Audio Note DAC 5

IMO, you can achieve better overall performance at far less cost. This review helped me to see the light.

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=digital&n=64718

I do not agree here. Have any of you guy's actually heard the DAC 5. If you had a superb set-up and the front end was the only thing left to tweak, you would no doubt look to a DAC 5, if money was no really a problem.

To illustrate my point:
I do a lot of maintenance on luxury yachts in Spain. The owners range from very rich and no time to use the boat, to pretty well of and more time, to pretty much no cash and lots of time. They all share the passion for the sport and love enjoying their boats. If you add up the time you spend 'enjoying' the music, and set that as your high points or quality time, how can you put a price on that?

Time is priceless, and unless you believe in reincarnation, this is as good as it gets. If you love music, and want the best, then don't get so negative about folk who are willing to spend this kind of money. I have a humble DAC 1.1, but that blew away everything alse I have heard at demo's up to 4 times the price. I have also heard the DAC 5 at shows, and it was the best unit every time.

Key is listen, then make your mind up....

This is going to seem impossible, but I know three people with DAC 5 signatures. It is a fantastic DAC. All three were hooked up to the 47 labs transport -- crazy, noisy, unreliable, but, I suppose, pretty good sounding -- but apparently pretty good sounding because the combination is magical -- very relaxed, organic sounding without sounding muffled of flacid or dynamically constricted.

This is the best digital I've heard, and I have heard a few of the contenders (full DCS stack, Reimyo, EML, etc.), and I own, and like, a pretty good CDP (Naim CD 555). Is the DAC 5 worth the money? I suppose, if you got that kind of discetionary cash.

The 30-50K question that comes to my mind, is it better sounding than an APL NWO 2.5T player for less $$.

I have never heard DAC 5,but i own DAC 2 Signature.It retails for about 4000$.I also did some tube rolling and got much better performance.I sincerely can't see how much more improvement can one make in DAC compared to this one.I have no doubt that DAC 5 is much better,but i can't see in which areas they made the progress that much.I don't think it's worth the extra money (46k).And also,if you spend 50k on DAC5,what will you do when DAC 6 comes out?You gotta sell 5 and buy 6.And so on.It becomes more like a PC market this way,and less a true value.
But i agree it all comes down to time.This is what we get,and you have one shot to make the most of it.If someone gets that kind of enjoyment,than 50k should not be too much.Of course if you have that kind of cash.
It's better to buy DAC 5 than spend 50k on hooker costing 10k/a night.At least in my book.