Just picked up a MHDT Orchid yesterday and I'm listening to it now. I rolled a few tubes through it (stock type 5670, Western Electric JW 2C51, and an Amperex 6922) and the Amperex wins..super nice sounding DAC. My now former DAC was a Paradisea+. The Orchid is certainly a step up, not a big surprise I suppose, but the Paradisea, in it's day, was a nice DAC, still is(for a second system).
which tube dac? Lab 12 vs Line Magnetic vs Borderpatrol?
trying to add some tube magic to my system, seeking as tube-ey as sound as possible
the 3 dacs in question are all around the same price to my door
Line Magnetic seems to offer rectification, is that important?
Borderpatrol does not have XLRS so small negative for me there
thanks in advance
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https://pt.audio/2023/03/12/lab12-dac1-review/ It's a.so been on PTA Best of Digital three years in a row. 2023, 24, 25. Best product list 2023. Guttenberg loved it in his You Tube review. Really great sounding DAC. |
@oddiofyl There is a balanced version priced at $4000, TMR has it as a special order. |
The OP asked about Line Magnetic... I have an older LM 502ca that I've swapped its LM branded Electo Harmonix tubes out of for La Radiotechnique, Brimar and RCA clear top 12au7s; all are amazing tubes and ups the DACs performance exponentially. I use an Acrolink AES/EBU to my Lumin and an Audience AU24 Coax to an Enlightened Audio transport and it, on many days, outperforms my other tube DAC costing twice as much. If you can get your hands on one, grab it.
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As someone already said the Borderpatrol isn't exactly a tube DAC, though it does have a tube in the power supply for rectification. More importantly the sound is very "tube like" in character. I didn't love it in my system but I know a bunch of people who do, it is worth a try if that's the signature you prefer. |
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