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
@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. |
LTA offers a trial period you might wanna consider. The Denafrips Terminator 15th shows up used under $5k occasionally and would almost certainly be a substantial upgrade across the board. Lampi is great too. I have to say the new Gustard R30 looks very interesting at $3600 new, and I believe you have a 30-day return window if you buy on Amazon but would need to confirm that. Just some ideas FWIW, and best of luck. |
I only recommend gear that I have actually owned, heard in my system or in a friends system I am familiar with. With that in mind and if you appreciate the sound of the DSD Mk I, which I have also owned, I would recommend new and under your price limit the Holo Spring 3 KTE or the Laiv Harmony. Both are somewhat similar but the Holo is a bit more "lively." For a FPGA based DAC like the DSD but far more advanced I would recommend finding a used Aqua La Scala Mk II. While it has been recently been replaced by the Mk III, which I own, it is modular and if in the future you wanted to upgrade it to Mk III status you could. You can generally find them used for a bit over $4k. |
Hi again @tko956 , I used to think that which chip was important, but I really think it is the implementation of the chip that makes the final sound. My fav is the MM Tambaqui, showing up used now for under 8k, a bit over budget but world renowned. It's resolution would blow you away, not hurt your ears! I believe the Tambaqui is not quite R2R, Delta Sigma or chip based but proprietary and unique. While buying with a return option is ideal, buying a quality piece at a good price is generally easy to resell if you want, and then no pressure to decide in 15 or 30 days. So many good options though! |
