@jayctoy I dont want to go backwords on blackness and micro detail compared to my current stack which i think a troubadour would? Want to have an accross the board upgrade :)
End Game Dac reccomendations
Hello all! The following is my current audio system, I think my DAC is the weakest link, the rest of it I am fairly confident is reference grade. Would love some opinions on what DACS would voice well with my system, thanks!.
From router: Lumin N1 -> Lumin U2X (clocks synched) -> Denafrips Gaia -> Denafrips Terminator Plus (clocks synched) -> ARC REF 10 -> ARC REF 160S -> Focal Scala Utopia Evo and Rel 31. Power conditioning with Niagara 7000, Furutech NCFR wall outlet, isoacoustics isopucks under all componenets and gaia 1 neo underneath speakers. Thunderbird power cables and bi-wire speaker cables, AQ Diamond USB from U2X to Gaia, Dragon 48 from gaia to terminator plus, thunderbird xlr as interconnects.
My short list of DACs I think would be a great fit are Lampizator poseidon, horizon, or genya, Allnic Audio D10000/D15000, or some variation of an MSB discreet. Please give me your thoughts though. I would love peace of mind knowing my DAC is up to the class of components of the rest of my system.
I would love to upgrade my dac to improve soundstage size and holography without reducing the micro detail and blackness from my current denafrips stack. Would love to hear your opininions! open to trades and offers for sales if you have something that would fit my bill to, cheers!
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Your ARC amplification chain is just as world class as DAC9. If you’re looking for an ultra high end DAC to mate with your components, you’ll be in the $25,000 + price range with players like EMM Labs, MSB, dCS, CH Precision, etc. Will it match with your amplification? Boutique brands like Lampizator and Aries Cerat are interesting for sure, but then again nothing is boutique about the rest of your system. Probably major players is the way to go. In my opinion and experience, ARC digital components are extremely good. And you won’t have a headache related to the synergy between your ARC amplification and the DAC 9. It’s definitely worth auditioning. |
I use a Bartok Apex, fed by an Innuos Stream 3 with my ARC stack and it sounds amazing. The nice thing about dCS is they do software and hardware updates every few years, and the SQ of my DAC has improved significantly. I would recommend anything from dCS in a heartbeat. Granted, there may be “boutique” manufacturers that may equal or even better dCS, but how is their service? Do they have an upgrade program? And, if the DAC is chip-based, count on it being obsolete in five years. |
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