzo XL speakers. I'll probably upgrade the amp in the next year. The speakers are long-term keepers.
I want something that gives a nice detailed sound-stage. Being a fan of good vinyl playback I'm not looking for an overly analytical sound. Because of that it seems like a R2R dac might be a better fit. I know there's lots of choices so hoping you can help to narrow the list down to a manageable number. Here's what's on the list so far:
Thanks in advance!
Downstream is NAD326 Integrated and Tekton Enzo XL speakers. I'll probably upgrade the amp in the next year. The speakers are long-term keepers.
I want something that gives a nice detailed sound-stage. Being a fan of good vinyl playback I'm not looking for an overly analytical sound. Because of that it seems like a R2R dac might be a better fit. I know there's lots of choices so hoping you can help to narrow the list down to a manageable number. Here's what's on the list so far:
- MHDT Orchid or Pagoda
- Denafrips Ares 2
- Musical Paradise MP-D2
- Soekris dac1541
Thanks in advance!
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- 74 posts total
While I own the Orchid, I have to admit to be very curious about Chord, not least because of the talk given by Rob Watts in this 2017 video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXyjsSYjnL8 His knowledge and experience shine through and I learned a lot. That said, I do wonder about R2R Soekris DACs. It strikes me as one of those sleeping giants, still mostly under the radar and not part of the "buzz," but perhaps one of the best values out there. I've yet to hear one. I don't know if it would sound analytical or not. |
to respond to akgwhiz, replacing the 1541A chip is not difficult....just need to gently pry out existing chip(you can buy a special tool on Amazon for this) and carefully put in the replacement making sure that all the pins are aligned properly before pushing down. Also replacing the caps is quite easy....just requires a bit a soldering skills. Mu unit(used) came with a WE 5670 installed and it proved to be extremely dull making music sound lifeless. I also tried several GE 5670's and thought they were a bit too glarey. Finally settled on a RCA 5670 'Command' which provided the right balance for my system. Tube rolling makes a definite difference....but I can't say how much difference compared to the slight mods referenced above. Also some of the improvements made could be attributed to the Audiolab 6000 Transport that feeds the Orchid but I can't evaluate this addition as I have nothing to compare it with. And finally I had been using a Marantz 8001 which was a highly regarded unit in its day butI'm getting so much more enjoyment with the Orchid. |
- 74 posts total