LTA Aero vs Merason Reuss vs Mojo Audio Mystique Y?

@davebull if you do end up trying the LTA Aero, let me echo some of part 2 of Michael Lavorgna’s review where he gets into some tube rolling, that you referred to earlier.  (Link here for others’ convenience:

https://twitteringmachines.com/review-linear-tube-audio-aero-dac-part-2-tube-rolling/ )

I love the Aero (i own 2), and i have not compared the stock GE tubes to Ray Selects or Reserves, but the sound difference from the the stock tubes to the Tung Sol oval plates is really stunning.  I think the Aero sounds very nice  with the stock tubes, but I understand why some people report a certain thinness or hardness. With the NOS Tung Sol ovals, that all is gone and one gets complete, lit from within sonic’s from low to high frequencies (at least with my speakers in the 2 systems where Aeros are providing the D to A conversions).  I’m sure that @mitch2 ’s Helene sounds better — and if i ever figure out a listening space that can be acoustically treated, I’d love to give the Kassandra II or the Helene and maybe even more resolving speakers a home trial — but keeping within your described size and budget considerations, not to say that the Mojo or the Mearason wouldn’t also be as good or even better, the Aero with Tung Sol ovals will not disappoint you.

I have a friend that is taking delivery of an Aero dac in a few weeks. He has a number of tubes to try including Ray Reserve. 

I have a LTA MicroZOTL preamp and the tubes that shipped with it were not very good. It sounds totally different with different tubes. I suspect that the same is true of the Aero dac. 

@davebull I can’t offer comparisons but I have a LTA Aero, have had it for almost 2 months.  I had a PS Audio Direct Stream MKii that I sold but had to compare for the first month.  I also have a Krell Illusions ii with a built in DAC that I can switch between.  I think the LTA Aero is fantastic, it’s the best DAC I’ve had in my system.  It is alarmingly quiet which is really saying something based on being a Tube DAC.  It adds a tube flavor without the negatives and you can hear noticeable differences when rolling tubes.  I’ve got the Ray Reserves, stock, Tung Sol NOS both 6v and 12v, Amperex 6 v (1950’s from Holland).  The Tung Sol are my favorite overall, the Amperex are unbelievable but have more energy and mid emphasis, the Rays do everything extremely well but are a little more clinical, surgical, don’t have as much tube flavor.  In my experience with it, if someone has only listened with Stock tubes, it really doesn’t give you the full picture of what the DAC is capable of.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the LTA, it’s the most organic, vinyl sounding DAC but with non of the draw backs you’d typically here about when taking about a tubes, vinyl, R2R designs.  Again, how it compares to the others on your list, I can’t comment, I don’t have any experience with the other DAC’s.  

I’ve had my Aero for a month now and it’s a great DAC. I swapped the stock tubes with a pair Linlai Elite 6SN7.  They are so much better than stock. In all fairness, I only ran the stockers for a week. 

The LTA Aero is certainly worth a try, especially at used prices.

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