@audioman58 Up to 20K total. But I want to go all in on either the speakers or DAC.
New DAC or New Speakers?
I’m planning to blow some money on my system and can’t decide if I should upgrade my DAC or my speakers. I’m going all in on one or the other, not both.
I have ethernet and fiber optic switches feeding a Lumin U2 mini modded with an external power supply. Two USB reclockers going into an LTA Aero DAC. Running a VAC Sigma 170 tube amp to Harbeth SHL 5+ XD speakers with a sub.
Everything sounds great, and I recommend all said equipment, but I have a chance to make an upgrade. I’m considering swapping the Harbeths for some Devore O96s or swapping the Aero for either a Totaldac, or maybe a used Aries Cerat Helene.
I can’t decide which route to take....
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@gkelly You're actually not far off |
@jacupmakeup Thank you. Learn something new every day. |
@jacupmakeup if you choose the new DAC, I will be very interested to hear what you choose and how happy you are with it over the Aero. I got an Aero a few months ago and I thought, even with the stock tubes, it sounded amazing with my Aurender n200, JRDG 625 S2 & Corus feeding DALI Epicon 6s. I swapped in some TungSol NOS tubes (not the crazy expensive oval plates, just nice regular black plates) and the sound got even better, a touch more detailed and more musical, but really only a little I think. (I like it so much, I just ordered another one for a 2d system where it will go with a CODA CSiB V2, a Innuos PulseMini (for now) and a pair of Revel 226Bes, and i liked LTA so much i order one of their LPS+s for the PulseMini.) As to your question, FWIW, I am of the old school that thinks speaker improvements are always the place to start if the rest of your gear is already at a pretty high level, as it seems yours is. (I am assuming you’ve done some tube rolling on the Aero already with yours? If not, that’s a relatively modest cost option to help you see if you still want a different DAC.) |
@kirkwallace Yeah, you're probably right about going with a speaker upgrade. The Aero is amazing, especially for the price. I had the chance to AB it against the Aqua La Scala MKII (not the latest), which used to be the hottest DAC in the land and costs double the Aero. I put some of the best possible tubes in the La Scala and it did not compete with the Aero. It is awesome. And yeah, I have way too many tubes for it. Hit me up if you want some, lol.
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