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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
car123's avatar
car123
159 posts
 

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).

yyzsantabarbara
5,556 posts
 

Hey moderator was someone crying over my post?

signaforce's avatar
signaforce OP
549 posts
 

@car123 Thanks. I have been doing much reading since I opened this thread & it appears many DAC’s perform better with an internal network card. However, I am not sure how exactly they work & integate with Qobuz from a software standpoint. I have no stored music. 
@verdantaudio Thank you for joining this thread. I have been reading your excellent DAC shootout starts this weekend thread that @mclinnguy referred me to. It is very long & I think I am on page 4. I will ask you the same question several of the participants asked… what DAC do you think best fits my system? My Ref 3’s are very resolving neural, my BHK can vary based upon tubes, my Moon 330A is incisive & perhaps a little lean. I started this thread thinking M3, but thinking now I want a top tier DAC, based upon the input i received & your thread. I also started thinking I wanted what I called wire to wire, incisive with no coloration. Now thinking perhaps a little warmer. However, my size requirements remain the same, not full size. Thoughts? 
BTW, sorry to be a little spastic on what I thought I need or want. Been into music all my life, but until about 2 years ago, via receivers / AVR’s, so I am slowly evolving. 
Thank you. 

mdalton's avatar
mdalton
810 posts
 

Good friend of mine moved to Chapel Hill recently, and he found an excellent dealer, whom I’ve met, in Winston Salem: Ember Audio.  Re small form DACs, in addition to carrying Chord, Embe carries Ferrum.  Their Wandla, reviewed quite positively by Herb Reichert and John Atkinson last year, is 8.5” wide.  And I still recommend the GoldNote DS10 (8”).

mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
1,079 posts
 

I am getting confused; there has been alot of Weiss/Meitner/Bricasti/Aurender vs. streaming card threads lately (!)

But in this one I mentioned Weiss’ streaming was very good, along the same lines of what @car123 noticed and is suggesting with the Meitner: Perhaps using Jplay/Qobuz with the Weiss 501 would compare favourably to your Aurender N150 into the Weiss, favourably enough for you to sell the Aurender? If space is a huge concern that is a huge advantage for you.

And in this recent thread verdant audio made a knowledgeable post regarding sound between the Weiss and the Meitner, also streaming via the internals of the DAC vs. a stand alone streamer- worth a read. 

However, I am not sure how exactly they work & integate with Qobuz from a software standpoint. I have no stored music. 

Weiss does not have Qobuz connect, so you would need Jplay. Not sure about Meitner or Bricasti, or the Mola Mola, or the .... But hey, there’s a good question for the dealer. Call verdant and ask him. 

Happy hunting @signaforce !

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