Yes. I have emmLabs DA2i dac going into an emmLabs PREi preamp. Theses are driving a pair of Mola Mola Ossetra amps. In the same system I have an Audio Research Ref 6SE preamp feeding a pair of Rogue Audio Apollo Dark mono. Both setups are driving a pair of Estelon X Diamond Mk2's. I have tried 7 different high end dacs. All were great, but the emmLabs DA2i dac sounds like the best of any other Class A setup, no matter the price point. Once you cross the $100K price point, for a dac or power amp, it gets so close that it comes down to personal sonic preferences.
Does anyone have a digital system that is as involving as their analogue front end?
I have a good analogue front end. Not stratuspherically good but good enough for this comparison. VPI Prime Signature 21 turntable, Pass Labs XP-25 pono preamp, Pass Labs XP-30 preamp and Hovland Radia amp. It has a lovely, very involving sound. On the right recording, I just drop everythng and am drawn in to listen.
My streamer, on the other hand, is decent but not spectacular. It is better than my CD player, but it is not jaw-dropping like my analogue front-end. My question is this: does anyone have a high-end, tier-one streamer (dCS Bartok Apex, Lumin X2, or something like them) that can rival a good analogue system?
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- 427 posts total
- 427 posts total

