Any better DAC then dCS Scarlatti?

Hi murataluev,

I am only confused because the noise floor is so much higher with your TT when compared even to modest digital sources. Of course I know the pain in making it musical.

My understanding of dynamics is volume contrast and tracking this through time or the envelope, both in the individual instrument within the band or orchestra, as well as the orchestras or band as a wholes volume.

I guess resolution is very close in the equation. Helped by ultra low noise floors and the usual low distortion and linear signal path and vibration control which enables the freedom of the above. Not sure if frequency response or character is included in this?

The funny thing is that recently I have been let loose with some cabling which has made me rethink these issues with digital playback, even with the very nice cabling I own (Analysis plus golden oval and VD). I have been humbled by the degree of loss within some of these fine cables when compared to some experimental stuff I have on loan.

I wont go into it here and hijack this thread, but be warned. You may not be listening to your DAC at all. As the inventor of this cable system told me before I plugged it in, "you are hearing about 60% of your system at the moment".

I thought it was unlikely as I have gone to a reasonable extreme with vibration control/clean electricity and good cabling. All I can say is I plugged the damned stuff in. It is frightening... Much much more information. Timing naturalness and so on. Just real. It was very good before, but oh dear.

BTW the cables cost more than my whole system, DCS included! But then it would do wouldnt it?

Chadeffect, I agree with you 100%!
Vibration control/clean electricity and good cabling is the key!
I also was very unhappy when first listen to dCS with stock power cords, without any vibration control which is very critical especially for transport.
Key elements of good result was PurePower2000 on top of separate Copulare stand connected with Argento SMR Extream Edition power chord to wall and with Nordost Odin cables to dCS and with special feets on top of AudioMagic stand. Here is photo of this feets: http://soundex.ru/index.php?showtopic=24510&st=950&p=253462&#entry253462
Without this feets, I can't listen to dCS Transport at all, preferring my computer as a source! So, I really did much to get all potential from dCS.
And cost of this tweaks also higher than dCS DAC for example.
But if in the same conditions I have much better result with another DAC, it means that that DAC is just better!

As for the noise floor. It doesn't disturb at all!
It is completely separated from the instruments and music in general!
May be it is because I have really great phono preamp!

05-23-10: Murataltuev writes:

Here is photo of this feets

Do you mean these feet?

http://i39.tinypic.com/153uys8.jpg

Regards,

Hi murataltuev,

I approached these things too although with different products to you. I use the PS audio PPP regenerator which is powered from its own circuit and wired with VD power cables (I hear the Purepower is very good).

I have a few different isolation devices. but all the equipment is suspended by SSC pucks and sit on various platforms. I found these helped the DCS DAC. Maybe not night and day but worth having. I have my system in a tight space these days which makes some platforms unusable for me.

In the end I got rid of my DCS Transport. I found the computer (Mac with Amarra) to give better sound and flexibility. Although sometimes I miss the odd SACD. (I never had the Scarlatti transport BTW). CD is dead.

Personally I found the fuses in the DCS to be unlistenable. More so than the isolation. I changed these to gold fuses which really made the presentation sweeter and organic sounding. Especially in the highs. The firewire cable is another one too.

I would be very surprised if you had the same noise floor in your DCS as your TT. I dont know which speakers you use, but quite low sensitivity? 86-90db/watt? Try the same equipment of high sensitivity and you will have a shock! Just the difference in noise between the Elgar plus DAC output to the Scarlatti DAC output was unmistakable.

I am not sure that by just changing one DAC for another leaving the chain as was means that the other DAC is better or worse. Maybe it just means it compliments that way of being isolated better? Who knows? This is where things get very difficult, with taste and music choices also impacting on opinions.

I would like to hear the GTE. My complaint is how much value it is, regardless of how good it is. To me none of the internal parts can add up to that kind of money. Even if the boards and casing were solid gold... The Scarlatti is bad enough! Remember they will all be door stops in 5 years unlike your TT probably! Digital is moving very quickly.