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DAC finalist please help

Hi all,
hope everyone is doing well this holiday season.
I’m back on the DAC hunt and I have narrowed down to these different but compelling DAC’s.
Unlike a lot of you guys on Audiogon I’m not a millionaire : (  My budget is only 1,500 bucks but I think there are some good choices in that range.
If any of you folks have experience with any of these pieces I would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

I’m replacing a McCormack DAC-1 that I have owned since new.
I still listen and continue to buy Redbook CD’s so something that would be kind to those is important.
I’m trying to make the determination on overall what would work and sound the best.
NOS with tubes is intriguing as is R2R as is just a good chip set.
I’m looking at a Aragon D2A used $600 for redbook playback and maybe teaming it up with a Xiangsheng 05B to handle modern formats DSD etc, less than 500 bucks the two together would be just north of a grand.
On the NOS front the Audio Mirror Tubadour III NOS w/tubes, new $1,500.

The Denafrips Ares II R2R used about 800 bucks, or the Musician - Pegasus, new around $1,100.
And then there is the Line Magnetic 502CA tube, used 700-800 dollars.
I love the look of the LM and it's got a great tube stage, I definitely have a bit of a crush on this one.

I realize I’m a little bit all over the Map here, but again if anyone has thoughts or has /had one of these DAC’s I’m all ears...Many thanks and Happy Holidays!HG
grossman616
grossman616 OP
123 posts
 
Thank you one and all! A lot of votes for the AM Tubadour III. The SE is beyond my budget rt now but the the standard III gets good reviews and I think it's upgradeable...??? MHDT Atlantis is another. I could not find a AM used, if I did I would buy now. MHDT however...

I have my current DAC for 25 yrs from new so I don't swap around much.

Thanks again so much for your advice!!  Happy Holidays!!




cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
Yes, it is upgradeable, and AM offers an in home trial period if you want to try with minimal risk.
snopro
385 posts
 
I think you will really love the AM Tubadour III dac.
You can always upgrade it to the SE later on.
I have The SE version and love it. I used to have a Terminator which is twice as much and I like the AM better. It is more musical and just sounds more natural to me.

Go for it, you won't be sorry! 
phantom_av
313 posts
 
Playback Design if your after smooth fatigue free sound. Not only is it musical it never gives headaches.
rossman
74 posts
 
Musician Pegasus r2r DAC is more than comparable in sound and build quality to Denifrips Pontus II. Listened and compared them both and saved over $1K by going with the Pegasus. Internals are nearly identical. What an incredible find! The Pegasus replaced my Schitt Yggdrasil V2 with a lower noise floor, better detail retrieval, wider soundstage and better dynamics. I was quite surprised and pleased to discover this lovely, truly balanced DAC.
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