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Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
Guys. Headphone conversations over to my 65 headphone review thread on Head-Fi please. I don’t think these guys dig the Can talk. 

Mahalo!
mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
Ok all. I am at Capital Audiofest 2017. PM me if you are here and interested in hooking up. And I mean that as platonically as it could possibly be meant!!!!! Lol.
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Have fun Matt.  take pics.
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,467 posts
 
@audioengr

It is a simple matter to use upsampling so that a gentle linear phase anti-alias filter can sit far away from the audio band and where it won’t be audible. There are ways to trick most DAC chips to employ this solution and avoid or bypass the limitations of the DAC chip built-in filter options.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

shadorne - agreed, however, the devil is always in the details. How to make it sound like analog and not electronic.

Upsampling has its own issues, particularly in hardware. There are always compromises made in these designs. My own reclocker is extremely good, rejecting almost all incoming jitter and delivering a low-jitter upsampled output, but when compared to my best USB or Ethernet playback which is not upsampled, the non-upsampled tracks win for best sound quality. Both scenerios use essentially the same clock and power supplies/regulators.

This is precisely why I don't put an upsampler in my DAC, as so many other DACs do.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

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