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!
I suggest that you check out the thread '6 DAC comparisons' by Mitch2. Also go to the mojoaudio website. I haven't had as many DACS as others. I did however have the Ayre Q5- Twenty, after which I purchased a Mojo Audio DAC. The Mojo put the Ayre to shame. So yes, I highly recommend that you take a look. Ben of Mojo will be having a sale soon. He is very accessible.
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I don’t go looking for dealers (or for that matter anyone) trying to sell on these forums but if I do happen to see someone selling here I will point it out. |
I know it is against the rules, technically, as admin gets no commissions etc. but personally I appreciate reading from dealers and manufacturers, some add very useful information which I enjoy reading. And I stand corrected as Vlad is not a dealer but a manufacturer. Just look at the Six DAC Comparison thread, where the manufacturer of the Mojo has extensive input in the posts, and first thanked the OP for the favourable reviews, and then provided extensive and interesting information on his DAC's engineering and philosophies, comparing it to other products, but now has described his recent products with pricing. No difference between that and what Vlad has done in this thread. But, it has over 100,000 views, that is alot of people in the thread viewing the ads which generate revenue for Audiogon. Where does one draw the line? But what irks me is when they, the dealers or manufacturers, start telling everyone their product is better than others in the threads. That repels intelligent people from considering the product, and does more harm than good IMO. The other one I referred to is neither dealer or manufacturer- he just takes someone else's product and "upgrades" it, yet doesn't indicate this, there is no disclosure that this is the post from the person selling it. Deception. |
@audiomirror I assume you removed your own post? Shows more class than many others who post here. I am not sure of the rules, and don’t care to see them as far as advertising/posting from a dealer/manufacturers standpoint as it doesn’t apply to me. Maybe if you pay as a seller/dealer you are permitted to post? I dunno. Maybe we should allow @admin @tammyholt to comment here and clarify the rules as to what you can or cannot say in the forums? |
