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.
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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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 While it has been recently been replaced by the Mk III, which I own, it is modular and if in the future you wanted to upgrade it to Mk III status you could.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! |
The PSA dac was on my list but I went with the Venus 15 instead, which is generally equivalent to last years terminator. The Mk2 has great reviews. I have been very pleased with the sound and build quality ov the Venus. I appreciate the option to switch between NOS and OS modes. I don't find it to 'sound digital' and the highs are smooth. There are lots of good options for DACs now. Some of the dacs I looked at measured pooly, and while not the only thing that matters, it is often reflected in the sound. |
Great responses so far, thanks. @thriftyaudio I have been looking at the Bricasti DACs with some interest. @soix The trial period is definitely an advantage. I noticed an Aero at TMR with upgraded tubes. Of course it will probably be gone now. Denafrips has always interested me but for some reason they simply put me off. @jackd "I only recommend gear that I have actually owned, heard in my system or in a friends system I am familiar with." Thank you for that! I'll look more into the Aqua DAC. @fastfreight You've got a point... The implementation and output stage probably play a rather large part if how any chip DAC sounds. I'm very happy with my Ayre preamp so I'll look more into the DAC. @12many Thanks for the Denafrips vote! I appreciate the suggestions so far and am always looking for more info. Thanks! |
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