Standalone DAC upgrade from onboard integrated
It’s about time I posted, I’ve been following long enough. I want to bypass the onboard DAC (Burr Brown) in my new Musical Fidelity M6si integrated with a standalone DAC to drive my Magnepan 1.7x’s. Budget is $1-2k. First issue: can I realize an appreciable improvement over the onboard DAC in the M6 with a unit in that price range? Second issue: I love the detail, clarity and imaging I get from the Maggies, but I don’t want them to get too clinical with a new DAC. Hence, I’ve been looking mostly at R2R typology to keep the “musicality”, perhaps at the expense of some precision. My listening tastes are mostly jazz, classical, with some vocals thrown in. Sources are about 50% streaming, 30% vinyl and 20% CD. Other components include Blusound Node, Marantz TT-15/Clearaudio Virtuoso and a 5 year old Marantz CD player. All insights or suggestions welcome.
I’ve been happy with this <$2K set up for a couple of years:
NODE N130 $500 LHY LPS $300 BlackIce Tube DAC $900 NOS Tubes $200 Sounds great to me and I have a pretty decent vinyl source as a comparison. Or try the newer ICON for $1200 on a 30 day trial and if you like it add a better DAC later. At some point point I’ll upgrade my digital but higher priorities are a new rack (arriving soon) and acoustics (work in progress) Full system listed in my profile
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I think that you're looking in the right direction going R2R. Holo or Denafrips is the way to go. I would also consider two other things. If you bring in a upgraded DAC try running your CD player digital out into the DAC. I think you will like what you hear. I would also consider upgrading your Node with an external LPS. It is a real SQ bump for very little money. Good luck and cheers. |
I was in the same boat as you and began researching and searching a couple of years ago. The DAC I was using was built into my Bluesound Vault. I's decent, but I was looking for something more. I was considering the following: Geshelli Labs Dayzie Schiit Yggdrasil LTA Aero I went to Capital Audiofest and was able to listen to the Dayzie and the Aero. Schiit did not have a presence, but I have the Loki Max and respect what they do over at their R&D labs. The Geshelli was great as was the Aero, I kept researching and comparing other's impressions of each. Last November, when I was ready to pull the trigger, I went to take a last look at both and the Dayzie was discontinued. Made the decision for me and I went with the Aero. A bit more pricey, but liked the tube stage and the ability to change tubes to alter the sound. Very happy with the decision. The Dayzie and other Geshelli products allow for similar modifications by swapping op amps. They've come out with a new DAC called the TORC, around $700 depending on options, fully customizable and upgradable. If this is similar to the sound they were getting out of the Dayzie, it's a steal - also if you're looking for a solid state answer. This is a very new unit, so they are figuring out production times as they are a small family owned company and hand build almost everything. You can check it out here: https://geshelli.com/product/torc/ I might get one for my outdoor system as right now it's running off a Bluesound Node built in DAC. I'm waiting to see reviews once production starts full bore. Good luck on your adventure. |
I have the Node 130 with a LPS upgrade and bought a Denafrips Ares II DAC. The Ares II is not really a noticeable improvement on the DAC in the Node 130; so if you go Denafrips, go for a used Pontus or higher to avoid just a lateral switch. After I upgraded my streamer, I put the Node into a bedroom system and didn't even bother to hook up the Ares II. I'm keeping it as a backup DAC, but probably should just sell it. |
