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Upgrade from an Aqua LaVoce DAC

Gents, 

I have been thinking about a DAC upgrade and the Holo Spring 3 is reasonably priced and well lauded.  (The Holo May KTE is clearly a great DAC, but would not fit in my rack so that's not an option.) I have a Don Sachs DS3 preamp and Kootenai amp tube gear and BMR Philharmonic Monitors.  I'd be keen to hear from anyone regarding this possible upgrade.  I demo'd the Laiv Harmony DAC and I found no difference in SQ compared of my LaVoce.  I appreciate any thoughts you might have.  

whitestix
jackd
1,123 posts
 

Do you have an S2 or S3? I own or have owned the La Voce S3, May KTE, Spring 3 KTE, Laiv Harmony and La Scala Mk 3. You've answered your own question concerning the May due to space and though I had the space I kept the Spring 3 KTE as I didn't find the slight difference to be worth the price or space.  The Laiv Harmony is the most similar to the La Voce S3 of the three.  You pick up I2S but loose AES so bottom line I think you are on the right path with the Spring 3 KTE,  Even years after the S3 upgrade the La Voce is still a hard DAC to beat soundwise. 

rick_n's avatar
rick_n
476 posts
 

Where is the La Voice coming up short for you?  What do you want to hear more of that you're not getting now?  

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,920 posts
 

my experience with the laiv dacs is they are quite pretty audio jewelry but sonically they are ’meh’

suggest you try a chord or a weiss or older msb

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