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10-15 year old hi end DACs are still great.

I’ve been looking for a DAC for a while now.  All the usual suspects in the $2500-$8000 range, many are Chinees made these days. Halo Audio, Denifrips, lab 12, etc.

 

I ran into a deal on a used Esoteric D-02 ($23500 new in 2013-2016) played $2400 USD in an estate sale. I must be honest I’m rather shocked at how good this thing sounds. I don’t know if the newer midrange DCs are better. Definitely not as heavy 60lb grr.  I figured these older DACs would be trumped by the newer mid level DAC but it seems no. From what I can see older digital is still very good and deals are out there with all the upgrade craze on new DAC’s flooding the market.

I recommend looking at these older hi-end DAC’s when looking to upgrade from a lower priced DAC, you may find a gem that still outperforms newer DAC’s in the similar price range or less.

glennewdick
jk_richards's avatar
jk_richards
299 posts
 

The modified Directstream DAC I posted made in 2014 will sound much better than most modern DACs costing up to $15k 

996turbo911
219 posts
 

If the big selling point of a new DAC is that it uses the latest and greatest DAC chip and does really high sample rates or DSD rates... that's a DAC that will be superseded quickly when the next chips launch in a few years.

Meanwhile a lot of DACs, both new and old, focus on the holistic approach for quality conversion (regardless of chip spec wars), well implemented digital filter, robust power supply, etc. Those are the DACs that stand the test of time. 

pindac's avatar
pindac
3,998 posts
 

My Post was removed, showing only another Olden era DAC, WOW!!!

Must have been para-offensive as a content. 

handymann
407 posts
 

I have a Kora Hermes II that I love-it literally makes digital sound as good as, if not better than LP’s. 

gents's avatar
gents
175 posts
 

In Reading and Responding to this thread, it makes me think about how interesting it might be to start looking back to these classic pieces that thrilled us back in the 90s. The thing that tickles your 'listening mojo' the most can really come from anywhere. Just because somethings the latest and greatest didn't ever really make it 'the greatest' or the thing that strokes that something in your chest.

There was a preamp back in the maybe late '80s, early 90s from McLaren. I don't even remember the model number, might have been 302...anyway, it was the late 90s and I was a young family guy at the time didn't always have a lot of money to throw at the habit, but my friend Alex gave it to me for a couple hundred dollars because the L/R balance was a little funny if you didn't raise the volume at a certain speed but it sounded downright luscious, fine and expensive in it's time. I lived with it for probably a year, playing it through the very able Krell KST100, a fun and affordable way to have a Krell amp when you didn't have money for a Class A Krell. I can still hear the combination in my head and it was very very satisfying. Anyway, I have no problem going back. Like a lot of us, I think I have a good memory for sound. I'm not sure the old world would be what it was when I was there the first time but if I ever come across one of those McLaren's again, I'd grab it and see if I can find the same Magic.

 

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