any DAC recommend for around $1000-1300?

Hello ryo,

For one review of the Monarchy , check this article in Positive Feedback.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/monarchy_m24.htm

Disclaimer/disclosure: the reviewer used my system for most of the evaluations.

Also, I might note that I too was very impressed with this DAC and will be purchasing one shortly.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

thank you for everyone who read and reply my forum! And now i was told that i should sell my CDP and add up my DAC budget to get a better CDP, should I do that? or stick with getting a DAC? NOW I am more confuse!!!

ryo

I agree with Photon, bad digital has always been more about "bad" analog than "bad" digital. Reference digital gear of ten years ago always has fantastic analog output stages just like reference digital gear today. look at all the "mods" floating around, 90% have to do with optimizing if not completely gutting the analog stages of CD players and dacs that are compromised in this area.
I think you would be wise to look at reference Levinson, Classe, etc... of days past. They can be had in your price range and still outperform current midrange dacs and in many ways compete with the best still today. My favorite bargian of this sort is the Resolution Audio Quantum, tough to find but a giant killer from ten years back. Owning a great dac today makes more sense than ever, just get a Hagusb converter and have PC or transport based refernce sound. Don't believe all the hype.

thanks again for all response

i guess i might go for Classe dac-1 or Levinson No.30, does anyone compared these two DAC's and how does the sounds different?

ryo

Yeah, I knew it wouldn't be long before the "buy a one box player, dacs are passe" chant started. I'll agree that one box players have improved. However, to my thinking, in a search for the best possible sound, the transport/dac scheme still has merit. The separation of power supplies for various sections is more easily engineered in a two box solution which is a major plus. I'll agree that the transport/dac vs. one box isn't a cut and dried comparison. It takes more rack space and an interconnect to implement a two box solution. Plus you have to pay for two caseworks. In retort to these objections, the quality digital interconnect question is easily resolved now with something like the Stereovox HDVX @ $150.00. You have to decide if the question of space is relevant. I still think the addition of a dac is potentially a huge bang for the buck improvement. I've got about $2k invested in my digital rig utilizing a dac and it competes with one box players priced much higher.