@zlone i was looking at the systems that owned and liked the M3. Yours stands out as you have Ref 1’s. What did you like about the M3? Your system does not list the M3, but has the Merason Reuss as your DAC. Have you changed? Thanks!
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—
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cleaner
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smoother
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more open
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less grain
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more precise
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more neutral
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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!
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ChatGPT is great for audio since it’s knowledge about audio is mostly from the online audio forums. A nice way to get an aggregation of information on some audio topic. With regards to DACs, I am partial to the Schiit Yggi+ DACs. They are the best bang for the buck DACs. Saying all of that I sold my Yggi+ OG DAC (amazing DAC) and will put my not yet delivered Byggy DAC up for sale because my new DAC, the Imersiv D-1 is just heads and shoulders better than the Yggi’s. I would take the Yggi’s over most of the DAC’s mentioned so far, unfortunately the form factor is very large.
There is no DAC that will output as much detail (music) as the D-1. The Imersiv DAC is designed using what Imersiv calls multi-path. I am assuming other DAC companies will start licensing this technology. I have been listening to this DAC for a month now and it is one of a kind (at any price). From what I read online, Imersiv is lining up for a $100M IPO in the future.
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@yyzsantabarbara What is wire-to-wire? I’ve heard of point-to-point wiring, which provides direct connections using discrete wiring between stages instead of PCBs, but I’ve never heard the term wire-to-wire. The D-1 uses a fairly advanced PCB-based architecture, not point-to-point wiring. |
@zlone Sorry, just reread your posts and see you replaced your Merason recently with the M3. Would still like your impressions of the M3 beyond liking it. The key thing I am looking for is clarity without digital haze & etching I am sometimes experiencing with my Qutest & Ref 3’s. Thanks |
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