@milpai I am in NC, with limited access to various dealers. My local dealer Audio Advise sells both Chord & T+A but not installed in their showrooms for listening.
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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Did you manage to peruse Verdant's review on many of these DAC's you are considering? https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/dac-shootout-starts-this-weekend?page=2 These two DACs are like comparing BMW and Lexus. Both are exceptional at what they have chosen to do but are opposites in terms of style. If I was to sit down and listen to Prokofiev’s Lt Kije Suite or Beethoven’s 9th, I would choose the TT2 without question in this system. If I was to listen to Black Sabbath’s Volume 4 or Peter Gabriel’s So, the M3 would be my choice.
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??? What is the point of a local dealer then? @verdantaudio is a dealer for Bricasti, Weiss, Meitner/EMM, Audiobyte Rockna, Linn, Canor, and if your budget allows Playback Designs and Aries Cerat. I wish I lived closer |
@mclinnguy I would tell you that it is not easy to make people happy with samples. I do agree, a local dealer is of less value if they don't have the gear you want to hear but we all have to pick and choose what items we display based on sales velocity. I have the DACs above on display along with the BACCH-SP system and Orpheus but I only have certain products from those companies. I don't have a 204, 501 and Helios on display, I just have the Helios. I have a Bricasti DAC but I don't display their amps. Not because they aren't great, but because my product mix skews to DACs. We are in an environment where you have more choice than ever and fewer retailers than ever. And I assure you, every distributor is pounding on every door trying to get us to take more. We all have limited resources. To me, the key is finding someone you can work with who is going to solve your problems, not push a box at you. This may mean buying blind but if you have the right dealer, often it comes with a safety net so that you aren't stuck if a mistake is made.
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I love aurender but you could consider a meitner MA3i. I know you say you want only a DAC. The meitner can function as a DAC only but you are not locked into needing an external streamer. The internal streamer function is exceptional; I sold my N200 after trying the internal streamer in my EMM. Using the internal streamer avoids cables, removes the temptation to use a DDC, and frees up rack space. If you were to sell your N150 (as I think you would after using the internal streamer), you are in your economic ballpark. You can also, but are not required to, use the meitner’s volume control and eliminate your preamp. Since going back to meitner, I couldn’t be happier with my digital system (although I prefer using my preamp). |
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