1. Home
  2. digital
  3. 196795-178608

DAC recommendations under $7K

OK, my R11’s were destroyed by FedEx on the way to their new owners, and the check is OTW from FedEx in payment, so I am ready to buy a new DAC.

My digital equipment:

Simaudio Moon 330A

PSaudio BHK pre with Tele Medical tubes (also have Brimar & Sieman’s NOS tubes)

KEF Reference 3’s

Aurender N150

Chord Qutest with Sbooster + Ultra LPS

Transparent + Gen 5 speaker cables

Cardas Clear USB

Mogami 2549 interconnects

I am looking to spend less than $7K new or used. Size of the DAC is important, as I don’t have room for a standard width (17’) DAC and height is also a potential issue, so the PSaudio, Holo May, etc are out.  I ’thought’ I wanted warmer, but after reading the excellent "If warmth is distortion... " post, I think I want a W2W DAC, front row or conductor seat sound.

Perhaps best described as my Qutest, only better. Better imaging, soundstage, no digital haze, no digital etching... clearer, cleaner. BTW, I never experience fatigue with my Qutest, filter set on incisive with HF rolloff. I wear very good hearing aids, but as a result, my HF hearing above 9khz is non existent.

My N150 is USB output only & I listen exclusively to Qobuz PCM, so I need a DAC with excellent USB capability & DSD, Roon etc is not important. I want it to be only a DAC as I plan to keep my N150 & BHK. I don’t want a tube DAC.

My next upgrade is probably my interconnects with OCC copper.

My current #1 contender is the Bricasti M3, perfect size, nice industrial design, great USB implementation, W2W sound, great reviews, everything I think I need, very little I don’t.

ChatGPT describes the M3 as follows...

What the M3 sounds like vs your Qutest: 

Imagine your Qutest but—

  • cleaner

  • smoother

  • more open

  • less grain

  • more precise

  • more neutral

  • more “grown-up” sounding

Not warmer. Not colder. Not more aggressive. Just… higher-end execution of the same overall philosophy.

I know several of you don’t like chatGPT, but keep your replies to disputing it’s findings, not it’s use. For me, it is a part of a 3 leg stool, together with other research & input from this forum.

Other DAC’s that were/are in contention are the Holo Spring 3 KTE, Mystique X, Weiss 501, Chord Dave & Chord TT2. As I said, the PSaudio, Holo May etc are too large. I am sure there are more DAC’s to consider.

Before I pull the trigger on the M3, please provide your thoughts & recommendations. I want to make a very well informed purchase. Thank you!

signaforce
jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,920 posts
 

op -- given what you have expressed i would suggest a short list of

weiss

msb analog dac

chord tt2/scaler

denafrips terminator series

lower (but still excellent) lampizator models - if you can accept some tubes... these are quite special

the above listed in no particular order or preference

all are truly superb, and bring somewhat differing (but all utterly non digital) presentations and capabilities to the party

 

mdalton's avatar
mdalton
810 posts
 

Gold Note DS10 with optional external power supply.  Comes in right around $5k new.  I did a shootout with a friend’s dcs Bartok, and I preferred my DS10.

kennyc
2,897 posts
 

Notable DACs:

  • T+A DAC200                                   
  • 10 Ideon Audio EOS - HR tells truth
  • Meitner’s MA 3.                     
  • Mojo Mystique Pro (max 24/192)     
  • Rockna Wavedream EditionSignature DAC balanced 
  • Cinnamon Galle
  • Mola Mola’s Tambaqui                          
  • APL Hi-FI DSD-SR mk2
dseltz
226 posts
 

Here is another vote for the Weiss.  I agree with @rossb "The Weiss DACs are very dynamic and fast, very clear, very incisive and neutral. Definitely no softness. In fact, their incisiveness combined with their neutrality is their one fault"

I owned the 502 and sold it precisely for the reasons you seem to want in a DAC. It was very accurate and added no warmth (or harshness). I was never fatigued by listening, just "clean and clear" sound. It was a definite upgrade from the Chord Quest that I owned in the past. Too ’dry’, if that explains it well, for my system. I now have a PS Audio / APS Audio Transformers Direct Stream MK 1 Limited Edition Signature Series Plus DAC that fits my system perfectly. Although the PS Audio is too large for your space, I do not believe you would like the sound of it anyway.

Happy hunting. TMR has a variety of Weiss 501 and are an authorized reseller. No prices listed, but I would contact them. They are super helpful and have a 30 day return policy for any reason. You would have to pay shipping and a 5% restock fee if it was returned for any reason that is not a defect in the unit. A small price to pay to make sure you are getting the right one. You could trade in your Qutest for even better discount.

My 2 cents

lnitm's avatar
lnitm
173 posts
 

I see no me lion of Mytek Manhattan II. I had one paired with a Ayre preamp and it sounded phenomenal.  Reviews on it are Class A Recommended 

More to discover