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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
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Here’s the thing. The Shun Mook Mpingo disc is probably not what you think it is. It’s actually two different woods, Gabon ebony and Mpingo wood, a variety of rosewood as I recall. Also, inside the cutout, if you remove the small disc of wood embedded in the disc, lo and behold - a crystal! WTH!

The Mpingo disc is very resonant and is very sensitive to direction, top to bottom but also azimuth. Thus the real Mpingo disc is rather tricky to fabricate, tricky to knock off and tricky to use. Used incorrectly it can easily hurt the sound.
neoshah
33 posts
 
@mattnshilp i agree with your HRS vs Symposium comparison.I've also heard them many times & but on diff setups, unless you don't try & hear it side by side one never gets an idea, also sort the preference. 
Hats off to all the efforts you are putting in & also sharing your observations quite frankly.
Hope you could have also tried the leading edge rack.
@geoffkait i agree with what you say about the shun mook. Needs some tweaking. But i guess will add a bit of flavour which may or may not work , as usually flavours are.

All the best.
Cheers
toetapaudio
474 posts
 
http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=85087

Seems two Ultras are better than one and three better than two.
mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
Toerapaudio- holy crap. That’s hysterical! 

Just to be clear... I WON’T BE TRYING THAT!!! 😂😂😂
mattnshilp OP
917 posts
 
CTSooner/Geoffkait - I’m not trying the Shun Mook Mpingo discs. I’m trying the footers, the Giant Diamond Resonators (GDR) mechanical grounding product. The Mpingo are for room tuning, the GDR are for mechanical grouanding (ie. Footers). 

I just know they are a special type of ebony and then fabricated to a standard. Comparing these to a normal piece of ebony is like comparing a normal cylinder of steel to a StillPoint. 

They have a HUGE following and many have touted them to be the best there is. They are the only footers that defy explanation scientifically, or at least they do to me. So I hold judgement until my ears evaluate them. 


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