Hello @tko956 ! I had to look up your amp but it is well regarded and you have a nice SS preamp as well. I understand you don't want analytical, but I think you are used to a dull sounding DAC. No offense, I had one. I heard the Aero at CAF and was not impressed. But past that, I recommend listening to some nice non tube amps that are R2R or known for their smoothness. I think you will find you have been missing a lot of the music!
Upgrade PS Audio DSD Mk1 to?
I've got a bit of upgradeitis. My current DAC is a PS Audio DSD Mk1 that has had the xfrmrs upgraded and Vcom mod done. I like it and the music it makes but I've got an itch to upgrade. My first, and obvious, thought was a DSD Mk2. I've also been thinking of the LTA Aero and Lampizator Baltic.
What am I looking to improve? I find the Mk1 a bit noisy and rather long in the tooth. What do I like about it? It doesn't sound "digital" and i find that it's pretty even over the frequency range and the.musoc has good flow. I don't like hyper analytical, dry music that can cause listener fatigue.
Budget is $5k or under and I dont mind buying used. My main concern is that the dacs listed above will be a slight lateral move and not a real upgrade.
I think my virtual system is up for reference. If you can't find it please let me know so I can fix that.
Has anyone compared the DACs I'm interested in or have first hand experience with them?
Thanks in advance
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@fastfreight Thanks for the replyand no offense taken. I'll look into R2R DACs, do you recommend discrete or chip based. There's several newer Days using the old AD chips being made these days. I've heard good things about the Ayre QX-5 but the Sabre chip makes me a bit leary. I might have had too many bad experiences with the Sabre chips as they are in so many lower end DACs. Before the PS Audio I had an SMSL Su-9 and when it was replaced I felt i could relax into the music. |
I also had a PS Audio Mk 1 (without the upgrade). I moved to a Bricasti M1S2. It is probably the last DAC I will purchase. I like the various filter options it provides. I rotate among four different filters depending on my mood, and the recording. I purchased mine from TMR used for $8300. That is quite a bit above your budget, but I recommend considering it. Enjoy the ride. |
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