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What DAC upgrade made you say “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?

As the title suggests, what was your overall system and DAC at the point where you bought only a new DAC and said “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?

I’m a novice and so many people talk about improvements from new equipment as if they were only listening to varying degrees of static until they bought more and more new equipment which added up to them finally being presented with music. It’s like Salome and the seven veils. But when does the last veil get peeled away? 

So what system did you have and what DAC did you swap in that made you say “DAMN!!!!”?

I guess I’m looking for night and day differences, not gradual progressions……


pip_helix
zavato's avatar
zavato
1,390 posts
 
I have heard man dacs that sounds great for digital. When I heard the Bricasti M1 I heard a dac that sounded great- with out the “for digital” qualifier
tweak1
3,534 posts
 
I thought I needed to upgrade my Audio Alchemy DDP-1 (DAC/PRE) + PS 5, outboard power supply, but didn't see a better quality dac/pre anywhere near my budget, so......
I decided to replace my optical cable with a Pangea coax XL digital cable. Im pretty sure no matter what dac/pre I would have replaced the AA with, if I still used optical, I would have wasted my money
ghdprentice
6,364 posts
 
While I haven’t done any testing myself, the rule of thumb is that optical is the least preferred connection. I have simply always steered clear of them. Good to hear evidence.
knighttodd
197 posts
 
I am currently looking for another Dac. I like my RME ADI2 Dac Fs with Teddy Pardo PS but I want to try a r2r. I have been very interested in the Audio GD 7 latest model. Good reviews class A power and the price is not overwhelming. Any one else have any info on it? Only place to get is Underwood Wally and no return. Just wondering if it will be dynamic like the RME. I've tried thePSA DS and Audio Mirror and SW1X. Found them too laid back and lacking in bass. I have subs and Triton Reference speakers so I can always dial in a little more.
anzaanimalclinic's avatar
anzaanimalclinic
239 posts
 
Adding and clocking a Denafrips Iris DDC for I2S input to the Terminator Plus was a near Damn moment compared to the straight USB from an Innuos Statement.

What was a Damn moment was when Innuos released their InnuOS 2.0 and I was able to dump Roon.  InnuOS 2.0 just makes noise vanish.  While Tidal is still nowhere close to the quality of local files and InnuOS 2.0 doesn't support HiRez from Tidal yet, Tidal sounds so much better.  The fatigue factor is 90 % decreased because the background noise is so much less.  The presentation is more dynamic and more relaxed at the same time.  More so with local files but Tidal actually benefits more relatively because it was so much worse to start with.

InnuOS 2.0 further reveals and widens the gap between Redbook and HiRez.   It also reveals and widens the gap between HiRez PCM and DSD.  DSD has more detail and richness with better pace and timing.  Its more immersive.  With Roon I always felt DSD sounded wrong but it was just the distortion and noise Roon was adding that made is sound off.

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