@stuartk I ended up buying an Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE and it delivers tomorrow. If I end up up not liking it, the Aqua S3 is definitely on my radar.
Need help choosing a new DAC
With so many options for DACs these days, I'm having a hard time deciding on a new DAC. Currently considering a MHDT Orchid or Pagoda, Denafrips Pontus II, Benchmark DAC3, Schitt Yggdrasil, or Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE. I don't need any options such as volume control, BT, or MQA. I also prefer musicality over measurements. I'm currently using a SMSL SU-9, which will be moved over to my office system. I'm tired of moving it back and forth between systems. My bank account prefers the cost of the Orchid since the other options cost up to twice as much, but I can go as high as $2500. I mostly steam Qobuz thru a Raspberry Pi 4, but also use a Cambridge Audio CXC v2 CD transport on occasion. My preamp is a Don Sachs DS2 tube preamp going into a D-Sonic m3a-1200s amp feeding "Gunned" MMGs. I mostly listen to the Grateful Dead, rock, jazz, and acoustic music. Which DAC should I get and are the any others I should look at?
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Congratulations on your new purchase. Don’t forget to avoid trying to draw conclusions on its sound until after at least 200 hours of play. Break in has a significant impact… taking the edge off the treble and improving bass… making it sound more natural. It is really easy to be really happy, then notice and edge you don’t like and be dissatisfied before it is even broken in. Do leave your system on and try not to draw any negative observations for a week or two. |
@tterrapin77 Congratulations!!! You re off to a very good start given your initial listening impression. I believe that it will only improve moving forward. I do not believe that edgy/bright colorations will be an issue with the particular DAC and preamplifier you have. I strongly suspect that this pairing will prove to be exceptionally natural, full tonal body along with very good resolution. Charles |
- 97 posts total