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Relaxed, musical DAC around 2k used?

I tend to differ from many audiophiles in that I am very sensitive to treble and what is commonly referred to as detail retrieval. I want something musical that is forgiving to poor recordings rather than reminding me that I’m not listening an audiophile mastered album, something laid back that gives the sense of ease and relaxation I get from vinyl.

I’ve previously tried DACs like the Chord Mojo, ifi xDSD, and Sabre 9018 based McIntosh D150 and found all to suffer from weak bass and overly emphasized treble (sparkle, air, detail) which is not to my liking. I’ve heard through reviews that something like the PS Audio Directstream DAC might be more of what I’m looking for but at the moment it is out of my budget. 

I also see things like the Mytek Brooklyn and Benchmark recommended at this price range but I fear they will have the same emphasis as the above and won’t be what I’m looking for. 

Im very open to used gear as it gives greater value. Is there anything out there for me?
128x128blorp

Showing 3 responses by blorp

blorp's avatar
blorp OP
8 posts
 
Thank you for all the replies so far! I will definitely look into these options as they are all very interesting and several directions I had not considered before. 

For a bit more context I should have put into the original post, I'm using a pair of Harbeth M30.1s, have yet to select an amp as I'm still auditioning those (maybe Primaluna Dialogue HP?), and currently use either a Mac or Allo USBridge ethernet streamer for Roon/Qobuz/Google Music with a Curious USB cable if any of that makes a difference to recommendations. Thanks again!!
blorp's avatar
blorp OP
8 posts
 
@akiravelvet
Which Lampizator model out of curiosity, the Amber 2? Always been interested in trying an R2R dac. 
blorp's avatar
blorp OP
8 posts
 
@itzhak1969

For the bass I'm planning to add a sub like the Rel S/3 as I don't expect stand mount speakers with 8" woofers to be able to plumb the depths in a meaningful way, and for the revealing part yeah, they are quite revealing. During my audition on a PrimaLuna Dialogue fed by vinyl that characteristic did not come across in a fatiguing way as it does for me with the D150 at home. I should say I'm trying to avoid a focus on detail and sparkle and am just not a fan in general of DACs that have that type of presentation.

I auditioned the D150 with a variety of sources on a variety of speakers including the Harbeths and several headphones and found that characteristic to be consistent across all. Just my 2 cents. 
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