Hey janehamble,
Another "puff piece"? You never heard the DAC or read the details that describe why this offers great performance at a very reasonable price. I only post on AudioGon to try to help members be aware of gear that could be useful in their pursuit to get what they want out of their system.
Geez, what makes individuals motivated to be derogatory from the get go. |
Wow, I got some Emails already where to go to possibly setup an audition on the Balanced Pagoda. I recommend you give a call to Linear Tube Audio who carries the Mhdt Lab line of DACs and offers home auditions with a return policy if you don't keep it. They are great people to work with, ask to talk to Nicklaus regarding any questions about the DAC or their policy regarding setting up an audition. |
Hey Tuberist,
Thanks for the kind words towards my reviews and posts. |
Two things:
1) Thanks, gelle & letch for the feedback that the information was helpful for you guys to get what you were looking for. Mark and his staff at Linear Tube Audio not only build reference level David Berning inspired gear, they also happen to be great guys and gentlemen. They are the major retail source in the US to buy Mhdt Lab's DACs.
2) Photomax, I’m driving the Balanced Pagoda with a Jay’s Audio MK-II CD transport. |
Hey soix,
With out copping out, and not going into all the details, if your system is single ended, I would choose the Tubadour SE, because if you run the Balanced Pagoda single ended, not balanced you lose the beauty of this DAC. However, if you have a balanced system I would then recommend the Balanced Pagoda because it’s the equal of the Audio Mirror piece and slightly better in certain sonic parameters and costs $500 less. |
Hey rpw,
Then they have not updated the current information. It is in production and because of the cost of the DAC chips and other parts it's retail cost will be $2,000. |
Hey janehamble,
I think you think you are crafty in the use of your semantics, regrading me as a "Influencer", which is your code for someone who does not tell the truth or as been bought off to sell some piece of equipment. You also seem to have a problem that because many individuals trust my take on pieces of gear and it helps them find out new pieces, that they are idiots for doing so. Which actually is demeaning to them. I tell everyone to use their own ears as a final judgement not mine.
I really don’t care what your opinion is of me, it’s amazing that threads like this, that members found informative and useful, have to put up with negative/unproductive comments like yours. As long as you think what I do is some type of crooked enterprise and I benefit in some underhanded way, and you can write a great review, please sent me your resume and a copy of one of your reviews and I’ll help you get a reviewing job so you to can reap the benefits outside your day work. I’ll be waiting!
By the way, I can’t remember the last time I posted, if ever, on the Miscellaneous forum. |
Thank you gentlemen,
Regarding the kind words towards me and the information I try to provide here on AudioGon and my professional reviews. I grew up on AudioGon and have always remained an active member because I think the forums can be a place of respectful sharing and helping everybody get what they are seeking in their systems.
I hope this thread can go back to either information, questions, or feedback on the Balanced Pagoda and what it has to offer to a music lover seeking a true balanced DAC at a very reasonable price point. |
Hey denism,
I don't represent anybody else but me. If you want to trash the whole profession of individuals doing reviewing, because of the misbehavior of a few that's your right to over generalize in a bigoted fashion.
I never post to hi-jack any thread to promote gear I like, unless the author asks for direct information regarding that piece. Unlike a few dealers who are always pushing their wares on threads that don't ask about product lines that they carry.
Well, my desire that this thread would go back to its original purpose was very shorted lived, indeed! |
Hey ghasley,
You are correct. I used to write for Six Moons, but chose to leave and now have a great home writing for Stereo Times. You raise a very interesting question. If certain individuals find what I post extremely annoying why do they even bother to read them and waste their time?
Well, some people thrive off of misery.
Wow, Ozzy62 you must be a stickler for proper grammar and sentence structure. Maybe we can talk off line about hiring you to edit my writing here on the GON for a reasonable sum of payment! Let me know.
Of course since I have never heard your upgraded Pagoda I can’t say how close its performance would come to compared with the Tubadour III SE. However, if you run the Balanced Pagoda, balanced both in/out you get an overall performance that exceeds the Audio Mirror DAC. The caveat is you run it balanced, not single-ended. |
Hey janehamble,
We know you don't have kind feelings towards me or my writing, to put it mildly, so could you please stop reading my posts, better for your mental health, and allow this thread to go back to discussing the Balanced Pagoda for the folks that want information on it and not your "blow hard" rants about the me and everyone else you don't care for. PLEASE! |
Hey janehamble,
Please..... I have nothing to "get over ", I'm not upsetting myself over your inane remarks about me or what I do here or in my reviews. You have an agenda, and have ever right to express it here on AudioGon. I respectfully, after you stated your opinion and the rest of the posters did not agree with your position, leave the thread alone so a positive discussion of the thread's topic could go on, with out your sideshow that is totally irrelevant to the topic.
