PS Audio Direct Stream DAC w/Roon Nucleus + vs. Auralic Vega G1

I have a Roon Nucleus hooked up to a Chord Qutest via USB and very much like the combination.  I have no personal experience with either the Direct Stream or the Vega G1, but if I had to choose, would go with the Roon Nucleus feeding the Direct Stream via USB.   Then, if you want to take it a step further, down the road, could consider putting a D to D converter like the Denafrips Gaia into the mix between the Nucleus and the DAC, and feed the signal from the Gaia to the Direct Stream vis I2S.

I’ve heard great things about the Chord Qutest especially when linked to a Chord Zscaler.  I hadn’t thought about linking a DAC to the Denafrips.  Has anyone had experience with the Denafrips with the PS Audio Direct Stream?

@pscar

i think you have some confusion on the items you are referring to:

chord's qutest, denafrips (terminator, ares, venus or pontus), ps audio directstream are all dacs

roon nucleus would provide the digital signal, from either its hard drive or streamed over ethernet

so you would not run 'a denafrips from a directstream dac' - they serve exactly the same function

the chord m scaler is another can of worms... it is an outboard upscaler that is inserted between the transport (bitstream supplier) and the DAC input ... for some kinds of dacs, the m scaler can further refine the sound, make it more easeful more natural sounding, less sharp and digital

Thanks for the clarification.  I currently run my Nucleus + through the Mytek DAC And then on to my Mac tube preamp and PrimaLuna tube amp

i think my DAC is the weak link and want upgrade it.  The current contenders are PS Audio, the Auralic Vega and maybe a Denafrips Terminator.  Up to now I hadn’t been considering any other sort of D/D equipment for sound enhancement.  
Looking forward to the days of the big Audio Fests again......

Your dac isn't a weak link, it's definitely better than PSAudio anything the Auralic uses a similar chip from ESS as Mytek a newer version and they do custom filtering. Denafrips uses a different technology but gets the same results. If you just want a different DAC that's a different story.

Thanks for that input; it's very helpful.  Maybe I am looking the wrong direction.  The Mytek seems a bit harsh and fatiguing in long listening sessions relative to vinyl (using a Dynavector 20x2L MC cartridge with SME tonearm and Vinyl Nirvana rebuilt Thorens TD 124).

Maybe the solution is to look towards a D/D converter...

That mainly has to do with vinyl distortion which is considered pleasant to the ear. Some like it, I personally don’t I like accurate reproduction. What would help if you find digital fatiguing is EQ. You would probably notice more difference than anything you’ve mentioned by attenuation in the 2khz- 4khz region which the ear is most sensitive to. You don't mention your speakers. Might be they lift a bit in that area. 

@pscar

my opinion is rather different from djones here

from my experience, i do believe you will get a smoother more natural presentation if you improve your DAC from the Mytek unit ... the brooklyn is known to be a very clear, but sometimes thin/harsh/strident/edgy sounding piece, compared to other smoother, sweeter fuller sounding dacs in the same general price class

your notion of trying a PS audio DS, Denafrips, or something else from the R2R school such as a Metrum, MHDT or Audio Mirror should pay dividends in the nature of SQ you seek

doing so will not necessarily have the digital sounding just like your vinyl, but it will be a substantial, immediately noticeable move in that direction

final note - the ps audio ds is software upgradeable, won't become obsolete anytime soon (they do upgrades every 6-9 months via download)

DACs have gotten very good these days, so I’ll give the usual hackneyed advice: Try Before You Buy. A "better" DAC may not sound better to you.

That said, I am an one who aims for neutrality -- not a warm sound, not emphasized treble. When I borrowed a Brooklyn for a while, there was only one filter setting that I enjoyed. The rest seemed a bit edgy TO ME.

I urge you to audition carefully, because what you choose at this level will be a matter of taste and how it complements the rest of your audio system.

The most important part of auditioning DACs if at all possible,  do so without knowing which one you're listening to so you choose with your ears not your eyes or notion of if it costs more it must be better. Well designed DACs whether R2R discrete or chip and Delta Sigma are extremely hard to tell apart when evaluating blind. Some use filters or tubes etc.. in order to EQ the signal and that's fine it just makes more sense to apply the EQ at the speaker level. It's much easier to achieve the same effect for less money and easier to find a sound more pleasant to you. It would be interesting to know what speakers you're using to look at the FR, if it can be found, to see what's going on the the areas the ear is most sensitive to. Another way you can tell is if you have a calibrated mic and REW. Do a FR sweep leaving the mic in the same position switching between DACs. If the FR is the same or within .01%  then I doubt the DACs could be told apart. 

I can't comment on the Auralic you are considering or the Mytek you own, but I have the Directstream DAC/Roon Nucleus combination and am very pleased.  I've owned the DSD for more than two years so I have updated the software a couple of times and feel each update has been an improvement.

DACs are changing so fast now that an upgradable FPGA based DAC is a big plus in my opinion.

Understand that these improvements are rather subtle but they are discernible.  The updates don't change the overall sound of the DSD (neutral to maybe a bit warm, certainly not edgy) they typically eliminate noise or other artifacts.

I too have a PrimaLuna Amp (Dialogue Premium HP) and they are a good sounding match.  My preamp is also PrimaLuna so your results could be different there.

One last thought on the DSD.  I originally connected my Nucleus via USB (CuriousCable) and was very happy.  I also own the DirectStream Memory Player and was really happy with the sound with them connected via I2S.  So, I bought a devise that was recommended by a number of people on the PSAudio Blog to connect my Nucleus via I2S.  I use a Matrix X-SPDIF 2 that converts the USB to I2S.  It is a fantastic sound in my opinion.

I hope this is helpful.

So...I had a DSD for a few years and ran it with a Nucleus+.  It is very good but I cannot say that every software change is an improvement.  It is an excellent unit and given that software can be updated, it is less likely to become outdated.  Definitely less bright compared to the Mytek.  

An interesting alternative that is far more up-to-date is the Chord Hugo TT2 which is also an FPGA DAC.  It has balanced outputs and is awesome with an M-Scaler.  I would put the TT2 up against the DSD and my hunch is that today, especially when you consider the filters the TT2 has, it will come out ahead of the DSD.  You can tweak the sound to your liking.  The M-Scaler is a significant incremental cost but it takes the system to the next level.  

I know some disagree with that but that is the fun of this hobby.  I did sell my DSD when I became a Chord Dealer but am not at all disappointed with that decision and will never look back.  

I am a national Chord dealer and will take your Mytek (and any other equipment you have) on trade toward Chord products.  

scott (verdant) posts enough here that one can see his obvious knowledge and experience

i can also vouch for him as a vendor, i sourced my chord gear from him... excellent service, good pricing, and outstanding responsiveness

Thank you all for ongoing comments.  For the record, my speakers are Klipsch Cornwalls with a REL T7 sub running through a Velodyne SMS-1 management system

AC power runs through a AudioQuest Niagara 1200 and I have a Uptone Audio JS-2 driving DC power to Mytek and Nucleus.  

I know this an old thread, but I'm on the exact same boat now. Would you mind sharing what was your final decision and outcome? Thank you

I ended up with the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC.  There have been 1 or 2 firmware updates since I purchased it to help keep it current.  I am pleased with my choice and expect to stick with it for a while

@pscar - Glad to hear that you wound up with something you liked!