Oh, I'm not sure everyone's looking forward to my review in the near future on the Balanced Pagoda, but enough that will get some useful information to make it worth writing. |
Hey tvad,
After I reviewed the Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE, I bought the review demo. Great DAC! For the last two weeks I have been in the process of evaluating the Mhdt Lab Balanced Pagoda DAC. In this comparison, if you run in/out balanced with the BP DAC it offers better overall dynamics, deeper more controlled bass extension, and is quieter with more air around players in its sound-stage. As far as timbres and tonality both the BP and Tubadour are equals in a very positive way.
I never make comments out of ignorance, but I’ll give you my hunch. Because the Mhdt Lab BP is a true balanced design, it still might offer better results then using a balanced transformer with single ended circuity. My question is how much does Vlad charge for this upgrade option? The Audio Mirror already costs $500 more then the Balanced Pagoda. Therefore, if the up charge is another $200 to $300 dollars more, we are close to almost a thousand dollars over the cost of the Mhdt Lab piece. Right now, I would purchase the Balanced Pagoda over the Tubadour III SE, with the caveat that its run balanced in/out, feeding a true balanced preamplifier. If you run single-ended through out your system, I would stick with the Audio Mirror DAC. As I said this is just a hunch, but I don’t think for the extra money for the upgrade to a balanced transformer in the Tubadour III SE, that you would get a better sounding DAC then the Balanced Pagoda which is a lot less money. |
Hey clio09,
I’m not an engineer, but in a true balanced design everything is doubled in each channels circuitry. Two DAC chips, instead of one, two transformers instead of one for the digital and analog sections, etc. Therefore, the overall noise floor is lowered, a more stiff and refined power section, and an increase of 9dB in volume over single-ended with less noise.
I now have had two DACs in for review that are true balanced designs feeding a balanced preamplifier. If I use the single-ended digital input and single-ended analog out put, both DACs performance decreases to a large degree. |
Hey arafiq,
No worries.
Since, I don’t care about handling hi-res formats-only care about Redbook, and have validated for myself that if you drive the Balanced Pagoda single-ended you take away some of it’s "magical" performance. Driven single-ended, both in/out it still is at least as good as the Orchid and better if driven balanced. Therefore, I would go with the Balanced Pagoda, if price is not part of the equation. Remember, this is all based on the Orchid compared to the Balanced Pagoda, not the single-ended Pagoda in my system. But, the logic of the above stated conclusion should be valid. If I’m correct the price of the standard Pagoda and the Orchid is almost the same. Orchid if run single-ended, not the standard Pagoda and if you are going to run the DAC in your system balanced then the Balanced Pagoda. |
Hello everybody,
Just wanted to share I’m coming close to writing my review on Balanced Pagoda for the Stereo Times website. I have spent much time with it, in two different systems. I have in-house two other very highly regarded DACs for review, one costs $5000, the other $5500.
Well, the Balanced Pagoda is right there with them regarding overall performance, but costs less then half of the other DACs! When it comes to beauty of timbre/colors, providing a large airy layered soundstage, 3D imaging, it hangs quite well with the big boys. It’s not quite as quiet, it uses tubes in the analog section, and is a smidgen less quick/dynamic overall, but still has great bass extension and very good overall PRAT. I will go into many more details about its performance in my formal review.
So, if your budget range is around $2000, I really suggest you setup an audition, you can do this through Linear Tube Audio here in the states, its a great music maker at a terrific price. |
I could be mistaken, but I thought that you do get a trail period from LTA and can return the piece if it does not work for you. Sorry, if I'm mistaken, I'll give them a call tomorrow to make sure which is correct.
I totally understand arafiq's position regarding a home audition vs. a no return policy. For what its worth I have received, because of my Six Moon's review of the MHDT Lab Orchid DAC, scores of Emails from individuals who bought the Orchid and were thrilled with its performance and reasonable cost factor. I know that does not prove everyone will be as satisfied, but the Orchid & Balanced Pagoda are terrific performers. |
First: To answer arafiq's questions.
1) If you can't run the Balanced Pagoda, balanced it will not give you its best performance.
2) I have reviewed both the Orchid and the Tubadour III SE. If you can afford the up charge of $1000 for the Audio Mirror piece its worth it. You get subtle, but real increments of improvement compared to the Orchid. However, the Orchid does not "wilt" in comparison.
3) If you run the Balanced Pagoda balanced, in my opinion, its at least as good if not slightly better then the Tubadour III SE for about $400 less.
Just had a guest listener who brought his DAC over to compare to the Balanced Pagoda. He wanted to purchase it, it's on loan for the reviewing process, because how much he loved its performance and did not want to go back to his DAC in his system! |
